Crewing for Drew

Today we start down the ICW on Shawnee, an Island Packet 380 owned by Drew and Deb Sunstein. Drew left Marblehead where he normally keeps the boat and with the help of a friend Don worked his way down to Hampton, Virginia  Don got off on Oct 15 and I got on the boat on October 20. Today, Monday October 21 we cast off from Hampton Public Piers and headed off down the ICW. We soon were passing the Navy base in Norfolk

With lots of destroyers and aircraft carriers and soon after we passed the battleship Wisconsin that Tyler, Mom and I toured this summer while at Colonial Williamsburg

Then a series of bridges, one in Gilmerton that opened on request and the others high enough for us to pass under. Drew and I too turns at the Helm and Drew maintained the log while underway

We got to the Great Lock at 2:30 which should have been good since it usually allows boats in till 2:45 but the lock keepers decided to close the lock and 4 of us boats were told to wait for the next opening at 3:15. After an hour of milling around we were allowed into the lock and tied up, only to be told that they wouldn’t let us out till 6 pm because the Great Bridge immediately after the Great lock would be closed for rush hour car traffic till then. Apparently this is a new phenomenon caused by construction on the Centerville bridge, wherever that is. So there we sat!

We have reservations at the Centerville marina for the  night but they close at 5. We’ll be getting there after sunset and hopefully there will be enough light to tie upMore to follow