Days 151 & 152 - Ingram's Bayou, AL & Palafox Pier, Pensacola, FL

On Thanksgiving morning, we headed southeast in Mobile Bay, then turned into the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) our wake behind us frothy with bubbles from the saltwater. Our change in environment is, as Laura put it, "like waking up from a coma." It's refreshing to see blue water, white sand beaches, high rise condos and other signs of habitation.

The waterways are shallow, so we have to carefully follow the marked channels, but we managed not to go aground.

We dropped the anchor early, about 12:30, at Ingram's Bayou. A bayou is a swampy area of a lake or river, I've learned. It was windy and we swung on the anchor at first, but by sunset the winds died, and we had a still. but cold (32 degrees) night.

Friday found us on the ICW again. Bob is happy to be able to punch coordinates into the GPS and have the autopilot guide the boat. That was virtually impossible in the snaking rivers.

We heard from a boat ahead, "There are dolphins at my stern." I ran forward with the camera. There was a pod of them swimming and jumping. Bob yelled, "Look down!" I tried to assure him that I saw the dolphins, but he insisted, "Look here!" and pointed over the bow. I saw another group of frolicking dolphins under the water leading Osprey like a team of parade marshalls. You can see it on the video attached to today's blog.

We took a slip at Palafox Pier Yacht Club in Pensacola, FL. There's a park next to the marina with a statue commemorating the expedition of Tristan de Luna y Arellano who came to Pensacola with 1500 people and established a settlement in 1559.

The park is a popular place for bold pelicans to hang out. Some just sit around, but there was one who strutted among the human pedestrians posing for pictures and hoping for handouts. With his huge beak he tried to steal the flapping fish that a woman removed from her fishing line. When she threw it to him, children giggled and clapped to see the big pouch shoot out under the pelican's bill as he swallowed.

We are near enough to the downtown area that we walked to The Dog House for a hot dog lunch.

Bob and Richard (From the Laura Lee) will be visiting Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum tomorrow while Laura and I bicycle around town to see what shopping is available. Then Sunday we'll leave for Destin.

Day 150 - Thanksgiving @ Mobile, AL

Happy Thanksgiving from us to you!

We're celebrating on Wednesday with a dinner hosted by the wonderful people at Turner's Marina in Mobile, AL. They made deep fried turkeys with all the trimmings, and the boaters supplied pot luck dishes. It was interesting to see that people from all over the country enjoy the same traditions, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, pecan pie, etc. No one left hungry!

Day 146 - 149 Mobile, AL

We are now embarking on a new leg of our journey. Salt water, sandy beaches, warm weather (I hope!) await.

Saturday morning Big Lizard Creek tried to devour Laura Lee's anchor, but with an assist from the windlass Captain Richard prevailed. There was no fog so we were underway by 6:20, heading for Mobile Bay.

En route we phoned our insurance company to request that our insurance coverage be changed to salt water. They were happy to do so and to triple our premium.

Each part of our journey has its highlights, but we were ready for a change and we found it as the skyline rose in front of us in Mobile. Vessels of every sort filled the port. Some that caught our eyes were: a stealthy, futuristic experimental Naval ship; a red-hulled boat from Hong Kong with wide, heavy steel trusswork that looked like it would capsize the ship if a wave hit; the Carnival cruise ship Fantasy; and an enormous container ship filled with train cars.

And then . . . open water! A horizon! Oh my gosh, what's that? Waves! Osprey was rolling happily in the rhythm she was built for in the the channel through shallow Mobile Bay. We passed a fishing boat that pelicans seemed to think was a fast food restaurant.

We turned and followed the narrow, winding channel into Dog River on the Bay's west side and tied Osprey to the dock at Turner Marina with long lines to accommodate the 2' tide. When we checked in at the office, we added our names to the long list of participants in Wednesday's Thanksgiving dinner. The marina is providing fried turkeys. Boater are bringing dishes to pass.

Connected again to cyberspace, I checked the Looper updates. Each day there's a weather report and recommendations for crossing the Gulf. Tom Conrad, who provides these reports included the following note:
Many of you have asked me for the sources of weather information I use when preparing for another daily weather musing. . . . I have another "secret" source that is particularly valuable on cold or rainy days like today. Let me share it with you. We have a 5' tall Great Blue Heron who considers our dock as his home. When I look out the window and see that the Heron is standing on one leg with the other tucked under him, it is cold outside. If the one legged Heron is listing about 10 degrees, the wind is blowing. If the Heron is listing around 30 degrees, the wind is blowing hard. If the Heron keeps falling over, he either found my rum stash or it is a very gusty wind.
All we have to do is adopt a heron, and we can forecast our own weather!


