We had a lovely run up the beautiful Pasquatank River, through the South Mills lock and onto the Great Dismal Swamp where we pulled into the Welcome Centre’s free dock. We were heading back to ‘Pearl’ from a visit to the Park Headquarters and walk in the bush, planning to move on when a thunderstorm coincided with the arrival of other boats. Soon the boats were rafting up, three deep, alongside, in front and behind us, and it was clear that we weren’t going anywhere. We had looked forward to visiting the Dismal Swamp throughout the planning stages of the trip so we were not disappointed to be staying longer. The convivial atmosphere among the boaters more than made up for the rain and chilly temperatures.
The weather brightened by Monday afternoon so we put on our walking gear and set off along the towpath for icecreams at the village of South Mills four miles away. It proved to be a long walk so when we saw a boat in the lock we asked about the possibility of riding with them back to the Welcome Centre. Jocelyn and Ron on ‘Calisto III’ were happy to oblige. They warmed us up with freshly brewed coffee and their stories of cruising the Bahamas.
Bow Waves from America
- Cruising the Great Loop
- Boating, travel and family fun are our motivation for trying something new. We heard about the Great Loop five years ago and this sounded just like the right adventure for us. We are a family of four from New Zealand. We have taken leave from school, rented the house and packed our bags. Bow waves is the blog that will follow us as we endeavour to buy a boat and cruise the Great Loop (America's Great Circle Route). We have membership of the AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association) and will begin our journey on the Intracoastal Waterway in the Fort Lauderdale area.