Trip east to Laura's in RI

Laura and the view from her front window
View from Laura's front window

Our family, Ed and Neil back row, Linda, Laura, Brennan, Barbara. This was our Christmas celebration at Thanksgiving. Laura is off to Australia for a couple of weeks vacation.

Brennan and Neil playing with Bren's new Wii game.

Neil and Rio, have to be careful where you go with Rio, he looks so much like a deer.

Brennan

Dog River Marina, Mobile, AL

Things you meet in Mobile Bay

Pelican frenzy

Fishing boat returning from the gulf and feeding the pelicans

NCL cruise ship

Coming into Mobile Harbor from the Mobile River

Freedom a 125' yacht in front of the convention center, the one that was at
Bobby's Fish Camp

Stealth Military Watercraft

Town of Mobile

30 34.040N
88 05.480W

We arrived at the Marina after going through Mobile Harbor. We will be leaving the boat here in a few days and fly home from Jackson, MS to Providence, RI. Our daughter, Laura, lives about ten minutes from the airport and we will be spending most of our time with her. Our house is rented for a few months so we will only be able to go home for somethings we can't live without! We will pick up the boat on December 3 and then head east and south.

Big Bayou Canot Anchorage

Big Bayou Canot anchorage, starting to see fan palms.

We have not seen any gators but we have heard reports of them

Cypress along the banks of the river

Close up of the "Red-Neck Riveria"

This is called the "Red-Neck Riveria"

At 5:30 am we got a call from Freedom, the 125' yatch to get ready to leave Bobby's and head for the lock ahead of barge traffic. We were just leaving the lock when the sun came up.

30 52.023N

87 59.352W

Bobby's Fish Camp

While at Bobby's we met Lena, a sweet little girl who played Bocce ball with us and recited the alphabet with a cute Alabama accent!! She's in kindergarden.

Department of defense priority barge

Tim and Jan, Full Circle, getting ready to raft with us

Okay Catfish

We left Bashi Creek around six am and had only one lock to go through at Coffeeville. About two miles out we called the lock on the radio only to find that we had at least a two hour wait because of barge traffic. We pulled over at Bobby's at 9am and waited only to be called at 1pm. By that time it was too late for us to make any anchorage on the other side of the lock.

We were docked at the end and by night fall we had 3 forty foot boats and two rafted and a 125 foot with its stern tied to the dock and anchor in the river. They also tied it to trees all so that they could take their dog could walk and run!

31 45.862N

88 09.477W

Anchorage Bashi Creek

Just doing the log book
Sunset in Bashi Creek

The water was so calm that the reflection of the bank was perfect

Demopolis Dam at dawn

31 57.356N
88 04.279W
Another two hour delay for fog. The call came out from the lock master at Demopolis Lock that the fog was clearing and that there was a window of opportunity to get all the downbound pleasure boats through the lock. All five boats made there way to the lock.

Demopolis Yacht Basin, Black Warrior River

32 31.618 N
87 50.319W

The white cliffs at Epes, Alabama on the way to Demopolis, AL. We have now left the Tennessee - Tombigbee Waterway and the Black Warrior River has joined in. It will take us south to Mobile, about 217 miles downstream. We had our first rainfall in some time after we were securely tied up at the dock. From here to Mobile there is much wilderness and no marinas so we will spend a few nights at anchor in remote areas.

Sumter Rec. Area Anchorage, Gainsville, AL

32 52.397 N
88 10.973 W

This is the first white heron we've seen at the locks. Usually there's at least one great blue heron greeting us.

An example of an antebellum home on display at the lock.

This paddlewheel Snag boat was also on display. It was in use for many years along the Tombigbee Waterway clearing debris and dredging the river. Reminder - you can click on any picture to enlarge it and see the detail better.

You can't find a phone booth most places anymore but here, in the wilderness, there was one. Wonder if it still works?

Columbus Marina, Columbus, MS

Guard of the locks!

Bridge to nowhere
33 31.286N
88 28.894W

It was 37 degrees at 6:30 am but there was ice on the deck. The land is starting to flatten out, water hyacinth is more prevalent. Today we did 61 miles and four locks. We pulled into the marina as the sun was setting. Tomorrow we will spend seeing the sites in the Columbus area.

Midway Marina, Fulton, MS

At the marina
Just out the window of our boat at the marina

34 17.865N

88 25.204W

We are now starting down the Tennessee--Tombigbee Waterway. The landscape has changed a little. The colors in the trees have peeked here. Today we did 56 miles and three locks. The locks are easier to negotiate and the lock masters keep you informed of the traffic in the area. If they can, they will have the next lock waiting for you when you arrive. Of course, commercial traffic has priority.

Full Circle was at this marina with us. Captains meeting at 5 pm.

Grand Harbor, Counce, TN

Shiloh memorial to the Confederate soldiers

Church that existed during the battle of Shiloh

Inside Church

During our stay at Grand Harbor Marina we took their courtesy van for a trip to Shiloh National Park, Civil War battlefield in which 21,000 men were killed or wounded. We never realized so many men died in one battle during the Civil War.
34 59.456N

88 12.963W

Florence Marina, Florence, AL

Florence Marina where the marina restaurant has great catfish!

Along the way--textile mill

Ed's creative picture

White pelicans on the Tennessee River

34 47.206N

87 40.455W

It was a beautiful day but frustrating! We had two locks to go through and only 23 miles. We called the first lock at 6:30 am to find out that it would be three to three and a half hours before we could lock through. So we stayed at our beautiful anchorage in Joe Wheeler and waited. Well we finally were able to enter the lock around 10 am. We had a great ride through Wilson Lake and when we got near Wilson lock we called to find out that once again it would be at least three hours wait. Luckily we found an anchorage nearby and waited. We finally made it to the marina by 4pm!