Tidewater Yacht Marina, Portsmouth, Virginia

Left the Welcome Centre in the Dismal Swamp in time to make a very slow trip to the lock at the other end of the canal. This canal was originally built with slave labour; however the slaves learned the swamp so well from digging the canal that it became a good hideout for escaped slaves. Today, it has been deepened, some parts are used for commercial traffic, others are just for recreactional boaters. From the Welcome Centre to the last lock is quite narrow, with stumps along the edges and sticks and logs occasionally floating by. You cannot follow another boat too closely for fear that their props kick up a sunken log which you can then hit. Both Crawdad and ourselves got through without incident. We very much enjoyed the trip through the Dismal Swamp, it was so calm and peaceful, we could hear birds singing in the trees as we passed by. Arrived in Portsmouth just after lunch, much busier place than the Dismal Swamp. We passed by a military ship yard, lots of other boat yards and loading docks. Luckily not a lot of commercial traffic, mostly recreational boaters like us.
Just a block from our marina there is a paddlewheel ferry that will take you over to Norfolk for  $.75, what a bargain. We rode over to Norfolk, dropped in on the Looper Rendezvous taking place over the next few days. We were able to say hello to several people we had travelled with or met at the Rendezvous last fall; also wanted to purchase some charts, but the looper store was closed when we were there. We will try again in the morning.

The Dismal Swamp Canal is a narrow channel betweeen the trees.

Went out for dinner with Jim and Gloria to celebrate their anniversary. Nice dinner, then a ferry ride back to Portsmouth and our marina. Mix of sun and clouds today, but only rain was a couple of quick showers late this afternoon. Temperature has warmed up again after the cool weather of the past couple of days. We plan to stay here for a few days.

Dinner at Joe's Crab Shack to celebrate Jim and Gloria's anniversary

Left North Carolina today, we are in Virginia