Another memorable day—the last stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway. Today’s leg would bring us to Portsmouth, right next to Norfolk, where the ICW officially begins at mile zero, marked by the iconic railroad bridge. But before we could enjoy that milestone, there were still a few hurdles ahead.

One particularly tricky one—a bridge near our destination that wouldn’t open between 3:30pm and 5:30pm, inconveniently right when we would typically pass through. The options were limited: go late and arrive with no one at the marina to guide us into the slip, or push hard and make an opening before the cutoff. Time to pull out the planning tools and crunch the numbers. If we started early and ran the iron genny at a good pace, we had a shot at making it. A quick check of the wind forecast confirmed that conditions for crossing the Currituck Sound looked decent for the early morning hours. No time to hesitate—we committed to yet another early start.

Up at 5am, moving in the dark, going through the now-familiar routine. The first challenge of the day was getting out of our tight space at the facedock. Only a foot between the boats ahead and behind us. A stroke of luck—the boat behind us left just minutes before, giving us a little more breathing room. But in the end, it didn’t even matter. We had the maneuver planned, and Koko slid out smoothly with only inches to spare between boats. First high-fives of the day.

The sky was still clouded over, dim enough that we kept the navigation lights on. Then came the drizzle, so out came the rain gear. Not the most pleasant morning, but after all the good fortune we’d had so far, complaining felt out of place.

The Currituck Sound crossing was fine—a little chop but nothing remotely uncomfortable. Then it was back in ICW mode, carefully timing bridge openings and even a lock. Yes, a lock today. The Great Bridge Lock one wasn’t built for a massive elevation change but rather to manage the transition from freshwater to saltwater. We only dropped about two feet—our first real lock experience after the tiny one at the marina in Hilton Head. There was some nervousness about handling it, but once inside, the process turned out to be fairly straightforward. Another milestone behind us.

Next up—the infamous railroad bridge #7, notorious for throwing off cruising plans, staying closed unexpectedly, and breaking down without warning. We approached with a mix of anxiety and hope. Turning the bend, we saw it—down, red lights flashing.

Circling for fifteen minutes, waiting. A train finally approached and passed over, but the red lights remained. More circling, another long freight train crossing, taking more than ten minutes to clear the bridge. Still no change. Were we finally out of luck?

Just as we started seriously worrying, two loud signals sounded, and the bridge began to lift. Yes! A quick hail to the drawbridge right behind it confirmed they were ready for us as well. In the end, we had to wait only about 30-45 minutes—not bad, considering the horror stories we’d heard.

With that, the scenic landscapes of the ICW faded behind us, replaced by Norfolk’s industrial waterfront. Massive docks, towering navy piers, sprawling shipyards—those ships are enormous up close. We navigated our way through and finally reached our marina.

Docking was smooth, Koko gliding into the slip almost perfectly—just a little too fast, earning us a bump against the floating dock. Luckily, Island Packet boats are built tough. No harm done.

We were exhausted. Drizzle still falling, skies still cloudy, wind still pushing. But before anything else, Koko deserved some love—a full washdown to strip away the thick layer of salt crust she’d collected over the past few days.

Then came late lunch, immediately followed by coffee. Some much-needed napping, dinner, and the ultimate reward—a hot shower. Three long days pushing through the backcountry of the Outer Banks, each leg full of challenges. But we had handled them well. We had grown, learned, and tackled obstacles head-on.

What an incredible experience. I loved every minute. In particular our evening at Coinjock. And cruising through the area we have so many fun family memories from was extra special. What an absolutely amazing adventure!