Mobile AL to Panama City FL

Oct. 30 – Nov. 5

While at Turner marine we had some friends (Tom & Heidi) drive down from MI. to join us for several days. The winds picked up so we had to stay at Turner marine for 3 days. Since we were stuck because of weather we took off one day and drove to Fairhope AL.

Turner Marine

 

Happy Hour - Tom, Randy, Sherri, Jim M., Jim A., Sharon, Mimi.

 

Fresh shrimp.

 

Fairhope AL 

 

 

 Over 4,000 cycles rode for charity through Fairhope.

 

Once the winds slowed down we said goodbye to Jim & Mimi (they were flying home to Canada) and took off with Jim & Sharon (Blue Angle) across Mobile bay and entered the ICW (Intercoastal waterway) heading east.

We anchored one night in a nice quiet anchorage near Pirates Cove Bar and Grill (great burgers)! The next night we anchored near Ft. McRee, which is by Pensacola FL. This anchorage had only a narrow strip of land between it and the Gulf of Mexico. We took the dinghy, went to shore, and walked the beach looking for shells. While there we saw a half a dozen dolphins playing in the surf.

Pirates Cove Bar & Grill. We took a narrow channel past the grill and anchored for the night.

 

 Ft. McRee anchorage.

Gulf of Mexico shoreline.

 

Drs. Randy & Tom working on one of the toilets which broke down.

(Yes they got it fixed)

 

 

Our next stop was Fort Walton to a free dock. Here Tom & Heidi’s vacation ended. It was time for them to go back to MI. We only stayed one night then moved on to Panama City FL. Jim & Sharon have friends here we are going to visit. Since this will be the last place we can use a car we will stock up on non perishable items that we will use once we get to the Bahamas later this winter. Everything is more expensive on the Islands.

Cruising along the ICW with just a narrow strip of land between us and the Gulf of Mexico.

 

 Fort Walton with Tom & Heidi.

 

 The "Grand Canyon" of Florida. A manmade canal, 200' wide and 20 miles long.

 

Near the east end of the "Canyon". 

 

 Leaving the "Canyon" and entering West Bay just west of Panama City, FL.

 

 Panama City Marina.

 

Demopolis AL to Mobile AL

Oct. 25 – Oct. 29

We finished our journey on the TennTom waterway and joined the Black Warrior River which will take us to the top of Mobile Bay AL. During this section we went through our last lock, (YeeHa!!) & anchored out for 4 nights as we continued south. We are still traveling with 2 other boats (Perfect Balance & Blue Angel).

 

 Turkey Buzzards waiting for us at the last lock.

 

 

This is our GPS showing how curvy the river is in this section. 

 

The first night we stopped and anchored right on the river tucked in real close to shore by a big bend. After anchoring we called the first tow that came by and told him that we were staying here for the night and asked him to pass that info on to any other tows he passed. There was only one other tow that came by so it was a peaceful evening. The other 3 nights we pulled off the river into narrow lakes with the current just strong enough in each one to keep the boats from swinging. There are no towns (thus no lights) near these anchorages so the stars look as if you could reach out and touch them.

Anchoring on the river.

 

To get to this anchorage we had to go 2/3 of a mile thru a very narrow channel.

 

 

A couple of mornings we had fog, but only one day was it so thick that it delayed our start by 2 hours.

 

 

The water is starting to turn brackish (which means salt water mixing in with fresh water) so we are in gator country now.

 

Oct. 29 we said goodbye to the river system and hello to Mobile Bay AL. (Also said goodbye to fresh water and hello to salt water). We travelled 12 miles down the bay and pulled into Turner Marine were we will stay for a couple of days.

Mobile AL.

 

 Shrimp boat on Mobile Bay.

 

Bay Springs MS. to Demopolis AL

Oct. 19 – Oct. 24

We left our quiet scenic anchorage to a beautiful sunny day and traveled 9 ½ hours, 57 miles through 5 locks with a combined total drop in elevation of 224 feet. Whew! Our intentions were to tie up to a free dock that night in Aberdeen but there was a BBQ/Bluegrass festival going on and the dock was full so we pulled into a marina across the river instead. Once we were tied up there was a gentleman there that offered us a ride (by pontoon boat) and took us to the festival. What a great time. There were several venders selling BBQed everything and several bands playing music.

 

 One of the locks we had to tie up with a tow and barges as we locked through.

 

 The channel to a marina in Aberdeen MS.

 

 BBQ/Bluegrass Festival.

 

From there we stopped in Columbus MS where we met up with some friends from Spring Lake (Steve & Sheli – MV Pura Vita) & our Canadian friends (Jim & Mimi - MV Perfect Balance).

"Riverwalk" A 4 mile pathway near downtown Columbus along the waterway.

 

We left Columbus and headed south to anchor for one night by the Tom Bevill lock. There is a visitor center there where you can tour the US Snagboat Montgomery. This snagboat was built in 1926, is 108 feet long, and was the last steam-powered sternwheeler to ply the inland waterways of the south. For nearly six decades, the Montgomery labored to keep seven of the South’s rivers navigable. The visitor center offers a small dock were we could put our dinghy, but once there we found out the visitor center was closed that day. But all was not lost. The lock was right next door and the lock master let us in and gave us a tour of the inside of the control building. Now, that was not only interesting but fun. Sherri even got to push the buttons on the control panel to close the lock gates.

US Montgomery.

 

 Tom Bevill Lock.

 

Our next night was another anchorage and then on to Columbus AL. There we met up with some more friends from MI, (Jim & Sharon – MV Blue Angel) who we will be traveling with south to FL & Bahamas. While at Columbus we got to tour one of the tugs that we have been passing while on the rivers.

 

 Spanish moss.

 

 White cliffs of Epes. (white chalk)

 

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

 

 The tug boat Earl Devall.

 

 One of the engines.

 

 The galley.

 

 The bridge.