We continued to closely monitor the weather today, as we are trying to time our journey to Carrabelle from where we will make the 170 mile trip across the "Big Bend" of Florida through the Gulf of Mexico to Clearwater. The ideal trip is made in seas of less than 2 feet with winds of less than 10 mph, and we are hoping that a window of opportunity with these conditions might open up for us early in the coming week.
George perused all his internet weather sites and sources, and even spoke to a meteorologist in Tallahassee to examine the impending conditions for this passage.
We also made our purchases today for our Thanksgiving Day dinner which we will have aboard with Andrew and Sallyann next Thursday. The turkey is in the freezer! Our modes of transportation today were by marina bicycle (George) and tricycle (Pat). We used them to go out to lunch at "Joe Pappas" for wood-fired pizza and capresse salad, and then to pick up our grocery purchases which Pat drove back in the baskets on the trike. It was a fun day!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
11/19 - Port St. Joe, Florida
Traveling along this part of the Gulf Inter Coastal Waterway looked like a scene from the "African Queen".
We continued 44 miles east across the Panhandle today to Port St. Joe Marina after a quick stop at Pier 98 Marina on Pitt Bayou for fuel. Our trip included some wide expanses of water, but also took us through miles of very narrow canals reminiscent of the low country areas in North and South Carolina bounded by pine and cypress trees.
We tied up at around 3 p.m. and after "Happy Hour" had dinner at the "Dockside Restaurant" right at the marina. Today we also moved our clocks forward an hour as Port St. Joe and its nearby town, White City, have put us back into the Eastern Standard Time Zone.
We tied up at around 3 p.m. and after "Happy Hour" had dinner at the "Dockside Restaurant" right at the marina. Today we also moved our clocks forward an hour as Port St. Joe and its nearby town, White City, have put us back into the Eastern Standard Time Zone.
11/18 - Panama City, Florida
It was another chilly, but sunny morning when we pulled up anchor at 7 a.m., and by 8:40 a.m. we had pulled into Panama City's Municipal Marina - only 15 miles away. After Pat did the laundry, we all headed out to one of the town's trolley stops, because the captains had gotten a recommendation that there was a very good Chinese Buffet in town for lunch.
In truth, the trolley took us on a 20 minute ride quite a distance beyond the downtown area out to the highway, so we had a tour of the area also. The restaurant turned out to be great and we had a fabulous lunch for only $5.49 per person! This was the antithesis of the expensive, small portioned, mediocre lunch we had at "Pirate's Cove" on Sunday. When we returned again by trolley to the boats, we rested, and had only a snack for dinner, since our lunch was a big enough meal for the day.
In truth, the trolley took us on a 20 minute ride quite a distance beyond the downtown area out to the highway, so we had a tour of the area also. The restaurant turned out to be great and we had a fabulous lunch for only $5.49 per person! This was the antithesis of the expensive, small portioned, mediocre lunch we had at "Pirate's Cove" on Sunday. When we returned again by trolley to the boats, we rested, and had only a snack for dinner, since our lunch was a big enough meal for the day.
11/17 - Burnt Mill Creek, Florida
Some of the many shops and marinas along Destin Harbor
More of the same
Entering Florida's Grand Canyon
Sand dunes along the Grand Canyon
.Even though we would have liked to have taken the dinghy in to visit the sights of Destin, we made a decision that we would move on today to a safe anchorage 53 miles farther along the Panhandle. The weather was overcast and windy with sometimes a slight drizzle, so we operated the boat from the lower, inside station quite a bit of the trip.
We talked to "Morningside", a boat from Annapolis we have met many times along the way up and down the Tennessee River, and found out that they were in the area, but that they had decided to proceed on to Panama City, our destination tomorrow. "Freedom" and "Reflection" had the anchorage to ourselves except for occasional dolphins jumping and diving around our boats, and local oystermen dragging their nets nearby.
We talked to "Morningside", a boat from Annapolis we have met many times along the way up and down the Tennessee River, and found out that they were in the area, but that they had decided to proceed on to Panama City, our destination tomorrow. "Freedom" and "Reflection" had the anchorage to ourselves except for occasional dolphins jumping and diving around our boats, and local oystermen dragging their nets nearby.
11/16 - Destin, Florida
Welcome to Florida 
Sand dunes along the Gulf Inter Coastal Waterway
Destin Harbor
Sallyann giving Andrew a custom haircut and you're next..
We left our last anchorage in Alabama at 7 a.m. and crossed over into Florida about an hour later. The morning temperatures, however, were still not "Florida" like - in the upper 40s, so we were still wearing our storm gear, hoods over our heads, and gloves when we started out.
