Dismal Swamp Canal AICW Alternate Route and the State Park have been closed since 9/23 due to high water. Our thanks to Donna Stewart, Director of the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, for this update. Please note the caution re debris in the canal.

The ACOE has relayed they will resume normal lock operations at 11am today. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and patience during this closure due to high waters. The Elizabeth is heading north as we speak, she just went past my window! We look forward to seeing all of our boaters again for a busy fall boating season.

Some reminders: the ACOE has patrolled to make sure we are clear for passage. The Canal is a no wake zone. Do not follow other boats closely, debris may be stirred up from the bottom. The Canal has a controlling depth of 6 foot. If you do encounter any problems, please note your coordinates as well as the mile marker to help US Facilities in addressing any issues, and report this to our Lock Masters or share with us to forward. Your input helps.

We are excited to see boats at our dock again!

Donna
Donna Stewart, Director
Dismal Swamp Welcome Center

Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net 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

Elizabeth City, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, located at the southern end of the Dismal Swamp Canal Route, and the friendliest-to-boaters community on the Waterway, continues its calendar of exciting events!

Welcome outdoor enthusiasts! Learn about Elizabeth City’s maritime history and outdoor adventures. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE!

www.DiscoverElizabethCity.com    www.DiscoverElizabethCity/blog

Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For the Mariner’s Wharf Elizabeth City Docks

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Mariner’s Wharf Elizabeth City Docks

These thoughtful and informative reports on the Dismal Swamp Canal, home of Dismal Swamp State Park – A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR – come from our good friends at AGLCA. The Camden TDA/Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center is located on the east shore of the Canal at Statute Mile 28 and is adjacent to the Dismal Swamp State Park where there are so many fun summer programs!

We just did the DS northbound on July 27-28. It was hot, but it’s hot everywhere. The tall trees offer some shade. We passed only one boat. No competition for dock space at the visitor center. They have free ice and air conditioning. Free docks at Elizabeth City. Brown water. Some bumps.
Keith and D’Anne Weitzman
“Our Backyard”
Carver 3607 MY

We passed through the Dismal Swamp in the other direction in early July this year. I suggest a cooler day if possible. Be ready with bug spray or a screened in helm. Take it slow. There are small logs and branches that you can sometimes see and sometimes not see that you will bump. The ones you don’t see I think are neutrally buoyant and just below the surface. Going slow will allow them to be pushed to the side without damage. They suggest 5 mph but were were a little faster especially on the north end.
We did not stop in the swamp because of the flies but we stopped in Elizabeth City at the free slips to see the town and then at Lambs overnight to make the 11:00 lock time. After the swamp, we stayed in Norfolk at Waterside and then Portsmouth. See July 2016 entry in cmosboating.blogspot.com. There are pictures of the scenery which we found very pretty particularly in the morning at the south end before the first lock (and flies).
Clark on Sea Moss

We went through the Dismal Swamp in late June and were mostly alone until the north lock when two other boats caught up with us. Water levels were high and the scenery was lovely. There was some construction going on at the visitor center but the facilities were open and uncrowded.
Ben and Nancy Duggar
September, Camano 31

I just went through the Dismal Swamp about six weeks ago and it was fine. If you leave Elizabeth City in time to catch the 0830 or 1100 openings at South Mills and run 5 to 6 knots, you will be at Deep Creek bridge in plenty of time for the 1330 or 1530 openings and then you can make Norfolk, Portsmouth or Hampton before dark. If you are wanting to go latter, you can stay at the lock wall at South Mills, the NC Welcome station, or the wall right before the bridge at Deep Creek bridge. Deep Creek is not a great stop, lots of traffic noise, but a very short walk to Food Lion for provisions and a Burger King(I think). There is also a good anchorage after the Deep Creek lock on the right just before you reach the Elizabeth River.
Ken Horton

North Carolina offers several alternative routes if you have time. The “main highway” is the ICW Route, but the barrier islands and the Albemarle offer delightful alternatives.
I have an article on North Carolina on my website, here: https://gilwellbear.wordpress.com/2013/06/16/north-carolina/.
Under the North Carolina tab, there are several related articles on the various alternatives. Here is a link to one that discusses the Virginia Cut and the Dismal Swamp alternative: https://gilwellbear.wordpress.com/category/cruising-practica/us-east-coast/north-carolina/albemarle-to-norfolk/.
Hope they are useful.
Jim
Monk 36 Hull #132
MMSI #367042570
AGLCA #3767
MTOA #3436

We went thru the Dismal Swamp Thursday and Friday July 28th and 29th in a 39 krogen with a 4’6″ draft. The depth was a constant 7 ft. We bumped a few logs in the water. You need to keep a constant lookout. We stayed one night at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center. Great trip.
Mack McGahee

Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net 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

James Newsome is a regular contributor to SSECN and other publications, both online and print. He has been compiling his list of free dockage along the Waterway for several years and it is a list worth perusing! Naturally, author Newsome mentions Elizabeth City, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, and one of the best known free docks on the Waterway.

I don’t know if you remember me mentioning the “FREE DOCKAGE” list project back during the summer, but I’ve continued to work on this and believe I have everything listed from 0 MM at least down through Jacksonville, FL and 738 MM. I have a few more listings below Jax, but I have a lot more work to do in this area.

I’ve started a Facebook page FREE DOCKAGE where I offer the complete list. I’ve had a very good reception from folks who find the list useful and I’m currently at 643 likes. This format is working well for now because it is a no cost option for me to get this information out to a lot of folks who realize, like me, that none of the other cruising guides offer a short concise list for FREE DOCKS.

