MM0

Yesterday and today, Velsignet cruised (very slowly) through “The Dismal Swamp,” the oldest operating artificial waterway in the United States.  Besides a navigational resource along the Atlantic ICW, a State Park and National Wildlife Refuge, the Dismal Swamp is rich with history and folklore (George Washington and Patrick Henry showed interest in its potential; it served as a destination for freedom seekers prior to and during the Civil War).  Its beauty and mystery has inspired the likes of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Poem “The Slave in the Dismal Swamp”), Sir Thomas Moore (Ballad “The Lake of the Great Dismal”), Edgar Allen Poe (Poem “The Raven”) and Edna Ferber (Novel “Showboat”).  To add to the natural serenity of the area, everyone we met along this 30-mile canal—the lockmasters, Visitors’ Center and State Park staff, and fellow boaters—made The Dismal Swamp anything BUT dismal!!

We arrived in Norfolk, VA this afternoon.  We will follow the suggestions given by The Dismal Swamp’s Deep Creek Lockmaster, Robert:  Tie up at Portsmouth’s High Street Landing (free dockage for the night); walk two blocks up High Street  and take in a movie at the 1945 Commodore Theater (doesn’t matter which movie is playing, one goes to experience the Commodore—although the movie’s a good one:  The Avengers). Tomorrow, we will take the ferry across the river to the Nauticus and McArther Museums.

We’re at the end of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.  Mile Marker 0.  To our north is the Chesapeake Bay, New York City and beyond into Canada.  Weather will dictate our pace, as will coordinating Mike’s next trip out to Seattle.

Isn't this just beautiful?  As we slowly experienced this magical place, we were reminded of the beauty of Long Lake near Bemidji, MN and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.  How much we appreciate the places we call "home."

As we entered the Dismal Swamp Canal, this is a swing bridge that remains open until a crossing is requested.

The day was perfect for going through the canal:  sunny, temps in the 70s, mild winds. The air smelled fresh and sweet.

This is the Halloway Family.  They have sailed as a family all over the Western Hemisphere.  This year, the kids are focused on visiting National Parks and earning badges as Junior Rangers.   

Ok.  So we went past this place that from afar looked like a person on the dock fishing.  We soon discovered that the fishing lines weren't real and neither was the dock dummy!

There are two locks on the canal.  This one was first.  The locks open on a schedule:  8:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.; 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.  The lockmasters also oversee the opening/closing of the bridges which are located about 1/2 mile from the lock.

The lock is filling with water.  If you look down the canal, you can see the bridge.

While the canal is fairly narrow, this photo shows that boats can easily meet each other along the way.  The challenge to boating the canal isn't its width, but its depth.  It is dredged to maintain a depth of 6 feet.  For Loopers, it's considered the route for "slow boats."  There's another canal called the "Albemarle & Chesapeake Canal" that is dredged to maintain a 12 foot depth; for Loopers, it's considered the route for "fast boats."

The entire canal is a "no wake" zone.  For Velsignet, this means a speed of about 4 mph.

Construction on the canal began in 1793.  It had to be dug out by hand so progress was slow and expensive.
Most labor was done by slaves hired from nearby landowners.  Everyone who worked on the canal was paid a wage.  Unfortunately for the slaves, how much of the wage they were able to keep for themselves was determined by the landowner.
Years later, the swamp became a haven for runaways; if a runaway made it to the Dismal Swamp, he/she had a good chance of never getting re-captured.

The soil taken out to develop the canal was mounded to this side of the canal, which make this side look much more dense
with vegetation and trees than the other side. 
The water is a dark reddish-brown color due to the tannins of the cypress and pines. 

We left North Caroline to enter Virginia!

Along the way, many songbirds could be heard singing.  These large birds--we're pretty sure they are turkey vultures--loomed over us for a while as if WE were the curiosity!

As a wildlife refuge, The Dismal Swamp is habitat for white-tailed deer, black bear, cougars, bobcats, fox, wolf, various snakes, and lots of butterflies.

The canal was completed in 1805, 12 years after it was started.  Because it was so shallow, its use was limited to flat boats and log rafts--which a far cry from the original vision as a regional trade route.

The Visitor Center and State Park offered information and a place for both boaters and commuters to rest.  Velsignet docked overnight here behind "It's Someday" (another Looper boat with Captain Steve Quinn) and "Gypsy Belle."

This is the walking bridge from the Visitor Center to the State Park Visitor Center.  It was most unusual as one part lifted and the other part swung into the canal bank.

This is Deep Creek Lockmaster (and Bridgmaster) Robert.  The Halloway children told us how Robert could play the conch shell; The staff at the Visitor Center mentioned how he was a good story teller.  They were right!  Here, Robert is explaining how to play the conch shell and then masterfully demonstrated for us.  Every morning, Robert shares the history of the Dismal Swamp (and offers coffee) to visitors.  We wish we'd known this before we were leaving as we would've planned to make his lock an overnight stopover.

As we neared Norfolk and Portsmouth, construction on a new bridge was underway. 
We were impressed by this fine looking tug!

Cruising through towards our intended docking destination, we awaited the lifting of two train bridges.  This one was huge and lifted its one arm slowly and high above the water.

Docked downtown Portsmouth, we walked a couple of blocks to attend "The Avengers: Endgame" at the Historical Landmark of the Commodore Theater.

The Commodore was built in the art deco style in the 1940s and was restored in the 1980s.  Tables with lamps and telephones replaced theater seating.  Groups sit at a table and call in their drink and dinner orders (we enjoyed dinner at a nearby German restaurant and ordered our desserts here).  As the movie began, the lamps dimmed.

Steve Quinn (MV "It's Someday") joined us for dinner and the movie. 
Steve is on the homestretch of completing America's Great Loop and will cross his wake near Baltimore, MD.

The screen in the theater is extra large and the sound system is said to be by George Lucas Productions (great sound!).  A movie at the Commodore is a MUST if you're ever in Portsmouth, VA.