On the 17th of Oct we prepared to depart Portsmouth, unfortunately as we were pulling up the anchor we found our chain had wrapped around some large object, part of an old bulkhead or dock we don't know what it was. With the assistance of Tow Boat US the anchor was saved and whatever it was went back to be with the fishes. After that we proceeded on to the Deep Creek Lock, which is only doing 2 openings a day. We were 1 of 10 boats passing in the afternoon, since it was after 4pm we decided to tie up at the public dock between the lock and bridge with several other boats for the night. Later in the evening the weather turned cold and rainy so we all sat out the next day. Bernie took the opportunity to visit with his former fire-fighter friends and all the cruisers went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant. The next day we had a beautiful trip down the Dismal Swamp Canal, through the South Mills Lock and anchored behind Goat Island, just north of Elizabeth City.