Work arounds if >5’

[Hippocampus]

VA – Great Bridge Lock Adjusted Schedule:
Effective 31 July 2023 through 18 August 2023, the Great Bridge Locks located along the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal of the Atlantic Intracoastal Water Way in Chesapeake, Virginia will be closed to all vessel traffic from 0700 through 1700 Monday through Friday. This closure is required for maintenance crews to perform a repair on the locks due to an electrical failure that occurred in April of this year. Vessels drafting less than 6 feet are encouraged to utilize the Dismal Swamp Canal for transit. Chart 12206 (5th District LNM Week 30/2023)

From notice to navigators.
What are folks doing who are over 5’ draft? Think 6’ is optimistic for the Dismal. This repair has been dragging on and on for months. Anybody have insight as to when it will be completed?

 

[O C Diver]

VA – Great Bridge Lock Adjusted Schedule:
Effective 31 July 2023 through 18 August 2023, the Great Bridge Locks located along the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal of the Atlantic Intracoastal Water Way in Chesapeake, Virginia will be closed to all vessel traffic from 0700 through 1700 Monday through Friday. This closure is required for maintenance crews to perform a repair on the locks due to an electrical failure that occurred in April of this year. Vessels drafting less than 6 feet are encouraged to utilize the Dismal Swamp Canal for transit. Chart 12206 (5th District LNM Week 30/2023)

From notice to navigators.
What are folks doing who are over 5’ draft? Think 6’ is optimistic for the Dismal. This repair has been dragging on and on for months. Anybody have insight as to when it will be completed?

While my preference is the Dismal Swamp canal, why not go through the Great Bridge lock after 5pm and either take dockage at Atlantic Yacht Basin or the free dock across from there. Alternatively you could get up early and plan to lock through at 6am.

Ted

 

[Hippocampus]

Good thinking. That’s my plan Ted. Just hope they let everybody through. At times it really stacks up there. Hopefully this is sorted out before the snowbird traffic really starts in.

 

[Flatswing]

While my preference is the Dismal Swamp canal, why not go through the Great Bridge lock after 5pm and either take dockage at Atlantic Yacht Basin or the free dock across from there. Alternatively you could get up early and plan to lock through at 6am.

Ted

There is a second free dock between the lock & the bridge on the AYB side of the channel. Outside of the scheduled closings, the lock works fine. They are rerouting new power lines after a barge spud damaged the cables last year. Once this August daytime closure ends, the 2 hr schedule is pretty workable.
Personally, having done the Dismal swamp with our 5’ draft, never again!

 

[fryedaze]

Good thinking. That’s my plan Ted. Just hope they let everybody through. At times it really stacks up there. Hopefully this is sorted out before the snowbird traffic really starts in.

In situations like this the free docks will fill up faster than normal. We ran into this going north in the spring. The plan was to dock north of the bridge and catch the morning opening. We ended up pushing through and anchoring at Hospital Point by last light.

 

[catalinajack]

There is a second free dock between the lock & the bridge on the AYB side of the channel. Outside of the scheduled closings, the lock works fine. They are rerouting new power lines after a barge spud damaged the cables last year. Once this August daytime closure ends, the 2 hr schedule is pretty workable.

Personally, having done the Dismal swamp with our 5’ draft, never again!

Here is another opinion. Having done the Dismal in a boat with a 5-foot draft, I would NEVER take the other route, which is mind-numbingly boring to boot.

 

[Hippocampus]

Coming down docked next to a trawler with similar principal dimensions who did the Dismal. After he related his experience have little interest in doing it in the fall.

 

[psneeld]

Advice for anyone considering the Dismal Route. Plenty of opinions but practical seamanship has always been my guide. Other boaters, not so much.

The Dismal has a controlling depth of 6' I am pretty sure.

True it may have more debris than some places, but they are cleared pretty regularly as an actively monitored ACOE waterway.

So if your Nav depth is uncomfortable close to the controlling depth, then don't take it. If not then enjoy it.

 

[Hippocampus]

Above is congruent to what I’ve been told by several. In the shoulder seasons (especially fall) fair amount of stuff to hit. We have a single behind a keel so not that worried but have heard of dinged props from that way.
Even with my limited US coastal experience on power have grown to not believe declared controlling depths. Maybe getting old and have romanticized the good old days when a chart was pretty reliable. But now view controlling depths and charted depths as suggestions.

 

[psneeld]

Last ACOE survey of the Dismal - only a part but gives an idea of most of it as this is usually the worst section after storms because of the feeder.

AIWW - Dismal Swamp Canal - February 9, 2022

https://www.nao.usace.army.mil/HydroSurveys/

 

[micksbuddy]

When we were heading north in the spring of '21 we took the Dismal Swamp and had 3 hits along the way, which I presume were submerged deadheads. We draw 5'3", twin engine with a keel that extends below the props, so we didn't suffer any damage, but I still didn't like the hits! When we returned south that fall we took the Virginia Cut(first time for me) because I didn't want the stress. Which is a shame, because I very much like the whole Dismal Swamp/Elizabeth City route.

 

[O C Diver]

I ran charters for 20 years during during the month of July in Hatteras, NC. You haven't been thoroughly beaten until you get caught in the shallow waters of the North Carolina Sounds. I rather get caught in 8' seas in the ocean than a short period 4' in the NC sounds. I'll stick with the Dismal and take a day off to walk the wildlife refuge.

Ted

 

[OBXSkipper]

I ran charters for 20 years during during the month of July in Hatteras, NC. You haven't been thoroughly beaten until you get caught in the shallow waters of the North Carolina Sounds. I rather get caught in 8' seas in the ocean than a short period 4' in the NC sounds. I'll stick with the Dismal and take a day off to walk the wildlife refuge.

