ENTERING THE DISMAL SWAMP / SOUTH MILLS

Trip Day:          58      Latitude:            36°26.58' N              Locks Today:  1

Miles Today:     11      Longitude:      076°19.55' W              Locks Total:   7                                 

Total Miles:    1,234   Location:        South Mills, NC                    

No navigational markers were required today as we followed the serpentine Pasquotank River.  The tall, straight, soldier-like cypress trees stood guard on both banks of the river reminding us to pay respect to the nature  surrounding us.  Leaving the river to enter the Turner Cut we were pleasantly surprised that although a man-made straight cut, the forest had survived with its beauty intact. 

As we approached South Mills Lock one other sailboat was at anchor awaiting the 11:00    opening for the eight foot rise.  By the time we locked through there were a total of eight boats, equally divided sailboats and trawlers. It seemed to take forever for all the boats to be secured by the lock tender and then the gates opened to allow the lock to fill and rise eight feet.  Just when everyone was ready to begin the exit processional, the lock tender announced that “something broke” and the gate was stuck in the closed position.  Repair took only about 30 minutes to allow one side of the gate to open. 

Officially in the Dismal Swamp, dawdling along, with five days to travel only 33 miles to Norfolk.   So, a little history .  .  .  The Dismal Swamp Canal is the oldest operating canal in the United States.  George Washington, who owned 40,000 acres of  timber land,  surveyed the canal and Patrick Henry was Governor of Virginia in 1784 when the canal was first proposed.  Digging by hired slave labor began in 1793 and completed in 1804.

 History to be continued tomorrow.  .  .