Lorenzo & Delois Johnson

We crossed the Mobile Bay today at around 2 PM.  We docked at the Eastern Shore Marina at around 3 pm. 

We are approximately 80 miles from New Orleans, and we are considering staying here until after Thanksgiving.  This will gve us time to rent a car and drive to New Orleans and several other locations nearby.

We are approximately 250 miles from Carrabelle, Fl. where we will leave the boat for the Christmas Holidays.  We are scheduled to arrive there on Dec 15, so we have some time on our hands.  

This marina is in a very nice town.  Staying here through next weekend may be the right thing to do.

We left Bobby’s Fish Camp in the early morning, with barely enough light to see.  The lock was two miles away, and we wanted to get there early before the commercial vessels arrived.  We are trying to reach Mobile in two days rather than three days, and with the short days an early start is a must.

This lock is very special.  It is our last lock.  Once we past through this lock, we will be back in salt water and rising and falling tides.  We will be back in waters where we have to be concerned about wind speed and direction and all the other factors which determine how rough the seas will be.  Big transition.

Mobile is 135 miles from Bobby’s Fish Camp.  We would like to cover as much distance as possible today, but finding a suitable place to anchor tonight may severely impact our travels.  We do not know what to expect next.  The travel guides are not to be totally relied upon;  river conditions change rapidly.  There are good anchorage possibilities at 55 miles through 65 miles, but that will leave a really long day tomorrow.

We stopped at each potential anchorage to determine it’s suitability.  A good anchorage is protected from the winds on all sides; water is deep enough not to worry about grounding, has a good bottom to hold the anchor securely, and most importantly, must not be accessible to towboats traveling the river.  We are very near the location where several years ago, a towboat lost in the fog hit a train track support pedestal, resulting in the train crashing into the river with a lost of 43 lives and many injuries.  I foolishly told Lois that this is the area where that happened.  You can guess the rest.

We anchored in the Alabama River Cutoff.  A really nice anchorage and only 65 miles from Mobile.  Met all our requirements.  We packed seven boats into a very small area, with trees close by on both sides.  The channel was approximately 60 feet wide, with many sharp turns. We rafted together and settled down for the night.  

 Mobile is 65 miles away, and it is possible for us to reach Mobile before dark tomorrow since we do not have any locks to contend with. 

We were awakened several times in the night by bass boats passing by at high speed.  The stern of Lil’ David was only 12 ft from the bank, yet these boats came past in the dark at a very high rate of speed.  They had lots of lights, but it seemed to be a very risky practice.

We are almost at the end of our river travels.  The river experience has been different, but we are looking forward to returning to the Coastal waters.

After spending last night at anchor, we are going to spend tonight at Bobby’s Fish Camp.  Bobby’s Fish Camp is the only place to buy food or fuel for 100 miles in each direction.  If you were expecting a traditional marina, then You will be sorely disappointed.  There is a floating dock, approximately 150 feet long with a fuel pump on the end of it.  That’s all.  No water, no power, and very few cleats for tying to.  We found a water faucet up the hill from the dock, and we connected together approximately 200 feet of hose to allow us to fill our water tanks.  We had to stop filling, because the restaurant did not have water while we were filling the tanks.  Dockage is not cheap; it is equal to or greater than the dockage fees we have been paying in this area for facilities with all the amenities.  Location, Location, Location.

We docked and rafted up three deep.  The outside boats were out in the channel far enough to act as a target for the passing towboats.  By the end of the day, a total of 10 boats were docked at this facility.

The restaurant opened at 4:30, and we went to dinner at 6.  The boaters filled the small restaurant.  The food was absolutely delicious.  The meal was one of the best that I have ever had in a restaurant.

Bobby’s Fish Camp will always stand out as a unique experience in our great loop adventure.

We need to keep moving toward the South.  The weather here is getting cold.  I could have stayed home and had cold weather.

The waterway here is very remote.  No cell phone, no internet air card signals, and very few signs of civilization on the banks.  Lots of really big towboats, though.

Our last lock is approximately 2 miles downstream from Bobby’s Fish Camp.  We will need to get an early start in the morning in order to reach an anchorage before dark.  The first available anchorage is approximately 60 miles away.  By this time tomorow night , I will have all the answers.

Had a really good travel day today.  Left The Demopolis Yacht Basin at 0800.  Left later than planned due to fog. 

 Last night was very cold.  The outside temp was 31 at 0600 this morning.  The decks were very slippery with frost and ice.  Due to the cold weather, the marina  turned off all the water last night, so we did not fill our water tanks.  Lukily, We have enough to last for three or four days.

Our plans for todays travel went array.  When we left the marina,  several other boats left also.   A total of nine boats locked through the lock, all heading South.  That means that all of us would probably end up at the same place all needing some place to spend the night. 

The TennTom waterway lacks the beauty that we experienced on the Tennessee River and other waterways.  The waterway passes through areas of low population density.  The banks are all wooded, with very few buildings or other signs of life. 

