Day 128 – Bobby’s Fish Camp to anchorage at Alabama River Cut-off - November 11, 2011

Last night’s temperature got into the low 30’s.  We put an extra fleece blanket on the bed and were comfortable all night – however, it was 46 degrees inside the boat when we got up in the morning.  The boaters at Bobby’s had decided to make an early morning start, so we set the alarm for 5:30am so we would be ready to shove off with the group just after 6:00am.  Unfortunately the fog had a different idea.  Although everyone was up and ready to go, the fog didn’t lift until 7:45am.  When we could navigate the waterway safety, thirteen boats headed to the Coffeeville lock.  With just ten bollards to tie to in the lock we had to do a bit of rafting, but everything went smoothly and we were locked down in no time.  This is our last lock until we get around to the eastern shore of Florida and head onto the St. John's River. 

Although the day remained cool, the sun was shining and the scenery along the waterway was quite beautiful.  We arrived at our anchorage just after 3:00pm and anchored starboard to starboard with Grianan.  Grianan anchored first then we put out our anchor and backed down next to them.  Then we rafted the boats together.  That way it was as if we each had a bow and stern anchor without having to actually deploy two anchors each.  This is a great way to anchor when there isn’t very much room in an anchorage and you don’t want to swing.

It was another cold night (in the 30’s again), but the extra blanket did its job and we slept well.

            Miles: 61.4      Bridges: 2        Locks: 1

fall colors at Bobby's Fish Camp

exiting the Coffeeville Lock

the spillway at the Coffeeville Lock and Dam

it is a thrill to see a bald eagle in the trees along the waterway

the fabulous rock formations at Lover's Leap

more rock cliffs, more colors at Lover's Leap

an interesting tie-up post for barges

fall colors on the Tenn-Tom

Day 127 – Kingfisher Bay Marina, Demopolis to Bobby’s Fish Camp, Silas, AL - November 10, 2011

We have Greg and Kate on Grianan to thank for today’s smooth travels.  We have been traveling with Grianan since we left Columbus Marina.  Greg suggested we get a very early start this morning as we were planning to travel over 70 miles to an anchorage at Bashi Creek.  So we were up with the sun (actually a bit before the sun) and headed to the Demopolis Lock where the lockmaster was letting in a group of pleasure boats.  We were very lucky to get through with this group as the lockmaster was about to shut the lock down for some maintenance.  In fact the maintenance guys were already there and watched us lock through.  The lock ended up being closed for a couple of hours so the next group of boats got a much later start to their day.

So, along with eight other boats we exited the lock while it was still very early in the morning.  It took awhile to get all the boats organized by travel speed once we left the lock, but eventually it got all worked out.  We arrived at the entrance to Bashi Creek just a few minutes after 2:00pm which gave us almost three more hours of daylight.  By Fred’s calculation, if we were at Bashi Creek before 2:00pm, we could continue on to Bobby’s Fish Camp and still arrive before dark – so we continued on.  Three of the nine boats that we locked through with stopped five miles before Bobby’s to anchor in Okatuppa Creek, but the other six continued on to Bobby’s.  We knew that the dock at Bobby’s was just a face dock along the waterway less than 200 feet in length, but that rafting up was acceptable (and usually the norm).  When we arrived there were already six boats at the dock and by the end of the evening there were 12 of us rafted together.  The restaurant was open for the evening and I think every boater took advantage of someone else doing the cooking and cleaning.  The restaurant is famous for their catfish and that’s what we ordered.  It was delicious as advertised.

Everyone experiencing the Great Loop is having a wonderful adventure. Today, we pass the Slanty Shanty for the third time.  Slanty Shanty is just what it sounds like; a raft with make shift walls and roof complete with firewood for cooking, chickens for eggs, and not much else.  Powered by a small outboard motor ( ur dinghy motor is bigger), Slanty Shanty makes it way downriver and has managed to average the same daily travel that we Loopers are making in our motor yachts!  We are surely more comfortable, but I suspect they will have stories to tell for a lifetime.  We also passed a bamboo framed sailing vessel with blue tarp sails, blue tarp haul covering, and pop bottle flotation. Room for one person, no cover, no nothing!  Everyone on the river knows about these boats as word travels fast between the tow captains and lock operators.

            Miles: 86.9      Bridges: 4        Locks: 1

the spillway at the Demopolis Lock and Dam

fall colors and spanish moss

a small waterfall along the waterway

This is all that remains of the Rooster Bridge.  This bridge
was made famous in 2002 when a video of a tugboat going
sideways under this bridge went viral.  If you want to see
the video, search for 'Rooster', 'Cahaba' (the name of
the tugboat and 'Tombigbee'.

erosion is an amazing artist

old tires used as riprap

the Megan Parker is the newest tow boat we have seen - her
pilothouse gives the captain a 360 degree view

fall colors on the Tenn-Tom

a most unusual sailing vessel made of bamboo, blue tarps and pop bottles

Days 125 & 126 – anchorage at Sumter Landing to Kingfisher Bay Marina, Demopolis, AL - November 8-9, 2011

We enjoyed a beautiful night at our anchorage at Sumter Landing.  This is definitely a place we’d stop to anchor again, although we suspect it could be busy during the summer and perhaps the fall weekends as there is a boat ramp and small campground in the embayment.  However since we were there on a weekday in the fall it was very quiet.

