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My first blog was Life at 6(kn). This blog covers my travels on my Hunter 33 sailboat through America's Great Loop in chronological order. I document my search for a boat to crossing my wake a little less than two years later. Download here
Monday, April 29, 2024
My two Blog Books
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Midway to Home
The forecast for day 17 (the last day) of the Down South Loop was 50% chance of rain starting mid afternoon. We have 3 locks and 58 miles to go to complete the loop. It should a nice trip. We loaded up in Robin's vehicle and left for Midway about 8:30.
As we approached the dock at Midway, Charlie wondered aloud, as to whether the Sirena 58 made it to Midway last night? I looked out at the channel heading out of Midway and saw a boat heading out and said, that looks like her heading out now.
We both had the same thought. Shoot....we got to get moving. The next lock is only 3 miles from Midway. We need to catch up with that boat, because lock operators do not like it when a recreational vessel (RV) shows up just minutes after he has locked through another RV. We practically jump out of Robin's vehicle before it even came to a full stop. Charlie gets on the boat and starts the engine. I free the lines and push us off. The owner of the marina tells us that a sailboat is also heading toward the Rankin Lock. We relax just a bit, we can surely catch a sailboat.
We catch both boats half-way to the lock, the sailboat Serendipity and the M/V Emma Elizabeth. I guess the Cienna 58 didn't make it. We heard a tow, the George Linzie (he must have stopped along the way since we last saw him), in Fulton Lock, heading up (toward Rankin Lock). We pushed just a little more. Hopefully we can get the process started before the tow gets to close, after all he was just starting to leave Fulton Lock (6 miles away).
Just as we reached the holding area for the Rankin Lock, we hear the George Linzie call up the Rankin Lock. We were relieved to hear the lock operator tell him, I'm going to get the RVs up and out of your way first.
All three of us, the Serendipity, Emma Elizabeth, and our pontoon lock through together. We will be locking through the next two locks as a group. The lock operators want the RVs to stick together and lock through this series of locks as a group. (It is 6 miles to Montgomery Lock and then another 12 miles to Whitten Lock). We will all be at sailboat speed, the slowest boat in the group, all the way. We make it through the Montgomery lock as a group without any issue.
The next Lock is the final Lock for us, the Jamie Whitten Lock. Once we clear this lock we are in the home stretch. Whitten Lock is a massive 78' lift. When we get there, we see a tow is entering the chamber. We find tree growing out of the rock wall and tie to it. We anxiously wait, hoping we don't hear the George Linzie on the radio.
We hear the horn signalling the tow he is clear to exit the lock. Next we hear the siren that is a signals of water being released from the chambers. We watch for the churning discharge water to start subsiding. That's the telltale sign that the lock doors will soon open. Once it does, we will untie from the tree and start moving toward the lock.
We hear the lock operator talking to a tow boat captain, but the captain is just informing him that he is working some barges about a half mile south of the lock. There is a large wood chip operation in this area. That was a relief, we were both concerned that the tow was coming to the lock and would boot us to third in line, remember the George Linzie was coming out of Fulton Lock as we started our day. We are still not sure the George Linzie's location.
We also hear the Sirena 58 calling Whitten Lock. The lock operator tells him if he hustles, he can put him through with the other boats waiting to go up. He says I am running 26 MPH, I'll be there shortly. Yep, he doesn't care about fuel. At that speed, I would guess he's is burning about 30 gallons an hour. The discharge water starts calm and we start making our way to the lock.
The Sirena 58 makes it to Whitten Lock and and the four of us wait for the doors to open. We called the Sirena 58 on the radio and offered to take the first pin in the lock and let them go around, since they are by far the faster boat. They decline our offer. I guess we will see another slow pass from them that is not done correctly. Maybe we can coach them through the correct way to execute a slow pass.
After we are all loaded in the lock chamber and the doors are closing, we hear the call from the George Linzie. The lock operator told him he had some RVs on the way up and he would turn the lock around as soon as they get out and be ready for them in about 30 minutes (maybe a bit of a fib).
This lock is so deep that noises echo inside the chamber. When the doors close, it's like a cheap horror movie, you hear the echo of the door closing and then an echo of the click (or clang) when the doors lock. Then the water starts swirling around like water boiling in a pot. Up we go....., top floor please. (The Whitten Lock is the third highest single lift lock east of the Rockies. The Wilson Lock on the Tennessee River is the highest at 94 feet.) We have 78' to go and this guy has turned the valves wide open. This elevator seems to be a lot faster than the other locks we have gone through. Maybe its bigger valves or maybe it's hydro dynamics, or maybe both. He is going for that 30 minute turn around.
We reach the top and the doors open to Bay Springs Lake. We are definitely in the home stretch, 38 miles to go. The Sirena 58 cuts out wide to make a wide pass around us. The lake is wide enough that he is probably a half mile from us as he overtakes us. By the time his wake reaches us, the waves are manageable. Zoom off he goes. He has probably slowed to 20 gallons an hour. One of the tow captains he passes complements the boat. He says: "It's nice but I bet you have a more comfortable bed in your tow boat than this thing has. I feel like I am sleeping in a dog's bed. You would think for 2.1 million, you could get a comfortable bed." So, I guess the fuel bill is of little concern for the owner. (BTW: We see him again, getting fuel at Auqa Yacht Harbor.)
