Unhappy with NC ICW Bridge Restrictions!
Laura, you are not alone in your sentiments. I doubt if there is a single boater among our readers who has not felt exactly the same frustration at one or more of the old bascule and swing bridges along the Waterway, not just in North Carolina. In our navigation of the Ditch, we always tried to make bridge and lock schedules a game testing our on-water planning against tides and boat speed. We also became very adept at dropping the hook to wait for an opening when arriving early. We do not want to lose Laura as a Waterway cruiser, so, if you have suggestions for her that might make bridge schedules less stressful, let us hear from you!
And don’t forget that all bridge schedules are listed by state on our Homepage.
We have absolutely nothing against the State of NC, we love some of their cities and very dear friends abide in that state, but we do abhor their ridiculous ICW bridge restrictions. They open only on the hour and then we have to call to awaken the bridge tender to remind him it’s time to open. A few of these bridges are 4 miles apart so only the slowest sailboat would find that beneficial. Opening takes less than 5′ for traffic to stop, yet we wasted almost 2 hours of our day as well as fuel, just treading water awaiting the ‘appointed time’. There are lots of places we can spend our money, but it won’t be traversing NC’s ICW again.
Laura Lane Bender
Kindred Spirit III
Grand Banks 42 Cl
Comments from Cruisers (2)
We always review the bridge schedules and set our speed to arrive close to scheduled openings. It’s not a big deal and simply good seamanship. We always call every bridge to let them know we wish to pass. They do not always assume every boat wants to go through and some keep track by name of all boats. Therefore, it’s not because they are sleeping. It’s because they don’t open at the appointed time if no one requests an opening. We’ve found nearly all bridge tenders to be professional, helpful and courteous. Mutual respect works both ways.
We feel very fortunate in our lives that we can boat at our leisure and thus we lack the sense of entitlement that causes some to think bridges should open at their sole convenience. There are thousands upon thousands of vehicles crossing those same bridges every day with people commuting, working, on emergencies, making deliveries and myriad other important and necessary things. That somehow recreational boaters should be the center of the bridge universe inciting a tantrum is self-centered.
Waiting a few minutes because I erred in my TSD calculation is a small price to pay for not occupying one of those thousands of vehicles on the bridge who need to be there.
I agree with Laura, the bridges in NC cause the most trouble on the trip from VA to FL. As noted, a few open on the hour only. Do not be late, even a minute in one place will have you waiting for the next opening. I have never had to remind one that it is time to open but sometimes you can tell that they are having a real bad day.