The four boats anchored at Sumter Landing departed this morning at 7:30am after a call to the lockmaster at the Gainsville/Heflin Lock revealed that we could lock through between a downbound tow (who was just finishing his lock down) and an upbound tow that hadn’t arrive at the lock yet.  We had one additional vessel join us in the lock (see pictures below).  It is a small raft called Slanty Shanty that is traveling down the river toward Mobile.  We have passed them a couple of times in the past few days and heard portions of their story from other Loopers.  We talk about the adventure they are having, but I remind myself that what we are doing is an adventure as well; we just have more of the comforts of home.

We traveled past the white cliffs of Epes today.  They are amazing to see and I hope some of the photographs do them justice.  We also passed the halfway point of the Tenn-Tom Waterway – halfway between the Tennessee River where it starts and Mobile Bay where it ends.

We are planning to spend two nights here at the Kingfisher Bay Marina (next to and owned by the same people as the Demopolis Yacht Basin) in Demopolis, AL.  The weather tomorrow is forecasted to be rainy and cold – weather we try to avoid traveling in.

            Miles: 46.7      Bridges: 4        Locks: 1

the Slanty Shanty entering the Gainsville/Heflin Lock

some of the trees along the bank have an amazing root structure

a close-up of those awesome roots

The fabulous white cliffs we got to experience today

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

Days 122 and 123 – at Columbus Marina, Columbus, MS - November 5-6, 2011

We spent two additional days at the Columbus Marina relaxing, checking out the town of Columbus and taking care of boat chores (cleaning and laundry).  Brandy IV is staying in Columbus for just over a week while John and Rita head back to Toronto for a wedding.  Although we are not waiting for them at Columbus, we do expect they will catch up with us somewhere along the gulf coast before we cross to Tarpon Springs.

On Sunday evening, along with John and Rita, we borrowed the courtesy car and went to dinner and a movie.  It was fun to have another “date night” in town and off the boat.

            Miles: 0           Bridges: 0        Locks: 0

an American Coot hanging out behind the boat in Columbus Marina...

 ...diving for a snack...

...and back up again

Day 121 – Midway Marina to Columbus Marina, Columbus, MS - November 4, 2011

Six Looper boats departed from Midway Marina at 7:30am this morning.  Our original plan was a more leisurely departure after 8:00am, but a call to the lockmaster at the Fulton Lock got us on the move – if we arrived at the lock quickly enough he would be able to lock us through before a tow that was coming up the river.  With that incentive, we threw off the dock lines and hurried toward the lock. 

Our plan for today is 3 locks and about 36 miles of travel.  The first of the three locks, the Fulton Lock is just three miles from the marina, the next, the Wilkins Lock another fourteen miles down the river and then five miles more to the Amory Lock.   The six boats in our group travel at relatively the same speed, so we will spend the day playing follow the leader and locking through together.

Boreas and Brandy IV broke off from the other four Loopers just above the Aberdeen Lock (36 miles into the trip) so we could stop for fuel and overnight dockage at the Aberdeen Marina.  The marina has the best fuel prices in the area, so we wanted to top off the tanks.  Approaching the marina is a bit of a “mini-adventure” (to quote one of our cruising guides) – and an adventure it was.  The channel markers were long poles, driven into the sand marking the edges of the channel.  I would not have wanted to meet another boat coming out when we were going in, it was that narrow.  Once the channel was slightly off the main waterway it did two S-curves through cypress tree knees before finally arriving at the fuel dock.  The fuel dock was so short that Boreas hung off both ends when we were tied up getting fuel.  The place was deserted with only a few permanent boats in slips around the corner from the fuel dock.  After a brief discussion with Brandy IV (and the lockmaster at the Aberdeen Lock who said the lock was available and we could lock right through), we decided to go the extra 20 miles and stay at Columbus Marina for the night.  We retraced our route through the cypress tree knees and headed for the lock.  We were locked quickly through and arrived at Columbus Marina just after 4:30pm. 

            Miles: 56         Bridges: 7        Locks: 4

Loopers in the Fulton lock ready to lock down

the Tenn-Tom is amazing for the wildlife that

lives along its banks - we see bald eagles every few

days, but rarely two together in the same spot

the spillway at the Aberdeen Lock

Day 119 and 120 – anchorage at Five Fingers to Midway Marina, Fulton, MS - November 2-3, 2011

We don’t have many miles to travel today, but we do have the first three locks on the Tenn-Tom.  The first lock is the Whitten Lock – with a drop of 85 feet, it is the ninth highest single lift lock in the U.S.  The other two locks today are just 30 feet each.  We locked through the Whitten Lock with Brandy IV, a 40 foot sailboat and Harbor Lady an eighty-five foot long commercial passenger vessel that is available for charter.  Because these three locks are very close together we traveled with this same group through all three of them.  The lockmasters along the Tenn-Tom work together to keep traffic moving smoothly, so as we arrived at each lock, the locks were ready for us to just motor in and lock down.  It made the day very easy.

We decided to stay at Midway Marina for two nights because of a poor weather forecast and for once the forecast was right on target.  Rain began over night and didn’t stop until late morning.  We borrowed the marina’s courtesy car and did a bit of grocery shopping.  Other than that we spent time on the computers taking care of e-mail messages, bills and finances. 

             Miles: 19.7      Bridges: 2        Locks: 3

the view out of the Whitten Lock after we have locked down 85 feet 

looking forward in the Rankin Lock before we are lowered

cypress trees along the waterway

more cypress trees along the edge of the waterway

a coot swimming around the "submerged timber" near Midway Marina