We head on up Bay Springs Lake toward the Divide Cut. The Divide Cut is 29 miles of the remaining 38 miles. It is the canal that connects the Tennessee River at Pickwick Lake to the upper pool of the Whitten Lock and Tenn-Tom waterway. The Divide Cut is a rock lined canal with very few points of interest. Rarely do you see any wildlife. Even the eagles think this is a boring stretch and avoid it.
In 1976 the entire town of Holcut, MS was purchased by the US Army Corp of Engineers and then demolished in order to build the channel. The Divide Cut channel was one of the largest earth-moving projects in history. It took 10 years and cost of nearly $500 million to build. The canal is 280 feet wide with an average depth of 12 feet. A total of 150 million cubic yards of earth had to be removed, about 1.5 times as much as for the Suez Canal. The total Tenn-Tom project all the way to Demopolis was a larger project (required more earth moving) than the Panama Canal.
We droned our way through the Divide Cut. Not much to see. I guess to add a little excitement to this part of the trip, we ran out of gas in the Cut. But, it was intentional. We were trying to run all of the gas out of the auxiliary tank Charlie had installed for the trip. When we emerged on the other side of the Cut, to Pickwick Lake, I think we both felt a sense of accomplishment, relief, joy (I know I did). But, then we passed mile 450 and turned toward Auqa Yacht Harbor, we were smiling widely.
We did it. Yes, the Down South Loop can be done in a pontoon boat.
At 4:41 PM on the 17th day of the Down South Loop, we crossed our wake and completed the Loop. We have traveled 1,746 miles. We touched 9 states, (Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama). We had 3 weather days and 14 travel days. It was a great trip. Doing this Loop in a boat that we could land up on the sand bars at night was a good choice. If we had not been quarantining on the boat, I am sure we could talk about all the people we met along the way. Maybe next time.
Thank you Charlie, for having the crazy idea and inviting me to share in the adventure.
Now it is time for us both to go to our perspective homes and do the two-week quarantine.
Thanks to all of you who follow along through the blog, I really appreciate your emails. So long for now, until my next big adventure floats around.
As we approached the dock at Midway, Charlie wondered aloud, as to whether the Sirena 58 made it to Midway last night? I looked out at the channel heading out of Midway and saw a boat heading out and said, that looks like her heading out now.
We both had the same thought. Shoot....we got to get moving. The next lock is only 3 miles from Midway. We need to catch up with that boat, because lock operators do not like it when a recreational vessel (RV) shows up just minutes after he has locked through another RV. We practically jump out of Robin's vehicle before it even came to a full stop. Charlie gets on the boat and starts the engine. I free the lines and push us off. The owner of the marina tells us that a sailboat is also heading toward the Rankin Lock. We relax just a bit, we can surely catch a sailboat.
We catch both boats half-way to the lock, the sailboat Serendipity and the M/V Emma Elizabeth. I guess the Cienna 58 didn't make it. We heard a tow, the George Linzie (he must have stopped along the way since we last saw him), in Fulton Lock, heading up (toward Rankin Lock). We pushed just a little more. Hopefully we can get the process started before the tow gets to close, after all he was just starting to leave Fulton Lock (6 miles away).
Just as we reached the holding area for the Rankin Lock, we hear the George Linzie call up the Rankin Lock. We were relieved to hear the lock operator tell him, I'm going to get the RVs up and out of your way first.
All three of us, the Serendipity, Emma Elizabeth, and our pontoon lock through together. We will be locking through the next two locks as a group. The lock operators want the RVs to stick together and lock through this series of locks as a group. (It is 6 miles to Montgomery Lock and then another 12 miles to Whitten Lock). We will all be at sailboat speed, the slowest boat in the group, all the way. We make it through the Montgomery lock as a group without any issue.
The next Lock is the final Lock for us, the Jamie Whitten Lock. Once we clear this lock we are in the home stretch. Whitten Lock is a massive 78' lift. When we get there, we see a tow is entering the chamber. We find tree growing out of the rock wall and tie to it. We anxiously wait, hoping we don't hear the George Linzie on the radio.
We hear the horn signalling the tow he is clear to exit the lock. Next we hear the siren that is a signals of water being released from the chambers. We watch for the churning discharge water to start subsiding. That's the telltale sign that the lock doors will soon open. Once it does, we will untie from the tree and start moving toward the lock.
We hear the lock operator talking to a tow boat captain, but the captain is just informing him that he is working some barges about a half mile south of the lock. There is a large wood chip operation in this area. That was a relief, we were both concerned that the tow was coming to the lock and would boot us to third in line, remember the George Linzie was coming out of Fulton Lock as we started our day. We are still not sure the George Linzie's location.
We also hear the Sirena 58 calling Whitten Lock. The lock operator tells him if he hustles, he can put him through with the other boats waiting to go up. He says I am running 26 MPH, I'll be there shortly. Yep, he doesn't care about fuel. At that speed, I would guess he's is burning about 30 gallons an hour. The discharge water starts calm and we start making our way to the lock.
The Sirena 58 makes it to Whitten Lock and and the four of us wait for the doors to open. We called the Sirena 58 on the radio and offered to take the first pin in the lock and let them go around, since they are by far the faster boat. They decline our offer. I guess we will see another slow pass from them that is not done correctly. Maybe we can coach them through the correct way to execute a slow pass.
After we are all loaded in the lock chamber and the doors are closing, we hear the call from the George Linzie. The lock operator told him he had some RVs on the way up and he would turn the lock around as soon as they get out and be ready for them in about 30 minutes (maybe a bit of a fib).
