Oct 20 Lamb’s Marina to Deep Creek 


I left at 7:30 AM which gave me plenty of time to make the 11:00 Dismal Swamp lock lift. It was a good thing as the fog was “thick as pea soup”. I zig zag back and forth on the Pasquotank River to avoid the center while finding the less foggy side. Where the sun was hitting the banks the fog was burning off so I used that to my advantage. By the time I was meeting the 8:30 lock traffic the fog had lifted. 



I had a slight wait and found myself the only boat in the lock. This time of year most of the traffic is North. I planned to make the 3:30 lock on the other end so I had to maintain a steady 5kt speed. The duck weed was not as bad as 2 weeks ago but the random logs seemed worst. After every hit of the prop…I worried I would break a shear pin or worst…spin the rubber hub. A careful balance of avoiding what I could see and not running too fast was the solution. Once in the Deep Creek lock, the logs were every where but I was able to go slow and dodge them.


I exited the canal in time to continue on to the free docks in Portsmouth, I thought. As I approached the Gilmerton Bridge ready to proceed without an opening…. I came to an unexpected barrier. The railroad bridge was closed. I waited along with others and watched the train and a few cars pass over. Not bad so now it should open…right? Well,no. After 45 minutes, no train and no opening and no bridge communications. It was getting dark…so I back tracked a couple of miles back toward the Deep Creek lock and found a suitable anchorage for the night.



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