Dec. 9 – Dec. 23

Saunders Yachtworks, AL

Our 2 week stay is looking like it could turn into a month stay. The manager here told us today not to expect the window till Jan. 6. I guess Santa is too busy making toys to take time out to get our window made. At least we are warm (average temps have been 60-70 degrees) and mostly dry, if you don’t count the rainstorms that have been coming through the last few days.

We rented a car for several days so we could do some sightseeing. One day was spent in Pensacola touring the Naval Museum and lighthouse, another day we went to a beach on the Gulf, drove to Fort Morgan, and even spent 4 hours walking thru a Tanger Outlet mall.

 

Vindicator SB2U. This plane was pulled out of Lake MI in 1990.

Pilots were taught how to take off and land on ships on Lake MI during WWII.

 

 Pensacola Lighthouse

View of Pensacola Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

 

 Oil rig in Mobile Bay.

Merry Christmas to all and a safe and Happy New Year!

Dec. 8, 2015

Fairhope AL. to Saunders Yachtworks AL.    31 miles

We pulled out of Fairhope @ 8:30 in the morning to flat water on Mobile Bay and a clear blue sky. After traveling 25 miles we left the Bay and entered the ICW (intra coastal waterway). The last 6 miles we traveled through a canal style river past houses, condos, & restaurants. One of the restaurants was LuLu’s, which is owned by Jimmy Buffets sister.

Sunset over Mobile Bay.

 

 Shrimp boat on the Bay.

 

  LuLu's

 

We pulled into Saunders @ noon with our buddy boat Time Out. Back in Columbus one of our windows had been shattered so we needed to stop here to get it replaced. Our stay could last up to 2 weeks depending on how fast they can get the new window.

 

Priorities & Time Out.

 

Saunders Boat Works.

Thank goodness it's not us (this time) on the hard.

Shattered window. (the only thing holding the glass together is the tinted film)

Dec. 4 – Dec. 6, 2015

Demopolis AL. to Fairhope AL.
 

We left Demopolis @ 6:30 am with frost on the boat and a light fog on top of the water.

Looking from Demopolis lock to the dam.

 

As the day wore on the temp. warmed up to the mid 50’s. We cruised 3 days, traveling 233 miles, stopping 2 nights to anchor out before going through Mobile and entering Mobile Bay.

Stack of trees waiting for the chipper near a paper mill.

 

 Waiting for a tow to get around the curve so we could pass him.

 

 Mobile AL.

 

Once in the Bay we headed to the eastern shore to the town of Fairhope.

Eastern Shore marina, Fairhope AL.

 

  Looking out to Mobile Bay.

 

Wed. Dec. 2 – Thurs Dec. 3, 2015  

Columbus MS. to Demopolis AL. 

 

We are on the move again after a 7 month hiatus in Columbus.

Our first day back on the water was quite eventful. We started out with an hour delay because of a tow to get into our first lock.  About 2 hours into the cruise our AIS stopped working. AIS is a tool that lets us know the Tows/barges whereabouts and their names. Cruising in the rivers you meet and pass several tows every day and we need this information to call them on the radio to find out which side to pass them on. Thankfully we were traveling with 3 other boats and they had working AIS. Randy no sooner had the AIS up and working and our Port engine decided to over heat. We turned it off but could keep running with just the Starboard engine while he went to locate the problem. The first thing he checked was the strainers because there were a lot of plants floating on the water and it is easy to suck those up. Sure enough all he needed to do was clean out the strainers and than took a vacuum to blow out (back flush) the hoses, and we could turn that engine back on.

Stennis lock with floating Hyacinth plants.

 

The rest of that day went a lot better. Even the next lock was ready for us with no waiting for a tow. After traveling 65 miles we pulled into our anchorage for the night at Sumpter Recreation Area MM# #269.9 on the TennTom waterway.

Traveling along the river.

 

Sumpter Recreation Area anchorage.

 

 

Our second day on the water we started out @ 0630, had only 1 lock to go through and had an uneventful day cruising. The sky was cloudy and the temperature dipped to 32 degrees, but as the day wore on the sun came out and the temps. reached 55 degrees. We reached Demopolis AL. by 1230, fueled up and took a slip for the night.

White Cliffs of Epps.

 

 One of the couples we are traveling with. (Rolfe & Harriet)

 

 2 other couples we are traveling with. (Dick, Pat, Paula, & Jim)

 

May 4 - Dec. 2, 2015 Columbus, MS

Our plan to spend the summer in MS lengthened into the fall. During our stay here we took 2 road trips and 1 plane ride back to MI. The first road trip lasted 6 weeks so we could watch a grandson graduate high school and caught up with all of our family and friends. The second trip was to watch a son getting married. The plane ride was only Sherri going back to check on her Dad and get some more hugs from kids and grandkids.

During our stay in MS we got a lot of work done on the boat. Sherri redid the Teak in the back salon and wing doors and after 8 coats of Epifane (a marine varnish) it almost looks like new. Randy took care of waxing the bottom half of the hull and we both worked on the top half. The canvas was taken down, cleaned with a mold repellant, and then sprayed with a water repellant to keep us nice and dry. All the stainless steel from the hardware to the railing was polished to a nice shine. The whole boat inside and out got a through cleaning. We had taken the dingy off the boat and it sat in the water during our stay here. Boy did we have a surprise when we pulled it back up on the boat. Needless to say it got a good cleaning too.

Wing doors before refinishing.

Finished project.

Dinghy bottom after sitting in the water for a couple of months.

 

The marina offers a courtesy car so it was easy for us to get to town for groceries or to do some sightseeing.

Columbus marina.

 

Gas dock by marina office.

 

 Some of the smaller covered slips.

 

 Armadillo

 

 Views around the marina.

 

 Lock and Dam near the marina.

 

 Huge park attached to the lock.

 

 

 

Also during this time Randy worked in the marina office 4 afternoons a week answering calls on the phone and radio, and helping people dock their boats.

Randy and T (marina manager) sitting in the office "working".

 

 Jimmy (one of the marina employees).

The weather in June, July, and Aug. was HOT!!! The temps. averaged around 100 degrees with very high humidity. We made sure to drink a lot of water when ever we did anything outdoors. The temps. in Sept. and Oct. where very nice. Some days got into the 90’s but the average stayed in the 80’s and the humidity was way down. In Nov. the nights got a little cooler with temps. dipping into the 40’s, with the day temps. getting up into the 60-70’s. 

Now it’s time to move south. We say goodbye to Mississippi and head the boat to Florida for the winter.