This lock is so deep that noises echo inside the chamber. When the doors close, it's like a cheap horror movie, you hear the echo of the door closing and then an echo of the click (or clang) when the doors lock. Then the water starts swirling around like water boiling in a pot. Up we go....., top floor please. (The Whitten Lock is the third highest single lift lock east of the Rockies. The Wilson Lock on the Tennessee River is the highest at 94 feet.) We have 78' to go and this guy has turned the valves wide open. This elevator seems to be a lot faster than the other locks we have gone through. Maybe its bigger valves or maybe it's hydro dynamics, or maybe both. He is going for that 30 minute turn around.
We reach the top and the doors open to Bay Springs Lake. We are definitely in the home stretch, 38 miles to go. The Sirena 58 cuts out wide to make a wide pass around us. The lake is wide enough that he is probably a half mile from us as he overtakes us. By the time his wake reaches us, the waves are manageable. Zoom off he goes. He has probably slowed to 20 gallons an hour. One of the tow captains he passes complements the boat. He says: "It's nice but I bet you have a more comfortable bed in your tow boat than this thing has. I feel like I am sleeping in a dog's bed. You would think for 2.1 million, you could get a comfortable bed." So, I guess the fuel bill is of little concern for the owner. (BTW: We see him again, getting fuel at Auqa Yacht Harbor.)
We head on up Bay Springs Lake toward the Divide Cut. The Divide Cut is 29 miles of the remaining 38 miles. It is the canal that connects the Tennessee River at Pickwick Lake to the upper pool of the Whitten Lock and Tenn-Tom waterway. The Divide Cut is a rock lined canal with very few points of interest. Rarely do you see any wildlife. Even the eagles think this is a boring stretch and avoid it.
In 1976 the entire town of Holcut, MS was purchased by the US Army Corp of Engineers and then demolished in order to build the channel. The Divide Cut channel was one of the largest earth-moving projects in history. It took 10 years and cost of nearly $500 million to build. The canal is 280 feet wide with an average depth of 12 feet. A total of 150 million cubic yards of earth had to be removed, about 1.5 times as much as for the Suez Canal. The total Tenn-Tom project all the way to Demopolis was a larger project (required more earth moving) than the Panama Canal.
We droned our way through the Divide Cut. Not much to see. I guess to add a little excitement to this part of the trip, we ran out of gas in the Cut. But, it was intentional. We were trying to run all of the gas out of the auxiliary tank Charlie had installed for the trip. When we emerged on the other side of the Cut, to Pickwick Lake, I think we both felt a sense of accomplishment, relief, joy (I know I did). But, then we passed mile 450 and turned toward Auqa Yacht Harbor, we were smiling widely.
We did it. Yes, the Down South Loop can be done in a pontoon boat.
At 4:41 PM on the 17th day of the Down South Loop, we crossed our wake and completed the Loop. We have traveled 1,746 miles. We touched 9 states, (Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama). We had 3 weather days and 14 travel days. It was a great trip. Doing this Loop in a boat that we could land up on the sand bars at night was a good choice. If we had not been quarantining on the boat, I am sure we could talk about all the people we met along the way. Maybe next time.
Thank you Charlie, for having the crazy idea and inviting me to share in the adventure.
Now it is time for us both to go to our perspective homes and do the two-week quarantine.
Thanks to all of you who follow along through the blog, I really appreciate your emails. So long for now, until my next big adventure floats around.
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| A little fog as we start the day. You can barely see the sailboat ahead. |
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| S/V Serendipity |
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| An eagle or osprey nest on the lock stop light |
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| S/V Serendipity secure, waiting on the M/V Emma Elizabeth |
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| Nearing the top of Rankin Lock |
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| Montgomery Lock with Emma Elizabeth and Serendipity. Please step back the doors are closing. |
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| Just to think the water level on the other side of the door is near the yellow stripe on the door. That's a lot of pressure. |
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| The lock control tower. |
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| Whitten Lock. Look at the size of those doors. |
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| In case you couldn't tell how tall those doors are, here is a close up. |
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| An aerial view of the wood chip mill near Whitten Lock. (captured from google maps) |
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| Doors opening for us to enter Whitten Lock |
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| Sirena 58 has joined the party. Party of four to the top, please. |
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| It is a long way up |
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| The floating bollard pocket |
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| Here we go |
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| Oh look, a bridge on the Divide Cut Finally something to see other than rocks |
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| The Divide Cut is a rock lined canal. |
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| There is Auqa Yacht Harbor |
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| The odometer for the entire trip shows 1,746 miles. |
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Sumpter Recreation Area to Midway
On day 16 of the Down South Loop (a.k.a Quarantining on a Boat) we left Sumpter Recreation Area (Tenn-Tom mile 270) and headed north. Our first stop is the Tom Bevill Lock (mile 306.5). It's a cloudy morning, so it looks like the forecast may be right about the rain. Our goal is to reach Columbus Marina, which is just past the Stinnis Lock. Fingers crossed that the weather holds out.
Just as we approach the Tom Bevill Lock, we catch up to the tow boat Rosinton. Charlie called the Lock operator and ask about locking through with the Rosinton. He said if the tow captain was agreeable, he was okay with it. We radio the Rosinton and ask if we could lock through with him. He said he didn't have a red flag, but it was up to the lock operator. (A red flag means he has flammable or explosive materials in one of the barges, no other vessels may lock through with red flag barges.) We told him the lock was okay with it. We had a plan.
