The Great Dismal Swamp

NC Visitor’s Center, N36 27 W76 20
What a romantic name, The Great Dismal Swamp. Actually we’re going through a canal on the edge of the swamp and we haven’t seen any bears or brer critters. Still, it’s nature and it’s nice and it’s quiet and peaceful. Just what the doctor ordered.

It’s 195 miles to the nearest outlet at Beaufort. We’ll take a good long time getting down there, perhaps the whole month of November. Our son David should get a leave from basic training around Christmas and Libby would love the chance to see him.

We heard from a couple of people today about how difficult the Panama Canal passage sounds because of regulations. We’ll have to research that some.

In Norfolk we watched two tugboats move a barge with a big crane from one pier to another one a half mile away. The tugs signal each other with shrill whistles and it sounds very charming. I thought it would be hard to learn their code, but after watching and listening I deciphered it. Toot - “I’m pushing” Toot toot - “I’m pulling.” Nevertheless, it was lots of fun listening to the melody of the tugs.

Last night a huge cruise ship, the Princess Star, decided to turn herself around 180 degrees in the river right in front of where we were docked. It was a majestic sight. It took nearly 15 minutes. She did it under her own power. The scene was reminiscent of the docking to the space station in the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey. All we needed was a Strauss waltz to make it complete.

The ship had a balcony for every cabin, and highest on deck above the swimming pool was a TV screen the size of a drive-in movie screen. It was so big and so bright at night that it made a very impressive sight. Unfortunately for the passengers, the choice of programs is not better. It was showing some awful action movie. If I’m not mistaken the Princess Star is the ship that claimed to be hit by a rogue wave last April. In the Soundings Boating magazine we read, it hinted that the accident was more a case of poor seamanship than a rogue wave.

The bridges and the locks in Norfolk only open 4 times per day, so there is a whole flotilla of boats that go through together. After passing the dismal swamp lock we were the first boat out, but within 30 minutes all dozen or so of the other boats passed us. I guess we’re still the slowest thing around when using the motor. So be it.




We're spending the night at the North Carolina Visitor's center. It caters to motorists and to boaters. The people are really nice, they have bathrooms and water and Internet. They sure make good ambassadors for North Carolina Hospitality. The boats here are rafted three deep along the docks.