April 24, 2016


It's been so long since we have been able to update this record of our journey that, I fear, if I try to stay in chronological order I will be unable to proceed at all. Sooo....what follows here will be some pictures of places we have visited and people we have met but not exactly in the order it all happened.

After leaving Elizabeth City, NC we had to wait for the lock to open so we could head into the dreaded Dismal Swamp.

Here we are just entering the Dismal Swamp Lock northbound.

Friend Sandy Tucker, expert line handler, joined us for the transit

The Great Dismal Swamp, once over 1,000,000,000 acres, now about 112,000 acres, is a beautiful wildlife refuge but is also a canal between Elizabeth City, N.C. and Norfolk, VA.

The northbound lock as we ascended upward about 15 ft.

Arriving at the 150 ft. Visitor Center dock. It's about 3 hours past the south lock.

As you leave the Visitor's Center you enter into Virginia.

Room for 3 boats overnight on the Visitor Dock.

Very calm in the Dismal Swamp. We saw so many turtles sunning on logs, jumping fish, song birds and birds of prey, water snakes, muskrats, dragonflies and butterflies.

Sandy, happy to be there.

Lock on the northern end of the Dismal Swamp Canal. Waiting to descend.

Sailboat behind us in the Lock as we descend.

Do you see me up on the bow? I am making sure our line does not get hung up as we descend. I have my knife close at hand!

Traffic sign

Lockmaster's office on the edge of the Lock.