Once we reached the lock, the Rosinton loaded his barges into the lock chamber and tied off to the bollards. We go in the chamber next and tie to the middle pin beside the barges. The Rosinton then unhooks from the barges and ties to the side of the barges. The lock operator lifts us up and when the doors open we exit first. We are counting our blessings to get through this lock without having to wait on the tow to lock through first.
Wow, Lady Luck is definitely riding with us today. And then the rain begins. It's a gentle rain. If we both sit near the helm we are somewhat protected. With our average speed of 16 MPH, we thought the rain would be blowing back on us as soon as it started. So far we are damp, but not soaked.
The next lock, John C. Stennis, is 27 miles away. Along the way we overtook the George Linzie. We talk to him on the radio. We tell him we are trying to make Columbus before the worst of the rain hits. He says; good luck and then tells us to head on up. He will be slowing down soon to allow for a crew change at the lock. The lock can put us through before him. We were still an hour away from the lock. Charlie called the lock operator on the phones. There was no other traffic between the lock and us. He agreed to put us through first, I am sure he was listening to our radio conversation.
By the time we got to the Stennis Lock the rain was full on. The radar showed that some of the worst part was on top of us. The red cells were actually a little to the south of us. As promised the lock ready for us when we got there. As we entered the Lock the rain let up a little bit. We locked through in a light misting rain.
It was about 12:30 when we exited the lock. We agreed that we were as wet as we will likely get and it's not too bad. We decided that maybe it was possible to make the next four locks and get to Midway Marina (mile 394) before dark. Four locks, 60 miles. Let's see 16 MPH into 60 miles equal 3.75 hours. Figure a maximum of 45 minutes per lock, that's 3 hours. We should be able to make it in 6.75 hours. That's 12.5 plus 6.75 equal 19.25 (7:15 PM) at the latest, if all goes as planned, IF all goes as planned.
We carry on toward the next lock. About 6 miles before the Aberdeen Lock, we approach the tow boat, Captain Earl Devall (the one we saw at Demopolis loading groceries). Charlie calls him up on the radio. He tells us; yes, he is going through the lock. He has already notified the Aberdeen Lock and they are going to get him first. We know that commercial Vessels have priority in the locks. But, we hoping the the captain of the Captain Earl Devall would cut us a break since we were trying to make Midway Marina before dark. No sympathy from this guy. I guess we should have chatted them up in Demopolis, helped them bring down the groceries, something.
We press on, hoping against hope that we can reach the lock far enough ahead of him to get locked through. We know that if we get behind him at this lock, we will likely be stuck behind him for the next four locks. The next locks in this stretch of the Tenn-Tom are so close together it will be hard to get ahead of him by 45 minutes, between the locks (most lock operators want to have 45 minutes before commercial traffic arrives to lock through RVs ahead of them). If we can't get through this lock ahead of the Capt. Earl Devall, we would be stuck running his 7.5 MPH for the rest of the day, instead of our 16 MPH. Miles left to go divided by 7.5 MPH equal way past dark thirty.
No dice. We call up the lock 20 minutes out and he informs us that we will be behind the Captain Earl Devall. I guess lady luck jumped off at Columbus, she'd had enough of the rain. I guess she was melting.
We lock though after the Captain Earl Devall. We can see on the AIS that he is about 2.5 miles ahead of us when we exit the lock. Let's see 16 MPH vs his... wait he has slowed down to 6.75 MPH. Is he toying with us? Anyway we believe that if we pass him before he gets 9 miles up from Aberdeen, we think that leaves us 10 miles to put him behind us far enough ahead to maybe, just maybe, lock through ahead of him. The plan is working. Around mile 366, we catch him and begin to overtake him. Just after we pass him, we hear him call the lock and tell them he is 30 minutes out. WHAT. it's another 9 miles to the lock. It will take him well over an hour to get there. We round the next bend and, to my surprise, we see that the lock ahead, about 3 miles. Crap, the lock is at mile 371, not 376. Earlier when I looked at the notes, I looked at the wrong lock. The Glover Wilkins Lock is at 376. I hate it when that happens. Always check twice.
We press on, hoping against hope that we can reach the lock far enough ahead of him to get locked through. We know that if we get behind him at this lock, we will likely be stuck behind him for the next four locks. The next locks in this stretch of the Tenn-Tom are so close together it will be hard to get ahead of him by 45 minutes, between the locks (most lock operators want to have 45 minutes before commercial traffic arrives to lock through RVs ahead of them). If we can't get through this lock ahead of the Capt. Earl Devall, we would be stuck running his 7.5 MPH for the rest of the day, instead of our 16 MPH. Miles left to go divided by 7.5 MPH equal way past dark thirty.
No dice. We call up the lock 20 minutes out and he informs us that we will be behind the Captain Earl Devall. I guess lady luck jumped off at Columbus, she'd had enough of the rain. I guess she was melting.
We lock though after the Captain Earl Devall. We can see on the AIS that he is about 2.5 miles ahead of us when we exit the lock. Let's see 16 MPH vs his... wait he has slowed down to 6.75 MPH. Is he toying with us? Anyway we believe that if we pass him before he gets 9 miles up from Aberdeen, we think that leaves us 10 miles to put him behind us far enough ahead to maybe, just maybe, lock through ahead of him. The plan is working. Around mile 366, we catch him and begin to overtake him. Just after we pass him, we hear him call the lock and tell them he is 30 minutes out. WHAT. it's another 9 miles to the lock. It will take him well over an hour to get there. We round the next bend and, to my surprise, we see that the lock ahead, about 3 miles. Crap, the lock is at mile 371, not 376. Earlier when I looked at the notes, I looked at the wrong lock. The Glover Wilkins Lock is at 376. I hate it when that happens. Always check twice.
