Dismal Swamp Canal

Last year we were disappointed to find the Dismal Swamp route closed due to low water levels. At mile 7.3 on the Intercoastal Waterway there is usually a choice between the Virginia Cut route and the Dismal Swamp route. We called ahead and were delighted to find the water level was at least 6.3 feet and the locks back on four openings each day. The Dismal Swamp route is slower (no wake zone), much more scenic, and has more free docks available. There is no commercial traffic and most powerboats avoid it due to the slower pace. The Dismal Swamp canal has locks at both ends. Entering the canal you are raised up to the level of the canal and at the other end lowered back down again. We were lowered 8 feet when we exited the canal at the South Mills lock. Immediately after clearing the Deep Creek lock at the north end we tied up to a free dock which has room for about five boats. We stayed three nights and got to know our dock neighbors. One night when we had five boats staying we had a Happy Hour on the dock. The small town of Deep Creek has good shopping from a boaters perspective. Linda made big additions to our provisioning by shopping at the Dollar General store. The last day before leaving three of us worked together to move our boats close to the one available water tap and we each then filled our tanks and washed down our boats by connecting our hoses together. We timed our departure from Deep Creek to the first lock opening. We were actually trapped between the lock and the bridge which operates in conjunction with the lock. The trip down the canal was everything we could have hoped for. It was a beautifully clear day and the canal was very scenic. The pace was purposefully slow to arrive at the lock on the far end at exactly the scheduled opening. We ran over three deadheads along the way. These are logs which have sunk to the bottom or near the bottom. They just bump along the bottom of the keel and do no harm.

Exiting the South Mills lock after being lowered eight feet, we hurried on to Elizabeth City to arrive during daylight. Our big disappointment was to find all fourteen of the free city docks filled. Elizabeth City is famous for it's Rose Buddies. Friends of ours that went through about a week ahead of us confirmed the tradition is still going even though it's founder, Fred Fearing, died last year. The Rose Buddies greet the boaters and invite them to a wine and cheese party. The city mayor attended the wine and cheese party our friends had attended. We anchored out for the night with a few other boats caught in the same circumstances. It was probably just as well as we planned to leave at dawn to get across the Albemarle Sound before expected high winds and to find a secure anchorage.

The Dismal Swamp Canal is the oldest continually operating man-made canal in the United States. Both George Washington and Governor Patrick Henry of Virginia felt that canals were the easiest answer for an efficient means of internal transportation. In 1784, the Dismal Swamp Canal Company was created. Digging began in 1793 and progressed slowly since the canal had to be dug completely by hand. Most of the labor was done by slaves hired from nearby land owners. It took approximately 12 years of back-breaking construction under highly unfavorable conditions to complete the 22-mile long waterway. By 1805 flat-bottomed vessels could be admitted into the canal, where tolls were charged to allay the continual expense of improvements and maintenance.
By 1820 the Canal was recognized as an important part of commercial traffic between Virginia and North Carolina. In 1829, improvements to the waterway made it possible to accommodate deeper drafts. The 1860's and the onset of the Civil War put the canal in an important strategic position for Union and Confederate forces. Wartime activity, however, left the canal in a terrible state of repair. The repairs and maintenance needed by the canal made travel difficult.  A new era for the canal came in 1892 when the Lake Drummond Canal and Water Company launched rehabilitation efforts in 1896. Once again, a steady stream of vessels carrying lumber, shingles, farm products, and passengers made the canal a bustling interstate thoroughfare.With the 20th century, however, improvements in modes of transportation meant another downturn for the canal. By the 1920's, commercial traffic had subsided except for passenger vessels. In 1929 it was sold to the federal government for $500,000 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains it.