After a 64 mile trip we pulled into the narrow opening of Destin's harbor at about 3 p.m., (with the temperature about 70 degrees), and now knew from the view that we were really in Florida! We passed a tall high-rise resort and marina, and countless other marinas of all sizes with outdoor seafood restaurants and bars alongside.
There were hundreds of private fishing boats obviously rigged for deep-sea fishing docked all around the harbor along with many tall condominiums ringing our anchorage. The close access of this harbor to the Gulf makes it a popular destination for boaters and other visitors to its white, sandy beaches and when we sat out on the deck that evening, it reminded us in a small way of New Jersey's Atlantic City with the lights reflecting colorfully on the water.
After a 64 mile trip we pulled into the narrow opening of Destin's harbor at about 3 p.m., (with the temperature about 70 degrees), and now knew from the view that we were really in Florida! We passed a tall high-rise resort and marina, and countless other marinas of all sizes with outdoor seafood restaurants and bars alongside.
There were hundreds of private fishing boats obviously rigged for deep-sea fishing docked all around the harbor along with many tall condominiums ringing our anchorage. The close access of this harbor to the Gulf makes it a popular destination for boaters and other visitors to its white, sandy beaches and when we sat out on the deck that evening, it reminded us in a small way of New Jersey's Atlantic City with the lights reflecting colorfully on the water.
11/15 - Roberts Bayou, Alabama
"Reflection" and "Freedom" at anchor in Roberts Bayou, Alabama
Dining outside at "Pirates Cove". Good burgers for Alabama..
With the early morning fog lifting, we headed out into Mobile Bay at 7 a.m. for our trip south. This 30 mile long bay can often be a treacherous body of water, because it is quite shallow and steep waves at short intervals can build up easily. However, on this beautiful morning, the water was completely smooth. We then entered the beginning of the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway which would take us across the Florida Panhandle to Carrabelle.
Our destination today was Roberts Bayou, so that we could anchor and have lunch at the "Pirate's Cove Bistro", a local beach bar famous for its burgers, beer, and pizzas. Our boats entered the cove through a very narrow opening around a sand spit, and we anchored in the small hurricane hole which was surrounded by sailboats either intentionally or in many cases not intentionally grounded, on their sides and tied up to trees. We did not know if some of these had moved here to avoid Tropical Storm Ida, but some looked like they had been here for quite a while.
George almost immediately lowered the dinghy into the water, and the four of us got in and motored to the beach dock at "Pirate's Cove". We quickly placed our food order with the barmaid who reminded how famous their food was, and were told to get a seat at a picnic bench outside. Many small boats started pulling in, and children and dogs (one with only 3 legs) were running around and playing in the sand.
There was a new songwriters' event going on and we could have paid an extra $15.00 per person to sit on the "porch" of the restaurant if we wanted to hear the live music from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., $20.00 from 5 p.m. until closing, or $25.00 from 1 p.m. until closing. We decided to decline all these generous offers and wait until these musicians hit the "big time".
Finally our names were called and George and Andrew went to pick up our orders. Unfortunately the burgers, fries, and onion rings did not live up to the hype. An order of onion rings consisted of 4 pieces, the french fry order was minimal, and the burgers just "okay". In fact, Sallyann's food was still cold. Oh well, we guessed we paid for the ambiance!
After we returned to the boat, six people from a large Morgan sailboat dinghied over and were thrilled to hear that we were doing the "Loop". They had some suggestions for places for us to stop along the Panhandle, and to prove what a small world it really is - one of them was from New Jersey!
Our destination today was Roberts Bayou, so that we could anchor and have lunch at the "Pirate's Cove Bistro", a local beach bar famous for its burgers, beer, and pizzas. Our boats entered the cove through a very narrow opening around a sand spit, and we anchored in the small hurricane hole which was surrounded by sailboats either intentionally or in many cases not intentionally grounded, on their sides and tied up to trees. We did not know if some of these had moved here to avoid Tropical Storm Ida, but some looked like they had been here for quite a while.
George almost immediately lowered the dinghy into the water, and the four of us got in and motored to the beach dock at "Pirate's Cove". We quickly placed our food order with the barmaid who reminded how famous their food was, and were told to get a seat at a picnic bench outside. Many small boats started pulling in, and children and dogs (one with only 3 legs) were running around and playing in the sand.
There was a new songwriters' event going on and we could have paid an extra $15.00 per person to sit on the "porch" of the restaurant if we wanted to hear the live music from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., $20.00 from 5 p.m. until closing, or $25.00 from 1 p.m. until closing. We decided to decline all these generous offers and wait until these musicians hit the "big time".
