Cruisers' Net | Cruisers Helping Cruisers

Jul 2, 2020by: Larry Dorminy 1 Comment

Praise for NC Sponsors, Dismal Swamp, Edenton, Belhaven and Washington

Set in beautiful Camden Count, NC, the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center provides free dockage for cruisers' on the Dismal Swamp AICW Alternate Route

Edenton, NC - the prettiest town in the South!

Whether you want to revisit the past or satisfy your curiosities, discover the arts or explore your true nature, you can do it from the heart of the Inner Banks - Washington, North Carolina. 800 546 0

Our thanks to Ben and Brenda Sanderson and Rob and Marg Webb for their nice comments on AGLCA’s Forum about NC waters where several of CRUISERS NET SPONSORS are located, including Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, Belhaven, Washington and Edenton. These fun stops are four of those “stop and smell the roses” situations.

Just off the beaten loop path lies many great places. So many loopers doing the loop in a single year miss these places. For instance, the Albemarle Sound and accompanying Albemarle loop. Almost everyone stops in Belhaven, NC but few take a day to cruise up to Bath and ‘Little Washington”. Washington is a great stop. This town welcomes boaters and has waterfront festivals (non-Covid 19 years) almost every other weekend as well as an educational estuarium center. The list goes on and on for places off the direct path.

Those taking the Dismal Swamp please stop in Edenton. Take a walk through the neighborhood of fine victorian homes. So peaceful. Don’t spread the word too much but the town dock is free for the first two nights and they usually give out a welcome bag. These small towns want us to visit.

Ben & Brenda Sanderson
M/V ‘Last Chance’
44′ Valor Marine

Just to reinforce the good comments about the Dismal Swamp Route, we just completed it 2 days ago. It is truly fantastic – peaceful, calm water, lush greenery so close you can touch it [sometimes too close], only spoiled by the sounds of traffic for the first few miles at the South end.

We did have 5 ‘clunks’ despite being mid-channel and staying a mile behind a Nordic Tug in front of us. No trunks/limbs/pieces on the water before the ‘clunk’ although still could have been tossed around by the Tug. But, no damage apparently. Our draft is 3’8″.

We had a great demonstation by the Deep Creek Lock master, after he had just lectured us newbies, of why you should never ‘tie’ the line to your cleat when locking through – the unfortunate Tug in front had a moment of forgetfulness and had temporarily tied his as we were descending and the line ‘jammed’ and his stern corner was being elevated. The lockmaster was johnnie-on-the-spot and ran for his machete and cut the line, dropping the boat about 2ft, before any damage was done. The NT captain was obviously embarrassed by it – and we have the lesson branded into our memories now.

The only really stressful part of the trip was the last 10 miles into Norfolk. As Jim Healy has commented in the past, it is perhaps the busiest waterway on the East Coast. It was intense, requiring constant vigilance greater than that on the Dismal; and was a relief to finally get to Waterside Marina.

So we certainly encourage folks to take the Dismal route – just be prepared for a long day if that’s your ‘schedule’.

Rob and Marg Webb

Meridian 490 PH

Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers Net’s Marina Directory Listing For the Camden TDA/Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center

Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers Net Marina Directory Listing For Edenton Harbor City Docks

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window Zoomed To the Location of Edenton Harbor City Docks

Click Here To View the VA to NC Cruisers Net Marina Directory Listing For Belhaven, NC

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window Zoomed To the Location of Belhaven, NC

Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers Net Marina Directory Listing For the Washington City Docks

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Washington City Docks

Comments from Cruisers (1)

Donna Stewart - July 5, 2020 - 2:30 pm

We are so glad you were able to come our way. This is a beautiful waterway, and at this time of year Swamp Roses and Honeysuckle also add a lovely fragrance as you travel through. Thank you for sharing your stories.
Reply to Donna