Uninhabited
B A R R I E R I S L A N D S, V A A few minutes after pulling away from the only dock on the seven-mile long, uninhabited Parramore Island, our small craft runs aground nearly knocking us passengers out of the boat. A full moon has exaggerated the low tide and is threatening our return to the mainland. When we left this morning, the crossing from Wachapreague to Parramore at high tide was a twenty minute, full throttle endeavor. But now, low tide has us trickling along cautiously as the captain keeps a close eye on the depth-finder. All aboard are whooped after spending the past seven hours completing a diabolical list of manual tasks. My boat mates and I are volunteers who spent the day helping convert an old Coast Guard repair garage into a rudimentary educational shelter for the Nature Conservancy’s Virginia Coast Reserve. Once complete, it will be used to showcase the tremendous value of Parramore Island and the 13 ...