The ICW ( Intracoastal Waterway) What an amazing system..a combination of bays, sounds  rivers and  canals spanning from Norfolk VA (Mile 0 ) to Key West Florida for a total of  1243 nautical miles.

Carnival Cruise ship with Norfolk Police escort

Norfolk Naval Shipyard

USS Enterprise

Three masted schooner on Norfolk skyline

Our first introduction is here in Norfolk where we are sharing the waterways with an incredible array of commercial vessels. Norfolk Naval Shipyard is the largest naval installation in the world..homeport to aircraft carriers , cruisers, destroyers and nuclear submarines. The twinkling lights at sunset made for a spectacular arrival into this diverse port.

Dismal Swamp Route

  With Hurricane Sandy down in the Bahamas we are up before dawn trying to make headway South for safe berthing in the Beaufort NC area . We opt to take the Dismal Swamp route a bit more inland rather than brave the Outer Banks of Cape Hatteras.  Much to our delight this 70 mile section of the ICW has only a few scattered inhabitants and is home to birds, reptiles and is like a primeval forest with hanging moss very similar to the Louisiana bayous. In 1763 , George Washington  prior to his presidency purchased  40,000 acres of this swampland  with several other businessmen to harvest the timber for shipbuilding and shingles .

Locking system -8 foot height

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He sold his interest to Harry Lee ( father of Robert E. Lee) 30 years later. At Mile 7 we enter  Deep Creek Lock  , the oldest hand dug canal in the US .We are greeted by Robert who wears multiple hats as you can see by his title. Once the waters has reached the 8 foot height , he invites us to his adorable building for coffee and orange juice. My juice is laden with a frozen strawberry and banana concoction. He asks if we are heading to the Tropics and requests that on our return trip we bring back a conch shell .
He is an avid collector and trumpeteer of these nautical shells and entertains us by blasting out a melody                          

Robert- Lock,Dam and Bridge Master

Mileage on the ICW from Deep Creek Lock