everyone eager to enter the Dismal Swamp Canal; for us, the first leg of the Intracoastal Waterway would take us to Elizabeth City.
The next opening of the lock at Deep Creek wasn't until 11:00, it meant another wait so we all had to put down our anchors. When it finally was time, boats were directed into the lock, one by one. Only one man was working that morning, and we had to throw our lines up to him so he could loop them around the bollards and back down to us. A groovy young man (from Montreal) was asked to crawl up the ladder and help an incoming boat on the opposite side of the lock; he was also responsible for providing some music for our listening pleasure. Soon we were all tapping our toes and dancing to the music of the Beatles.
The lock was filled to capacity. Everyone had to wait patiently for their turn to exit.
An hour and a half and 8 feet later, we emerged like ducks in a row, motoring down "the ditch".
At 3:30 we reached the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center. Built between an Interstate and the ICW, it greets both highway and waterway visitors. There at the dock were our friends from Kingston, Ontario. Because of the damage to the Erie Canal after Hurricane Irene they had to bring their boat via the St. Lawrence and the Richelieu River and Lake Champlain route in order to get to the Hudson River.
Ben remarked, "A 400 mile detour and you still beat us here!"
We ended up rafting off to a catamaran called Sunny Skies, and later met Jim and Maggie.
Then two sailboats rafted off on our starboard side. Some boats kept on going, but by the end of the afternoon, sixteen boats were rafted 3 or 4 deep. The Canal was pretty much blocked.
It was a great way to get to know people, walking across one another's boats to get to the dock, and happy hour was a lot of fun! These two gentlemen are both single-handing their way south...we wish them fair winds and calm seas!
The second day began early, it was quiet, misty and calm.
The ICW eventually follows the Pasquotank River and meanders along the Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge.
The water of the swamp was dark, the colour of coffee. The pamphlet said, "It is unusually pure, preserved by the tannic acids from the bark of the juniper, gum and cypress trees". So in early days, sailors liked to fill casks with this bacteria-free water for their voyages.
Some of the trees and bushes were beginning to lose their leaves and there was the odd shock of red- very Tom Thomson!
Just a beautiful place to travel...at least once.
Out of the ditch, and through a bridge and there was Elizabeth City.
A wine and cheese reception awaited us at the end of The Mariner's Wharf. Along with a lot of helpful information, each woman received a rose bud (and a fly swatter- a hint of things to come?) The two gentlemen who began the Rose Buddies tradition have passed away, so now the Tourism Office, as well as the former mayor, continue to host these 5:30 gatherings every Monday to Friday.
This is a view of the Mariner's Wharf as we motored away at dawn, heading off towards our next destination.
Currently in Georgetown, South Carolina, we now know how much the scenery is about to change.
No comments:
Post a Comment