Day 124 – Columbus Marina to anchorage at Sumter Landing - November 7, 2011

With the time change this weekend (gotta love that Daylight Savings Time); the sun now rises very early (6:15 this morning) on the eastern side of the central time zone where we are located.  That also means it sets very early (tonight’s official setting was at 4:58pm).  Therefore, we planned our departure time for 7:00pm as we have two locks and over 57 miles to travel today.

Just after 6:30pm, a call to the lockmaster at the Stennis Lock revealed that the lock was available and if we could get there in 20 minutes or so then we could lock right through.  So again, off went the dock lines as we hurried to the lock.  There was only one other Looper that departed with us this morning.  We were both planning a longer trip today while we expect there were other Loopers at the marina who were planning just one lock and 28 miles.

It was a beautiful travel day.  We locked through both locks without any issues or delays.  We passed three tows with barges (relatively small at just 4 or 6 barges each) again without any issues or long delays.  The weather was also great with mostly sunny skies, temperatures in the upper 60’s and mild winds.  Although those temperatures are nice, we are anxious to get to the gulf where we hope we can start most days in shorts and t-shirts instead of jeans and a fleece jacket.

The river is starting look like a river delta with lots of cut-offs, twists and turns. With 300 river miles to Mobile, the straight line distance was only 160 miles!  Many times today, the 1.5 mile scale on the chart plotter would show two sections of river, one flowing up the screen, one flowing down the screen, with the two sections not more the a half mile apart, yet it would take us two miles to get back to the point that was only a short distance away. 

             Miles: 57.6      Bridges: 3        Locks: 2

we are encountering more barges and tows than we have in quite awhile -
the tow on the left side of the picture is getting the barges lined up and
ready to go for the tow in the center of the picture to take them up the river

a barge being unloaded (the rust colored one against the wall) while a
small tow pushes another barge into place (the green barge) - both
barges appeared to be full of scrap metal

this large tow is finishing getting his barges ready to head up the river

this phone booth is perched right at the edge of
the river - I suspect it is one of the most photographed
items along the waterway (at least by Loopers) as it is so
unexpected and out of place

looking back as we leave the Bevill Lock

the spillway at the Bevill lock

although much of the riverbank along the Tenn-Tom is relatively
flat, we do occasionally get some beautiful rock cliffs

although difficult to see in a picture, the color change
of the bald cypress is quite beauitful