There is no way to pass the Capt. Earl Devall and put enough distance between us between Amory Lock and Glover Wilkins Lock, it's only 5 miles. Our last chance of the day will be between Wilkins and Fulton. So we settle in to a speed that will put us at the Wilkins Lock just as the Captain Earl Devall is being lifted. We weren't going to give him the satisfaction of passing him a third time just to wait at the lock.
At the Wilkins Lock we hear some good news. The Captain Earl Devall is making a crew change at the lock and the crew cannot figure out how to get there. On the radio, we heard the captain of the Captain Earl Devall tell the lock operator that his crew says they can see the lock, but can't get to it. The lock operator said I can give you the address and they can put it in their phone or a GPS. The captain says, I am not sure they are capable of doing that. He gave the captain the address anyway. We had a good chuckle.
After the Capt. Earl Devall was lifted, the lock operator instructs him to push out of the lock and tie to the long wall to wait on his crew. Sometime they hold the tow in the lock for the crew change. This stops the lock operations for the duration of the crew change. This could be our big break. We will start our lockage while the Capt. Earl waits on the wall. Score.......
By the time we get in the lock and lifted up the Capt. Earl Devall has left the wall, but is only about a half mile ahead. We are going to get him this time. If we can get to the Fulton Lock ahead of the tow, it will be around 7:30 (after sunset but before last light) when we start the locking process. Charlie said if we can just reach the lock before dark, he can make it the 2.5 miles to Midway in the dark.
Midway is only 45 minutes by car from Charlie's house. He called his wife (Robin) and ask her if she would be willing to pick us up at Midway. The thought of sleeping on the wet boat was more than either of us wanted to deal with, we were longing for dry bed. For the past several days, the air has been so moist at night, that when you wake in the morning the entire inside of the canopy over our cots has been dripping wet. Packing them away for the trip each day, just packs that moisture in there. Plus, it has been raining most of the day. As Charlie told his friend at Columbus, we have the horses pointed toward the barn and we can smell a home cooked meal in our future.
We passed the Capt. Earl Devall for the third time. This time we knew we had him, I think he knew it too. Now, if the lock operator at Fulton will help us out, we will be sleeping in warm beds tonight. We call the Fulton Lock about 45 minutes out. Charlie gives him the spill about trying to make Midway before dark. He says bring it on up here and I will have it ready for you. Bingo...
We heard the Sirena 58 talking to the Amory Lock as were on the way to the Fulton. They were also trying to make Midway. They still had three locks to go and now they would be dealing with the Capt. Earl Devall. Good Luck
Darkness was falling as we reached the lock. As an exclamation point on the day, lightening was flashing behind us. Lord, just let us get 3 more miles and then you can open the skies. Thankfully, it stayed south of us. I think we both quietly hoped the Capt. Earl Devall was in the middle of it.
We locked through and felt our way to Midway Marina in the dark. Robin, Charlie's wife, was there to greet us at Midway when we arrived. We unloaded some of the things we knew we would not need to the trip tomorrow and headed out before the rain started.
We had a great home cooked meal that night, a long shower and slept well in a warm bed.
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| Ready to depart Sumpter Recreation Area |
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| Along the river |
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| More beaches on river |
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| A small community of water front properties |
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| A fixed boat dock (rather than floating) tells me the water level doesn't change much in this stretch of the river. |
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| Nice Campground |
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| A tow approaching a bridge |
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| Rosinton getting ready to untie from the barges |
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| Cables holding the barges together |
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| Rosinton coming along side |
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| We are in this together |
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| The rain is starting |
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| We are in it |
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| Aberdeen Lock. The last of the peaceful lockages |
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| Ready for the doors to close |
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Bashi Creek to Sumpter Recreation Area
We awoke on Day 15 to find that the water level dropped over night, about 5 to 6 inches. This created a bit of an issue. We were now hard aground. We couldn't push the boat off the sand. We didn't have cell service, so we couldn't call Sea Tow. Hmmmmm Ok let's give it a try. I got on the back of the boat near the engine and Charlie started the engine put it in reverse. I was trying to bounce back and forth to get some movement, we were so hard aground there wasn't much movement. Finally the engine pushed enough water toward the front of the pontoons, I could feel a little movement. Finally, we broke free from the grasp of the little sandbar. It looked so friendly last night.
We finished breaking down camp (the cots on the boat) and headed north. The next lock was at Demopolis, AL, mile 213.5. We saw more tows on the river and a few deer along the bank on the way to Demopolis. The Sirena 58 overtook us again about 11:00.
We overtook a tow boat pushing 6 barges with about 15 miles to go to Demopolis. One barge was red flag barge, red flag indicated flammable/explosive material and no other vessels may lock through with a red flag barge. It is going to to be close trying to get there 45 minutes ahead of the tow boat. When we are about 30 minutes out, we call the lock to let them know we are on the way. He tells us that there is a tow coming up and he is going to lock them through first. We recall what the lock operators said at Coffeeville, he runs this show. So when we got there, we just landed the boat against the shore, behind the long wall of the lock, and waited.
