Too Dismal for Dismal

Well, at the end of my last post I mentioned that we were waiting out a little bad weather.  It's not a lot of fun to sail in the rain without a cockpit enclosure and there didn't seem to be any reason to do it when sun would return in a few days.

The sun returned and we were making plans to head out on Friday.  Then late Thursday I saw a notice posted on Facebook that the ICW south of Norfolk was closed.  Both the Dismal Swamp Canal and Albemarle-Chesapeake Canal routes were closed.  If you follow my Facebook page, I did re-share the post on the closure. I tried finding confirmation that evening and wasn't able to confirm the closure until I called Robert, the lock and bridge tender at Deep Creek, the following morning.

Image accompanying the Chesapeake Bay Magazine's
Facebook post on the closures.

That rain that we were waiting to pass was apparently worse just south of us and caused a bunch of flooding.  Now, you would think that flooding wouldn't be a big issue for a boat, but it apparently is for the various draw bridges and locks along those routes. The Dismal Swamp route locks couldn't be operated with waters as high as they were. Apparently the already problematic North Landing bridge, and possibly one or more others along the other route, could not be opened for fear of damage due to the flood waters.

Image from the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center's
Facebook page.

So, we continue to wait.  The Albemarle-Chesapeake route has been re-opened, but the Dismal swamp route remains closed.  Given how we often encounter floating logs and other issues in the swamp, we are rethinking taking that route as I can only imagine what flood waters have washed up (not to mention it isn't expected to be reopened until next week).  We are altering our plans to take the more heavily traveled route.  In order to try and avoid some of the heavy weekend traffic (and hopefully let that traffic help clear anything that might be in the way), we hope to continue our trip south tomorrow.

Another Dismal Day

After a good meal and a good nights sleep in Elizabeth City, it was time to head through the Dismal Swamp. This route has two bridges that need to be raised to let most boats pass and adjacent to those bridges are two locks.  The locks run on a very limited schedule so you need to time your arrival.  The schedule at both sets of locks and bridges are at 8:30 am, 11:00 am, 1:30 pm, and 3:30 pm.  In order for us to make the 11 am opening at the South Mills lock, we needed to leave the dock at 7:30 am. So, at 7:30 we untied the dock lines and headed on.

Winding up the Pasquotank river is nice.  Being the only boat as the path starts to narrow is even better. We left the river itself and started traversing a canal as the river became a bit too narrow.  Oh and then there is the depth.  When we left Elizabeth City the depths were not a problem and we saw lots of depths well above the usual ICW 12 foot range.  But the Dismal swamp canals are a very different story.  Here, the controlling depth is only 6 feet.

The Pasquotank River north of Elizabeth City.
A bit smaller than it is south of town.

The depth, and the fact that most of the canal is a no wake zone, and those that travel this route are a very small subset of those you find elsewhere on the ICW. They tend to be slower or smaller craft, or at least ones that will fit and aren't interested in going fast. It wasn't until we were nearing the first lock that we saw another boat.  We had slowed down since we were arriving early and a trawler appeared behind us and caught up as we were waiting at the first lock.

The South Mills Lock after we entered.

And again when we were ready to go.

The schedule of the locks in combination with the no wake rule means that, if you want to go all the way through the canal, you do so at about 5 knots.  While there are no anchorages, there are a few free docks where you can stop if you want to spend a bit more time in the canal. There are walls and docks near each of the locks, one at a park next to the canal and one at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center. All the docks are free for a one night stay. In our case we again didn't have time for a lot of exploring...hopefully next time we can spend the night at the welcome center dock and check things out.

One problem with a less traveled and narrow canal is that you can occasionally find floating debris in the canal.  The pollen is one thing, but the large branches or small logs are another story.  Twice we approached ones that blocked 2/3 of the canal span.  In each of those cases, we slowly approached the log and I managed to use a boat pole to push it out of the way.  In one case, we scared two turtles off of the log as we made our approach.

Yes, it was calm on the Dismal Swamp this day.

The highlight of the trip this time is the same as the one from our trip south last winter.  In a name, it is Robert.  He is the lock operator of the Deep Creek lock. A wealth of information on the Dismal Swamp and the surrounding area.  We were there for the 3:30 opening and he even checked with the Gilmerton bridge for us to see if there was a commercial opening scheduled so we might be able to make Portsmouth (of course, there was not).  He is a great guy and well worth spending a bit of time getting to know.

We ended up stopping at a dock that was marked in Active Captain as a free dock. This dock is actually part of a boatyard called Chesapeake Yachts and we got there just before they closed.  We walked up to the office just to verify it was a free dock and we were in a good spot. The lady in the office told us that it technically is not a free dock and they usually charge $1 a foot for dockage. She mentioned that there have been times where their dock was full of boats hiding from weather to the point they couldn't get space for their customers.  But, since we were nice enough to come up and talk she would let us stay there. I wonder if they once offered the dock for free and too much advantage was taken, but I hope they continue to let wayward travelers stay there.  I even found out that they could haul my boat, so I may look into them the next time I need a DIY yard.

The only thing dismal about the swamp this time around was the number of biting bugs out due to the lack of a breeze.  But the area is quite pretty and green and I'd recommend you take the route at least once if you have a boat that can make it.

