We brave the Dismal Swamp

Monday, October 29, 2007
We met John and Cheryl just before the first lock of the canal and rafted with them until the lock opened. We were really worried about the canal being too shallow for us, but there had been rain for 4 days that raised the water level enough for us to risk it.
After we got through the first lock, we tied up to a dock and went out for a really bad Mexican dinner, but got to know John and Cheryl and shared lots of stories about our Sceptres.


The next morning when we awakened, there was this fog on the water that was mysterious and spooky.
Then we all started off. We let some other boats go ahead because we figured that we were the most likely to go aground. We touched bottom many times, but never were stopped.
There was some kind of duckweed on the surface of the water.
As we got to the final lock, the duckweed was really thick. We were on TV as the last group of boats to transit the canal before it closed for the season. Most boats use the regular canal that is deeper and used by commercial shipping.
John took this picture of us in our cockpit awaiting the final lock opening.

The Dismal Swamp Canal does a big job of promoting itself because it only serves recreational boaters and is always under the threat of being closed. It was planned before the revolution, but wasn't funded until the 1790's.
There was a hotel along the way where Edgar Allen Poe wrote "The Raven", undoubtedly inspired by all the dismalness.
Once we cleared the last lock, it got much deeper and by sunset we were in Elizabeth City where there were flags that said "Welcome" and people to take our docklines as we tied up to a free dock right on the city front. It is nice to be welcomed without a big price tag. We'd have liked to have spent a few days there, but had to leave at dawn to make miles before tropical storm Noel threatened the area.