As we were waiting, we heard the Sirena 58 on the radio talking to Demopolis Yacht Basin about getting fuel. The Yacht Basin is on the other side of the lock. Well good, they should be out of our way when we pull in to get fuel. We also heard the tow coming up make a pitch to the lock operator when he was about 30 minutes out to let us go through ahead of him. The lock operator said it wouldn't work out, the RV can go up after you. The lock operator runs the show.
We waited about an hour on the lock. We finally got through and up to Demopolis Yacht Basin for fuel about 2:50. The tow boat Captain Earl Duvall was at the fuel dock as well. They were loading groceries on the tow boat. They didn't seem to be a talkative bunch, even from a socially responsible distance. Maybe the Corona has them scared to even say hello. We got away from the fuel dock about 20 minutes later.
Charlie mentioned a possibility of getting to Sumpter Recreation Area, but that is at mile 270 (53 miles away with a lock in between). That is a noble goal. I identified a couple of alternatives, just in case.
The river current (or relative lack of current that is) is again our friend this afternoon. Just past Demopolis is the mouth of the Black Warrior River. We expected some reduction in current once we passed it. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the current was practically non existent past the Balck Warrior River. We picked up about 1 to 1.5 MPH. Whooo who we are flying now. Not near the 20 MPH on the Mississippi, but we are making good time.
Around mile 238, we saw some more wildlife, an alligator. And it looked like it was well fed. I was impressed that it made it through two locks to get this far up river. Charlie told me he had heard of them in Pickwick Lake. That's making it through all 12 locks. I guess some could have went by land, but that would be even more impressive. I read an article that stated " ..all 82 Mississippi counties have confirmed alligator sightings..".
Around 5:00 PM we start weighing our options for an overnight stay. The forecast calls for rain by 10:00 AM tomorrow. If we can make it up to the Howell Heflin Lock, we could be in position to go through the lock first thing in the morning. We would like to get to Columbus before the heavy rain starts tomorrow. Charlie called the lock operator. He told us that the anchorage below the dam may rock around us around a bit, since this is where the discharge flows. He suggested that we anchor above the lock. It was getting late. Sunset is 7:16 and last light would be 7:46, according to my Sunrise Time app. It would be 6:40 by the time we got to the lock. Even in the best scenario, we would get out of the lock probably around 7:00. Not much time to find a sandbar for the night. But, we went for it anyway.
We got out of the lock close to what we figured, it was around 7:10. We decided rather than search for a sand bar for the night, we would head 4 miles up to Sumpter Recreation Area, an anchorage that is familiar to both of us. As we approached Sumpter as the light was waning. According to the App, last light was 7:46, but on this cloudy night it was a little earlier. We arrived about 7:35, it was dark. The lights of the boat ramp helped guide us in. We tied to the wall near the boat ramp and celebrated a good day.
We finished breaking down camp (the cots on the boat) and headed north. The next lock was at Demopolis, AL, mile 213.5. We saw more tows on the river and a few deer along the bank on the way to Demopolis. The Sirena 58 overtook us again about 11:00.
We overtook a tow boat pushing 6 barges with about 15 miles to go to Demopolis. One barge was red flag barge, red flag indicated flammable/explosive material and no other vessels may lock through with a red flag barge. It is going to to be close trying to get there 45 minutes ahead of the tow boat. When we are about 30 minutes out, we call the lock to let them know we are on the way. He tells us that there is a tow coming up and he is going to lock them through first. We recall what the lock operators said at Coffeeville, he runs this show. So when we got there, we just landed the boat against the shore, behind the long wall of the lock, and waited.
As we were waiting, we heard the Sirena 58 on the radio talking to Demopolis Yacht Basin about getting fuel. The Yacht Basin is on the other side of the lock. Well good, they should be out of our way when we pull in to get fuel. We also heard the tow coming up make a pitch to the lock operator when he was about 30 minutes out to let us go through ahead of him. The lock operator said it wouldn't work out, the RV can go up after you. The lock operator runs the show.
We waited about an hour on the lock. We finally got through and up to Demopolis Yacht Basin for fuel about 2:50. The tow boat Captain Earl Duvall was at the fuel dock as well. They were loading groceries on the tow boat. They didn't seem to be a talkative bunch, even from a socially responsible distance. Maybe the Corona has them scared to even say hello. We got away from the fuel dock about 20 minutes later.
Charlie mentioned a possibility of getting to Sumpter Recreation Area, but that is at mile 270 (53 miles away with a lock in between). That is a noble goal. I identified a couple of alternatives, just in case.
The river current (or relative lack of current that is) is again our friend this afternoon. Just past Demopolis is the mouth of the Black Warrior River. We expected some reduction in current once we passed it. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the current was practically non existent past the Balck Warrior River. We picked up about 1 to 1.5 MPH. Whooo who we are flying now. Not near the 20 MPH on the Mississippi, but we are making good time.
Around mile 238, we saw some more wildlife, an alligator. And it looked like it was well fed. I was impressed that it made it through two locks to get this far up river. Charlie told me he had heard of them in Pickwick Lake. That's making it through all 12 locks. I guess some could have went by land, but that would be even more impressive. I read an article that stated " ..all 82 Mississippi counties have confirmed alligator sightings..".
