Finally, We Reach the Gulf of Mexico

As the rendezvous concluded, we traveled back down the Tennessee River to the Tenn-Thom River and Aqua Marine where we reconnected with Panda Bear.  We had several other loopers traveling with us as well including Tom and Jane Frawley on Elizabear with their dog Gus.  Tom and Jane were next to us at the marina during the rendezvous.  Along the way, we revisited Florence, AL where we restocked groceries.  While transferring the groceries from the infamous courtesy van to the boat, it started to rain.  A black gentleman had been fishing near our boat.  After picking up his fishing gear and putting it into his very nice truck, he came and offered to help load our groceries.  I was so surprised.  He wanted nothing other than to help us in the rain.  In the mean time, the rains quit, the groceries were transferred and Marv went to return the van.  As he did, I started visiting with this man.  He told me a lot about growing up in the area full of music history.  I spotted some people in white robes not far away on the river beach.  I was alarmed.  I asked him about the problems with the racism in the area.  After me being a bumbling fool for several minutes, he realized I thought these people were KKK.  They were a religious group doing a baptism in the river.  He assured me that they never had trouble with the Klan in this area.  I was greatly relieved.  In my ignorance, I was ready to leave port immediately.

Early Morning Departure from Aqua Marine
 

We had chosen Aqua Marine over Grand Marina, because we read in their advertising that they had a dog walk area.  Upon arrival, we found that it was even worse than the Grand.  We got to hike a hill to walk Sadie. Oh, well!  Exercise is good.  On October 20, we began our trip south again.  We always pulled out early in the mornings.  Usually, we had plenty of time, but early departure gave us extra time to take care of issues that might arise as we traveled, and early arrival always allowed us time to give the dogs dinghy rides to shore, visit with the local fishermen and campers, and hike in the parks alongside the rivers.  Traveling with Elizabear was great.  Their dog, Gus, is a golden doodle, and he is Sadie's new best friend.  The two of them run up and down the docks or in the parks as we share happy hour.  However, now we are in snake and gator country, so their will be more controlled play time.

Sadie's Pal, Gus, while anchored out on the Black Warrior River
 

During the last week of October, we traveled down the Tenn-Thom waterway through Alabama.  We anchored out often and stayed in Marina's as well.  One stay was the Columbus Marina.  As we pulled in, there were water hyacinths everywhere.  We weren't sure we were in the right channel as we headed to the marina.  The laundry facility was far away, and there wasn't a town nearby, but the rest was peaceful.  Our next stop was Pirate's Cove Marina in Pickensville, Alabama.  As we reached this marina, I realized that I needed to be appreciative of clean marinas even if I did have a long walk to the laundromat.  Because of the heavy rains from Hurricane Patricia, which hit the west coast of Mexico, we stayed put for several days, like it or not.  I think that anchoring out might have been a nicer option, but with tornadoes in other parts of Alabama, we didn't want to take chances.  Now when Marv mentioned this marina he mildly coated the real picture.  The floating docks were so tipped and sinking that they were difficult to walk on.  Both Marv and our friend Larry slipped and fell on the slimy docks in the rain.  There was an old boat sitting down in the water with two huge hoses pumping water out each side of the boat.  The laundry room had a cat door.  When you opened the door, their was no litter box and the room wreaked of cat urine and their was mouse or rat pooh all over the washer and dryer.  The courtesy car was another story.  The driver had to put his/her seat belt through the door handle to keep the door from falling open as we went around the corners, the rest of the car was in dire need of cleaning, and my legs stuck to the front of the seat, but we chuckled our way through and went off to see the sights.  They had six big dogs, one was part wolf, and they all itched and scratched until their hair was falling out.  Unfortunately, we missed docktails because of the rain, but Marv assured us that the docks would probably sink with all of us sitting out there.  I was sure that the only thing missing in this place was once again, banjo music.  A week after we were at Pirate's Cove, our friends pulled on American Pie, went there for a pump out.  The pump bladder blew up and shot everything everywhere.  Since the gas dock was a mess, they hosed it off into the bay.  I guess that is one more reassurance that I will not swim in the river water here.  As we traveled on, we giggled our way down the river.

