Thursday Oct. 31

60 miles    Bobby's Fish Camp mm#116 to Tombigbee mm #52.8, AL.

We got our start today at 0815 at went through our last lock till next spring. Yeehaa!!! That was number 64 since leaving Lake Michigan.

 

The tows and barges are increasing again since we are getting closer to Mobile Bay. Today we passed 4 of them. It seemed like every time we came upon one to pass, the river got narrower and curvier.  

We had some very nice scenery traveling today and even saw a little color in the trees.

 

 

 Check out the sand dune. It's not Sleeping Bear but it does remind us of home.

 

 

 This sand is teasing us because we know we still have several days to a

week before we get to any beaches. But we are getting closer every day.

 

 

At 1530 we pulled into an anchorage that had a lot of protection from the wind because a storm is predicted tonight.

Wednesday Oct. 30

55 miles  Tombigbee mm#173 to Bobby's Fish Camp mm#116, AL.

We left our anchorage at 0745 looking forward to our next adventure. Life on the river you never know what is coming next.

Who needs a water park when you can have this slide in your backyard.

 

 

 This little guy stuck his head out to say Hi.

 

 This rattlesnake swam across the river right in front of us.

 

 

Our stop for the night (at 1400) was a marina called Bobby’s Fish Camp.

This is the marina office/restaurant.

 

 We shared the dock with a 65 foot Marquis and a 70 foot Neptunus. Both boats are from Chicago.

Monday Oct. 28

0 miles   

We spend the day at Demopolis marina doing some cleaning, wash, and socializing. Friends Jim and Sharon Angel were there getting their boat ready to leave it for the winter. There were also several other Looper boats staying at the marina.

Demopolis Yacht Basin AL

 

 The first time Priorities has been under cover.

 

 

Tuesday Oct. 29

42 miles    Demopolis to Tombigbee mm#173, AL.

We got an early start at 0715 to get through the nearby lock before the barge traffic got started. There was some light fog but the day turned out to be a nice 70 degrees and sunny.

 

This lock was the first lock that instead of a dam there is a waterfall. It’s pretty but you better make sure you stay on the right side of the river to get to the lock.

 

We started to see a lot of sand along the banks today. Some places you could see where it has eroded with flood waters.

 

 

 

  

 

We traveled with just one boat today and anchored with them also. There are not very many choices to pick from for anchoring from here to Mobile Bay. The one we selected used to be used by barges to come in for a paper mill. The paper mill is no longer there so we didn’t have to worry about any barges coming in. It’s  very narrow so we pulled in dropped anchor then Summer Recess came in, turned around, set an anchor and backed up to us. We then tied aft to aft to stop our swing.

 

 Left over from where barges tied to.

 

 

 

Sunday Oct. 27 

60 miles    Tenn-Tom mm#277 to Demopolis, AL.

We left our anchorage at 0800 to a beautiful sunny 70 degree day. I know we are headed in the right direction (south) because we started seeing Spanish moss and mistletoe in the trees.

 

Some scenery along the way.

 

We met up with Jonathon aboard Salty, a 22 foot CDory.  He is a 39 year old from Florida and is cruising by himself doing the Loop. He decided to take a year off work to do this cruise.

 

We passed some very scenic bluffs today called “The White Cliffs of Epes”. This cliff is about a mile long and 30 feet above water and made up of white chalk. Very impressive!

 

 

Just before stopping for the night at Demopolis marina, AL we got off the Tenn-Tom waterway and now will be cruising on the Tombigbee / Black Warrior River till we get to Mobile Bay. We pulled into the marina, topped off our fuel, then tied up in a slip.

 

We shared the fuel dock with a tow. They put in 1500 gallons.

I'm glad I didn't have to pay that bill! 

Saturday Oct. 26 

58 miles    Columbus, MS. to Tenn-Tom mm#277, AL.

Our morning started out a little foggy but it burned off quickly. We pulled out of the Columbus marina at 0900 with 3 other boats and pulled into the 1^st lock of the day.

 

During the ride down the river today we saw 2 very unique things.

 

Right next to the second lock we went through there is the Bevill Visitor Center and the US Snagboat Montgomery. The Montgomery at 108 feet long was the last steam powered sternwheeler to ply the inland waterways of the south. For nearly 6 decades , the Montgomery labored to keep seven of the South’s major rivers navigable. She was built in 1926 in Charleston, SC and retired in 1982.

 

 

 

 

 

  We left the state of Mississippi behind and now are cruising through the state of Alabama. The scenery also changed along the way. We are now seeing more clay banks and grasses by the water.

 

 

We pulled off the Tenn-Tom to anchor in a little side river at 1645.