Dot's Way Cruising Cat: Little Alligator River to South Mills Lock wall in Dismal Swamp, North Carolina

We had a delicious dinner of sweet and sour pork last evening and saw one boat anchored out far from us. We woke up before daybreak to thick fog and headed out to meet one crab boat and then when we took the route to Elizabeth City there was a huge motor yacht anchored with no lights on the rhumb line. Having radar and Automatic Identification System (AIS) we spotted him and went around. We zoomed across Albermarle Sound doing our top speed of 13.5 knots before the wind picked up and passed through Elizabeth City Drawbridge around 8:00 am and then off through the Dismal Swamp Canal to South Mills Lock. We slowed down to coasting speed to get to the 1:30 pm lock-through. We had five boats with us including a Frenchie sailboat we had anchored with inside Mile Hammock. We pulled out of the lock and tied up to the seawall along with the sailboat before the drawbridge. The welcome center and other docks before Deep Creek Lock were filled and we did not want to have to raft alongside. We walked to J&E Oasis local convenience store for beer as it is the only happening place in South Mills according to the lockmaster. She will check with us for the 8:30 am bridge opening and we will be off to the 1:30 pm Deep Creek lock opening. Hoping that my pictures will show the Bonnies what they missed by not "Doing the Dismal"!