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.