We passed the Rooster Bridge, notorious for the fact that during a flood, a tug boat was swept against and then under the bridge, and righted itself on the downstream side and continued on it’s way.  The water was only a few feet below the steel bridge structure. (Google for “Rooster, Cahaba, Tombigbee”)

We arrived at our first potential anchorage at 12:30.  It was definitely not a place we wanted to spend the night.  It was too susceptible to barge traffic.

At around 2pm, we arrived at out second potential anchoring location, Barons Landing.  Not a place I was willing to spend the night.  It was right beside the waterway, and it too was very susceptible to barge traffic.  The Interstate 10 Bridge was a few miles a way, so we continued on.  When we arrived at the bridge, we were disappointed to see that it was not a safe anchorage for our boats.  Not enough room, and also not enough protection from the barge traffic.

We continued on toward our last potential anchorage.  This anchorage is 72 miles from our starting point today, and we needed to be there before dark.  Now, there was a total of seven boats traveling together, all looking for a place to anchor for the night.  We arrived at the anchorage location, and found that all of us could easily fit in the available space if we rafted together.  It took some expert boat handling by all, but we maneuvered our boats in position and rafted in two groups.  The anchorage was a perfect place to spend the night, well protected from winds and from waterway traffic.  We are only 30 miles from Bobby’s Fish Camp, with no locks.  We should have an easy day tomorrow.

We were very glad we did not have to implement our last ditch travel plan for today.  If the anchorage at Bashi Creek was unacceptable or unavailable, we were planning to wait for a tug to come along, heading south, and then follow him in the dark until we reached Bobby’s Fish camp docks.  Since the tugs travel at only 4 to 5 miles/hr, it would have been a long night.

Traveling on this waterway is entirely different from any other waterway we have traveled.  It is much more challenging, yet has few rewards or sources of entertainment to offer. 

We had a good day today.  We had only one lock, and we made it through with only a small delay.  We arrived in Demopolis early in the afternoon. 

The Tow Boat operators have a very difficult job on this river.  There are lots of very sharp turns, and unpredictible depths due to shoaling.  Also, the waterway is contaminated with those pesky pleasure craft or PC’s getting in the way.  For the most part, the Tow boat operators are very professional and helpful to the pesky pleasure craft.

Today, we had a really good moment.  We passed under Interstate I20 bridge as it passes over the TenTom..  Two Years ago, we were driving to Texas, and as we neared the bridge, I slowed and pointed out the TennTom canal to Lois.  I told Her that we would have to pass under this bridge during our Great Loop Trip.  We have made good on that prediction.

Reaching Demopolis is a milestone on our charge to the coast.  It marks the halfway point on the TennTom waterway, between the Tennessee River and Mobile Al.   It is also one of the most desolate sections of river that we will travel.  Between here and Mobile (217 miles), there is only one marina, and it is not truly a marina.  Bobby’s Fish Camp marks the half way point, and it has little to offer other than a place to tie up.  Fuel will be available, but no electrical power or other amenities.  The fish Restaurant is open on weekends, but very limited opening at other times.  Tomorrow, we will get an early start.  The lock is 3 miles downstream, and is the only lock for the day.  We need to reach an area that is approximately 60 miles away before dark.  There are no anchorages or marinas for that distance,and very limited anchoring once You arrive there.  We are planning to anchor underneath the Interstate 10 bridge, using the large bridge support pillars to shield us from tows passing through in the night.   There is limited space available so we will raft together to save space.  There will be a group of 8 to 9 boats traveling together, so space will be very important. 

It will take 4 days to rech Mobile Al. and it is going to be a challenging trip.  Luckily, the Girls, Portia and Starrie, are continuing to uphold the performance standards they have established.  Every day I marvel at how they continue to do what ever is asked of them without creating any concerns or anxiety on my part.  They are the real star of this show.

I will not be able to update the blog again for a few days.  Cell phone and Internet services are generally not available in the desolate areas we are traveling in. 

We spent three days at Columbus marina.  We took a break, and helped Lois celebrate her birthday.  I am being rewarded substantially for not mentioning which one.

We left Columbus early in the morning, and were delayed by early morning fog.  We like to travel 6 to eight hours per day, and on a normal day with luck in the locks we can travel between 40 and 60 miles.

Our next marina is Demopolis Yacht Center in Demopolis, Al.  It is approximately 120 miles away, requiring that we anchor at night.  There are lots of good anchorages in this section of the TennTom, but we need to move through the locks without major delays in order to make the trip to Demopolis in 2 days.  We can do either 2 long days or three short days, and two long days is preferred.

We were delayed by commercial traffic at our second lock.  We took advantage of this delay to visit a museum dedicated to the snag removal boats.  These boats removed the snags and floating debris from the waterways, and were steam powered.  Very impressive vessels.

We arrived at our selected anchorage at 4:30 Pm.  We pushed the throttles a little harder than usual in order to makeup for the lost time, but all is well.  The anchorage was in a really nice location.  Well protected on all sides, and lots of wildlife.

We had a good dinner, watched some TV, and went to bed early.  The colder weather is causing us to change some of our eating habits; very few meals are eaten on the aft deck with the cooler temperatures.

