To the DSVC
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Mon 21 Nov 2011 21:31
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To The Dismal Swamp Visitors
Centre
Our anchorage in
Norfolk waking. We were up and ready to leave at eight, excited to be
heading to the start of ICW on the Dismal Swamp Canal
The workers of Norfolk
were getting busy
Many girls in
refit. I couldn’t take the picture of the sign because the girl on the
right had her patrols out, but it said “Beware of Jet Blast and Roters”
Another
girl, and Akula rang a bell; later we
remembered parking next door but two to her on our first visit to St
Lucia
Then we saw a bulk oil carrier
called Cape Bear
A stubby
lady, a new shape to us
This rail
bridge was unusually down, an excited Bear was
in for a surprise ?? To watch a train go over ?? So me being the nice wife /
First Mate stood like a tool for twenty minutes at Beez nose, camera
poised.
All that went over was a car on rails
– a rail inspection.......... Bear must have looked a little hesitant when the bridge finally went up. The radio chirped “Cmon up
Skip, I’m at eighdy farve feet. Y’all have a good ‘un”. Having waited so long it
was a huge rush to get to the Gilmerton Bridge for the nine thirty opening, very
touch and go. Luckily for us a tug was going through and a boat called Penguin
had gone aground just in front, obviously got too close to the muddy edge
waiting for the bridge. They had to hoist their sails to get out of the mud,
that took a few minutes, enough time for us to get near enough for the bridge
lady to have us in sight. The bridge lady was the same one as when we were
northbound and very kindly she held the traffic for three minutes for us to get
through. Phew. Had we not got through, the next opening would be ten thirty,
then we would miss the eleven o’clock lock opening at the beginning of the
Dismal Swamp Canal. We thanked her profusely for her kindness.
Back to normality and
girls at work
Yeeha, Mile
0 on the ICW. Instead of turning left and going down the Virginia Cut
(the way we came north) we turned right into the shallow water leading to the
lock, complete with fly fisherman
We waited at the lock behind Dividend. A heron watched as we
tried not to “sail on the spot” in the very shallow water
The lock
opened, we nestled. The back gates closed, the front gates opened and
worked up a huge head of froth
After twenty minutes we rose
high enough for a hug with U-Turn. Robert the Lock
Master trotted over for a chat.
Time to leave the
lock, take a quick photo of the mileage chart,
just 1087 to Miami
As we left Robert played his shell – a
tradition. I told him not to give up his day job, he laughed
and waved us off. Now we are ON The Dismal Swamp
Canal – the oldest in the USA
Dividend led the
way and sped off, Captain wiping his new
fenders – he does like clean fenders, see Pepe’s eyebrows nip. The 12 mile marker
The old Superintendent’s
House qualifies as a ‘One Careful Owner’
We passed relics of a
bygone age. Not only do we have to check for depth coming
along here, we have to look out for rogue overhanging branches.
On our left the Welcome to North Carolina behind us on the other side Welcome to Virginia
Skipper all
gleeful. 24 mile scale – we are in the middle of
nowhere. Small scale there is a canal
We arrive at the Dismal Swamp Free
Visitors Dock and chat with Mike and Cyndy – Writers
on the Road – traveling in their RV
A rare picture of the
two of us and Bear by the sign that says ‘we are
here’
Beez Neez,
now covered in pine needles and her bedmates,
one American and one Canadian
ALL IN ALL
EXCITED TO BE IN THIS FAMOUS SPOT
SMASHING TO BE IN THIS PEACEFUL PLACE IN THE
COUNTRYSIDE
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