36:50.73N 76:18.05W

 

We made it through the Dismal Swamp although there was often not much more than a foot of water under our keel and also the weather was pretty atrocious with thunderstorms and rain.

The upper reaches of the Pasquotank River are very twisty and the trees overhung the channel forcing us to simultaneously concentrate both on the mast top and the depth sounder.

We followed Linda and Ellen on their Tug Yacht Mercy and they radioed back to us with warnings of snags and trees floating in the channel......we bumped gently on a couple.

 

We locked into the Dismal Swamp Canal at South Mills and then spent a night moored by the excellent visitors centre before completing our canal passage to the Deep Creek lock this morning where Robert the lock tender entertained us with a (nameless) tune on his conch shell.  In exchange I gave him a couple cigars.

 

This afternoon we are anchored off Hospital Point in Norfolk / Portsmouth, tomorrow is the start of the three day Harborfest and it promises entertainment, tall ships and fireworks.......I hope the weather improves.