Day 22...Elizabeth City to the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

     We woke up at our regular time of 5:30-6:00 a.m. and wasted time while we waited on our fellow boaters to start to stir.  We needed to run the generator for about an hour, but we didn’t want to wake everyone up since it is fairly loud.  It was foggy early so we also needed to wait until the fog cleared somewhat. At 9:25 we were ready to go.  Mr. Gus helped with the lines as Gary backed out of the slip.  By then the sun had broken through the early fog.

     The Pasquotank River was beautiful and calm.  It was much different from the bumpy Albemarle Sound or the damp, dreary day yesterday.  After we cruised through the open NS RR bridge, we shared the river with a few crabbers and the osprey peering down on us from its nest very high up in the tree.  Turner's Cut was beautiful.

     We made sure we left early since we didn’t want to miss the 1:30 p.m. South Mills Lock opening.  If we did, the last lock opening for the day would be at 3:30 p.m.  Of course we arrived early.  We’d rather be early than late any time.  The lock operator told us we could tie up to the dolphin.  No, not the mammal.  This dolphin is a group of pilings cabled together to make a sturdy post.  We did just that so we could remain in the same position without running our motor.  

     As you can see in the picture of the lock, the light is red.  Until it is green we must be patient and wait.  

     When we entered the 52 feet wide and 300 feet long lock, the lock operator looped one of our bowlines and one of our stern lines around yellow bollards (round cleats) at the top of the wall. 

     There was a 38 foot boat named LAST DANCE locking behind us.  I started talking to the lady on the bow.  She said to try to keep the stern as close to the wall as possible as we went up about 4 feet to the top.  She also gave me a tip about using the cleat on the boat to leverage the line if needed.  We talked until I had to concentrate to pull the line in as the water filled the lock. 

     The water quickly rushes in to fill the lock.  I had to grip the line tightly to pull it in as we rose to the top of the lock.  It took us 20 minutes to lock through our very first lock on this trip.

 

     Now the lock operator gets in his vehicle and drives to the nearby bridge and opens it for us to continue along the waterway.  We told LAST DANCE to go ahead of us since they motored a little faster than we do.  As they passed us we yelled for them to save us a place at the dock. 

     Now we are in the Dismal Swamp Canal.  It is peaceful and very scenic with the narrow waterway winding its way through the trees on either side of the dark water.  It is the oldest operating artificial waterway in the United States.  The completed canal opened in 1805, 12 years after it was started. 

   

  We traveled four more miles to the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center.  Just before the Welcome Center there is a pontoon (floating) bridge that swings open to let boat traffic through.  It allows people to cross the waterway to the state park on the other side.

     This is also a rest stop for vehicles entering North Carolina so the sign says “Welcome to North Carolina” instead of “Goodbye North Carolina”. 

     We stopped there with Bob and Jane.  They were very nice.  Jane showed me a little brown bear hat she knitted for a baby.  Bob smokes a pipe.  The smell of it brought back fond memories of Uncle Finn smoking his pipe.

     We traveled for 23 miles.  The time is not relevant since we waited for the lock for almost an hour and took 20 minutes to go through the lock. We had a very restful night tied to the dock.