T&T: Dismal Swamp

[Allen Ames]

We just came through the Dismal Swamp yesterday.  A lovely trip, as usual.

 

HOWEVER, locks open at 9:00 and 3:00 ONLY.  The water level in Lake Drummond
(which supplies the water between the two locks) is critically low which may
mean a total closing of the canal soon.  There is a lot of duckweed in the
canal south of the NC Visitors' Center.  It looks like harmless surface
algae, but it is very heavy and fibrous.  It can clog raw water filters and
thruhulls and apparently can destroy impellers. At least one boat cooked its
engine before it realized what was going on.  That said, 8 of the 10 boats
we were traveling with got through with no problems and the other two had to
clear out their filters once.  ALL of our filters were full when we reached
Elizabeth City.

 

Allen and Judy Ames

SESAME

blog:  <http://camano130.blogspot.com/> http://camano130.blogspot.com/