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.

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.