Sunday was laundry day. Apparently everyone had the same idea. At 7:00 a.m., I was 3rd in line.
We had a pleasant afternoon with our friend, Captain Sam, a former Looper, who came down to the marina to visit and offer advise from his experience.

Monday Laura and I supervised, Bob helped and Richard fretted as Laura Lee had her mast stepped. She had her mast removed in Chicago and shipped here so she could fit under the bridges on the rivers. She's now a in her glory as a sailboat once again.

Now, it's Tuesday, and there are at long last blue patches in the sky. Hurray!

Day 144 - 145 Lock 1 Cut-Off, near Jackson and Big Lizard Creek, AL

Thursday -
We planned a long day today. We’d blast out of this lovely little creek as soon as the sun rose (6:15 ish) and get lots of miles behind us by sundown. The fog had other plans for us. It blocked our vision like a cement wall. So we not-so-patiently waited. Around 9:00 the fog decided to lift and dissolved within minutes. By 9:10 I was flipping the mud off the anchor with a spatula (The wash-down hose had no pressure. The intake must have been blocked.), and Bob was turning the boat back into the Tombigbee River.

Today was a bit warmer than yesterday, and the sun was shining.

With our late start, we could only make one of the two anchorages we’d selected, so we turned into the cut-off at Mile 100. We were warned that sometimes there’s no water here. Or it can drop overnight and trap a boat until the water level rises again. We made our way into the cut. The banks stretched away and we anchored in a small lake in 14 feet of water. Thanks to Ida, we’re still experiencing flood waters. It was a beautiful setting. There's an abandoned lock here that we toured buy dinghy and a park where we took Riley to run.

We grilled sausages and cooked zucchini and potatoes in foil packages like my mom used to do in our family camping days. Boat food always tastes good!

It was another cold night, but this time the generator cooperated and we could heat the boat and watch half of King Kong before going to bed.

Friday -

Another fog this morning. We could not see the shore or Rhumba Line, the sailboat that was anchored about 100 feet behind us. We were able to leave by 7:30, but the fog threw blinders on us again after about 10 miles, and we idled until it cleared. But the fog wasn’t finished with us yet! A third time we circled in a cloud, as 3 other boats joined us. One of the captains warned that there was a power plant ahead with the potential for barge traffic. We also got word that the train bridge ahead had been down for repairs the day before. Laura Lee called and it was reported back in service. By the time the fog lifted, of course, a train came and the bridge was lowered. But only for a few minutes. Then we were back on our way.

Big Bayou Canot was our destination, but it was 4:20 and it would be dark shortly, so we slid into Little lizard Creek. The current made anchoring a challenge, but Captain Bob rose to it, and after several tries and muffled blasts of 4-letter words, we were secure with bow and stern anchor. It was an eerie place with no banks. The water just went on into the dark spaces under the trees whose hanging branches loomed over us. Bumps in the night - logs hitting the hull? - awoke us several times.

Day 141—143 Demopolis, Bashee Creek, AL

We had several first sightings today:

(1) There was Spanish moss hanging like icing garlands from the trees;
(2) a palm tree—or maybe it was a shrub on the riverbank; and
(3) not one but two wide-mouthed, pointy-toothed alligators.
All symbols of our distance from home, from Michigan. The alligators were plastic and chained to the rails outside the restaurant at Demopolis, but still . . .

The Demopolis arrival was another unique experience. We called ahead and were told there were no slips but we could tie up at the fuel dock after it closed at 5:30. We arrived at 4:00 and were told we could not come into the marina until 5:30. When asked for suggestions, we were told to wait outside the marina or anchor nearby, which we did. After the sun set we were allowed to enter and tie up at the gas dock with assurance that we’d be assigned a slip in the morning. We rose early in the morning, and waited for instructions. At 9:00 we were told we’d have to leave, there was no room. At that point it was too late for slow boats like Osprey and Laura Lee to reach a safe anchorage before dark, so the captains insisted that we be harbored there. Places were found for us after some discussion. We’d hoped to shower and do laundry, but the lines at the shower and the cockroaches running everywhere convinced us to keep all linens and clothing (except what we were wearing) on the boat.

The marina was crowded with Loopers who’d been waiting for the floods and debris to abate before proceeding, and Wednesday looked optimal to 10 to 15 of the boats. We all agreed that is too many to fit in the lock and fill the few anchorages within a day’s travel. A schedule of departures was worked out, and Osprey left in the first flotilla at sunrise. When some boats that hadn't been in the marina at Demopolis filed in, we filled every bollard on the lock’s walls. There was a party atmosphere inside as we waited for all ten boats to be secure.

