After a relaxing lay day exploring Elizabeth City’s restored old homes, visiting the library and splicing some lines we departed at 0630. The engine wasn’t happy about starting and there was a terrible whine from the engine compartment. Looks like the fan that vents hot air from the engine wasn’t quite round anymore, so we disconnected it and proceeded to get underway. Thankfully, the temperatures were down in the seventies.
The Pasquatank river winds North from Elizabeth City until it meets Taylor’s cut, the start of a man made waterway leading to Norfolk. A narrow canal, we learned quickly to look up as there are tree
branches that wait to snag the standing rigging. There was little sign of humans until we arrived at the South Mills lock. People have sighted bears and deer here, but we heard birds and saw several great blue heron up close. The lock brought us up eight feet to the level of the Dismal Swamp Canal. We locked through with Gypsy, a Hinckley Ketch, whom we had heard on the Cruiseheimers radio net when we were in Elizabeth City. From the lock, the canal is about 20 miles long. We stopped at the NC Welcome center which is the only welcome center that serves both a roadway and a waterway. The center is interesting and is adding nature trails and has lots of information about the history of the Swamp. Beth made bread as we motored three hours into Virginia. It sure made the boat smell good. Only passed a few houses along the canal. One was a farmhouse where the farmer has a floating bridge he puts our to move equipment across the canal. We met Gypsy again just before the Deep Creek lock and are rafted up with them for the night at a bulkhead behind a Mexican Restaurant. This is a convenient place to get some supplies as there is a Food Lion and an Auto Parts store just across the street. The auto parts store didn’t have a 12 volt blower fan, so it looks like a visit to West Marine in Norfolk will soon be on our agenda.
branches that wait to snag the standing rigging. There was little sign of humans until we arrived at the South Mills lock. People have sighted bears and deer here, but we heard birds and saw several great blue heron up close. The lock brought us up eight feet to the level of the Dismal Swamp Canal. We locked through with Gypsy, a Hinckley Ketch, whom we had heard on the Cruiseheimers radio net when we were in Elizabeth City. From the lock, the canal is about 20 miles long. We stopped at the NC Welcome center which is the only welcome center that serves both a roadway and a waterway. The center is interesting and is adding nature trails and has lots of information about the history of the Swamp. Beth made bread as we motored three hours into Virginia. It sure made the boat smell good. Only passed a few houses along the canal. One was a farmhouse where the farmer has a floating bridge he puts our to move equipment across the canal. We met Gypsy again just before the Deep Creek lock and are rafted up with them for the night at a bulkhead behind a Mexican Restaurant. This is a convenient place to get some supplies as there is a Food Lion and an Auto Parts store just across the street. The auto parts store didn’t have a 12 volt blower fan, so it looks like a visit to West Marine in Norfolk will soon be on our agenda.