In the Dismal Swamp

A bit more about Lamb’s Marina: it was right off the highway into Elizabeth City, but tucked back so far off the entry to the Dismal Swamp on the water side, it would be easy to miss. The marina store offered the usual collection of candy, snacks, beverages, and random stuff, but the attached restaurant was closed. To the left of the dock where we tied up was an RV parking area where a half dozen or so disheveled “homesteads” with beat up pick up trucks were parked. The other boats in the marina were a motley collection of junkers for sale or ragged live aboards. The building with the toilets and showers offered a large lounge with couches and an uninteresting collection of books and dvds. The bathrooms were worn and clean enough. The motion-activated towel machine bore a water-stained magic marker sign scotch-taped to the front: Do Not Use to Dry Your Body.

We awoke to a steady rain that had begun in the middle of the night. In order to time our arrival at the first lock at the southern end of the Dismal Swamp for the 1:30 opening, we did not leave Lambs Marina until 10:30. We arrived at the lock a bit early, though the lock keeper opened the lock before 1:30 as we were the only vessel traveling either north or south. Once in the lock, we waited for a half hour while the lock keeper struggled to get the lock to close. It was still raining steadily 😂.

The northern lock gates finally opened and we motored slowly up the several miles to the visitors center where we had to “raft up” to another boat, an unusual way to tie up for the night. We have had little contact with our tethermates and will hope they do not want to leave before us in the morning. Turns out the generator stopped working again, so we could not use the stove, but the rain did let up enough for us to use the grill, so we enjoyed a fine meal of sirloin steak and asparagus!

Off tomorrow morning for a relatively short trip to Norfolk, VA, and hopefully a relief from the rain!