Dismal Swamp Canal scheduled to reopen in September
- Thread starter rwidman
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RT Firefly
Enigma
Greetings,
Mr. WK. Thanks for that. I had forgotten that the canal was even closed. We spent 5 years in the Elizabeth City area. Interesting part of the country with really fine people (after one's ear attunes to the local dialect). Good food, interesting history, Outer Banks close by and moderate winters minimizing the need to fully winterize.
Mr. WK. Thanks for that. I had forgotten that the canal was even closed. We spent 5 years in the Elizabeth City area. Interesting part of the country with really fine people (after one's ear attunes to the local dialect). Good food, interesting history, Outer Banks close by and moderate winters minimizing the need to fully winterize.
Wifey B: No. Haven't done so. Will one day, but might be in a RIB. Don't know. Draft has been the factor that has prevented us from doing it. That and faster ways to get where we're headed, but do want to do it sometime.
Wifey B: We turned around at Morehead City this trip so didn't see either one. Now, almost home. There tomorrow. We don't do much ICW, mostly outside and duck in. Virginia Cut is one of the few stretches and we have gone outside around Hatteras before but it's a long trip out there. Can be rough too but hasn't been when we've done it. ICW is more fun to me when you get little spurts of it. Going hundreds of miles straight on it, wouldn't be my thing.
RT Firefly
Enigma
Greetings,
Ms. BB. "Going hundreds of miles straight on it...." The ONLY part of the ICW we've transited that's been remotely close to straight is the Dismal Swamp Canal. Granted, the ICW is slow but quite interesting none-the-less.
Ms. BB. "Going hundreds of miles straight on it...." The ONLY part of the ICW we've transited that's been remotely close to straight is the Dismal Swamp Canal. Granted, the ICW is slow but quite interesting none-the-less.
Capecodder
Senior Member
The Dismal Swamp canal and particularly the Pasquotank River north of Elizabeth City before the South Mills lock is absolutely beautiful. That stretch of river is similar to the Waccamaw in SC but quite a bit narrower.
If you travel at 6 kts or so, the Dismal Swamp route is no slower than the Virginia Cut route. You can make Elizabeth City to Portsmouth in one day, but it might be nicer to stop at the visitor center for a night about halfway. There is a small but nice state museum across the canal from the visitor center.
David
If you travel at 6 kts or so, the Dismal Swamp route is no slower than the Virginia Cut route. You can make Elizabeth City to Portsmouth in one day, but it might be nicer to stop at the visitor center for a night about halfway. There is a small but nice state museum across the canal from the visitor center.
David
Wifey B: Ut oh. I don't run at that speed. The dismal swamp will be nice to see, but not as our regular route. It will be interesting to see what the minimum depth is when it reopens.
In the summer, you could easily run it in a day couldn't you? How long is it from end to end?
Oh and here's the question for the day. It is the oldest continually operating man-made canal in the United States, opened in 1805. This brief interruption won't break that I hope.
Capecodder
Senior Member
Wifey B: I may have a scheme for sometime. Half of us take the RIB and go Dismal, the other half go around and meet us in Chesapeake. Then the next day reverse. Repeat if necessary.
I don't think you will enjoy the swamp. It's not a race.
My best trip using the Dismal Swamp Canal took three nights..... stop hike, kayak, spend a few hours enjoying the experience. It's not for everyone..... No tiki bars, no resort spa, no fine restaurants in the swamp
I don't think you will enjoy the swamp. It's not a race.
My best trip using the Dismal Swamp Canal took three nights..... stop hike, kayak, spend a few hours enjoying the experience. It's not for everyone..... No tiki bars, no resort spa, no fine restaurants in the swamp
Wifey B: We can enjoy the experience. I don't mind a slow day with lots of stuff to look at. That's why I asked it's length. I read 22 miles and that seemed shorter than I'd think. If it's only 22 miles at 6 knots that's 4 hours. So, in the summer that would leave you 10 hours for exploring. If that's not enough, we'd do it again. Just doing it by RIB we would need to go all the way to have somewhere to sleep. I'm trying to figure this out. I don't race all the time. We only ran 20 knots today. Nice leisurely cruise from Daytona south.
