mvalwayshome

Good Morning!  3 miles down the road is the only lock for the day.  Demopolis Lock.  Of course!  The rain missed us and we are ready to go as soon as the Lock Master tells us.  Clear and sunny forecast with little fog.   Depending on passing through the Demopolis Lock will determine the length of our day.  We are targeting an anchorage at Bashi Creek a long 71.2 miles down the river.

(By the way, the Skipper Bob cruising guides have mile markers indicated for many of these major stopovers, anchorages, and marinas. Simple math and you know the distance between locations.)

Early morning at Kingfisher/Demopolis Yacht Basin

Sunrise over Kingfisher/Demopolis Yacht Basin

The Kingfisher Marina is a new facility adjacent to the Demopolis Yacht Basin.  Very nice marina.  Too bad we couldn’t stay longer.  Weather window says…beautiful sunshine and gorgeous skies await us on the river.

7:30am Leaving Kingfisher:Demopolis Yacht Basin

One of the Loopers called and if we get down to the lock in a half hour, we should be able to go through with no problems.

Demopolis Yacht Basin early in the morning

We rounded the bend and took our time.   It turns out the tow that was in the lock was getting “groceries”.  As soon as they loaded up and moved out of the way, the 5 of us Pleasure crafts could go down.  Groceries??  We hadn’t heard that one before.  We did see the red crane move some items from the lock area to the tow.  We had to wait for the groceries to be loaded, unpacked, and stowed apparently.  It took the whole process more than the expected 30 minutes.

Tow now full of ‘groceries’ is on the right – we head in

Looking forward inside the Demopolis Lock

Demopolis Lock doors opening after we went down 40 feet

As I looked back, I saw this lone white heron on the back doors looking for breakfast within the door slats.  Cute.

Demopolis Dam – waterfall

Follow the blue line which is the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway from Demopolis to our anchorage for the night.  Definitely not a straight line!

Today’s trip – Demopolis to Bashi Creek

The numbers on the map below indicate potential anchorages.  #1 is the “overflow” anchorage if there isn’t room in the #2 Bashi creek itself.  The creek opening is large enough for several boats to be rafted together.  There was room for one or two boats that could go back into the creek 50 yards before the water got too shallow.  The farther away from the opening, the less wind and waves from passing tows affect you.

Bashi Creek Anchorage – Thomasville, AL

After we successfully rafted to fellow Loopers “Lorelie IV”, two tows came across the Bashi Creek opening.  One going north.  One tow going south.  We hadn’t experienced that before.  With both tows and their barges passing at the same time, they really would have made the #1 anchorage spot uncomfortable.  We were glad there was room for us 3 pleasure craft within the creek on the other side of the waterway.

Passing Tows and Lorelei IV crew in their dinghy

Bashi Creek has a boat ramp and park like setting right near Always Home.  Very nice.

Boat ramp at Bashi Creek

We spotted spanish moss on several trees near the anchorage.  We must be in the South!!

Lorelei IV and Always Home rafted together in the small creek opening.  Each of us put out a bow anchor.  In this way, no stern anchor was needed to keep us from swinging.  Pretty neat.  Thank you to the crew of Lorelei IV for this picture.

Lorelie IV and Always Home rafted together

Evening at Bashi Creek

Good morning!  It is cool this morning about 50°F with no fog.  We are planning a 54 mile day and 1 lock.  An easy day!  Right?  Demopolis Marina is our goal for tonight.

Daylight at Sumter Recreation Anchorage

Less than a mile away is the Heflin Lock.  One of the boaters in the cove called the lock master and he said…Come on!!  We all raised our anchor and went from our cozy anchorage back into the Tenn-Tom toward the lock in record time.  We even pulled the anchor and were on our way before I had time to make coffee.  Coffee will have to wait until after we get through the lock.

Approaching Heflin Lock

Looking back out of the Heflin Lock

There were 6 of us boaters in the lock.  Plenty of room for everyone to have their own floating bollard.  Great cloud coverage.

