Dismal Swamp

The Dismal Swamp Canal was hand dug by slaves in the late 1700s, what a terrible task, first they had cut their way through, trees, vines, roots, no mechanised equipment other than spades and axes.. Poor sods. No fancy boats on it in those days, it was first used to transport timber. 

 It has a lock at both ends and about 20 miles long, both locks open three times a day so you have to get your timings right when making the passage. In the middle there is a visitors centre  and a free dock for those who couldn't make it through in one day. That is where we started Sunday.

Our first plan for departure was to leave at 5.30 and get the first lock opening but that didn't work out because it was too dark and the crew were too tired!! 

Second plan was to leave at 8am and get the 11am lock opening. This looked like it might work until we saw the tree that was blocking the canal!!!  I think work was being done on the bank, thus the barges , this and the high winds that evening probably brought down the tree.

 

 So we doubled back to the visitors centre where we had spent the previous night.  The US Army Corp of engineers were summoned (they maintain the canal).  It was Mother's Day , Sunday, so we didn't have much hope of getting out of the canal that day.  However they turned up trumps, did their stuff and we got away a couple of hours later. 

Made our way to Norfolk Virginia where we stayed the night.

  It was quite a fancy Marina (Waterside Marina) but they had the worst showers on the ICW,  YUK!!!