After the lock, the boats divided into groups according to speed and we proceeded, along the curves and bends of the Tombigbee River watching the browning trees and the greenish-brown water go by for 8 1/2 hours while the temperature edged up to the low 50 degrees. From time to time we’d hear a captain on the radio warning of debris. Our favorite was, “Osprey, Osprey, Osprey, this is Destrier. Watch for the monster off my starboard quarter.”

As our anchorage, Bashee Creek, approached, we crossed our fingers and did a good-luck dance hoping that it had enough water and that there would be room for us. Otherwise, we’d be spending an anxious night on the side of the river wondering if the passing tows would see us. We nosed into the narrow creek and thankfully found it deserted and deep. We set bow and stern anchors to keep both ends from resting on the bank.

Richard and his grandson, Thomas, from the Laura Lee dinghied over and offered to take Riley ashore. He plunged over the rail into their dink. He came back thickly covered with dark, goopy mud up to his belly. As he and I unhappily endured the hose-down that ensued, we watched two sailboats arrive. One had a little poodle aboard that eagerly plopped overboard as the crew anchored. He swam to the bank, took care of his business, and swam back to the boat rinsing off the mud as he paddled through the water. We have to teach Riley to do that!

That night the X%/&!! generator was on strike again and we had to enlist every blanket on board to keep warm, but we were safe and secure.

Days 147 Aliceville, AL

Ah, moving again after almost 2 weeks in Columbus!

The post-flood currents on the Tenn-Tom Waterway have a little extra hustle to push us along, so we're making good time over the bottom even with our slow speed through the water. We have to vigilantly watch for "Tennessee Torpedoes" (otherwise known as floating debris.) We add miles to each day's run as we slalom around branches and tree trunks floating menacingly in our path, ready to take a bite out of Osprey's hull.

Our first lock on Sunday was Stennis. There were already 4 boats secured when our party of 3, Laura Lee, Blue Horizon, and Osprey, entered. Riley watched from the doorway, knowing he cannot come on deck in a lock. As we dropped, Bob said he felt like the last soap suds floating on the descending surface of the dishwater when the drain plug is pulled.

An egret flew off in a huff when we drew up to the wall under his perch in the Bevill lock.

Around us the water hyacinths floated like large bouquets between the logs while we waited for the last boat to pull in.

We traveled 7 1/2 hours today for a total of 47 miles (and 2 locks). We passed the beautiful White Cliffs at Epes, and watched the scores of vultures in trees and electrical towers waiting for their carrion dinner. We heard someone on the radio, "Watch for a telephone booth on the bank on the right." Sure enough. There it was in case we needed to quickly don our superhero attire.

Our 3 boat entourage grew to 4 when we met up with Pearl and we all cozied into the pretty little anchorage at Cochrane Cut-Off near Aliceville, AL for a calm night in a comfortable anchorage. The moonless night graced us with a coal-black sky brimming with stars, and the Orion Arm of the Milky Way reached out as though trying to gather the sparkling dots. The Captain stayed awake long enough to observe several shooting stars.

Photos and update regarding our current location (Demopolis, AL) to be added later. Early start tomorrow as Demopolis has been the holding area for many, many boats who are all trying to head downriver. Some clever Loopers devised a departure schedule so we can fit in the lock and not overwhelm the anchorages. We are on the 6:30 float out. I'm going to bed!

Day 136 - Columbus, MS - Still :)

This was on the America's Great Loop Cruiser's Association web site this morning. It says it all. We're staying put!

By Steve.Kromer on November 10th, 2009, 2:46 pm

All Loopers on the Tenn-Tom and Black Warrior,

This is important information just passed to me from locals along the Tenn-Tom and Black Warrior. Please pass it around wherever you are now.

The rains from Hurricane Ida have been hitting the water basins of the Tenn-Tom hard on top of what was already there. Between this morning, Tuesday, November 10th, and tomorrow morning, the lower gates of both Demopolis lock and Coffeeville will rise another 10', yes, that is feet. Coffeeville is expecting to have all gates open in the next few hours to let the water pass through. Demopolis Marina will probably go up by 3-4'. Currents below Demopolis Lock could reach an awesome 8 knots. Bobby's is only accepting 3-4 boats and no rafting in those kinds of current. It would be prudent for Loopers in both Demopolis and Columbus to remain in place another few days. Non Loopers with death wishes will use all the available resources so don't compete.

Day 134 - Columbus, MS

We are staying put in Columbus Marina, safely and securely tied to a dock until Ida is finished doing her whirligig dance around the Gulf. The models we're seeing today show her spiraling toward Mobile Bay, so we're in the best place we can be. Downstream, the marinas are crammed with waiting boats, and tow captains are jamming their vessels into the riverbanks and tying them off with every available line.