Not Dismal At All

The thought of making the trek south has been a dismal one for sure.  When you dream of this lifestyle, 40 degrees...or lower... and humid air blowing in your face doesn't come to mind.  You think of sun splashed white sand beaches and fruity drinks, not slogging along trying not to freeze.  But for this trip south, that dismal thought has been at the forefront of our minds.

To combat this, we resigned ourselves to the fact we would likely be taking the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) much of the way down.  It can still be cold and rough, but at least good parts of it are fairly narrow rivers and channels that can provide at least a modest amount of protection from the worst of it. There is one place just south of Norfolk where you even have two options for the ICW. In the past I've typically taken what is known as the Virginia Cut route.  This is what I think most people consider to be the main route. The other option is known as the Dismal Swamp route.

The Great Dismal Swamp is a wildlife refuge and park.  The canal that makes up this leg of the ICW runs along the edge of the refuge. We figured this route might be a bit more protected from the elements based on the stories of a tree canopied canal.  And we have wanted to go that route ever since we met one of the lock operators when we were last at the docks in Portsmouth.

So, yesterday morning we left near first light to make it to the first lock for the 8:30 AM opening.  Yes, this route has two locks.  And unlike the one on the Virginia cut route, these actually do make a decent elevation change in the water...around 8 foot or so.  The locks have a limited opening schedule of only 4 times a day at 8:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM, so you have to plan your trip with that schedule in mind.  We figured if we could make the first opening of the first lock we could make it to the second lock for the 1:30 PM opening and get into Elizabeth City just before dark.

It was again a cool morning.  I'd tell you the temperature, but honestly I didn't want to know.  I knew it was supposed to get a bit warmer today than yesterday, so I just kept thinking of that.  We back-track the few minutes from the marina to the turn off for the Dismal Swamp route.  We make the turn into the canal and head on to the first lock.

The only boat at the Deep Creek lock.

At the first lock was where we ran into Robert, the guy we had spoken with about the Dismal Swamp in Portsmouth just over 6 months ago.  We were the only boat there (not a big surprise given the time of year). He gave us some good advice for handling the lock.  After lifting us up, he offered us some coffee and to chat a bit.  He even demonstrated his Conch shell horn (he is collecting conch shells, so if you have one to donate, I'm sure he would like it).  Since we were the only ones there, he also called the other lock master to tell him we were coming and to arrange for an earlier than normal opening to give us more time to make it to Elizabeth City.

Robert with my wife after sharing a cup-o-joe.

Once we were out of the lock, Robert hopped in his car and drove over to the nearby bridge to open it for us (yes, he is both the lock master and bridge tender at Deep Creek).  He opened the bridge, wished us a safe journey, and we were on our way. While we haven't run into any, I've heard rumors that some bridge tenders are not terribly friendly or "customer" oriented, but Robert is at the very opposite end of the spectrum. If you ever get the chance to go through the Dismal Swamp, do plan to spend a little bit of time talking with Robert.  He is a really nice guy and a wealth of information on the area.

The Dismal Swamp canal is interesting.  It is more narrow than the other route and is tree lined most of the way.  With our catamaran, I would have hated to have met any oncoming traffic...not sure how we would have managed to pass.  The trees also leave branches floating in the water, so you do have to keep an eye out for these obstructions.  At one point, we encountered a small tree that fell into the canal and was blocking about 2/3 of it.  We managed to get around it, but not without our mast trimming another tree on the side of the canal.  No damage done, except to a couple small branches of the trimmed tree.  Those trees did seem to help block the winds, so the journey wasn't as cold as I'm sure it could have been.

One of the wider sections of the canal.

As promised, when we reached the South Mills lock and bridge (about an hour ahead of the usual opening time), the other lock master greeted us on the radio and said he would be right over to open the bridge and the lock was ready and waiting for us.  Another nice fellow, but given our time crunch we didn't spend a lot of time chatting.  He sent us on our way with an extra hour to make it  to Elizabeth City.  Now we were able to make it there well before dusk.

The last hurdle before getting to the marina (we are staying at marinas this trip so we have shore power for running the reverse-cycle heaters) was the Elizabeth City bridge.  When we get there, we find a construction barge blocking much of the bridge opening.  I try hailing the bridge and get no response.  I try again, still no response. I use my binoculars to see if I had the name of the bridge right but couldn't find the usual sign naming the bridge.  We end up calling the marina, and the employee informs us that the bridge tender has a bit of reputation of falling asleep at the wheel and offers to give him a call on the phone.  I try hailing a few minutes later and finally get a response...guess he got his wake up call. When I ask for the opening, he says he needs to check with the construction people.  Then another voice comes on the radio and says we should have enough room.  I ask if I should approach and get no response. We see the gates go down so start our approach.  The bridge tender only opens up one half of the bridge and we squeeze through the limited opening left by the construction barge and half bridge span.

When we get to the marina, the wind is blowing about 35 knots.  Why is it that whenever I'm docking it seems that the wind is strong and perpendicular to wherever I'm trying to go?  I maneuver the boat near the dock and spin it sideways and let the wind blow me to the dock.  It worked kind of like having side thrusters...except you couldn't turn them off.  I use the engines to keep us lined up with our "parking space" and slide into the spot with a thud.  Guess I should have worked just a bit closer before turning beam to the wind, but I was tired and it worked out well enough.

Checking the weather it appeared that it was going to be cold and windy so we might end up spending a second day in Elizabeth City. But this day was not that dismal at all.