Dismal Swamp

The Dismal Swamp. People seem to either love it or hate it. Maybe it’s the name. Maybe it’s the brown water. Or maybe it’s the not infrequent deadheads (waterlogged logs) lurking on the bottom of the 6 ft deep canal just waiting to thump into the bottom of the keel ensuring that everyone aboard is wide awake.

We love it. It’s always one of the highlights of our trip south. The scenery is peaceful, the other boaters that raft up at the Visitors Center are friendly and the pace is a lot slower than the Virginia cut route a little farther to the east.

This year was the first trip since Robert Peek, our favorite lock master, passed away and we missed him, his stories about the history of the area and his masterful conch horn music. But the new lock master was just as friendly and skilled.

We spent the first night just inside the lock on Elizabeth’s Dock, next to a small park that was great for walking. Then it was on to the visitors center where we rafted with 7 other boats.

 

Calm and beautiful
Leaving Elizabeth’s dock and heading thru the drawbridge
A favorite pastime. Becca always had 2 or 3 books going: biographies, history, novels, even brochures about the local area.
Leaving Virginia, entering North Carolina

 

One of the many knots mastered. This one was also renamed from throwing a clove hitch on a piling to “the piling knot.” Makes sense to us!

 

With practice came mastery and confidence

 

Forget the rabbit, the hole and the tree. Becca learned the right right way to tie a bowline
A job well done!
Clove hitch, figure eight, bowline, piling knot, plus how to properly coil a line. Not a bad repertoire!

 

But if not…

2 comments

  2. It would certainly seem different not seeing Robert at the lock. He was a wonderful man with great knowledge of the area and awesome stories. Nice to hear they have another great lock master there. Loved your photos. Looked quite a bit warmer than when we were there with you a three years ago. 🥰

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