Beautiful
Farmland Along the Tenn-Thom Waterway

In late October and early November while waiting for the rains and floods to subside, we stayed for four days at Kingfisher Bay Marina near Demopolis AL.  The marina was beautiful with top rate amenities.  The laundry/shower facility had four washers and dryers and rocking chairs so you could watch a large flat screen tv while doing laundry.  Although the pool wasn't heated, the walking and dog play areas were very nice.  With Panda Bear, we took the courtesy car to town for lunch and shopping.  We stopped in a quaint little café where the owner identified us a loopers and sat and visited with us while we ate.  What a delightful place.  Each day with the rain, we went to town.  Once in the courtesy car, and once in the local bus.  We were the only ones aboard the bus, so the lady driver gave us a tour of the area.  She was really sweet.  On the third day, we ladies had enough of Walmart shopping, so the guys took the marina managers car to town to restock liquor, donuts and chips.  Oh, my!  Story says the car was filthy, and their was a roach in the ashtray.  Be careful what you ask for and/or borrow.  Let me share though, that it has to be really boring for three adult men to go to Walmart three days in a row.  On the final afternoon, Elizabear had Panda Bear and Marv and I over for a game party and the discussion of our travel plans for the next day.  The marina had a Halloween party for us.  I dressed as Phyllis Dillar and Larry and Flora dressed as a native chief and a jungle cat.  Not everyone dressed, but we had a delightful time.  The party was on the marina patio with BYOD and snacks.  What a fun group.

Each marina stay has had it's own quaint story and adventure.  We have a lot of fun, but we are always ready for the next curve in our adventure.

Peace and Quiet of River Life with Panda Bear

When we arose on November 3 at 4:30 to travel on, but by 6:30 we were still waiting for the fog to lift.  During the next part of our travels down the Tenn-Thom and the Black Warrior Rivers, the marinas were far between.  We anchored out often.  In most places we had boat ramps where we could take the dinghy to shore and let Sadie walk.  However, in one location, we had to beat the ground with boat paddles to make sure there were no snakes when the dogs went to shore.  In that location, there were 15 of us traveling together and 10 of us had dogs.

Long Days with Little to See as We Traveled the Black Warrior Waterway

Panda Bear as We Passed the White Cliffs of Epes

I had no expectations for reaching Mobile and the Gulf.  After traveling many miles and many days, there were often times when we only saw an occasional house or business.  Barge traffic was frequent and daily.  Their were times on the extreme winding of the Black Warrior when we could see a tow coming through the trees and around the next bend.  The sights were beautiful, but I didn't realize how much I missed being around cities and people until we came into Mobile.  As we got closer to the city the river straightened out, the water traffic picked up and suddenly there we were...the light at the end of the tunnel.  As we traveled through the city of Mobile, there were international cargo ships, Navy ships, tows, and barges everywhere.  Of course, I was still waving at any vessel we passed when all of a sudden I heard over a loudspeaker, "Yep, the pigeons have left, and the snowbirds have landed,"  It was exciting to see the city activity, hear the unidentified voice, and know we had landmarks to see.  Even though we were in the city, we still had several miles of rough water travel through Mobile Bay to reach our destination marina.  It was quite a lift to reach this point in our adventure.  We have now traveled under at least 154 bridges and through 25 locks.  The locks are a lot of work and seem to be far more than 25.  Each one was quite memorable in its own accord.  We are now a little more than 1/3 of the way through our journey.

Tennesee-Tombigbee Waterway and The Black Warrior Waterway

Beginning of Tenn-Tom

On the Morning of October 20th the Sadie Too left Aqua Yacht Harbor Marina to begin our trip down the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway, more commonly called the Tenn-Tom. Most people in the United States have never heard of the Tenn-Tom. This was actually the largest public works project ever in the U.S. More dirt was moved in the construction of this waterway than in the construction of the Panama Canal. With this waterway and system of locks being only 31 years old, the Locks were in much better condition than those we had previously traveled through. This waterway connects the Tennessee River at Pickwick Lake with the Tombigbee River and to the Black Warrior River at Demopolis, Alabama.