We covered 25 miles and 1 lock today.  We are at the Columbus Marina, and will spend the week-end here.  We are having a problem with marinas being able to accomodate 9 transients at once.  Today, almost half of our boats have had to raft to another boat in order to dock.  Luckily, everyone was able to get power.  We will divide the group, with some leaving on Sunday. and the remainder leaving on Monday.

We had mustard greens and Barbecue for dinner, from Lois’s galley on Lil’ David.  That was a really good meal.  Some of the things that we really miss while on this trip is our collard greens, Mustard Greens and other traditional Fall season foods. 

Our next travel day (Monday) will take us 1 lock and 27 miles to Marina Cove Marina in Carrolton, Al.   The remaining 300 miles to Mobile will require lots of anchoring because marinas will be few and far between in that area.

We arrived at the Aberdeen Marina in the early afternoon, after another good travel day.

We were part of a group of 9 boats traveling together.  We really enjoyed the camaraderie and companionship of the group.  All the boats in the group are fellow Loopers and we have traveled with most of them at various times during the past six months.  We packed 9 boats into a marina that would normally accommodate 6 boats.  We took turns moving to the fuel dock to refuel our vessels.  The single diesel pump was slow, and we spent most of the afternoon pumping fuel.  The fuel pump is located right in front of the marina restaurant and store, and provided a good meeting place for us to enjoy each others company.

Today, we travelled 37 miles and transited 3 locks.  The weather was rather cloudy and dreary, but there was not any rain.  Tomorrow, we are expecting clear sunny and warm weather.  Our destination for tomorrow is the Columbus Marina in Columbus, Ms., 1 lock and   23 miles away.  We will stay there for the weekend.  Plans are to rent a 6 passenger van to accommodate our 3 boat group and  play tourist for the weekend.

We had a really enjoyable afternoon and evening at this Marina.  The owners are very good hosts.   One of them gave Lois a large quantity of mustard greens and green tomatoes from their garden.  They also allowed her to use the Kitchen in the marina to clean them.  (We will have corn bread, mustard greens, and fried chicken for dinner tomorrow)  Tomorrow morning, they are cooking a country breakfast for us.  This breakfast will include genuine red-eye gravy and country ham prepared by the family Grandfather.

Tonight, while we were refueling, we were all sitting around on the dock laughing and joking and having a really good time in general.  It felt like we were with our families, and I was amazed at how all these people with one thing in common, the love for boats and boating, could blend together to form  such a wonderful and happy group.  It is amazing to see how well we get along together and how we complement each others traits and abilities.

I cannot describe for You exactly what this trip has been like.  I will say that it is a great experience, and far exceeds any of my expectations.  It is made up of thousands of small excitements, and lots of breathtaking events that will be remembered forever.  We are very fortunate to have had the opportunity to make this trip, and very blessed to have made so many new friends. 

I only hope that my children will recognize that their inheritance was not wasted, it was spent for a good cause- OLD FOLKS HAVING FUN!!!

We are at the Midway Marina on the TennTom waterway.  We had a good day, traveling 63 miles and transiting three locks. 

The 6 boat group was here when we arrived.  We last saw them on Sunday.  They anchored in a cove near Grand Harbor Marina, where we were staying.  This is the group including at least five boats from North Carolina.  (Southport, Wilmington, Hampstead, Morehead City, Wrightsville Beach) All of us are planning to stop at Aberdeen, Ms. to buy fuel.   They have the best price in this section of the TennTom.   We are going to stay here for a few days until the rain has passed through.  Not much fun transiting the locks in the rain.

Aberdeen is 36 miles and two locks away.  Should make for a short travel day.  Not sure that we can all stay at the Aberdeen Marina, but we can raft up or anchor out if required.

We are moving at a rather slow pace.  We are approximately 650 miles from Carabelle, Fl. where we wil leave the boat for Christmas.  We are scheduled to arrive there on Dec 15.  We need to cover approximately 160 miles/week to make it to Carabelle by Dec 15. 

If the weather is fair tomorrow, we wil move on.  We are developing a sense of urgency to get further South to avoid cold weather.  The rainy weather is more uncomfortable than the cold days.  The season for cold AND rainy days is rapidly approaching.

We are back at Grand Harbor.  We will stay here until Monday.  Judy and Gary are going to the Knoxville area to attend a funeral this week-end. 

We are seeing lots of boating acquaintances and friends pass through.  This must be the tail end of the Loopers for the season.

Bob and Lois on Going There are traveling with us for a while.  We are glad to have their company and companionship.  There is also a group of 6 to 7 boats that we are traveling with.  The group is g 

This marina is a really great place.  Everything is close at hand, and the staff is absolutely great.  We are really enjoying our stay here. 

On Saturday, we went to visit the Shilo National Battlefield.  That was a sombering experience.  The loss of life was astronomical, and to walk in the same place as those unfortunate soldiers walked was quite an experience.  The battlefield is now a national park. 

This area is a prime vacation area.  It is a very hilly area, but not quite mountainous.  The people here are very friendly and helpful.  This seems like a very good place to live.  Too bad I can’t move all of this to Shallotte.