Kaufmans on the Move: The Intercoastal

For the last two weeks, with kind waters and weather, we've gradually been making our way from St. Augustine to the Chesapeake with Blue Chip. One thing that makes these annual pilgrimages memorable is observing various communities along the way and the technology that makes this water journey possible.

The Intercostal Waterway (ICW) is a mix of rivers and manmade canals that originally allowed shipping from Florida up through Virginia. Pleasure boats now often use it more than industry, but regardless, water locks, bascule and swing bridges permit boats of various sizes to make their way along the ICW, without having to negotiate the more unpredictable ocean waters.

A water lock is an enclosed, rectangular chamber with gates at each end, within which water is raised or lowered to allow boats of all sizes to overcome water level differences. Locks are most often used by boats on canals, but can be found along rivers as well.

Locks first appeared in Ancient Greece 14,000 years ago. In more modern Europe, they first appeared in Belgium in 1180, the Nethrlands in 1373 and the US in the 1820's to connect the Great Lakes.

The lock starts out gated at the far end. Boats pull into the open end of rectangular and tie up by looping lines around metal kleats, allowing enough give to rise or drop several inches to more than 20 feet. Once the gate close, water is gently allowed in or out to bring your boat level with water on the other side.

Once this achieved, previously closed gate opens and off you go, always thanking the "lock keeper," who operates the entire process. The process then repeats in reverse, adjusting the height from the other side for the next group of boats.

Clearance for bridges is the other ICW challenge. Because we can lower our antennas, our clearance requirement can drop from 22 to 16 feet. But if the tide is high or the bridge low, as is almost always the case with a railroad bridge, technology and a bridge keeper is required.

Bridges either open on a schedule or "on demand" where you call the bridge keeper from your boat radio. It's always spectacular to see a huge piece of metal either suddenly swing 90 degrees horizontally or vertically to open and let you pass through.

Although far from new technology, it's always a bit of a thrill to make your way through with a small regatta of other boats also making the ICW pilgrimage.