November 24, 2017 - Tenn-Tom Waterway to Mobile, AL

We headed out on the last stretch of the inland rivers on November 8th after spending 3 nights in Aqua Marine getting the sea water impellers changed in the engines and generator.  We also had a smell we couldn't identify which would follow us to Pensacola, FL and took 3 tries to figure out and repair.  More about that no fun adventure later.  This portion of the trip is the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway or the Tenn-Tom.  We traveled through Mississippi and Alabama, all the way to Mobile, AL.  When you include the Black Warrior River it's a 450 mile journey and included 12 locks which had a total of 415' drop down to sea level at Mobile Bay.  We also moved from fresh water back into salt water along with having tides again.  Though there was some awesome views and beautiful fall days, this portion of the trip was more about the friendships we made and the adventures with those friends.  We had traveling companions the entire way.

We left Iuka, MS with Terry and Dorothy Godbold on Magic.  They are from Rockport, TX and will be completing (completed) the loop in Mobile, AL.  Great traveling companions with a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience.  Terry's sense of humor and stories kept us all smiling and laughing.

Iuka, MS - We left with Magic in the lead and a flock of ducks in between us.  They just drifted on over without a care in the world that we were coming up on them (above).  They finally decided that we weren't moving around them so they took off (below).  Just too cool to see!

We had clear and calm cruising, and went through 3 locks with Jamie L. Whitten lock having the highest drop at 84'.  It was here that we also encountered a floating island of water grass that once we were locked up, made its way up to our stern.  Thank goodness for the dive platform, as it got no where near our engine intakes.

 Whitten Lock and Dam - Where is the round up when you need it.

Most of our days were long and covered an average of 50 to 60 miles a day, mainly because marinas and good anchorages were not in abundance.  I know that doesn't sound like much but when you consider we our normal cruising speed is about 9 to 10 miles an hour, it makes for long days.  One of our favorite places was when we anchored in Sumpter Landing.  It was a quiet and secluded anchorage with lots of room to swing.  The fall colors were beyond peak but still an awesome setting.  We also celebrated the Marine Corps 242nd birthday.  Terry flew the Marine Corps flag and I wore my USMC shirt.  Both Terry and my Dad served and are proud Marines.  I am very proud to and appreciate their dedication to our country.  Semper Fi!

Sumpter Landing anchorage in AL - Picture perfect weather and so calm the reflection on the water was breathe taking.

As we continued down the waterway we came upon the White Cliffs of Epes.  They are part of the Selma Chalk formations which were deposited about the same time as England's famous White Cliffs of Dover.  Definitely not something we expected to see, so what a treat.

White Cliffs of Epes - in Alabama.  Magic is off our bow at about 1:00 to give a sense of the height of the cliffs.  Most of it is a bright white and gives a stark contrast to the water and landscape.

On Veteran's Day we docked in Demopolis, AL for a 2 day stay.  Nice to be able to sleep in and eat out.  Terry and Dorothy joined us for Mexican food.  Really enjoyed those margaritas.  Probably one of the reasons I slept so well.  :)  Terry was sporting his USMC t-shirt with its bulldog mascot, Chesty.  Loved what Chesty has to say......

Me and Terry - Under the USMC, Chesty's comment is "If you are not the lead dog..."

Next pic is the hmmm....rear end of Chesty finishing his comment "...the view never changes."  OORAH!

After another long day, 71 miles, we were rewarded with another good anchorage in Bashi Creek.  Though pretty narrow, we definitely had room for our boats.  Below is Magic the next morning.  Lots of fog but didn't slow us down for long.

After a short cruise we arrived at Bobby's Fish Camp in Bladen Springs, AL.  Talk about a memorable stay.  We arrived early to make sure we got a spot on the ~125' dock wall (not counting the fuel dock) and power.  It is famous for good Southern cooking, especially its fried catfish.  By late afternoon we had a total of 7 boats with 6 of us rafted together and one on the fuel dock.  The restaurant is only opened Thursday through Sunday and as luck would have it we arrived on a Tuesday.  (:  But we had heard that if you have a party of 8 to 10 they would open the restaurant.  WE HAD 12!!  So we got to experience the fine southern cooking for ourselves.  Sooooo good!