Finally our names were called and George and Andrew went to pick up our orders. Unfortunately the burgers, fries, and onion rings did not live up to the hype. An order of onion rings consisted of 4 pieces, the french fry order was minimal, and the burgers just "okay". In fact, Sallyann's food was still cold. Oh well, we guessed we paid for the ambiance!
After we returned to the boat, six people from a large Morgan sailboat dinghied over and were thrilled to hear that we were doing the "Loop". They had some suggestions for places for us to stop along the Panhandle, and to prove what a small world it really is - one of them was from New Jersey!
11/14 - Fairhope, Alabama
"Used boat for sale - some minor smoke damage". This picture was taken at Dog River Marina. It looks like "Kate's Dream" turned out to be a nightmare.
Fairhope Yacht club
Sunset over Mobile Bay.
After filling our boats with fuel, we left Dog River Marina to take a short trip across the Mobile River to the town of Fairhope. The river was almost flat calm, and we traveled at a leisurely pace for the first time in many days, and tied up at the Fairhope Yacht Club by around 10 a.m.
Because the Newtons are members of another recognized yacht club, they received reciprocal privileges here also, and this was also extended to us as their guests. This turned out to be a lovely location and the price was right!
We then called a cab to take us into the town which has many quaint and high-end shops, and a number of restaurants. George also took this opportunity to get a hair-cut, but this took almost an hour and a half because of the number of customers ahead of him. Sallyann, Andrew and Pat spent that time browsing in the stores, and did some people -watching while sitting in rocking chairs on the porch of the town hall.
When George emerged from the barbershop all trimmed and well-groomed, we went for a late lunch of seafood at a local eatery. This is the land of fresh shrimp, catfish, grouper, and Apalachicola oysters. The oysters are very large, and have shells as thick as rocks! We followed this meal off with ice cream cones from the local ice cream shop.
When we returned to the boats in the late afternoon, we had "Happy Hour" on the back deck of "Reflection". Even Tut, the Newtons' cat, joined in the fun as Sallyann had walked him over on his leash for a visit. It was a beautiful evening and the view of the sun setting over Mobile Bay was magnificent.
Because the Newtons are members of another recognized yacht club, they received reciprocal privileges here also, and this was also extended to us as their guests. This turned out to be a lovely location and the price was right!
We then called a cab to take us into the town which has many quaint and high-end shops, and a number of restaurants. George also took this opportunity to get a hair-cut, but this took almost an hour and a half because of the number of customers ahead of him. Sallyann, Andrew and Pat spent that time browsing in the stores, and did some people -watching while sitting in rocking chairs on the porch of the town hall.
When George emerged from the barbershop all trimmed and well-groomed, we went for a late lunch of seafood at a local eatery. This is the land of fresh shrimp, catfish, grouper, and Apalachicola oysters. The oysters are very large, and have shells as thick as rocks! We followed this meal off with ice cream cones from the local ice cream shop.
When we returned to the boats in the late afternoon, we had "Happy Hour" on the back deck of "Reflection". Even Tut, the Newtons' cat, joined in the fun as Sallyann had walked him over on his leash for a visit. It was a beautiful evening and the view of the sun setting over Mobile Bay was magnificent.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
11/13 - Mobile, Alabama
Who is the little guy on the big ship?.
We reserved the marina's courtesy car for 4 hours today with Sallyann and Andrew so that we could do some sight-seeing, shopping, and laundry. Our first stop was Battleship Park, where we spent two hours touring the Battleship Alabama. Next we did laundry while having lunch from a Chinese restaurant next door, and then did some grocery shopping.
We then returned to our boat to have short naps, worked on the computer, and then awaited our friends, Ray and Caryl Houle, who were driving from their home in Gulfport, Mississippi to meet us here. They recently completed "The Loop" in October aboard their boat "Houlegan", and we were delighted that they were coming here to visit with us.
When they arrived, we had a terrific time catching up with them on what's been going on since they returned home, and filling them in on our adventures. The Newtons also joined us for "Happy Hour" aboard, and then we all had dinner together at the Mobile Yacht Club. Because Sallyann and Andrew belong to a yacht club in Kentucky, they had reciprocal privileges here, and were able to bring us all along as guests. It was a great evening!
We then returned to our boat to have short naps, worked on the computer, and then awaited our friends, Ray and Caryl Houle, who were driving from their home in Gulfport, Mississippi to meet us here. They recently completed "The Loop" in October aboard their boat "Houlegan", and we were delighted that they were coming here to visit with us.
When they arrived, we had a terrific time catching up with them on what's been going on since they returned home, and filling them in on our adventures. The Newtons also joined us for "Happy Hour" aboard, and then we all had dinner together at the Mobile Yacht Club. Because Sallyann and Andrew belong to a yacht club in Kentucky, they had reciprocal privileges here, and were able to bring us all along as guests. It was a great evening!
