Photo: Dismal Swamp Canal

We began our day with negotiating the South Mills Lock, which raised us about six feet, and then we continued along the canal, which runs straight and narrow and shallow. The trees overhead sometimes came within several feet of the mast, and although the depth-sounder never showed less than seven feet, we occasionally bumped a few objects on the bottom, likely logs and sunken tree limbs. Still, the scenery was great, and we enjoyed a peaceful transit all the way to the Elizabeth River where, after passing though the second and final lock, the landscape changed dramatically from one of tall oaks and birds chirping, to an industrial moonscape that might have been what Blake had in mind when he wrote of "dark satanic mills". Welcome to Norfolk and its immense port area!

We tucked into a public marina at Portsmouth, just across the river from Norfolk and the USS Wisconsin floating museum, and in sight of the repair yard where the Savannah, the world's first nuclear-powered merchant ship, is going through decommissioning and preservation work as a National Historic Site. We had seen it at the same yard going south, but the ship now sports a new coat of paint, and looks very striking with its curving lines, a far cry from the floating boxes that are today's merchant ships. We managed a quick tour of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum and its preserved lightship, and then walked around the historic section of town, with plenty of gothic revival architecture and interpretive signs to describe the historic locations we were walking past. The ferry to Norfolk leaves Portsmouth just across from our berth, and we plan to head over in the morning to visit our friends in Marianna, and then check out some museums over there. We will part ways with Marianna here as they are going to Deltaville to haul out until they resume their voyage sometime later this summer.