Bobby's Fish Camp, AL - Independence and Magic before the crowd arrived.

View off of Independence's bow after the crowd arrived.  3 boats in front, 1 to port and 2 on our stern.  A party indeed.

During the day, I took several walks up the road, mainly dirt, to the highway and found lots of interesting sights.  The first being a sign of the rules at the dock, below on left.  My favorite is #3 'We will decide the number of boats to dock here."  Sounds like there may have been disagreements in the past.  I got the impression that boaters were not the only ones who needed some visual reinforcement of the rules (below right).  :)

I knew I was definitely in the South when I saw all the moss in the trees.  Loved it.

On my first walk, I was alone.  I was enjoying the sunny, cool morning when 2 BIG dogs came bounding out of their yard, barking like I was going to be this morning's breakfast.  One stayed at the edge of the yard but the other stopped me dead in my tracks.  I wasn't really scared but at the same time wasn't a happy camper.  He continued to bark and sniff till he finally decided I wasn't fit for breakfast.  Thank you Roofus, I am sure he thought I was weird dog with Roofus smells on me.  With that, the other dog came to make friends too.  He was the bigger of the two and liked to jump on me.  I decided to try to continue my walk but they were having nothing to do with that, so I started walking backwards towards the fish camp.  That worked though I was sandy and dirty by the time a got back.  I called them 'Big' and 'Bigger'.  I encountered them on each one of my walks.  'Bigger' actually walked out to the highway with me and Dorothy, on my second walk, and the owner actually drove up in her car to retrieve him.  My next walk was with Ken, 'Big' followed us all the way back to the docks and stayed.  I made him leave the dock hoping he would go home but he stayed the afternoon.  I finally got him to walk with me on my forth trip down the road and he bounded for home when he heard 'Bigger' barking.  I felt a bit sad as I headed back....as they were really sweet dogs.

Love the sign below left.  The road I walked 4 times actually closes at 10:00pm.  That is not something you see everyday.  Ken pointed out deer tracks below right.  My favorite sight was the 'Hillbilly Heaven' cottage, bottom.  Now that is a proud Southern!

Dinner time finally arrived.  We were a fun and rowdy group but we all got very quiet when our meals arrived.  I had the best catfish ever and the fried okra and hushpuppies were perfect compliments.

Bobby's Fish Camp - Dinner time with the crews (counter clockwise from bottom) of Magic, Crow's Nest, Wild Willie, SV Cormarant II, Dreamin' and Independence.

Ms. Sally was our waitress and the cook, her husband.  Wonderful people

The next morning we awoke to fog so thick we were delayed setting off for about an hour.  In the meantime, I got some great pics beside the dock of the lights through the fog.

Coffeeville, AL - Last of the big locks for the rest of the trip.  Ken has his sad face on.  Poor boy.

We reached Mobile Bay two days after leaving Bobby's Fish Camp, on the 16th, but not before another final beautiful day on the waterway.  The water was so clam that the sun reflected off it like big diamonds, below.  The only ripples came from Magic's wake in front of us.

As we made our way through Mobile Bay where saw our first dolphins since NJ on the Atlantic ocean.  They are quick things so did not get any pics of them but did manage to get one of a pelican off our bow.  What was really neat was the shrimp boat heading out into the bay and all the birds that followed it.  We decided to head for Fairhope on the eastern shore of the bay rather than to Mobile for our first night, so we could be with Terry and Dorothy, as they and Magic crossed their wake.  We got to be with them when they changed their white burgee to gold.  Then we headed to town to celebrate.

Mobile Bay, AL - We had a guide off our bow as we entered the bay.

Mobile Bay, AL - Shrimp boat heading out.  The birds are everywhere, even sitting on the cabling.  Can someone say 'lunch time'.

The closer we got to Fairhope, the calmer the bay got....so glassy.

Terry and Dorothy with their gold burgee.  So excited to be part of this happy ending to a great adventure for them.  They are actually going to continue on and they may finish again and get a platinum burgee.  They headed home for Texas for a break but we hope to see them again soon.  Maybe in Chesapeake, VA....

Dorothy all smiles with Magic sporting its new gold burgee.  Looking forward to the change of colors for us and Independence!!!  Hopefully in May 2018.