11/12 - Mobile, Alabama
Flooding at the "Lock 1 anchorage"
Over night the river rose another 3 feet.
Flooding was expected to get worse over the next 3 to 5 days.
Entering Mobile Harbor
The next generation of U. S. Naval ships being built in Mobile.
At last, sea level and seawater, after over 5 months and nearly 3,000 miles we entered Mobile Bay. By 7 a.m. we had lifted anchor and again we continued the final 115 mile leg of our journey down the Tombigbee River to Mobile with "Holiday VII" in the lead. We saw very few boats on the water: 3 beating their way up-river against the current, and only one other boat (a sailboat) on our way south today.
We were now days ahead of the pack of other boats headed south who are now bottled up in the marinas and anchorages behind us because of the flooding situation. In fact, because we have moved so quickly, we are now back on our original schedule, despite our extended stay in Demopolis.
At about 3 p.m. the Mobile sky-line rose in the distance and a little while later we began making our way through its busy harbor. We passed by a number of barges and tows, large ships, ships in dry dock, and even an experimental ship recently commissioned by the government to combat pirates.
"Reflection" also cruised past the waterfront convention center, a new maritime center, and the Carnival Cruise Lines ship terminal. About a mile further we finally entered the open waters of Mobile Bay. Salt water at last! After all these months on inland waters, we felt in more familiar territory even though we were almost 3,000 miles away from our starting point at home in Barnegat Bay.
After traveling a few more miles down Mobile Bay we turned into the Dog River on the west side of the bay. We all had reservations at Dog River Marina for tonight and tomorrow, but we noticed that the marina was jammed with boats that had sought refuge here from Tropical Storm Ida and had not yet left. Despite the crowded conditions, space was found for us, and we finally got tied up before dark.
Instead of going out for dinner as we had all previously planned, we decided to have pizza delivered to our boat, and welcomed Richard, and Sallyann and Andrew aboard for cocktails to celebrate our successful journey together. Richard turned out to be a fantastic conversationalist. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee, but travels south to Marathon, Florida for the winter. He and his wife own a travel company from which he has recently retired, but where his wife still works. She joins him when her schedule permits, but he often moves the boat himself, and really seems to enjoy it. Since he has done the trip to the Keys so many times, he had lots of advice for us, and we are very thankful to have met him and for sharing his Tombigbee and Gulf waters expertise.
We were now days ahead of the pack of other boats headed south who are now bottled up in the marinas and anchorages behind us because of the flooding situation. In fact, because we have moved so quickly, we are now back on our original schedule, despite our extended stay in Demopolis.
At about 3 p.m. the Mobile sky-line rose in the distance and a little while later we began making our way through its busy harbor. We passed by a number of barges and tows, large ships, ships in dry dock, and even an experimental ship recently commissioned by the government to combat pirates.
"Reflection" also cruised past the waterfront convention center, a new maritime center, and the Carnival Cruise Lines ship terminal. About a mile further we finally entered the open waters of Mobile Bay. Salt water at last! After all these months on inland waters, we felt in more familiar territory even though we were almost 3,000 miles away from our starting point at home in Barnegat Bay.
After traveling a few more miles down Mobile Bay we turned into the Dog River on the west side of the bay. We all had reservations at Dog River Marina for tonight and tomorrow, but we noticed that the marina was jammed with boats that had sought refuge here from Tropical Storm Ida and had not yet left. Despite the crowded conditions, space was found for us, and we finally got tied up before dark.
Instead of going out for dinner as we had all previously planned, we decided to have pizza delivered to our boat, and welcomed Richard, and Sallyann and Andrew aboard for cocktails to celebrate our successful journey together. Richard turned out to be a fantastic conversationalist. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee, but travels south to Marathon, Florida for the winter. He and his wife own a travel company from which he has recently retired, but where his wife still works. She joins him when her schedule permits, but he often moves the boat himself, and really seems to enjoy it. Since he has done the trip to the Keys so many times, he had lots of advice for us, and we are very thankful to have met him and for sharing his Tombigbee and Gulf waters expertise.
11/11 - Silas, Alabama
Holiday VII (The leader of the "Great Escape" from Demopolis) 
Pat's at her post at the last lock (for now)
.
This morning dawned bright and beautiful with much lighter winds than the 15 -25mph that were forecast. At 6 a.m. our association still advised all of us to stay put where we were and not to try moving down the river. We could see that the river was rising, so we decided to take this warning seriously and to take this advice.
Pat began working at the computer and George went for an early morning walk to assuage his dim mood over not being able to finally leave Demopolis today. However, at 7 a.m. George suddenly returned to the boat, threw open the door and said to Pat: "Come on, we're leaving NOW!" Pat quickly finished her email, changed out of her nightgown and into her clothes, and within 30 minutes we had pulled away from the dock.
