By Julia Lamb

We left Washington D.C. on October 25^th feeling satisfied.  It seemed appropriate that we should start our world tour seeing our own nation’s capitol and learning more about our founding fathers.  We sailed swiftly back down the Potomac River with wind and currents in our favor, enjoying the rich hues of autumn along the river banks.  After a few days of good sailing in the Potomac and Chesapeake we reached the Virginia entrance to the Great Dismal Swamp Canal.  A man lost and separated from his companions named the swamp, but it is really quite beautiful.

We rose early October 29^th to be ready for the 8:30 opening of the first lock.  The wind was cool and brisk, scattering red and yellow leaves to decorate our boat while the sun rose in a pure blue sky.  We were excited as we anticipated our first passage through a lock and all hands were on deck putting out fenders, manning the dock lines, and roving fender.  Fellow cruisers expressed their admiration and envy at our energetic and capable crew.  When the gates of the lock swung open we hooked our lines around the pilings and waited as the lock filled with water creating a bubble bath effect as Tantara rose to the level of the canal. While we waited, Robert, the lockmaster, serenaded us playing “When the Saints Go Marching In” on a conch shell.  Robert (who loves his job) has created an oasis in the yard next to the lock with an island of banana trees and other tropical plants designed to enhance his growing collection of conch shells.  Cruisers returning north from the islands traditionally bring Robert a conch shell with the name of their boat written on it.  Once the lock filled up Robert invited us ashore for breakfast.  The spread included coffee, Krispy Kreme donuts, breakfast burritos, and orange juice.  We exchanged introductions with other cruisers and met the great Lockmaster himself, who was happy to tell us the history of the Great Dismal Swamp Canal, including such luminaries as George Washington, Patrick Henry, and Edward Teach (also known as Black Beard the pirate).  For details see http://www.icw-net.com/DSCwelcome/CGNC/ .

We stepped aboard Tantara after the festivities and passed through the other side of the lock to continue our 20-mile journey through the Great Dismal Swamp Canal.  In late October there was nothing dismal about the swamp.  Teeming with waterfowl and various critters on land, the woods were lit up with the scarlet, coral, and gold hues of autumn.  About halfway through we stopped at the North Carolina Welcome Center for automobiles and boats.  We tied our boat to another sailboat, creating a raft of boats 4 deep and 5 long, leaving little room in the canal for boats to pass.  This was not a problem, as the next lock would not be opening for some time.  To our surprise we met two other boats hailing from Colorado.  After picking up some free cruising guides at the Welcome Center we became acquainted with our new friends and compared notes on Colorado experiences.  It seemed strange and out of place, a Colorado reunion in the middle of a swamp in North Carolina.  Mixing with “land people” made us chuckle at the odd juxtaposition of boats and cars, our old life and our new one.

After our second lock, where our crew quickly secured Tantara and ran to help other boats tie up, we continued our travels through the Intra-Coastal Waterway (ICW) in North Carolina.  On October 31^st we stopped at a marina in Belhaven, NC for fuel and water.  While Steve, Daniel and Emily performed chores on the boat and finished schoolwork, Rachel and I rented a golf cart from the marina for a grocery trip.  I had never driven a golf cart before, and the busy roads with trucks bearing down on me were frightening, but the other golf carts on the road proceeded as though this was normal, so I plucked up my courage and drove on.  We had a long grocery list and when we were in the checkout line I started feeling anxious about fitting it all in our golf cart.  Just then I noticed a couple that looked like they might also be cruisers.  Confirming my suspicion (a little to their dismay – “Is it really so obvious?” they asked) I ventured to ask them how they were getting back to the marina.  They said they had a courtesy car, and before long our groceries were in their trunk and they were following my little golf cart back to Tantara.  This friendly couple had just returned from Venezuela and encouraged our plans to visit the Caribbean.

We finished October in an anchorage just a few miles south of Belhaven.  The temperatures vary, but we are still pushing south to warmer weather.