That evening we headed into Fairhope where we were lucky enough to be there for the lighting of trees downtown.  Quite a celebration with lots of happy holiday goers and even a few smiling Southern belles.  We had a great time.

The next day we headed back across Mobile Bay for much needed maintenance and repairs.  We rented a car that I used everyday we were there!  Laundry, groceries, supplies, starting Christmas shopping....so much to do and so very, very nice to be off the boat.  Ken stayed behind to be with the mechanic.  It was thought that once we found the house batteries were dead, that was the where the smell was coming from.  With those replaced, Independence also got an oil change and her engine valves adjusted.  Ready to head for the Florida North Gulf Coast, our next leg of the loop.

One of fun things we got to enjoy was a Thanksgiving lunch hosted by the owners of Turner Marine.  The Turners cook the turkeys and we all brought a side dish.  It was a great get together and really appreciated the touches of feeling like we were at home.

Ken getting ready for the mechanic and the start of repairs.

During the week we got to spend time with Chuck and Margaret Stiles on Francesca.  They are loopers from Ohio, IL that we met Chattanooga, TN.  We traveled together on our way back down the Tennessee River.  Super nice couple.  During our stay in Mobile we took a day trip to Fairhope to see the town, eat and shop.  Pic of us, below left, with Mobile Bay in the background.  While we were in Fairhope I found our Christmas tree for the boat....a tree covered with oysters shells.  Prefect theme to go with our loop adventures, below right.

PS From Roofus:

I have to say it has been a good few weeks.  My extra cookies are gone but my Mom human tells me I am all better and don't need them anymore.  I guess I understand but it would been ok to keep getting them to me even if they don't have a gooey middle.  There have been lots of sunny days for me to catch the rays and I even agreed to go back up in the pilot house since it has been very, very calm on the water.  I got to meet lots of other humans who think I am just too cute....smart humans!  And I got to enjoy lots of doggie bag treats as my humans seemed to be eating out a lot more.  Not a problem as long as I get some too and I don't even have to leave the boat.

Well, I think that is it for now.  Time for my 6th nap of the day.  Or is it my 7th?  Heehee....life is good!

November 18, 2017 - Stats Update

We have done some very interesting travel since my last post. We have completed the inland rivers from Hammond, Indiana to Mobile Alabama, with a side trip to Chattanooga Tn. The good thing is weather was not an issue, no tides and for the most part not much current to deal with. We love the locks, so that was good, but for those people that don’t like them it would be brutal.

 We are currently in Mobile , AL and will be here for a week, doing errands, hopefully getting a few maintenance issues taken care of and relaxing. To date, 11/18/17,  here are our stats for our Loop so far:

Miles Travelled          4,250

Days Travelled           91

Hours Travelled         380

Fuel Consumed         2223 gallons

Average Speed           11.18 MPH

Locks Traversed        164

Bridges Crossed        457, of which 66 were in one day on the Chicago River

Tunnels Crossed        6

Days lost to weather      25

Days lost to repairs        9

We will begin the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway after Thanksgiving and then the Gulf crossing when the weather permits, hopefully getting to Tarpon Springs, Fl., by December 15^th or there about. The old saying is that the most dangerous thing on a boat is a schedule, and I agree with that. If you let your schedule drive you, it will cause you to make dangerous decisions. So we just go with the flow.

November 4, 2017 - Side Trip to Chattanooga, TN

Just a quick note before I start.  We have been over 3300 miles and 6 months since we left; both about the half way point to our loop trip.  All is well with the exception of our looper burgee.  It has taken a beating.  It's faded and separating at the seams.  Don't think it is going to make it but we are leaving up for as long as it will hold together.  And here I thought I would be the one that be a bit ragged around the edges! :)