What had happened is that George had the good fortune of meeting Richard Walker aboard "Holiday VII" at the marina office while on his walk. Richard was a veteran of some 27 trips on the Tombigbee Waterway, came highly recommended by the marina staff and other veteran "Loopers" as an expert on the river, and said that TODAY was the day for us to leave before the situation got worse.
Richard, himself, was about to leave (operating his beautiful 54' Jefferson solo) within a half hour, knew the best anchorages along the way, and in fact would be glad to lead us and "Freedom" down-river! God had sent us our guardian angel!!!
We traveled 117 miles in 8 1/2 hours and through our last two locks on the waterway. It was hard to believe, but we had locked through 103 LOCKS so far on our trip! The current on the river was going our way at a rate of about 3 knots, and there was debris that we had to avoid, but it was not nearly as bad as it could have been on this very winding river.
Pat began working at the computer and George went for an early morning walk to assuage his dim mood over not being able to finally leave Demopolis today. However, at 7 a.m. George suddenly returned to the boat, threw open the door and said to Pat: "Come on, we're leaving NOW!" Pat quickly finished her email, changed out of her nightgown and into her clothes, and within 30 minutes we had pulled away from the dock.
What had happened is that George had the good fortune of meeting Richard Walker aboard "Holiday VII" at the marina office while on his walk. Richard was a veteran of some 27 trips on the Tombigbee Waterway, came highly recommended by the marina staff and other veteran "Loopers" as an expert on the river, and said that TODAY was the day for us to leave before the situation got worse.
Richard, himself, was about to leave (operating his beautiful 54' Jefferson solo) within a half hour, knew the best anchorages along the way, and in fact would be glad to lead us and "Freedom" down-river! God had sent us our guardian angel!!!
We traveled 117 miles in 8 1/2 hours and through our last two locks on the waterway. It was hard to believe, but we had locked through 103 LOCKS so far on our trip! The current on the river was going our way at a rate of about 3 knots, and there was debris that we had to avoid, but it was not nearly as bad as it could have been on this very winding river.
Richard led us into the Lock 1 Cut-off which was an almost hidden, but very large anchorage where we safely dropped our anchor with "Freedom" rafted up to us. Normally the entrance depth here was about 5 feet, however, today it was over 30 feet as a result of the flooding caused by Ida. We were very tired, but grateful for our benefactor, and the speedy, comfortable trip he made possible for us. WE WERE FREE!
11/10 - Demopolis, Alabama
We felt the effects of Tropical Storm Ida beginning around midnight with heavy rain that lasted all day until about 4 p.m. in the afternoon. The wind blew at a steady 25 miles per hour with occasional gusts to around 40. We were safely tied up in our slip, but we could see that the water level on the Tombigbee River was steadily rising. Rumors were rampant on the docks, and those of us in the AGLCA (American Great Loop Cruisers Association) received emails that the locks might close down, and that the water would rise with so much debris coming down-river that we might not be able to make it out onto the waterway for a few MORE days. Needless to say, this did not make the captain happy, but we decided to see what the situation would be tomorrow morning. If we cannot move, we will get the courtesy car and try to do some touring in the area in order to make the best of this situation.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
11/7 - 11/9 - Demopolis, Alabama
We have been in a watchful- waiting mode over these last three days while we see what path Tropical Storm/Hurricane Ida will take as she heads north over the Gulf of Mexico towards Mobile, Alabama and our final destination on the Tombigbee Waterway before we actually head into the Florida Panhandle and the Gulf. We are safely docked in the only marina for the next 230 miles between here and Mobile, and "Freedom" and "Reflection" were lucky to be among the last few boats to get a slip here pre-hurricane.
There are many, many boats backed up the entire waterway south and north of here who have been warned to "stay-put" until the storm has passed. We have taken advantage of these three days to clean the boat inside and out, shop for groceries, do laundry, have several "happy hours", enjoy eggplant lasagna and carrot cake made by the Newtons, learn a dice game called "456" which Sallyann and Andrew seemed to have taught us as a means of making "laundry money", and to completely plan out our trip to Marathon, Florida. Ida will hit the Gulf Coast tomorrow morning, but we expect to feel her effects over-night. If all goes well, we are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to finally leave here on Wednesday morning before "channel fever" kicks in.
The Captain reports he already has a severe case of Channel Fever. The only known cure for it is to get moving again.
