|  We came through the Deep Creek lock from the backwaters of Norfolk yesterday afternoon. Having been lifted about 12 feet by the ancient mechanism, we are now in the upper reaches of the fabled Dismal Swamp Canal. Tied to the shore just inside the lock for the night, its foreboding name gives rise to thoughts of Black Lagoon-like creatures and poor souls wandering forever lost in the bayous. But “The Dismal” greets us with casual indifference, awakening as it has for almost 250 years, allowing generations of travelers a quiet, unique, and fascinating passage through time and tide. Puttering quietly down the forty foot wide channel, one gets the feeling all is how it has always been, and how it will remain.
 First surveyed by George Washington in 1763, the canal was hand dug to facilitate commerce between the Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound. Today it bisects the 14,000 acre Great Dismal Swamp State Park, a rare natural area of native plants and wildlife. The Canal has been variously open and closed in recent years. Times of low water have limited its use, and boaters in a hurry to travel the Intracoastal Waterway more often choose the faster passage through the North Landing River and Currituck Sound. Many dismiss the Dismal Swamp as too slow or too shallow. But those who bother to venture down this historic waterway are always rewarded in some way.
Attentive for any sign of wildlife, as there are reports of alligators, we enjoy the serenity and peace far from other boats and signs of civilization. Where the canal inches near roads, the traffic is sparse and quickly passed. About 16 miles along we come to the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome CenterNorth Carolina estuaries. At the canal’s southern end we drop through the South Mills Lock to the Pasquotank River which soon widens giving us a feeling of somehow being released. The wind picks up and we are able to set sail for the final 16 miles to Elizabeth City. by Route 17 where friendly staff maintain a book exchange and historical exhibits. They offer to let us spend the night along their 150 foot dock, but we choose to press on into the vast There we tie up at the Mariners’ Wharf along the beautiful restored waterfront. Dockage is free for 48 hours and we are astonished to be greeted by a smiling citizen with a rose for each lady on our boat. Many services are within walking distance, but the real surprise is the car sent to us from the Farm Fresh to give us a lift to do our grocery shopping. Elizabeth City is certainly living up to its nickname, “The Harbor of Hospitality”. | |