One of the things Ken and I had pretty much decided before we even left our home dock, was to make a side trip to Chattanooga, TN.  Everyone we had talked to or had read about it, was that town was well worth the 500 mile round trip.  I will say, I really enjoyed it, even though the weather was a bit hit and miss.  We set out from Florence, Alabama on October 25th for the 4 day trip up the Tennessee River.  On our way we locked through at Wilson Lock and Dam which had the highest water level change at 93'.  Pretty cool view, as unlike other locks, instead of lock doors there was a single gate that lowered into the water that we then boated over as we left.  Only panicky moment was what met us as we watched the gate lower and a 3 X 4 tow came into view.  We were sure there was no room for us to maneuver out of the lock and around the tow.  Gosh, now what do we do, but we quickly realized that there was plenty of room though still pretty daunting to pass it.  Glad to leave that behind us.  Literally!!  Our first night found us anchoring out Carter's Creek.  Great anchorage, beautiful night and "BAT BUGS".  Yes, you read right, Bat Bugs.  I have no idea what they really were but they attached themselves to Independence and just hung there like bats.  There were dozens of them having a sleep over, anywhere they could find a place to hang.  They appeared to be harmless but needless to say, they got the outside of the boat and we took refuge on the inside.

Wilson Lock and Dam, Tennessee River - A 93' rise in water on our way to Chattanooga and the highest water level change of all the locks we will encounter.

Wilson Lock and Dam, Tennessee River - Notice between Independence and the tow, a gate that is lowering into the lock on the left and almost gone on the right.  Felt odd knowing that when we left the lock, the gate wall us under us.

Wilson Lock and Dam, Tennessee River - Here is the        3 X 4 tow that met us outside the lock.  We have been up close to tows before but not this close.  The crewman standing on the bow in the pic below gives an idea of why we definitely feel a bit like David to Goliath.

Our "Bat Bug" neighbors at Carter's Creek on the Tennessee River.  

Creepy little things!!!!  

   

We did find one the next morning, below.  Not any better looking by the light of day.

The next couple of days were quiet as we continued up river to Chattanooga.  It was misty and cool most of the time but it did not de-track from the beauty of fall colors and clam waters.  And we got to enjoy the 26 mile long Tennessee River Gorge also known as 'Tennessee's Grand Canyon'.  We followed it the rest of the way into Chattanooga.

The Tennessee River Gorge, Tennessee River

We arrived in Chattanooga the morning of day 4 and tied up at the downtown city docks.   We were between two bridges, the Walnut Street walking bridge and N. Market Street traffic bridge.  It was a peaceful refuge in the middle of the city.  We were within easy walking distance from the Tennessee Aquarium, great eats and beautiful parks.  We mapped out our initial visit and headed out the next morning across the Walnut Street bridge to walked to the waterfront where we could see downtown Chattanooga and Independence nuzzled up against the bluff.  We crossed back by way of the N. Market Street bridge and had lunch at Moe's BBQ, delicious.  We then headed to the Tennessee Aquarium.  Really glad we went.  It was split between freshwater and ocean environments.  The freshwater was one continuous journey starting in the Tennessee mountains and tracking the water flow all the way to the gulf.  It was excellent and getting to see the animal life along the way was amazing.  We spent so much time here that by the time we got to the ocean environment we were a bit foot sore and getting tired.  Even though we did not spend as much time in the ocean exhibits, it was well worth it.

Chattanooga, TN - Tennessee River.  This is the view out the port side of Independence of the Walnut Street Walking Bridge.  And to our delight, the bridge was lighted at night and reflected off the water.  Awesome!

The Walnut Street walking bridge - A great walk with views of the city.  Pic above from the bridge is Independence with the aquarium to the right (see pyramid glass peaks on top of the red buildings).  In the background is Lookout Mountain.

Riverwalk Trial across from downtown.  Independence in the background.

Some of my favorite creatures from the aquarium.  The turtle in the top left is asleep.  Nothing too unusual except his back leg is propped up like he is swimming in his dreams.  Did you know lemurs have yellow eyes, top right.  This guy kept his eyes on me, too cute.  They even had a butterfly enclosure.  The monarch, left pic, stayed still long enough for a good pic.  My favorite was blue but refused to land and though not too fast, was too fast for me to capture in a pic.  The penguins were adorable but this fellow, right pic, was a real show-off.  He was flapping his wings, shouting and jumping but also posed in between.  Had to reward all his effort by including him.  