There are many, many boats backed up the entire waterway south and north of here who have been warned to "stay-put" until the storm has passed. We have taken advantage of these three days to clean the boat inside and out, shop for groceries, do laundry, have several "happy hours", enjoy eggplant lasagna and carrot cake made by the Newtons, learn a dice game called "456" which Sallyann and Andrew seemed to have taught us as a means of making "laundry money", and to completely plan out our trip to Marathon, Florida. Ida will hit the Gulf Coast tomorrow morning, but we expect to feel her effects over-night. If all goes well, we are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to finally leave here on Wednesday morning before "channel fever" kicks in.
The Captain reports he already has a severe case of Channel Fever. The only known cure for it is to get moving again.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
November 6 - Demopolis, Alabama
A total of 14 boats where locked down at one time in the Heflin Lock 
The white cliffs of Epes
.At 6 a.m. we left in fog, which did not dissipate as quickly as we had hoped. We made our way slowly and carefully into the Waterway, but even with radar, the situation was tenuous. We pulled over once, and then the fog lifted briefly so we could continue, but then it filled in again.
Unfortunately, the second time we pulled over, "Freedom" ran aground in an area where the depths went from 46 to less than 4 feet in an instant. We managed to get close enough to them to have Andrew throw a tow-line to Pat, but the current was dragging us sideways into the shallows, so we had to make two more passes until we could get the line secure and safely tow them to deeper water without going aground ourselves.
After this adventure the fog lifted for good and we made our way to the Howell Heflin Lock, only to be told by the lock-tender that we would have at least an hour's wait as he had a south-bound and north-bound tow which he had to lock before us. He told us: "Hang around behind the bridge and count the pigeons!" This wait then turned out to be more like 2 hours when one of the lock gates got stuck and had to be repaired! By now 12 more boats caught up to us and "Freedom" and we eventually locked through as a group of fourteen!
When we left the lock we still had 50 miles to travel, so we upped our usual cruising speed so we could get to Demopolis Yacht Basin before dark. We ended up arriving by 3:30 p.m., and found the marina almost completely filled with "Looper" boats. There was some concern on the docks about Tropical Depression Ida which is forecast to head up the Gulf of Mexico and what its possible impact might be on Mobile Bay and the Florida Panhandle where we are all headed within the next few days. Rumors abounded about the Waterway being closed shortly, and we will be watchfully waiting to see what will transpire before heading any further south.
Later in the evening the Newtons joined us for cocktails and then we had dinner at the marina's restaurant, the New Orleans Bar and Grill, where shrimp and catfish were a specialty, and the people-watching was a real show in itself!
Unfortunately, the second time we pulled over, "Freedom" ran aground in an area where the depths went from 46 to less than 4 feet in an instant. We managed to get close enough to them to have Andrew throw a tow-line to Pat, but the current was dragging us sideways into the shallows, so we had to make two more passes until we could get the line secure and safely tow them to deeper water without going aground ourselves.
After this adventure the fog lifted for good and we made our way to the Howell Heflin Lock, only to be told by the lock-tender that we would have at least an hour's wait as he had a south-bound and north-bound tow which he had to lock before us. He told us: "Hang around behind the bridge and count the pigeons!" This wait then turned out to be more like 2 hours when one of the lock gates got stuck and had to be repaired! By now 12 more boats caught up to us and "Freedom" and we eventually locked through as a group of fourteen!
When we left the lock we still had 50 miles to travel, so we upped our usual cruising speed so we could get to Demopolis Yacht Basin before dark. We ended up arriving by 3:30 p.m., and found the marina almost completely filled with "Looper" boats. There was some concern on the docks about Tropical Depression Ida which is forecast to head up the Gulf of Mexico and what its possible impact might be on Mobile Bay and the Florida Panhandle where we are all headed within the next few days. Rumors abounded about the Waterway being closed shortly, and we will be watchfully waiting to see what will transpire before heading any further south.
Later in the evening the Newtons joined us for cocktails and then we had dinner at the marina's restaurant, the New Orleans Bar and Grill, where shrimp and catfish were a specialty, and the people-watching was a real show in itself!
November 5 - Warsaw Cut-off - Warsaw, Alabama
Pat can't see what awaits her on the other side of the lock wall.
Surprise, surprise! Yes, it was a bad as it looks.
The calm after the rapids.
The Waterway continued to run quickly as we made our way through the winding route along the 33 miles to our next stop. Tom Blevill Lock also marked the 100th lock we've gone through on our journey thus far!
Marinas have gotten to be few and far between as we have continued south, and mariners must plan carefully for anchorages. Luckily, this spot proved to be lovely and safe, and we dropped anchor in over 30 feet of water with "Freedom" tied next to us. We invited the Newtons for cocktails, and we toasted our 100th locking while enjoying shrimp cocktail, and Sally and Andrew's home-made grilled bread, etc. They even brought us presents: wine from Andrew, tea from Sallyann, and kitty-treats from Tut, the cat, who has paid several visits to our boat!
