A Day On The Dismal Swamp

The Dismal Swamp connects Virginia with North Carolina. It was built through a large swamp and the surveyors made the statement that it was a very "dismal swamp" and so the name stuck. It is a great way for boaters to travel south without going out into the big Atlantic Ocean. It is also beautiful. It can also be a bit unnerving as it is very narrow and carries only about 6 feet of water.There are very few homes along the way but occasionally you come upon a scene straight out of Huck Finn. This year the canal was especially full of green floating stuff. It is pollen and seeds from the trees and looks like split pea soup. After this passage, Steve spent 5 hours cleaning our engines of the green stuff. Not fun.

This was our second trip through the Dismal Swamp and probably our last. Every year there is talk of closing it down because maintenance is very expensive.

We are continuing south on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) or Ditch as some people call it. It will take us through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and finally into Florida. It is a great adventure.

Anne and Steve