Around 5:00 PM we start weighing our options for an overnight stay. The forecast calls for rain by 10:00 AM tomorrow. If we can make it up to the Howell Heflin Lock, we could be in position to go through the lock first thing in the morning. We would like to get to Columbus before the heavy rain starts tomorrow. Charlie called the lock operator. He told us that the anchorage below the dam may rock around us around a bit, since this is where the discharge flows. He suggested that we anchor above the lock. It was getting late. Sunset is 7:16 and last light would be 7:46, according to my Sunrise Time app. It would be 6:40 by the time we got to the lock. Even in the best scenario, we would get out of the lock probably around 7:00. Not much time to find a sandbar for the night. But, we went for it anyway.
We got out of the lock close to what we figured, it was around 7:10. We decided rather than search for a sand bar for the night, we would head 4 miles up to Sumpter Recreation Area, an anchorage that is familiar to both of us. As we approached Sumpter as the light was waning. According to the App, last light was 7:46, but on this cloudy night it was a little earlier. We arrived about 7:35, it was dark. The lights of the boat ramp helped guide us in. We tied to the wall near the boat ramp and celebrated a good day.
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| Lots of sand beaches |
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| Oops, This pipe appears to be broken and just pumping water into the air |
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| Rounded the corner and there it is. |
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| Welcome to Demopolis |
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| The cliffs of Demopolis |
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| Alligator, yikes |
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| He wanted to come greet us, but we didn't have time |
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| Locking through at Demopolis |
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| River lodge |
 |
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| When we arrived to Sumpter Recreation Area, it was dark. |
Friday, April 24, 2020
Tombigbee I-65 Bridge to Bashi Creek
After our night in the shadow of the Dolly Parton Bridge (I-65), we were looking forward to traveling north. The weather forecast is showing rain in a couple of days, so we hope to make good use of the next two days.
As we proceed north we begin to see familiar land marks. Around mile 30, we pass the Barry Steam/Power Plant. Mile 48, we pass a steel mill. Directly in front of the mill, barges full of ore or coal were being unloaded. Just a quarter mile up the river, on the north side of the steel mill property we see two large piles of what looked like scrap steel, a large crane and a couple of barges. I didn't think it unusual until I saw that they were loading the scrap steel into the barges. I saw a truck come in a dump some steel into the pile and a crane loading the barge. I would have liked to have hung around to see if they just move the barges down to the Mill dock and unload them. Things that make you go, hmmm.
As we move on toward Coffeeville Lock we pass several tows going down. We have AIS (Automated Identification System) so we can see them coming on the screen. We overtake a couple of tows on the way as well. Around 1:00 in the afternoon, we are overtaken by a Sirena 58, a 58' recreation vessel (RV). We agreed it was probably a delivery, because he was definitely burning through some fuel at the speed he was going, plus it didn't have a name or home port on the stern of the boat. (According to the Sirena web site this boat has two Volvo 900 HP engines.) But probably a new delivery captain, because he did not know how to do a slow pass.
PSA: A slow pass is the polite way for a faster boat to pass a slower boat. In order to execute a slow pass and loose a minimal amount of time, the two boats should be no more than two boat lengths apart. As soon as the fast boat is even with the back of the slower boat, both boats pull the throttle back to idle speed. The momentum of the faster boat will cause it to pass the slower boat with minimal wake. If the boats are close together (side by side), the slow boat can duck in right behind the fast boat, riding over one wave, and then both can continue on. If the two boats are far apart the slow boat has to wallow through several waves and it takes much longer for both boats. A someone who did the loop in a sailboat, you really appreciate the ones who know how to do this (I was overtaken a lot). Okay I'll get off my soap box.
Around 2:30 we overtook the tow Megan Parker. Charlie got on the radio and asked the captain when he will be arriving at the Coffeeville Lock. He reported he would be there about 1700 (5:00 PM). We have to arrive at the lock by 4:15 to get locked through before the Megan Parker. Otherwise we have to wait, because commercial traffic has priority. Most locks can lock through small craft and "turn the lock around" (either draining it or filling it) in about 45 minutes.
We are pretty sure we can make it. We have 27 miles to go to the lock and we are traveling about 16 MPH. As long as the current doesn't get stronger as we get closer to the lock. The river narrows as we closer to the lock, so that could be a factor. The race is on.
The current is our friend today (or relative lack of current that is). Our progress was just as we had expected to make the lock by 4:15, maybe even 4:10. About 3:50, Charlie calls the lock on the phone to let them know we are on the way and would like to lock through. The lock master says he has one in the chamber now going down and then he has a couple of RVs (Recreational Vessels) to lock up after that. If we push it up a little, he will lock us through with them. Charlie says to him; I don't want to get those other boats mad at us for holding them up. He says; They'll be OK, I run this show. So, we push the throttle up just a bit. We still have to be mindful of fuel burn since it will be over 230 miles between fuel stops.
We make it to the Coffeeville Lock and what do we find, the Sirena 58 is one of the boats waiting to lock through. All that fuel wasted. The boat "It's Okay II" was also in the lock. We found out on the radio that they were both going to Bobby's Fish Camp to stay the night. Bobby's is a rickety dock where you are charged $1.50 per foot for dockage. You might also have someone rafted to you (your boat is tied to the dock and another boat ties up to your side). These people have to cross your boat to get onto the dock and they still have to pay $1.50 per foot. We had already decided that we weren't staying at Bobby's. We might have considered it, if the restaurant was serving catfish to-go. Bobby's is know for it's catfish dinners and I have enjoyed dinner there a couple of times. But, it's really the atmosphere of having dinner with other boaters that makes it a special place. I am not sure that to-go catfish would have been worth the stop. We bid farewell to It's Okay II and the Sirena 58 and continued on toward Bashi Creek at Mile 145.