Marinas have gotten to be few and far between as we have continued south, and mariners must plan carefully for anchorages. Luckily, this spot proved to be lovely and safe, and we dropped anchor in over 30 feet of water with "Freedom" tied next to us. We invited the Newtons for cocktails, and we toasted our 100th locking while enjoying shrimp cocktail, and Sally and Andrew's home-made grilled bread, etc. They even brought us presents: wine from Andrew, tea from Sallyann, and kitty-treats from Tut, the cat, who has paid several visits to our boat!
November 4 - Pickensville, Alabama
Aberdeen Lock 
Foam on the river
Pirate's Marina Cove
The marina office
Sign outside a local general store - check out the last line (I was told it only applied to men)
Tom Bevill Visitor's Center
Andrew and Sallyann from "Freedom"
The Bevill Lock and Dam.
The weather continued to be great with clear chilly nights in the high 30s and 40s and sunny days with temperatures in the low 70s. After 1 lock and 28 miles we arrived by 11 a.m. at quaint Pirate's Marina Cove where we received a warm welcome by the dockmaster and his assistant.
After getting tied up, we and the Newtons borrowed the marina's courtesy car which we discovered had a flat tire, but was quickly repaired by the dockmaster. We then made our way to the "Down Yonder" restaurant for local southern cooking. Our fried chicken lunches were delicious, as well as our appetizers of fried macaroni and cheese, and onion rings. Get out the cholesterol pills!
The women then went to do the laundry at the local Laundromat, while the men waited patiently at a picnic bench outside with beers purchased at the mini-mart next door. Afterwards we drove to Tom Bevill Visitor Center which is a reconstruction of a southern mansion with interpretive exhibits of the history of the Waterway. We also toured the US Snagboat Montgomery which was the last steam-powered sternwheeler used to keep seven of the South's rivers navigable and free of debris from 1926 through 1982. It was a fun-filled day!
After getting tied up, we and the Newtons borrowed the marina's courtesy car which we discovered had a flat tire, but was quickly repaired by the dockmaster. We then made our way to the "Down Yonder" restaurant for local southern cooking. Our fried chicken lunches were delicious, as well as our appetizers of fried macaroni and cheese, and onion rings. Get out the cholesterol pills!
The women then went to do the laundry at the local Laundromat, while the men waited patiently at a picnic bench outside with beers purchased at the mini-mart next door. Afterwards we drove to Tom Bevill Visitor Center which is a reconstruction of a southern mansion with interpretive exhibits of the history of the Waterway. We also toured the US Snagboat Montgomery which was the last steam-powered sternwheeler used to keep seven of the South's rivers navigable and free of debris from 1926 through 1982. It was a fun-filled day!
November 3 - Columbus, Mississippi
The Waterway continued to be flooded with lots of debris as we passed through 1 lock and 23 miles to Columbus Marina. After we pulled in at 11 a.m. we were joined by a number of other "Looper" boats including the two sailboats we've talked about previously.
We borrowed the marina's courtesy car to check out the town, but returned quickly after just visiting the liquor store with Sallyann and Andrew. Since Pat spent a great part of the day managing her mother's release from the hospital to the Healthcare Center at Harrogate where she is a resident, we were delighted to join an impromptu "Looper" get-together on the deck beneath the marina office at sunset. It turned out that the two sailboat captains were musicians headed to Florida. They came with their guitars and sound equipment to provide the evening's entertainment and Pat also got up and sang at the microphone as the evening wore on.
We borrowed the marina's courtesy car to check out the town, but returned quickly after just visiting the liquor store with Sallyann and Andrew. Since Pat spent a great part of the day managing her mother's release from the hospital to the Healthcare Center at Harrogate where she is a resident, we were delighted to join an impromptu "Looper" get-together on the deck beneath the marina office at sunset. It turned out that the two sailboat captains were musicians headed to Florida. They came with their guitars and sound equipment to provide the evening's entertainment and Pat also got up and sang at the microphone as the evening wore on.
November 2 - Blue Bluff Anchorage - Aberdeen, Mississippi
The view from our dock at Midway Marina 
Sunset at Blue Bluff anchorage.
Despite the fact that we left the marina at 7 a.m., today turned out to be a long travel day. We transited 3 locks and went 36 miles, but we had long waits at the locks and since our "locking' group now included 2 sailboats who could only go about 6 knots, we had to wait for them to catch up with us at each lock.
