Great Loop: The Dismal Swamp

- May 09, 2022

The Great Dismal Swamp

May 5th, 2022

A journey through the Dismal Swamp is a voyage back in time. The route traverses a very low population density portion of North Carolina and Virginia. It is easy to imagine yourself back in Colonial times.

The route was originally proposed by George Washington in 1763. The concept was to dig a canal to connect the Chesapeake Bay, in Virginia, with the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina to move trade goods. Doing so would bypass the treacherous coastal route. The canal was completed in 1805 after 12 years of construction by mostly slaves.

We had been anticipating our Dismal Canal Trip for a long time. It did not disappoint. The entire canal is a "No Wake" zone, so it is a relaxing transit. Type A personalities would not be a happy with this route. As the going is slow, we broke the trip into 2 days, with a stop at the Visitors Center located midway through the canal.

Once you enter the canal, it is arrow straight. Visually, the route continues to the horizon and then beyond. There is only one turn in the entire route. After completing two thirds of the transit, you turn 40 degrees to starboard and continue on a new arrow straight heading to the Deep Cut Exit Lock. Even though the pace is slow, there is much to occupy your attention. Snags and deadheads in the water must be avoided. Overhead you must watch your air clearance and trees and their branches overhang the canal. A transit on a tall sailboat demands the skippers attention as you have to watch both the air and water to choose a clear path.

We enjoyed the company of other boaters at the overnight stop. Some were Loopers, others were migrating back to the northeast after wintering in Florida. Evening docktails was lively as we meet and chatted with those who chose to spend the night.

Travel timing is determined by the locks which open at 8:30am, 11am, 1:30pm, and 3:30pm. So you time your arrival at a lock with this schedule. At the Deep Cut Lock end, there is a Food King near the tie up wall for the bridge, so you could arrive early and do some re-provisioning. If you are hungry, there are also food joints in the nearby shopping center.

Once you exit the canal, you almost immediately transition into the busy environment of the great naval shipyards of Portsmouth and Norfolk. Traffic increases, bridges must be raised, and exclusion zones adhered to as you travel to your marina of choice. We selected Tidewater Yacht Marina as our destination and were happy to arrive safely as the weather turned nasty due to high winds and storms that lasted several days. Fortunately there is much to see and do prior to continuing into the Chesapeake Bay.

As you leave Elizabeth City you will pass through a Railroad Bridge across the Pasquotank River

There are occasional homes along the Pasquotank River

The water is the color of Coca-Cola from tannins leached from vegetation

The first lock at South Mills raises boats to the level of the Dismal Swamp Canal

Amy Marie rafted to the side of a larger boat.

You can see from the stains on the wall of the lock that we will be lifted ~ 8 feet.

We are now in the Dismal Swamp Canal and will soon be in Virginia

The "Nebo" App shows 4 looper boats headed north in the canal

Midway in our transit we tied to a dock at the Visitor Center for the night

In total, we rafted 7 boats to the wall at the Visitor Center

The State Park operates a swing floating bridge to provide access to the far side of the canal.

It will swing parallel to the wall when boats pass.

Beth is getting ready to tour the Visitors Center

We took a long walk in the woods to stretch our legs

We found a moonshiners still on our walk

When we returned to the boats we found "Docktails" had already started

We enjoyed docktails with the crew of the sailboat Hiatus, rafted to Amy Marie's port side

The crews of Wild Life and Turn the Paige celebrate a safe arrival

We set off under sunny skies to complete our transit of the canal.

The canal seems to stretch on as far as you can see...

A boathouse along the canal

An old building along the canal

A Free Public dock between the Visitors Center and Deep Creek Lock

When approaching Deep Creek Lock, boat stage at the bridge, just before. The Lock Master will raise this bridge to give access to the Lock. Expect southbound boats to move south and clear the bridge. The Lock Master will them ask north-bound boats to transit the bridge and continue to the lock. Once all boats have passed through the bridge, the Lock Master closes the bridge and gets in his car to drive to the lock so he can operate it. You will drop approximately 8' to the level of the tidal water on the north side of the lock.