ICW
North Carolina
ICW North: Welcome to Virginia and the Dreaded Thinking About Bridges
We got up, excited about the trip north today. We'd be crossing the state line into Virginia! Then I realized there were timed bridges on our route, and I'd have to think about them. I'd even have to go some math. Bridge #2 opens on the hour and half hour, except it doesn't open at all during rush hour, which apparently is rush 3 hour from 4PM-7PM. We'd have to get to Bridge #2 by 3:30. Bridge #1 is annoyingly 4nm from Bridge #2, which means we'll have to take 1 hour to get to it. We could get there in 34 minutes at our top speed, which would be 4 minutes too late. So, we needed to get to Bridge #1 by 2:30. Anyways, you can see how all this thinking can really get a person down.
At some point, we crossed into Virginia, but we missed the sign.
 |
| Traffic on the ICW! |
 |
| Bridge #2. Victory! |
 |
| Hastings enjoying a day on the water |
Of course, being stopped didn't stop the thinking. Irma was still considering North Carolina as a destination. We could totally stay at the paid dock at Atlantic Yacht Basin for a hurricane - it's really far inland and before the lock.
However, being before the lock and between bridges means you could get trapped there while paying $50 a day, so we decided to press on. (Case in point, today, Sep 19, the lock is closed due to flooding due to winds and rain from Jose, which is at least 300 miles away. After Hurricane Matthew last year, bridges and locks were a bit tricky for a while. So, our hurricane plans have to include safety during the storm and an escape plan after the storm. It's a lot of thinking!)
Have you ever missed an important welcome sign?
 |
| Rain. |
 |
| Really long barge. How does he turn corners? |
 |
| Another barge coming through the lock and Great Bridge and past our free dock. |
6 comments
Bridges can be so annoying, especially when there's math involved.
ReplyDeleteIt's the worst!
DeleteDon't you hate it when there are no signs at (state) border crossing? Even on the equator in the Pacific, there is no sign welcoming you across! All there is, is water. And, a lot of it. A sign would be a nice distraction. My brain is shattered just by reading about all that thinking!
ReplyDeleteHa ha! There should be a wall with a sign for the equator. J/K!
DeleteCambria's mast is 72 feet from the water. Needless to say, I hate bridges of all shapes and sizes. Oh, and power lines!
ReplyDeleteI would really hate to have to climb your mast too! I like 190 foot bridges, they look high enough. All others freak me out a little.
Delete