UPDATE: Report on Free Docking in Great Bridge, VA, AICW Statute Mile 11.5
Great Bridge Battlefield Park is on the west side of the Waterway as it passes through the friendly town of Great Bridge. As Skipper Holtbakk relates, the 24hr free docking is strictly enforced. If you need to stay longer than 24hrs, we heartily recommend SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Atlantic Yacht Basin, just south of Great Bridge Bridge.
Hi,
I like you to know that the 24 hour docking is enforced in Great Bridge VA. I docked between the bridge and the lock 5/16/15 1100 hrs. At 1858 hrs on 5/17/15 I was told to get off the dock or receive a summon to appear in court for overstaying the 24 hr limit. I asked if I could stay until morning, but no way. It was just two boats docked at the time, so it was not a question of space.
Stein A Holtbakk
Larry, We have been researching the incident reported on cruisersnet regarding the boat owner being forced to leave the seawall between the lock and the bridge. I received a reply from the City and the Department of Parks and Recreation. The following is their reply…
We apologize for any inconvenience or aggravation this situation may have caused you in your travels through Chesapeake. Our research continues to show us that 24-hour mooring is the norm, on unpaid slips, for this area of the Intracoastal Waterway. As you may be aware, 24-hour mooring is dictated by the City of Chesapeake City Code and Parks, Recreation and Tourism policy. Furthermore, the Army Corps of Engineers’ lease agreement with the City of Chesapeake requires staff to enforce this code as written. The justification and enforcement of this code is important because, at any point in time, we have multiple vessels waiting to utilize the pier on a first-come, first-served basis. Last year, for instance, we had a significantly increased number of unfortunate issues with some boaters tying up at that dock and leaving for days, sometimes weeks at a time, which left little to no room for other visiting patrons. Additionally, we received numerous complaints, especially at the specific location, from other boaters, neighbors, the bridge tender, Army Corps of Engineers and Chesapeake Police Department regarding vagrant boaters visiting this and other local areas within our City. In order to keep our docks consistently available, safe, clean, and welcoming, the Chesapeake Park Rangers have been given the directive to use their discretion to enforce this City Code. The Rangers do, however, have the discretion to make the determination as to what type of enforcement actions are appropriate for problems both they and community members identify. `Zero tolerance’ policies can sometimes be viewed as `zero intelligence’ policies which have the net effect of eliminating a Ranger’s discretion. We encourage and expect our Rangers to use their best judgment in abating certain offenses. They will always go out and talk to the vessel’s owner before making any determination, unless the owner becomes unavailable. There are many situations where a discussion, or possibly a warning, achieves the same if not a better result than strict enforcement does. To this end, we sincerely hope you understand our objectives and will continue to visit Chesapeake’s waterways again in the future. If you have any questions or need any assistance during your travels to Chesapeake, please do not hesitate to give me a call.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Barber
Director of Parks, Recreation and Tourism
1224 Progressive Drive, Suite 200
Chesapeake, VA 23320
(757) 382-6411
mbarber@cityofchesapeake.net
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s NC-VA Bridge Directory Listing For Great Bridge Lock
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Great Bridge Lock
Click Here To View the VA to NC Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Atlantic Yacht Basin
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Atlantic Yacht Basin
Progress continues to be made toward the opening of this new SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Port City Marina, which will open for business in a few weeks along the eastern banks of the Cape Fear River, in the heart of downtown Wilmington, NC. See 
Comments from Cruisers (2)
While I sympathize with the boater I must say that after 30 some years boating and cruising I am still surprised how many boaters are too cheap to pay for a berth somewhere. I know we all talk about how much we spend but the point here is that this is a 24 hour free berth. If you need more that that pull out your wallet and pay for a slip. We all know ahead of time how long we need for a particular stop. It does not matter how many boats are there. Plan on 24 hours and then movr on and open your wallet. It is not the grocery store or evil empire (west marine) that needs your support. Marinas up and down the waterway are the ones who need the support.
I’d be curious to know who did the enforcing. I have spent more than one night there several times. Admittedly we are ahead of most of the snowbirds both north and southbound. Spending money on supplies sometimes takes more than one day.