• AICW Great Loop SegmentSC AICW to Erie Canal Loop SegTraveler
    Pasquotank RiverLeaving Lambs Marina, closest to South Mills LockNarrowing Pasqutank RiverTurners Cut, No Wake area on Pasquotank RiverDismal Swamp tannin water from cypress treesDismal Swamp reflectionsReflections at the only turn on the Dismal Swamp CanalSouth Mills Lock entranceDuckweed fills South Mills Lock, but floats on surface. Lock #201 for us!Duckweed doesn't clog engine intakes 6 inches under surfaceBoth Dismal Canal locks and bridges are run by the same tenderMeeting a GH47 with 14 ft beam was a challengeAmazing canal reflections and bird lifeDeep Creek bridge and lock (#202 for us) with heavy construction

    Camden through Dismal Swamp to Norfolk

    July 17, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    You reach Norfolk through either the Dismal Swamp Canal at idle for 22 miles vs the Virginia Cut route. Most Loopers choose the Dismal Canal, but you have to time your passage around the limited lock openings and your no wake speed and much time you spend at the Visitor Center and trail.

    We had a 'Check Engine #2' warning and audible alarm at the first lock that we've never seen before. We're used to the overheat piezo on the Yamaha Tach gauge going off when seaweed wraps over the water intake grates on the lower legs, but that's never shown up on the display, which I hooked up to the engine ECM via N2K backbone many years ago. Also getting some shifing stiffness and no Neutral detent on engine #2 (which is Starboard in Garmin World). I'm worried we will need a certified Yamaha dealer to hook up a Yamaha YDS (code reader) to find which one of hundereds of posssible codes that engine is throwing. For the truck, Code P1265 is under "Powertrain: High to Low Short in Cylinder #5 Fuel Injector." (Don't ask me how I know). We'll need to pause and look into that.    Read more