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!
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