On our way back from the aquarium, we came through the Passage (pic to right), which is a walking link between downtown and the river.  Here we discovered a permanent outdoor exhibit known as the "Trail of Tears", which represents the forced removal of seven clans of the Cherokee Nation to Oklahoma, where 4000 died before reaching it.  The exhibit is a set of seven segments of steps with flowing water and six foot ceramic disks, that tell the story and history of the Cherokee Nation.  Very moving.

To the right, we were met by a grey heron, guarding our boat.  So graceful and exotic.  Great day!

The following day, which was Halloween, we rented a car and headed out to explore Lookout Mountain and the surrounding area.   Lookout Mountain is actually in 3 states...Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.  Not only does it have stunning natural attractions, it was also part of fierce fighting during the Civil War to take control of Chattanooga, a key in the path to the invasion of Georgia by the Union army, led by General William T. Sherman.  We all know how that ended and I had never really understood how important Chattanooga was to blocking the Union advance.

Our first destination on Lookout Mountain was Ruby Falls.  Ruby Falls itself is a 145' waterfall that is underground.  It was discovered in 1928 by Leo Lambert and a crew of excavators which was located over 1120' below the surface of the mountain.  The falls were named for his wife, Ruby.  After a taking an elevator down and a mile walk we arrived at Ruby Falls but not before seeing beautiful formations.  Above left is Ruby's chandelier and to the right, awesome limestone flows.  We passed many name formations, like the  Beehives, bottom left.  Others were flights of great imagination such as Dragon's Foot, Fish, Bacon and potato chips.  But the highlight was definitely the falls, bottom right.  It just took my breathe away, not only by its beauty but also by the fact that the source of the waters that create the fall are still unknown.  Truly gorgeous.

After Ruby Falls we went to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park at Point Park on Lookout Mountain.  Here we found very well documented timeline of the fall of Chattanooga, known as the "gateway" to the Confederacy.  It was so in your face to read and see where family fought against family and friends.  I pray we have learned from this horrific experience and will never have to come to arms again in our own country.

View of from artillery battery at Point Park looking down on the City of Chattanooga and the Tennessee River.  Notice canon wheel to the right.

At the end of the day, we were met by our grey heron when we got back to the boat.

There was a sad part of our visit.  On our last day in the city, Roofus got sick.  We had noticed red in her urine and knew she needed to see a vet as soon as possible.  We found one about a mile away which we walked and we were lucky to get an early morning appointment.  After a through exam, urine analysis and an x-ray, we were able to rule out a bladder stone.  She had already had surgery for a stone a few years ago and knew that she would most likely not be able to tolerate another surgery.  Without having to go through further extensive testing she was treated for a UTI.  She started antibiotics immediately and spent the rest of the day resting and being treated like the princess she is.  Not that that is any different than any other day, though she did get extra hugs and kisses.  And for the next two days, I slept with her on the couch so she could be near water, food and her piddle pads.  Poor baby but after the first day we have seen no more blood, so pray she is on the mend.

The next day we headed back down the Tennessee river and to Florence, AL.  The weather was cloudy, foggy and misty but still a very scenic.

Lookout Mountain as we leave Chattanooga, TN

Carrion birds gathering in a dead tree along the Tennessee River.  Not something you see everyday.

Early morning mists and fog on the Tennessee River.

Fall in full beauty on the Tennessee River Gorge.  Love the reflections on the river.

We even saw white pelicans along the way.

Joe Wheeler lock on our way to Florence, AL.  The water was so calm.

Back in Florence, AL we started planning the next leg of our great adventure...the Tenn-Tom Waterway, a 450 mile, 12 lock trip that will bring us to Mobile, AL.  But more about that in our next posting.

PS from Roofus:
It's been a tough few days but my humans have really pampered me.  All I want to do is sleep and pee.  Well, eating in between too, of course.  Though I do not like being poked and held by strange people, I am now getting to have twice as many cookies for breakfast and dinner from my Dad human, love you Dad.  (Note from Mom human, she is taking 2 antibiotics along with her other to meds for the next 2 weeks before each meal.)  I did miss sleeping in my bed, well the bed I share with my humans.  Mom slept with me in the salon.  I know I was peeing constantly but hey, a girl has to do what she has to do.  It would have just been a tiny tinkle in the bed and not sure what the big deal was about but at least my Mom human suffered two nights away from bed too.  I guess she really does love me.