- 47.2 miles
- 7 hours 23 minutes
- 6.4 mph average speed
- 4-10 mph winds
The Dismal Swamp Canal is a 22 mile canal that was hand dug by slaves starting in 1793. The canal opened in 1805 and is the oldest operating man made waterway in the US. There is a lock at the top (in Virginia) and bottom (in North Carolina) of the canal. The Cypress, Gum, Red Maple and Juniper trees release tannins into the water which prohibit the growth of bacteria. As a result, the water is very pure and the color is very dark which makes the surface very reflective. It is often hard to tell where the surface meets the water. The canal is 50 feet wide except in two areas where it is 25 feet wide.
This was our first time transiting through a lock and, by the time we have completed our Loop, we will have transited about 150 more of various types and sizes. Stay tuned as these first two locks are very basic. and a few of the locks are not to be missed! Once we had pulled in to the first lock, told the lock master we had never been through a lock before and gotten instruction from him, he told us a sailboat was coming in and would tie up to our boat. WHAT? We don’t even know what we’re doing! No worries though, everything worked out just fine. Kevin held the bow line that was wrapped around a post and Ellen held the stern line so that we would be up next to the wall of the lock while the sailboat was tied up to Perfect Match.
We often joke with each other about not remembering things – like what city we were in the day before – but we hope to never forget the absolutely breathtaking beauty of our trip through The Dismal Swamp Canal. This is a route that not all Loopers take but we are so glad we decided to take this route!
Once we exited the second lock in Virginia, we were on our way to Norfolk. We passed by a lot of large ships!
We decided to only stay one night in Norfolk since we have been there a couple of times for AGLCA Rendezvous.
Next up: The Chesapeake Bay!