We've got some other options on the Dismal route but thinking of them all. Also, could go to the welcome center one day, have someone meet us there with a car, come back early the next morning and continue.
I do think in a full summer day though you could see a lot and you can always do it again. In fact, we could just go right back through the other way and see what we missed.
twistedtree
Guru
It's great that it's finally getting this maintenance. As others have said, it's a beautify run, but when we did it in 2012, our 4' draft boat had a dozen or more strikes on submerged debris, probably branches and limbs. None we damaging, but it took a lot of the fun out of it and left me with "that was great, but not a second time".
We took the Dismal Swamp route three times and the Virginia cut once. We both prefer the Dismal Swam route for its beauty and lack of speeding boats.
There are two locks and they normally open four times per day, not on request so that pretty much determines how fast boats should be travelling. If you get to the northern most lock early, there's a tie up and a short walk to a chain grocery store and one or two fast food restaurants.
The welcome center is a good place to visit and spend the night. Boats usually raft up if the dock is full and it's a good way to meet new people.
There's also a state park that you can explore.
I will admit that it's not as isolated as one might imagine. There are farms and a highway that runs alongside much of the canal. Still, it's a nice trip.
There are two locks and they normally open four times per day, not on request so that pretty much determines how fast boats should be travelling. If you get to the northern most lock early, there's a tie up and a short walk to a chain grocery store and one or two fast food restaurants.
The welcome center is a good place to visit and spend the night. Boats usually raft up if the dock is full and it's a good way to meet new people.
There's also a state park that you can explore.
I will admit that it's not as isolated as one might imagine. There are farms and a highway that runs alongside much of the canal. Still, it's a nice trip.
P For the last 15 years or so they close it every summer between South Mills NC and the locks at Deep Creek VA because we don't get enough rainfall to support the water they loose when opening it so mostly all summer it's closed.
O C Diver
Guru
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Much of the water comes from springs that are fed from aquifers that bring water from the mountains to the West. Obviously local rain is also a contributing factor, but rain fall in the mountains hundreds of miles away effects the system months later.
This according to Robert the Deep Creek lock attendant, unofficial Dismal Swamp greeter, and conch shell blower.
Ted
Bluefish17
Member
It has been closed since hurricane Matthew due to downed trees and shoaling. Has been getting cleaned out and dredged since then.
Sealife
Guru
I have done the canal 4 times 1 spring, 1 summer, and 2 falls. The 1 fall it rained the entire time. Still very much enjoy it. The only problem we've had is the paravanes outriggers being up have a spread of 16', so pulled down some leaves, branches etc. on the boat deck. South of south mills lock is also a neat stretch.
Sealife
Guru
Usually overnighted Elizabeth city, 3 times overnighted atvisitor center in canal, once at "Elizabeth's dock" by north lock. So really 2-3 days all the way from/to Albemarle -Norfolk.
The entire canal is a no wake zone, something to keep in mind if planning on a RIB transit.
The entire canal is a no wake zone, something to keep in mind if planning on a RIB transit.
CruisingTheICW
Member
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The beautiful Dismal Swamp Canal
We cruised north onto the canal on July 12, 2018 overnighted at the Welcome Center that evening, and continued on July 13, 2018. Though we saw some duck weed, it was minimal. Checked main engine, generator, and a/c strainers while at the Welcome Center, and found almost none NO duck weed. Had been warned about the flies, etc. multiple times at marinas before we entered, but they proved to be only a minor annoyance to us. Those manning the locks and bridges were very hospitable, and helpful. Welcome Center and NC State Park staffs equally great! Looking forward to our next time on the canal!
We cruised north onto the canal on July 12, 2018 overnighted at the Welcome Center that evening, and continued on July 13, 2018. Though we saw some duck weed, it was minimal. Checked main engine, generator, and a/c strainers while at the Welcome Center, and found almost none NO duck weed. Had been warned about the flies, etc. multiple times at marinas before we entered, but they proved to be only a minor annoyance to us. Those manning the locks and bridges were very hospitable, and helpful. Welcome Center and NC State Park staffs equally great! Looking forward to our next time on the canal!