Upper Tenn-Tom, Leaves just beginning to turn

Southern Railroad Fixed Bridge

We spent the night of October the 20th anchored at Cotton Springs. This was a nice anchorage near a boat ramp and park where it was easy to take Sadie ashore in the dingy. This anchorage was located just above the James Whitten lock and Dam. This made it handy to be locked through first thing the morning.

Connie, Marv, and Sadie

 

Sadie Too at Cotton Springs

James Whitten Lock

James Whitten Lock Doors Opening
 

On the morning of October 21st we passed through the James Whitten Lock.  Also the same day we passed through the Montgomery Lock, John Rankin Lock, the Fulton Lock and the Glover Wilkins Lock. I believe this was the most locks that we pasted through in and one day.



In the Lock

Connie tending Lines at Bollard in the Lock

Elizabear at Montgomery Lock

Montgomery Dam

     We spent the night of the 21st at anchor near Amory, Mississippi, immediately above Amory Lock and Dam. This anchorage was near a recreation area with a small park and courtesy dock. Boat ramps and courtesy docks are a great place to take Sadie ashore in the dinghy since we are now in Alligator country and there is good visibility at boat ramps and parks to watch for gators and also snakes.

Connie setting Anchor Trip Line

Sadie Too at Anchor above Amory Lock and Dam

Sadie Too in the Lock

Tenn-Tom below John Rankin Lock

Looking back at John Rankin Lock

The second and third boats behind us are Panda Bear and Elizabear, two of the boats that we traveled with regularly.
     On the morning of October the 22nd we passed thru the Amory Lock. Shortly below the Amory Lock we ran across our first of only a few cabins along this waterway. Later in the day we passed


Houses below Amory Lock

through the Aberdeen Lock on our way to Columbus Marina in Columbus, Mississippi.  This afternoon we saw the first white heron which is a sign we are getting closer to the Gulf of Mexico. Along this stretch of river we passed the dredge Kelly L with all of its equipment as it was moving to a new location.

Passing the Dredge Kelly L.

White Heron above Columbus, MS

Approaching Columbus Marina

We spent the nights of October 22nd and 23rd at Columbus Marina. Columbus Mississippi  was definitely not a tourist destination but was a nice example of a typical small southern town. We were able to get to a Walmart and stock up on supplies.
     On the morning of the 24th we passed through the John C. Stennis Lock on our way to Pirate's Marina Cove at Pickinsville, Alabama. We stayed here for 3 nights to avoid traveling through 3 days of heavy rain. Traveling on rainy days is not to bad unless you have to pass thru locks since you need to be outside handling lines, sometimes for as long as an hour.
     Our decision to stay at Pirate's Cove turn out to be a poor one. The dock were really not safe to walk on and there was nothing in Pickensville other than a crossroads. The next town about 10 miles away was Aliceville which was very sad in that it has not recovered from the recession. Most of the stores in the downtown area were boarded up. There was a museum in tribute to a world war II prisoner of war camp where the U.S. held captured German Officers. This museum was only open 2 days a week and not the days we were there.
     At the Tom Bevil Visitors Center located next to the Tom Bevil Lock there was an old stern wheel Snag Boat the Montgomery which was used by the Army Corp of Engineers to pull snags from the waterways and rivers in the Southern U.S. It was retired in 1982.

Snag Boat Montgomery



Snag Boat Montgomery



Snag Boat Montgomery

     On the morning of October 27 we departed Pickensville and passed through the Tom Bevil Lock and spent the night at the Sumter Recreation Area. It was a very nice well protected anchorage and had a very nice state park with a boat ramp. Since it was the off season we were able to let Sadie loose to Run.
      The following morning we passed through the Howell Heflin Lock on our way to Demopolis, Alabama. Today we passed the White Cliffs of Epes. Due to a very dark an dreary day the pictures do not do justice to the beauty of these cliffs.

