C-Brats Gathering.. North Carolina Loop, Day 1

We launched at the Portsmouth City Marina, which is a lovely city park with free launch ramp.  We're told you can leave your car and trailer here for several days but we were fortunate in that we were invited to dock at the home of a fellow C-Brat who lives on a creek off the Elizabeth River, here in Portsmouth VA  What a setup he has!  A slice of heaven for a person who loves boating (he's retired Coast Guard engineer... and boy does he have stories!).  He also has 9 boats of his own counting the kayaks and a 50 ft dock, large enough to accommodate several visiting C-Dories.

We enjoyed two days at his dock, provisioned at the local Harris Teeter, and a special pre-cruise dinner at their home.  Several local C-Brats were unable to schedule the cruise, but they came to the dinner to share stories and fun.  Also in attendence were owners of a Cutwater 28 (which is an object of our lustful wishful thinking) and a 28 1/2 ft home made "C-Dory-ish" boat which was aptly named River Horse (see early post about that book).

That evening and the next morning we had torrential rains.  If the dewpoint gets just right, moisture will condensate in our boat and it actually started to "rain" in our v-berth this morning.  So everything feels wet and we'll be utilizing the clothesline as we cruise (we look a bit like derelects when we do, but, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

We left his dock about 11:30 and arrived at the Dismal Swamp Locks for the 1:30 opening.  We were a bit nervous as this is our first locks.  We've read about how to do it, watched You Tube video "how to's" and it was a piece of cake.  The dockmaster reached down with a boat hook asking us to loop our line around it... then he looped our line around a post and gave the end back to us.  We held it tight until all the boats were in the lock.. and then he raised us up to the canal level.

In our lock with us is a Roseborough 246; one of the C-Dory-ish boats which we considered.  It was fun to really check one out as we cruised alongside.  Our entourage of C-Brats consists of 1-25ft, 2-22 ft, and our 23ft Venture and the home-made 28 1/2ft River Horse.

The Dismal Swamp was surveyed in 1728 by Colonel William Byrd II who pronounced it 'dismal".  Much of the land was owned by George Washington, who, along with Patrick Henry, encouraged other investors to create the Dismal Swamp Canal Company.  The goal was to create a "spiderweb" of canals to float timber out of the swampy area and into Virginia.  The main Dismal Canal is about 22 miles long, and was dug, BY SHOVEL, by slaves over the course of 12 years.  The slaves came to know the swamp well and it became a haven for runaways.  It is featured in the novel "Dred: A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp" by Harriet Beecher Stowe.  Edgar Allen Poe is said to have written the Raven here.  And the play/movie "Showboat" is a story about one of many showboats that sailed this canal.

Freedom at Steve's dock, I mean, Steve's Marina

At the bottom of the lock

The Dockmaster gives instructions and a brief history of the Dismal Swamp

Rising to the top of the lock

C-Brats on the Dismal Swamp

River Horse, a 28.5 ft home made C-Dory like boat

As we approached the Dismal Swamp Visitor's center, the dock was full, with several trawlers and larger sailboats.  Capt'n Steve used his most authoritative Coast Guard voice to request that they move apart to allow our little pod of Brats to raft in between them.  Then it was "happy hour"

Dismal Swamp