Leaving Norfolk, VA and entering the Dismal Swamp

Reed getting ready to help with the lines on the fuel dock.










This is Tim on the dock, he is the fueler for us with Pat on the background.

Captain Ross is getting Cool Change to the fuel dock.

Reed getting the ropes ready to dock at the gas dock.

Shelley enjoying a cup of coffee while the guys are getting the boat ready for our trip.

Here is Ross and Reed getting diesel fuel in the boat so we can start our trip south.

Ok Pat this is how you clean the heads.

Here is Pat we gave him the crappy job of sucking out the crapper.

As we are leaving Virgina we are passing some very large air craft carriers. Pretty awesome sight for sure.

Here we are leaving Norfolk to head on to the Dismal Swamp

Here is Pat putting some of the ropes away.

Here is a house along the Dismal Swamp.

Here we are entering the Deep Creek Locke.

Here is the funny locke operater he was playing conch shells.

Going through Deep Creek Locke.

Pat and Shelley in the Locke as it is raising up.

Shelley waiting for the Deep Creek Locke to open.

Pat and Shelley manning the starboard side ropes through the locke.

Here is the Locke operators place with conch shells all around.

Here is the Rebecca Baldwin, going through the lock with us.

Closing up the loche so we can go up.

Getting ready to pull up to the dock on the other side of the Locke there are a couple of boats getting ready to leave to go North bound through the Locke.

Here is Reed.

Pat and Ross discussing how they are going to enter the water and go under without scuba gear.

Ross and Pat getting geared up to enter the Dismal Swamp to check out why the boat is running rough.

Ross entering the Dismal Swamp to see if he can see and clean off the barnacles.

Reed handing Ross some clear tubing to see if that would work with his snorkel.

The official Dismal Swamp it isn't very wide.

There are the guys, Reed, Ross and Pat manning the ship.

This is the Dismal Swamp water, it is very brown from all the vegetation along the banks, pine trees and a muddy bottom.

This is Cool Change side view as we are trodding along.

One of the many wildlife we saw this is a Heron.

Here is a view of the Dismal Swamp from our point of view, this one I shot with a Heron flying across.

This was an interesting old house or whatever it was the Superindendents House. How very interesting.

Here is Reed enjoying the great view and scenery of the Dismal Swamp.

Here is Shelley entering North Carolina via the Dimsal Swamp.

Good bye Virginia, hello North Carolina!

Continuing down the Dismal Swamp in hopes the tree is cleared out we can see the barge up ahead.

We are coming upon the barge they are using to remove the tree.

This is the downed tree they have been trying to remove so we can get across the canal.

• This is the crane close up they used to move the downed tree, I guess some of the limbs were like 6,000 lbs. it fell all the way across the can.
  

The tug boat that the used to manuver the barge it was a cute tug.

Here is the equipment on the barge they used to remove the big downed tree in the canal.