The Tombigbee Waterway has now become littered with lots of floating logs and foliage caused by the flooding of the upland rivers, and we had to dodge them constantly in the 2 knot current which is thankfully running with us. By 3:30 p.m. we made a sharp turn into the narrow, shallow channel leading into Big Bluff Anchorage. Three boats were already tied up to the short T dock of this recreation area, so we dropped our anchor a little way off, and "Freedom' rafted up to us. By the time dark descended, there were eleven boats here, including the two sailboats we had previously mentioned, as well as two other "Loopers" who had run aground coming into the channel.
The Tombigbee Waterway has now become littered with lots of floating logs and foliage caused by the flooding of the upland rivers, and we had to dodge them constantly in the 2 knot current which is thankfully running with us. By 3:30 p.m. we made a sharp turn into the narrow, shallow channel leading into Big Bluff Anchorage. Three boats were already tied up to the short T dock of this recreation area, so we dropped our anchor a little way off, and "Freedom' rafted up to us. By the time dark descended, there were eleven boats here, including the two sailboats we had previously mentioned, as well as two other "Loopers" who had run aground coming into the channel.
November 1 - Fulton, Mississippi
The fleet leaving Whitten Lock (everybody is going south) 
Fall along the Tenn-Tom waterway
We are always on the lookout for a great buy on a boat ...
this one really caught our eye...
it comes with plenty of extras..
We left our anchorage at 7 a.m. after a call to the Jamie Whitten lock-tender, and as we rounded the corner of one of the "fingers" of the "Five Fingers" area of Bay Springs Lake, we were joined by a number of other "Looper" boats who had also been scattered in other anchorages there overnight.
Because the lock-tenders are very aware of the large amount of boats traveling south at this time, we were kept together as a group and transited the next two locks in quick succession. There was no use in trying to speed up to the next lock, because the lock-tender waits until all the boats in a pack catch up and enter the lock before he will lock down. Just before the last lock was about to close its doors, we were surprised to have the lock-tender hand us a holy card, something which had never happened before, but as this was a Sunday morning, we were happy to receive this sign of God's blessing on us and our journey.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
October 31 - Five Fingers Anchorage, Mississippi
"Tenn -Tombigbee" Waterway 
Fall is in the air as we head south looking for warmer weather
Sunset at our anchorage in MississippiThe rain finally stopped early this morning, and after a brief delay to look for our missing storm gear jackets which we had inadvertently left in the marina's courtesy van, we made our way out of Grand Harbor at 9 a.m.
We will be traveling down the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway for 234 miles to Demopolis, Alabama and then an additional 217 miles down the Black Warrior- Tombigbee Waterway to Mobile, Alabama over the next two weeks. The connecting of the Tennessee River with the Tombigbee River, a 14 year Army Corps of Engineers earth-moving project, moved more soil than the building of the Panama Canal. It is the building of this man-made waterway that has made the "Great Loop" journey around the Gulf Coast, East Coast, and Canadian and Midwest waterways possible.
We cruised 36 miles today down this lovely canal lined with autumn foliage that finally opened up into wide Bay Springs Lake. Finally we turned into the Five Finger anchorage where we had a choice of beautiful locations to stop. We dropped our anchor, and "Freedom" rafted up to us for the evening. The Newtons invited us over for "Happy Hour" and Sallyann made a delicious bread which was topped with tomatoes, onions, and pepperoni and then expertly grilled outside by Andrew. Their "boat cat", Tut, decided to take a tour of the outside decks of "Reflection" while we were eating and returned "home" an exhausted adventurer. Our night at anchor was quiet and cozy, but spectacular with stars, an almost-full moon, and chilly temperatures in the very low 40s.
We will be traveling down the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway for 234 miles to Demopolis, Alabama and then an additional 217 miles down the Black Warrior- Tombigbee Waterway to Mobile, Alabama over the next two weeks. The connecting of the Tennessee River with the Tombigbee River, a 14 year Army Corps of Engineers earth-moving project, moved more soil than the building of the Panama Canal. It is the building of this man-made waterway that has made the "Great Loop" journey around the Gulf Coast, East Coast, and Canadian and Midwest waterways possible.
We cruised 36 miles today down this lovely canal lined with autumn foliage that finally opened up into wide Bay Springs Lake. Finally we turned into the Five Finger anchorage where we had a choice of beautiful locations to stop. We dropped our anchor, and "Freedom" rafted up to us for the evening. The Newtons invited us over for "Happy Hour" and Sallyann made a delicious bread which was topped with tomatoes, onions, and pepperoni and then expertly grilled outside by Andrew. Their "boat cat", Tut, decided to take a tour of the outside decks of "Reflection" while we were eating and returned "home" an exhausted adventurer. Our night at anchor was quiet and cozy, but spectacular with stars, an almost-full moon, and chilly temperatures in the very low 40s.
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