Great dismal swamp transit

[Mike Crothers]

We have made several trips with a 5'6" draft and while we have bumped many times on the logs that line the bottom it was never anything too bad, just don't be surprised.



It is worth staying the night at the visitors center, up to a dozen boats raft together, and walking across the canal to the park and walk the boardwalk through the swamp.


Have fun

[Captain Bill]

Be careful of the fixed bridge at the south end. Though it is nominally 65 feet the last time I went through the light fixtures were not that high. The boat behind us with a "64" ft mast scraped off their anchor/tricolor light and wind vane on the light. I scraped off my wind vane on a tree while dodging a floating log.

[twig]

Go to bob423 on Facebook. Someone just did it and posted about it.

[Hudson Force]

I would avoid the Dismal Swamp Canal during mid-summer due to the biting flies, but it's pleasant for most of the year. The welcome center at the NC/VA state line has great fresh water at the north end of the dock and makes for a good overnight stop. People often raft up two or even three deep as this dock only accommodates about three boats at the face. Elizabeth's Dock, just south of the Deep Creek Lock is another comfortable stay and not far from a grocery and a few casual restaurants. This is also a great place to hide out during a tropical storm.

We most often selected the Dismal Swamp over the Virginia Cut when cutting the distance from Beaufort, NC to the Chesapeake.

[picklesandjesse]

Great memories of that place. We went through 31 years ago in Nov when our son was 3 months old. We had 6ft 8in draft. We knew we'd hit stuff but probably survive. It was a real adventure. Hit 116 times different objects and got stuck solid once in about 5ft but a friendly powerboat pulled our mast over and dragged us sideways. At the southern end after the canal we anchored for a night in solid weed and our Siamese cat jumped in as she thought it was solid. We had a great video of a green cat standing on a submerged log...... she was not happy. They told us before we went through that the level was low and maybe 5ft 6. The canal closed after that as they were waiting for rain to fill the swamp. Everyone was super friendly on the East Coast, we did have a bright finished wooden boat, young child, crazy cat and strange accents though..... and no heat!!!!!!It was cold at night.

[boatman1]

Great trip-you can do it. The white cedars (junipers) that grow along the Pasquotank River ( heading north out of Elizabeth City) are magnificent. As another poster has said, the horseflies will make you scream from mid May on.. if you can carry or tow a dinghy, a trip into Lake Drummond is well worth the effort.
Enjoy

[David Sandowich]

Did the DSC last Fall ( October ) going North. I draw 5 ft. " bumped" 4 - 5 times on the way through. path was 6- 7 ft most of the way but at time up to 10ft . Assumed they were drowned logs . Nothing serious but surely disconcerting. The DSC is surely worth doing once for sure

[Peter1949]

Just curious on the speed limit when transiting.
I would imagine now it is Spring why hurry!

[SV Norma Mae]

Sorry for the late reply.
I really enjoyed the dismal swamp run.
We were northbound, and departed the Elizebeth City , city slips at 0645.
We were making about 6 kts though the day. Only 2 or 3 boats with us through the locks.
We did “bump” over a couple of logs on the bottom since our draft is around 5-5. ( hauled the boat for bottom paint and just a slight Knick ,)
We had to wait an hour for the lock because the swamp people had to clear a fallen tree that was blocking the way up stream. But hey it was an adventure, and if your draft allows go for it. The real shallow area is on the north side of the Deep creek lock, ask the tender, he’s got the intel. Many areas of the ditch we expiericed squat , ie bottom suction, that slowed us down to 4.5, but as soon as there was a bit more water, we got going again.
Enjoy.

[colinhulse]

I wish it had a happier name. It's a hard sell to the wife.

[SV Norma Mae]

Just tell her you made a wrong turn when you get to the first lock,,,

[contrail]

Originally Posted by SV Norma Mae

Sorry for the late reply.
I really enjoyed the dismal swamp run.
We were northbound, and departed the Elizebeth City , city slips at 0645.
We were making about 6 kts though the day. Only 2 or 3 boats with us through the locks.
We did “bump” over a couple of logs on the bottom since our draft is around 5-5. ( hauled the boat for bottom paint and just a slight Knick ,)
We had to wait an hour for the lock because the swamp people had to clear a fallen tree that was blocking the way up stream. But hey it was an adventure, and if your draft allows go for it. The real shallow area is on the north side of the Deep creek lock, ask the tender, he’s got the intel. Many areas of the ditch we expiericed squat , ie bottom suction, that slowed us down to 4.5, but as soon as there was a bit more water, we got going again.
Enjoy.

Might do the Swamp this week. How bad were the flies?

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by colinhulse

I wish it had a happier name. It's a hard sell to the wife.

Too bad I can't post videos here, they would sell her.

[SV Norma Mae]

Sorry, can’t say, I did it end of April. No flies or any sea strainer clogging weed at that time.

[contrail]

Thanks for the answer. Glad you had a good time. I have done it in November, and it was nice, then, too.