Looking forward in the Heflin Lock

Doors opening after going down 32 feet in the Heflin Lock

Remember when I mentioned the sirens when the lock doors close just before the water is released to allow our boats to float down in the lock?  I was able to get a picture of a sign of that particular warning.

Coffee and breakfast sandwich made.  A great morning to be on the rivers.

The “White Cliffs of Epes” are quite spectacular.  Chalk deposits that apparently happened during the late Cretaceous Period.  A stark change of scenery from brown soils and rocks.

White cliffs of Epes

More scrap metal!!  Where does this all come from?  Where is it going?

I waved enthusiastically at this tow driver.  I must have waved well enough that he tooted his horn!  I didn’t even have to flash him to get the toot!!  How exciting!!  Good times!

Early afternoon on the Tenn-Tom

We left the Tenn-Tombigbee waterway shortly after taking this picture and started the “Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway”.  Although many folks believe that Tenn-Tombigbee goes all the way to Mobile, Black Warrior River intersects and is the river we will be traveling.  We are at mile marker 217 which means we only have 217 miles to Mobile at ‘zero’.  Can you believe that?

We found our slip for the night at the Kingfisher Marina – Demopolis Yacht Basin.  Undercover and protected from the expected rain.  It was quite the golf cart ride from the sister marina (Kingfisher) to the courtesy car location (fuel dock) and back again.   We went to dinner with fellow Loopers “Penny Pinchin” via the marina’s courtesy car.

Demopolis Yacht Basin is the last marina until we reach Mobile.  It is also the last city.  We may have one more fuel stop at Bobby’s Fish Camp.  Good to know all this information as we venture southward.  Time to fuel up, get pumped out, and have fun in the city.

Good Morning, Loopers.  Did you spy any little eye balls peeking back at you during the night?  I was on the lookout.  No alligators in sight.  Thankfully.   We are planning on a 65 mile day with 2 locks.  Seems doable.  The first lock is right around the corner from the marina.  A call was made to the Lock Master and he told us pleasure craft to come right away at 7am.  We cast off lines, went carefully around the floating plants, and out into the river toward the lock.  It is nice of the Lock Master to let us through this early.

Stennis Lock looking northward toward Columbus Marina

In Stennis Lock – going down 30 feet

Leaving Stennis Lock – it does look like we went down 30 feet, doesn’t it?!

Then we hit a patch of fog!!  We were hard pressed to keep our eye on the boat ahead of us.  By now, there were 5 pleasure crafts all heading south. Where did this come from?

Fog at 8am

Around 8:30am, the fog lifted and we were cruising our normal 8knots.

This barge was interesting because the scrap metal was being taken off the barge and placed into trucks.  Up to now, we had seen lots of scrap metal moving along the water way up and down the rivers.  This is the first destination location we have seen.

Scrap Metal barge

We had to overtake this barge pushing what looked like coal southward.  The tow was really moving and we had to really gun the engines to over come the tow’s prop wash and the tow speed.

The boat ahead of us going around the southbound tow

See that prop wash!? Lots of turbulence

Randomly….

Telephone Booth  – and it isn’t the Tardis

It was late morning and we were making good time.  The last lock for the day is the Tom Bevill Lock.  We are going down 27 feet.  Seven pleasure crafts at this point approaching the lock.  Several Loopers and the rest locals going southward.

Approaching the Bevill Lock

The first thing Wayne noticed is the green scum on the water.  Is it scum?  Fallen leaves from the nearby trees?  OR a new kind of floating plant?  It looks interesting.

Floating green layer of something in the lock

Still uncertain what it was.  It did look like fallen leaves.  It is fall.  So, it would be logical to assume these are leaves… or very tiny plants.

As you may note, there is less fall color the farther south we go.  We think we have missed the peak season by moving south so fast.  We see a bit of the reds and oranges.

Scenery along the Tenn-Tom Waterway

Five of the boats stopped at the same anchorage.  There was already one boat in the small cove.  We rafted with our fellow Looper “Penny Pinchin” for the night.  The other boats found spots around the cove.  There was plenty of room for everyone.  It was a quiet night.

