We're in North Carolina

Leaving Norfolk in dawn's early light with new Naval Hospital behind Jay as we headed south down the Elizabeth River.

Waiting for Gilmerton Bridge to open with 5 other sailboats and a big powerboat that had its own tender motoring behind it.  Due to highway construction, the bridge would not open as we thought but an hour later so we hovered like bees around a hive. Water was 45-50 ' deep so no one anchored.  Along came Captain Ed in his tugboat to open the bridge and he said over the radio for us all to follow closely behind and we'd all go right through, so we did. Oh, the power of being a tugboat captain!

Made a right turn at this sign and headed towards the Dismal Swamp Canal and the hospitality of Elizabeth City with one other powerboat who had traveled from Cleveland, Ohio.  He came through the St. Lawrence Seaway and Hudson River to get here since the Erie Canal was closed due to damage from Hurricane Irene. He was headed to Hilton Head. We learned all of this as we passed later through the lock together.  It felt good to take the less traveled route.

Going through Deep Creek on our way to the Deep Creek lock we passed some military training exercises about to get under way.  Their boats were packed with guns and the soldiers on shore were carrying lots of weapons.  Glad they are on our side!

We got the green light to enter the Deep Creek lock behind the powerboat.  Two more trawlers came behind to join us.  Robert, the lockmaster, told us over the radio to have fenders out and lines ready.

Captain Jay has the stern line ready and holding.  We are ready to go up 8 feet.

This is Robert, the lockmaster, and his dog.  Robert has been a lockmaster for 15 years and has the reputation of being the friendliest of all.  If you stay overnight at the dock after the lock, he expects you at 8AM for coffee and pastries at his office. He called us "newbies" since this was our first lock experience and was very helpful.

This is Robert's office.  You can see all the conch shells he used for landscaping and asked us to bring one back for him in May when we come through again.  Before we left the lock, Robert picked up a conch shell from the porch and played "When the Saints Come Marching in" on it for all four boats in the lock.  We all clapped!!  You can see Jay is now much taller.

 

Jay powering through the Dismal Swamp Canal.  Lowest water depth we registered was 6.2 feet for a moment.  Most was over 8'.  They received much rain with Irene and more since. Green with some fall leaves being colorful and very peaceful traveling through "the ditch".

We knew we made it to North Carolina.

MM28- Dismal Swamp Visitors Center.  We are tied up at a dock with 3 other boats.  That's Norma with the blue coat on Priority. The Center is really a highway rest stop between Highway 17 and the Dismal Swamp Canal so it serves both the highway and the canal.   Jay took this photo from the pontoon pedestrian bridge to a State Park where we walked the trails this afternoon.

The two sailboats in front of us are from Ontario and trucked their boats to Annapolis since the Erie Canal was closed. They are headed to Florida. The trawler behind us is from Massachusetts and headed to Port Charlotte, Fl.  We'll keep heading south tomorrow.  Dismal Swamp Canal has been great!