Approaching the White Cliffs of Epes
 

The White Cliffs of Epes

The White Cliffs of Epes

Sadie Too at White Cliffs of Epes

    
     We spent October 28th thru November 2nd at Kingfisher Bay Marina in Demopolis, Alabama. This was a nearly new marina with very nice facilities. Demopolis marked the end of the Tennesee-Tombigbee Waterway. At this point the Black Warrior River runs into the Tombigbee River. When we leave Demopolis bound for Mobile, we will be on the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway which begins approximately 215 miles upstream in Montgomery, Alabama and runs all the way to Mobile. There were lots of fellow loopers here as well as several boats being moved to points south for the winter. Everyone is waiting here for November 1st as most yacht insurance policies have a clause that you can not be below the 32nd parallel between June 1st and November 1st, Hurricane Season. We also sat out some pretty good storms in which a tornado did extensive damage in Birmingham to the East.
      While in Demopolis we were able to stock up on supplies and perform some routine maintenance such as and oil change, etc. On Halloween the Marina put on a very nice party. The pictures that I took of the party were lost when my phone went overboard at a later date. We could have left Demopolis on November 1st but there were so many boats leaving that morning that we were afraid there may not be room for so many boats in some of the anchorages downstream.
     On the morning of November 2nd we began our trip down the Black Warrior-Tombigbee waterway with 15 other boats. Due to the recent heavy rains there was a very large amount of water spilling over the Demopolis Dam as well as lots of debris in the water to look out for.



Looking back at the Demopolis Lock and Dam

Caravan of Boat headed South below Demopolis Lock

      This morning we saw and eagle either drinking or fishing along the side of the river.



Eagle on Tombigbee River

Eagle Drinking on Tombigbee River

     On the night of November 3rd we spent the night at Bashi Creek. This is a small creek that is well protect and stays deep several hundred yards upstream. I believe there was 10 to 12 boats in this narrow creek that night. It had a boat ramp and we were anchor about 50 feet from it so taking Sadie ashore was very easy.

Anchorage at Bashi Creek

      On the morning of November 4th we left Bashi Creek and passed thru the Coffeeville Lock which was our last lock on the river system and from here to Mobile we would be in tidewater.

Coffeeville Lock

Inside Coffeeville Lock

Sadie Too Entering Lock

Sadie Too Leaving Lock

    The night of November the 4th was spent at Anchor at the Old Lock 1 cut off. Old Lock 1 is the remnants of a lock that dates back to the civil war. We took the dinghy over to the lock and I took some pictures with my phone but they were lost along with my phone. Once again we had a boat ramp and a small park for exercising Sadie. Our small armada had by this point shrunk to 8.

Entrance in Old Lock 1

Old lock 1 Anchorage

Taking Sadie to Shore

   On the morning of November 5 we set out for what would be our last day on the Tombigbee River. Toward the end of this day we would come to where the Alabama River and the Tombigbee River meet to form the Mobile River.
     As we get closer to the Mobile area we are meeting and overtaking more and more tows (Tugboat and Barges).

Sadie Too passing a Tow

     The night of November 5th was spent anchored up the Tensas River Cut-off. This was a great place to anchor  for those without dogs. Several of us however did have dogs who were anxiously waiting to go ashore. The shore was all wooded and marshes, with no open space to go ashore. So the our solution to going ashore somewhat safely was to beat the underbrush with sticks and boat hooks to scare the snakes and gators away. No one saw a snake or gator and there were no problems
     On the morning of November 6th we began our last day of travel on the river systems. No more locks and no more anchorages in the woods. All we had to contend with now was lot of commercial river traffic. It seemed like we were passing tows all day long one after another.

Tug and Barge just north of Mobile

     The anticipation to getting to Mobile bay was not something that I had really thought much about but once we got to within a few miles a real feeling of accomplishment began to set in.

Nearing Mobile Alabama

     Once in Mobile we had not just tug and barge traffic to contend with but freighters also, lot of them.

Ship in Mobile Alabama

     We got a close up look at the newest naval fighting ship which sure is different than when I was in the Navy. They are actually a Tri-Hull.

Littoral Combat Ship at Austral shipyard Mobile Alabama

Littoral Combat ship at Austral Shipyard Mobile Alabama

Downtown Mobile, Alabama

Container Ship in Mobile Bay

     Well we did it! We made it from Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico by way of the inland rivers. What an awesome feeling.
     We have talked with many people who have either completed the loop or who on the last portion of the loop, and most say the river system is the worst part of the trip. I can not say that any part of our journey was unpleasant so apparently we must really have some great experiences ahead of us.
     10 miles down Mobile Bay and we will pull into Dog River Marina for some R & R and a little bit of sightseeing.