Sunset reflections at anchor in the Sumter Recreation Area

Sunset in Aliceville, AL

Good morning Water Plant Watchers!!

There is a story the local marina residents told me about the alligator seen a couple of days ago amongst the green floating plants.  Yep, they said.  It was only a small one.  A 4 footer. One of the boaters looked around his boat in the slip…no, I haven’t seen him today, tho.  Of course, at this stage in the conversation, I am not sure he is just pulling my leg or telling me the truth.  I am the new boater on Dock C and you never know what stories the residents dream up.  I looked around and saw green floating plants in almost every slip around the marina.  What does a 4 foot alligator look like floating in the river?

The marina uses this boat with a front scoop to push the floating plants out of the way of the fuel dock.  Occasionally, they push alligators away from the docks.  No kidding.

Alligators in Mississippi??  Really?  I found a brochure in the marina office that informs the visitor about “Alligator Awareness in Mississippi”.  Really?  The brochure states that in the 1960’s and 1970’s alligators were introduced into Mississippi to both repopulate some of the coastal areas as well as to control the beaver population along the rivers.  I guess alligators don’t like beavers because the beaver population didn’t change but the alligator population increased.  Ahhhh.  Every  time I walked around the docks I kept a look out.  Night and day.  Would I see a pair of eyes staring back at me in the dark?

The other warning for boaters is to not cruise through large clumps of floating plants.  The larger the clump, the more likely there is a log they have attached themselves to.  From our slip, I pushed away a rather large clump.  Yes, this clump had a log about 6 feet long and 6 inches diameter.  It would do damage to a propellor for sure!   Using my boat hook, I pushed away a number of clumps of plants throughout the day.  They just kept coming into the marina from the river.  The wind and current caught this clump and took it away from the docks into a swamp area.  whew!

We joined another Looper couple for dinner at a local restaurant.  Great times.  Great tales of times on the water.  We did get wind and cloudy skies.  Very little rain.  Clear skies are forecasted for tomorrow.  We got our rest.  I even had time to take a nap or two.  Time to rock and roll down river!!

Good Morning early risers!!  We got up early this morning for another long day down the rivers.  Today we are going to Columbus, MS.  59 miles and 4 locks.    We cruise in and out of Mississippi and Alabama as we go down the Tenn-Tom today.

Early Morning in Midway Marina

Stumps in the early morning light

Sunrise leaving Midway Marina

The first lock of the day is right around the corner from Midway.  The Dock Master recommended we call the Lock and verify when they would be able to allow a couple of ‘pleasure craft’ to go lock down.  If we go through the Fulton Lock easily, then we should have no problem with the rest of the locks today.  The Fulton Lock will call the other locks and let them know we are on our way.

Fulton Lock is open for us!!

Leaving the Fulton Lock – down 26 feet

Stumps after the Fulton Lock

Tow going North

The next lock is open and ready for us to enter and get ready to go down!  How exciting!  These floating bollards making locking a breeze.  Going down also makes an easy transit.

Entering Wilkins Lock – Down 25 feet

Leaving Wilkins Lock

The Amory Lock is filled and the doors open for us.  We have been blessed with great timing today.  Thanks to the Lock Masters!!

Approaching Amory Lock – 25 feet down

We come to the Aberdeen Lock a mere 14 miles southward .  It is also ready for us.  One of the interesting events that takes place when we go into these locks, the doors close and a siren sounds.  The siren tells us the lock doors are closed and should tell the whole community that the lock is being used.  The signs at the base of the lock indicate there may be turbulence when the lock is emptied.  A very good communication system.

Approaching the Aberdeen Lock – going down 28 feet

When the lock is lowered and the doors open, another horn is blown to let us boaters know  it is now safe to exit the lock.

Leaving the Aberdeen Lock

We see floating plants!  They are all sorts of clumps of floating plants that we need to steer around.  More on these plants later.

We arrived at Columbus Marina early evening for a couple of days after a 9 hour cruise day.  We are expecting a bit of weather tomorrow so we are planning on recuperating while here at Columbus.