Elizabeth City, NC is a great example of a town that really tries to promote themselves as cruiser friendly with free dock offerings. They understand that most cruisers who come to their town are essentially tourists who happen to arrive by boats instead of cars, and these cruisers always spend money when they stop. Therefore, “Free Docks” is a win-win for boaters as well as communities.

James H. Newsome
Contributing Writer – Southwinds Magazine
s/v CaiLeigh Anna – Coastal Cruising With Hugh & Suze
98 Buena Vista Avenue
Warrenton, GA 30828

Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For the Mariner’s Wharf Elizabeth City Docks

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Mariner’s Wharf Elizabeth City Docks

Traveling south, the Dismal Swamp Canal route exits the Waterway westward immediately south of the I-64 fixed bridge at statute mile 7.1. The Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is located on the east shore of the Canal at Statute Mile 28. Our thanks to Director Stewart for sharing this experience.

We had the pleasure of meeting Victor Mooney, a gentleman who has attempted for the past 10 years to travel across the ocean in a mission to raise Aids awareness. He is a gentle spirit who has had some serious challenges, including running out of food, underestimating the rations needed to cross the ocean while expending so many calories, sharks and pirates’¦’¦and is making the final journey to meet his family in New York.

He came to the Swamp yesterday and stayed with us overnight. He deeply respects the waterways and those who travel. He even did not fault the pirates or the shark who put a hole in his boat’¦’¦he stated they were `hungry’. He believes God has guided his path through all of this journey, even when he had to be rescued and stopped for periods of time.

I would like to ask the boating community to keep an eye out for Victor. Show him hospitality and slow down and calm the wake if you pass by. His vessels name is `Spirit of Malabo’ named after the capital of Equatorial Guinea. To read more about him, follow these links.

www.goreechallenge.com
http://www.dailyadvance.com/news/man-crossing-atlantic-rowboat-stops-ec-2963889
goreechallenge@gmail.com

Donna Stewart, Director
Dismal Swamp Welcome Center
2356 US Hwy 17N
South Mills, NC 27976
Phone ~ 252-771-8333
www.DismalSwampWelcomeCenter.com

Bird, Bike, Hike’¦.take in the sights!

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

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

The onsite dredges and dredging equipment will certainly make the close quarters of the Dismal Swamp Canal even cozier, so SLOW DOWN and keep a good forward watch. The possibility of the dredging action pulling up stumps and logs is very real and could damage your running gear. The Lake Drummond feeder ditch intersects the Canal at Statute Mile 22 north of the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!

VA ‘“ CHESAPEAKE ‘“ DISMAL SWAMP ‘“ DREDGING
Southwind Construction Corporation will begin dredging operations within the Dismal Swamp Canal near marker 22 on 29 June through 29 July, 2015. Operations will take place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The dredge KRISTI JOE and tender DANNY JOE will be onscene. Both vessels monitor VHF Channels 13 & 16, with a working channel 78. Floating rubber and polyethylene pipeline associated with dredging operation will traverse both northerly and southerly along the western shoreline of Dismal Swamp Canal to the adjacent Upland Disposal Area located along the Lake Drummond Feeder Ditch. Chart 12200 NM: 25/15

6/25 And this news today from Donna Stewart at the Welcome Center:

Larry,
I spoke to the Operations Manager, Joel Scussell. He said he does not expect a lot of disruption and they will work 1700′ feet both north and south at the mouth of the ditch and 500′ into the Feeder Ditch. The contractor has done work in the past, with a good reputation and they expect to be cleared to 9′ in this location. I wish they had funds to dredge the whole canal. We will add this to our Wish List.
Thanks,
Donna

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

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

Here is a not-so-typical story of the dangers faced by our Coast Guard as they answer the needs of boaters in distress. Elizabeth City and Mariner’s Wharf are located at the southern end of the Dismal Swamp Canal.

Coast Guard crews battle snow, ice to transport injured boater

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City prepares to land at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital Friday. The crew medevaced and transported an injured crewman from a motor vessel off the North Carolina coast.

The Daily Advance
Friday, February 20, 2015
PORTSMOUTH, Va. ‘” Coast Guard crews from Air Station Elizabeth City transported an injured crewman today from a motor vessel about 170 miles east of Oregon Inlet.
The Coast Guard 5th District Command Center in Portsmouth, Va., received a report from the 1,052-foot, German-flagged freight ship Dalian Express Thursday at about 4 p.m., stating a 62-year-old male crewmember suffered an eye injury while changing a valve in the engine room about 350 miles east of Oregon Inlet.
To enable a medevac, the crew of Dalian Express, en route to Italy from Norfolk, changed course toward North Carolina to meet with a Coast Guard helicopter crew.
A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and C-130 Hercules aircraft crew launched Friday from Air Station Elizabeth City, at about 5:45 a.m. The crews flew through intermittent snow and icing conditions before arriving at the Dalian Express at about 6:45 a.m.
The helicopter crew hoisted the injured man and transported him to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, arriving at about 9 a.m.
The man, whose name was not released, was reported to be in stable condition.

Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For the Mariner’s Wharf Elizabeth City Docks

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Mariner’s Wharf Elizabeth City Docks

PLEASE, if you have even the slightest interest in ever cruising the Dismal Swamp Canal AICW Alternate Route, follow the link below to see a truly amazing video. The talented sailors who put this together employed one of those new drones for aerial photography. And, in addition to the canal itself, there are some truly stunning aerial shots of our good friends at the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center! DON’T MISS THIS ONE!!!

http://vimeo.com/94469647