Ted

Truer words were never spoken. As an OBX local I would advise any slow moving boat to pick your day wisely. I would also say that spending more time enjoying the small NC towns can be a rewarding experience. Good Luck

 

[Flatswing]

When we were heading north in the spring of '21 we took the Dismal Swamp and had 3 hits along the way, which I presume were submerged deadheads. We draw 5'3", twin engine with a keel that extends below the props, so we didn't suffer any damage, but I still didn't like the hits! When we returned south that fall we took the Virginia Cut(first time for me) because I didn't want the stress. Which is a shame, because I very much like the whole Dismal Swamp/Elizabeth City route.

We also have full keel protection of running gear, experienced all 3 of the 3 “ski jumps” as above which is disconcerting on a 67k lb boat. More of a concern were the 50+ minor strikes to the stabilizer fins, again fortunate no damage. A fellow DeFever 49 owner experienced the same on a different trip.
What we really disliked though was, instead of a quiet canal trip thru the Dismal, our open FB exposed us to the constant roar of traffic from the highway that runs immediately adjacent to the canal.

 

[psneeld]

I have done both routes at least a dozen times.

They both have positives (for most cruisers I know) and both have negatives.

Depending on your boat, sure it makes a difference.

But anyone contemplating it, really needs to sort out what is what.

Seems some boaters really seem to down it because they were uncomfortable with possible or even real damage to their boat. That is totally understandable, but it is possible to plenty of things in numerous other parts of the ACIW including the Albemarle route and even offshore..... no route is perfect.

Granted you are more likely in the Dismal cut.... but again, but that depends on just how susceptible to damage is your boat?

My full keel, single engine, no stabilizers.... drawing 4 feet hit all sorts of unknown things in the Dismal, Albemarle route, Alligator River, Pungo Canal, bottom in lots of places, debris in the Waccamaw River, Cape Fear River Upper Chesapeake/ C&D canal.......never any damage in 20,000 miles or so of multiple snowbird hits.

Probably avoiding the big chunks and going slow most of the time (slower where the odds went up) helped.

So if you want a new experience, don't mind a little extra time and have the boat that isn't likely to be damaged by skinnier water, don't let other boaters who don't seem to like it probably for good but obvious reasons deter you from trying it and seeing if you like it.

It just took my first trip thru to keep me coming back every year except one trip where it was closed after a hurricane and debris removal was going on.

 

[boomerang]

I have to wonder if a slower speed makes a difference. The one time we made the Dismal route in our previous trawler ,we ran below hull speed with very little wake and consequently the boat was floating as high as possible, basically just gliding over the water. We never felt the first bump. With dozens and dozens of trips up and down the cut, the only times I've ever experienced bumps was pushing the cruise speed where the boat was squatting and carrying a wake. I never had any damage but have felt the "thunks" and even heard the dreaded "thunk thunk thunk thunk" of the wheel making contact with the debris. These are anomalies thankfully, and I'm not worried enough about bumping anything to be even remotely concerned. We'll see how things go this fall. I hope my good luck continues.

 

[Hippocampus]

So far kind of like the bays/sounds. Sure pick your days just like you do for NJ coast. Perhaps opinion is based on the SeaKeeper as chop doesn’t bother us much. We do burn more fuel between the chop and opportunity to go above hull speed. Still I’m curious about the dismal. What’s a good way to know how much junk is in the water for that leg? Have a friend who’s dirt dwelling is real near the C&D so a simple phone call gives me accurate up to date info on that. Also in the C&D it’s deep enough stuff you hit has room to be pushed down. What sources do people use for the Dismal?

 

[O C Diver]

So far kind of like the bays/sounds. Sure pick your days just like you do for NJ coast. Perhaps opinion is based on the SeaKeeper as chop doesn’t bother us much. We do burn more fuel between the chop and opportunity to go above hull speed. Still I’m curious about the dismal. What’s a good way to know how much junk is in the water for that leg? Have a friend who’s dirt dwelling is real near the C&D so a simple phone call gives me accurate up to date info on that. Also in the C&D it’s deep enough stuff you hit has room to be pushed down. What sources do people use for the Dismal?

While I don't know what the summer traffic is going through the canal, snowbird season sees a steady stream. I would guess 2 or 3 to maybe 10 per day. If you're concerned, wait till a big boat or fixed keel sailboat goes through, and follow them. This is actually easy as both locks have a dock or a wall after you go through the lock. Tie up and wait for the boat you want to follow.

I would be more concerned on a boat with unprotected twins. My recollection was 6 MPH or 5 knot speed limit. If you watch the water next to the shore, you will see it drop a little as you go past. The takeaway is that going slow causes minimal disturbance. Want to go a little faster, expect more disturbance. If that increases raises your bow, assume your stern is getting sucked down. Next thing you know, you've hit a speed bump.

Ted

 

[psneeld]

Go faster and you are si close to the bottom squat occurs.

Picking a good time to go through is like timing the market.

Easy to know when it might be bad, storms or a bad winter will bring down a lot of trees. The occasional one falls due to simple bank erosion and time, so any day of the year you can have a fresh one.

As Ted recommends..... following an actual boat can help but not too close as rumor has it the one ahead can kick up debris, following several media sources of cruisers passing through is another.

 

[Hippocampus]

Thanks all.
Will follow when work on the lock gets finished. Have done the cut several times now and it’s seems quite stress free c/w the swamp. Now thinking about what segments of the migration we can do coastal or even near shore to avoid the ICW as much as possible.

 

[Hippocampus]

WooHoo lock is operational!!!