Back Together Again In Spa Creek

After returning from visiting family, we moved Ariel out of the marina and anchored nearby, still in downtown Baltimore. The next day we moved to Annapolis and anchored off the Naval Academy. The sailboat show had just ended and they were setting up for the power boat show in the harbor so it was busy. With all of the boat traffic it was pretty lumpy so the next day we moved into Spa Creek and took a mooring. Iain and Jan from Jock's Lodge, our cruising partners from last season have been anchored in Spa Creek while Jan is working at both of the boat shows. We had dinner on their boat our first night in Annapolis and had them over on Ariel a couple nights latter for dinner. They are leaving for Cuba as soon as the boat shows are over. Their plans will take them on to Mexico, Belize and then Guatemala. Ted and Alice from Windsong, also our cruising partners from last winter, had prepared for and hoped to cruise again this season, but Ted developed some medical problems which will keep them grounded for awhile. The six of us got together for dinner Thursday evening which was wonderful. Ted was looking good and seems to be off to a good recovery. We were so happy to see them and will miss having them out there with us. We are on our way now, having had a very fast sail from Annapolis to Solomons. A strong north-northeast wind pushed as along at 7 knots.
The anchorage is extremely crowded and we had to squeeze in.

Camryn's First Birthday

Our weekend trip to Ohio for Camryn's first birthday could not have been nicer. Ariel was very secure at Inner Harbor East Marina and the car rental was only a couple blocks away. The leaves were at peak or near peak as we passed through the hills in Pennsylvania and New York.

The party, which was a brunch, was really nice and afterward we all were invited to spend the afternoon together at Scott and Pamela's home.. We got to spend time with all of our grandchildren. It was a very quick trip and we were sad to leave especially knowing we would not see them again until next June.

Back On The Chesapeake

Our plan after Linda's medical procedure on Thursday, was to immediately begin our trip to Baltimore. We need to secure Ariel for a few days so we can go to Ohio for Camyrn's first birthday party. We began with heavy rain and the passing of Kyle which delayed our departure from Onset until Monday, September 29. We planned our departure to maximize the use of favorable currents. We left Onset at 8:45 am to time the favorable current which carried us all the way out of Buzzards Bay and most of the way to the Harbor of Refuge at Point Judith. We have passed this man-made shelter many times but never went in. We decided to stay there to save the time it would require to go into a more protected anchorage. The swell had been running high all day from the weekend storms and we found the break wall at Point Judith insufficient to keep the waves from breaking over the top. We had a bouncy night and we were happy to get underway at 6:30 am to catch a favorable current in Long Island Sound. We decided to stop at East Haven, which this time around was very calm and comfortable. We were on our way again the next morning at 7:30 am to again catch the favorable current. We stopped at Port Washington, one of our favorites. The next day was extremely windy so we stayed but did not go ashore. The following day was still windy and we knew New York harbor would be rough, but we wanted to stage at Sandy Hook for forecast good conditions for the weekend. We timed our departure to arrive at Hells Gate at near slack. It was rough going right from the start and it became a very rough ride in New York harbor as we expected. We arrived at Atlantic Highlands to a very crowded anchorage as we are now back in the pack of boats migrating south. Our departure the next morning was timed to arrive at the entrance of Delaware Bay at 8 am the following morning to catch the favorable current up the bay and through the C&D canal. After topping off our fuel we left at 8:15 am. It was a very smooth trip down the coast and the wind was in our favor as we had hoped. The wind was only about 10 knots so we had to motor sail the entire trip. We were pretty much alone the entire way. While a lot of other boats left as well we think they were probably making stops along the coast. We arrived at the entrance of the Delaware Bay 20 minutes early, not bad after 128 miles. Our average speed was 5.5 knots as planned. To some this may seem slow but we have slowed down this year to reduce our use of diesel fuel. The wind was on the nose going up the bay so it was a little slower than we would have liked. We stopped at the Bohemia River which is just past the Chesapeake side of the C&D canal. Our goal was the Sassafras River but we would have arrived after dark if we kept going. The Bohemia River takes a bit of nerve. It is silted in about two feet over the depths reported on the charts. We gingerly looked for a spot as the actual depths were 4.9 - 6.0 feet. Out draft is now 4.9 feet so we know we were at our limit and maybe pushing through some silt. The next day we decided to go straight to the inner harbor in Baltimore, which was a day ahead of our plan. We are now at the Inner Harbor East Marina which is in the center city and a great facility. When we stepped off in Baltimore we realized we had not been off Ariel for 11 days. This trip was so much different from a year ago, but most of the difference is with us. We are much more patient and more focused on using favorable wind and current to help us.