We found a great sandbar across from Bashi Creek. We beached the boat and set up camp for the night.
Sometime I forget how sound travels across the water. I got off the boat to look around. I hear a turkey somewhere up the bank. Thinking about our conversation early where we discussed that we hadn't seen much wildlife along the river banks, I said to Charlie, there is a turkey up there. From across the river, I hear someone say: Are you going to get that turkey? I said: Not unless it tries to get on the boat in the middle of the night. We have supper and settle in for a quiet night.
As we proceed north we begin to see familiar land marks. Around mile 30, we pass the Barry Steam/Power Plant. Mile 48, we pass a steel mill. Directly in front of the mill, barges full of ore or coal were being unloaded. Just a quarter mile up the river, on the north side of the steel mill property we see two large piles of what looked like scrap steel, a large crane and a couple of barges. I didn't think it unusual until I saw that they were loading the scrap steel into the barges. I saw a truck come in a dump some steel into the pile and a crane loading the barge. I would have liked to have hung around to see if they just move the barges down to the Mill dock and unload them. Things that make you go, hmmm.
As we move on toward Coffeeville Lock we pass several tows going down. We have AIS (Automated Identification System) so we can see them coming on the screen. We overtake a couple of tows on the way as well. Around 1:00 in the afternoon, we are overtaken by a Sirena 58, a 58' recreation vessel (RV). We agreed it was probably a delivery, because he was definitely burning through some fuel at the speed he was going, plus it didn't have a name or home port on the stern of the boat. (According to the Sirena web site this boat has two Volvo 900 HP engines.) But probably a new delivery captain, because he did not know how to do a slow pass.
PSA: A slow pass is the polite way for a faster boat to pass a slower boat. In order to execute a slow pass and loose a minimal amount of time, the two boats should be no more than two boat lengths apart. As soon as the fast boat is even with the back of the slower boat, both boats pull the throttle back to idle speed. The momentum of the faster boat will cause it to pass the slower boat with minimal wake. If the boats are close together (side by side), the slow boat can duck in right behind the fast boat, riding over one wave, and then both can continue on. If the two boats are far apart the slow boat has to wallow through several waves and it takes much longer for both boats. A someone who did the loop in a sailboat, you really appreciate the ones who know how to do this (I was overtaken a lot). Okay I'll get off my soap box.
Around 2:30 we overtook the tow Megan Parker. Charlie got on the radio and asked the captain when he will be arriving at the Coffeeville Lock. He reported he would be there about 1700 (5:00 PM). We have to arrive at the lock by 4:15 to get locked through before the Megan Parker. Otherwise we have to wait, because commercial traffic has priority. Most locks can lock through small craft and "turn the lock around" (either draining it or filling it) in about 45 minutes.
We are pretty sure we can make it. We have 27 miles to go to the lock and we are traveling about 16 MPH. As long as the current doesn't get stronger as we get closer to the lock. The river narrows as we closer to the lock, so that could be a factor. The race is on.
The current is our friend today (or relative lack of current that is). Our progress was just as we had expected to make the lock by 4:15, maybe even 4:10. About 3:50, Charlie calls the lock on the phone to let them know we are on the way and would like to lock through. The lock master says he has one in the chamber now going down and then he has a couple of RVs (Recreational Vessels) to lock up after that. If we push it up a little, he will lock us through with them. Charlie says to him; I don't want to get those other boats mad at us for holding them up. He says; They'll be OK, I run this show. So, we push the throttle up just a bit. We still have to be mindful of fuel burn since it will be over 230 miles between fuel stops.
We make it to the Coffeeville Lock and what do we find, the Sirena 58 is one of the boats waiting to lock through. All that fuel wasted. The boat "It's Okay II" was also in the lock. We found out on the radio that they were both going to Bobby's Fish Camp to stay the night. Bobby's is a rickety dock where you are charged $1.50 per foot for dockage. You might also have someone rafted to you (your boat is tied to the dock and another boat ties up to your side). These people have to cross your boat to get onto the dock and they still have to pay $1.50 per foot. We had already decided that we weren't staying at Bobby's. We might have considered it, if the restaurant was serving catfish to-go. Bobby's is know for it's catfish dinners and I have enjoyed dinner there a couple of times. But, it's really the atmosphere of having dinner with other boaters that makes it a special place. I am not sure that to-go catfish would have been worth the stop. We bid farewell to It's Okay II and the Sirena 58 and continued on toward Bashi Creek at Mile 145.
We found a great sandbar across from Bashi Creek. We beached the boat and set up camp for the night.
Sometime I forget how sound travels across the water. I got off the boat to look around. I hear a turkey somewhere up the bank. Thinking about our conversation early where we discussed that we hadn't seen much wildlife along the river banks, I said to Charlie, there is a turkey up there. From across the river, I hear someone say: Are you going to get that turkey? I said: Not unless it tries to get on the boat in the middle of the night. We have supper and settle in for a quiet night.
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| The Barry Steam /Power Plant |
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| Steel Mill Barge Facility |
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| Harvesting Sand |
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| A tow coming at us |
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| See you later Sirena 58 |
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| Lots of sand beaches |
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| Locking through with It's Okay II and Sirena 58 |
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| Sirena 58 stopping at Bobby's |
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| Maybe the Megan Parker |
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