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.