Good News: A phone call to Cheaspeake City clears up the situation raised by Skipper McLeran regarding overnight stays in the Virginia Waterway locks and canal. The “no overnight mooring policy” has been rescinded and you may, as before, stay tied up for 24 hours – longer if foul weather demands. Deep Creek Lock interrupts the Alternate AICW Great Dismal Swamp Canal Route at Statute Mile 10.6.

We entered the Dismal Swamp Canal Wednesday afternoon at the 1530 locking in order to hide from forecast high winds (and now hurricane Joaquin). When we inquired of Robert about the availability of Elizabeth’s Dock he told us that the dock was available, but that recently (didn’t say when) the Army Corps had a problem with a boater who was living on his boat in the canal and working in the area, tried to persuade him to leave, and when that didn’t work contacted Chesapeake City officials who somehow convinced him (and his boat) to depart the canal. Then the _city_ instituted a “no overnight mooring” policy and posted signs to that affect at the locks and docks; interestingly, there are no pertinent signs anywhere at Elizabeth’s Dock.
We moored to Elizabeth’s Dock anyway, concluding that with the approaching iminent storms this was the best place to hide and that we would deal with the city if asked to leave.
In our dozen or so passages through the canal we have never encountered this policy, and on several occasions have moored for several nights at Elizabeth’s Dock with other boats while waiting for nor’easters to pass. More commonly, we transit the canal in one day and stop at the “shopping dock” to resupply while waiting for the next lock through.
This new policy is going to have a big impact on the southerly migration which will start soon, if boats are truly prohibited from mooring at the docks and locks in the canal.
Perhaps you have some contacts at the Army Corps and the Chesapeake City who would clarify the situation and listen to some reason about the value of allowing boats to moor overnight in the canal.
I’m sending this to both Waterway Guide and to Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net.
Bob McLeran

For more on this story, go Waterway Guide’s report:
http://www.waterwayguide.com/latest-news/news/5722/deep-creek-lock-and-elizabeths-dock-update

Click Here To View the VA to NC Cruisers’ Net Bridge Directory Listing For Deep Creek Lock

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Deep Creek Lock