Here, the clouds have closed in over us and we're expecting wind and rain, but not extreme weather. Someone just posted signs advertising a "Hurricane Haven" party between the stilts under the office tomorrow.

For those of you who inquired about the "Pass the Peas, Please" festival, it's a mystery. Several of us ladies went into town, wandered around the Christmas themed festival in the shopping district, and an antique show, but no one knew about the Peas.

At the antique show I found a beautiful, filigree silver piece with a curved handle called a bonbonniere that I am told was held over a servant's arm and used to present nuts and candies to guests. The $1250 price tag was a bit too sweet for me though.

A Couple of Photos

Richard of the Laura Lee just forwarded these photos, so I am sharing them. The first is of Osprey secured in Jamie Whitten Lock; the second is Osprey anchoring in Blue Creek, near Cuba Landing Marina, which is near Buffalo, TN.

Days 128 - 131 Fulton and Columbus, MS

Fog free mornings are becoming rare, but the morning we left Aqua Harbor was clear. Within the hour, we entered The Divide Cut, a 24 mile long, narrow canal.

Soon the Jamie Whitten Lock appeared before us. The gates were open and we cruised right in along with three other boats. It looked like any other lock, but hiding under the water was an 85-foot drop. As the water rushed out, we counted the 5-foot separations between the horizontal seams in the the lock walls so we'd know how far we'd progressed. We had to crane our necks to look up a the enormous gates as we exited.

The day was sunny, the scenery was beautiful, and our wake was smooth and gentle on the silky water as we traveled down the Tenn-Tom Waterway. We locked down twice more for a total drop of 148 feet before arriving at Midway Marina where we'd stay for the night.










Glancing to our starboard side after securing the lines, we saw a flooded stand of trees, tall, dark, and limbless, with stumps scattered at their feet.


We joined some fellow boaters for a trip via the courtesy van to Los Compadres Mexican restaurant in Fulton, MS for dinner. As we dined, we agreed to depart en masse at sunrise Wednesday.











In the morning, one of the pack called the Fulton Lock and we were told it would be ready for us at 7:00, so off we went into the eerie golden glow of the morning sun on the fog. Adding to the effect were the gloomy, flooded areas of dark stumps and dead trees like the one we had seen at Midway.




By noon, the fog had given way to warm sunshine that was perfect for sitting on Osprey's bow to watch the Air Force planes from Columbus Air Force Base screaming overhead. Riley jumped up and did his best to impersonate a lap dog.

Our speed got a boost from the one-mile per hour current most of the time and at the confluence of the Buttahatchee River went to after-burner with 3 mile-per hour current. In turn we were slowed by the heavy flotsam we encountered.









Four locks today for a total drop of 104 feet. In these past 2 days, we've dropped more than Niagara Falls!

A fleet of white pelicans harbor in the mud-bogged debris at the turn-off to the Columbus Marina. While the captain and I sipped our end-of-a-long-day celebratory frappucinos several posed above our perch on the bridge for photos.

The evening's entertainment was the golden-orange full moon when it rose swollen and fiery through the trees.

Our peer boaters have convinced us to cool our heels here for awhile. The river south of us is getting jammed with boaters confined above the 31st parallel until November 15 by the all-powerful insurance companies. Lending credibility to their reasoning is the impetuous tropical storm Ida currently advancing on the the Gulf of Mexico.

There's plenty to do to make our stay pleasant. Yesterday we saw some lovely antebellum homes in the historic residential area of Columbus. This weekend there's a festival called "Pass the Peas, Please." We think it has to do with arts and antiques. No worries. No hurries.

Day 126 (18 weeks!)- Still in Iuka, MS

First a glimmer, then a ray, and then a sky full of sunshine visited us yesterday and remains today. The temperature rose to a blazing 69 degrees. We peeled down to shirt sleeves and opened every hatch, window, and porthole to let the air freshen the boat.

Before that we had days and nights of pouring rain. Two nights ago we tried vainly to sleep while winds whipped across the open bay to our starboard side and rocked and twisted the floating dock and all the boats attached to it. Thankfully, we're near the shore end of the dock. It was worse at the unattached end.

We've been traveling with the sailboat Laura Lee. They've had trouble starting their boat, so they ordered a new starter. Somehow it got shipped elsewhere and won't arrive here for a few more days, so we're sitting tight. Perhaps all the debris and current from the rains will be washed southward ahead of us and we won't have to deal with it by the time we leave.

Meantime, Bob's on deck cleaning the mildew out every compartment and their contents, and letting it all air dry. I'm baking him a German chocolate cake. I think I'll help him, so I can bask in the sunshine.