Elizabeth City, NC

Leaving Visitors Center

We leave at 7:30 am for the 8:30 am opening of the Deep Creek Draw bridge and lock. The boat we rafted up to leaves right behind us. 













 

Draw Bridge First

Lock Up

Lock Down

 

All most halfway there

Uneventful passage back down to sea level on the Pasquotank River to Elizabeth City. This portion is much more interesting than the “Dismal Swamp”. The Dismal Swamp is no longer a swamp, was drained a long time ago to harvest the Cedar trees. Once on the Pasquotank River we are truly in a swamp. You can’t drain sea level and this winding river is quite interesting all the way to Elizabeth City.

Elizabeth City Free Docks

Short pier, note the flowering plant growing in the piling.

Just afternoon time we pull into the free docks at Elizabeth City. There use to be local’s to greet and help the cruisers tie up. Since the decline in visitors that does not seem to be happening any more. Although the Local Yolkel with his pet monkey is still there, but only for entertainment, the monkey is not much help. There are just 5 boats here and we are all waiting for the wind on Thursday to abate some to cross the Albermarle Sound.
 

Cruisers gathering, mostly Canadians. The couple (5&6 from the left) Eric and Val Phinnney, on"Tevah" are sailors from St. Johns, New Brunswick, CA. The other couples are on power boats.