The Dismal Swamp

Continuing our journey up the Pasquotank River from Elizabeth City, N.C., it doesn't take long to get into the rhythm of a slower pace of travel.  Nothing but quiet, smooth waters and wilderness surround us.

This seldom used railroad bridge is left open for boaters and is manually cranked closed when needed.

 

 

 

 

Our Canadian friends, Renault & Ilse, aboard Tango, meander up the river behind Spiritus.

Note the very small wake we are leaving.  Because of the controlled lock times for the Dismal Swamp, we will only need to move at 6 mph for the next two days.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even before we actually reach The Dismal Swamp Canal, the landscape begins to shroud us in her beauty and draw us into the excitement of experiencing something very special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slaves dug the canal between 1793 and 1805.  The 22 mile-long canal provided a route between the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina and Norfolk Harbor in Virginia.

  The waterway enabled businesses to ship goods & crops to market without going through the treacherous Ocrakoke Inlet.

 

 

 

 

 

The water in the Swamp is thought to be black, but is actually amber-colored and unusually pure.

The tannic acids from the bark of the juniper, gum and cypress trees make it difficult for bacteria to grow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spiritus is rafted alongside of her friend, Tide & Time, at the Dismal Swamp Visitors Center.

Before nightfall, two other boats will join our small flotilla.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying "docktails" with fellow Loopers at the wonderful park at the Visitors Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If it got any better than this, they'd make it illegal!