Tenn-Tom Waterway to Mobile

Friday, October 26, 2018

We spend 2 nights at Aqua Yacht Harbor, waiting for the rain to end.  Finally by late afternoon, it has mostly stopped and we borrow the marina courtesy car for a quick tour of Civil War era Shiloh National Military Park, just across the border in Tennessee.  The park comes highly recommended by other boaters.  Shiloh and other area battlefields predate the decisive Confederate losses in the Chattanooga area but were also considered key Confederate losses that severed supply lines extending west to the Mississippi River.  We have just enough time to watch a video in the visitor’s center, then drive through part of the battlefield in light drizzle – too gloomy and dark to get good photos but a fitting ambience for this site of tragic loss of life so long ago.

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Today we start south, heading toward Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.  We cruise 4 miles down Pickwick Lake to the start of the Tennessee – Tombigbee Waterway (Tenn-Tom).  The US Army Corps of Engineers completed this waterway, to connect the Tennessee River with the Tombigbee River, in 1984 at a cost of almost $2 billion.  Wow!  Thank you taxpayers!  A series of 10 locks will allow us to cruise from the Tennessee River to Mobile Bay and the Gulf, dropping a total of 410 feet.  Hopefully it is obvious this waterway was not built to benefit recreational vessels but carries lots of commercial tows pushing barges with a wide variety of cargo.

Tenn - Tom Waterway

We are now in somewhat familiar waters, having taken this route almost 8 years ago when we first bought our boat.  She was docked at Aqua Yacht Harbor and we cruised to Mobile in late spring with the waterways in flood stage.  What a difference the season makes!  Here is a comparison photo, first from 8 years ago …

Tenn - Tom Waterway MS (April 2008)

… and now. 

Tenn - Tom Waterway MS

We are joined by several other boats and pass through today’s three locks with minimal delays.

Tenn - Tom Waterway MS

We pass a tow pushing a barge loaded with interesting cargo.  Not sure what these are, perhaps some sort of pressure pipes.

Tenn - Tom Waterway MS

By late afternoon we pull into Midway Marina, a small facility with adequate depth for our boat.  We arrive to find half a dozen looper boats and a pot-luck dinner / Halloween party sponsored by the marina.  Not knowing quite what to expect, we are greeted by some very creative costumes and friendly locals.

Halloween Party, Midway Marina MS

Halloween Party, Midway Marina MS

Halloween Party, Midway Marina MS

Sunday, October 28, 2018

We are on our way early, joining several other boats at the first lock, just 3 miles from our marina.  We have 4 locks today but only get delayed at one for about 45 minutes.  We are seeing a little fall color, but appear to have left most of the color further north.

Tenn - Tom Waterway MS

More lovely scenery along the way to Columbus MS, another small marina where we stop for the night.

Tenn - Tom Waterway MS

Monday, October 29, 2018

Another early start, another nearby lock, another group of boats to lock down.  Same old, same old …  a familiar routine.  Only 2 locks today with no delays and a small group of boats make for a less-stressful day.

Bevill Lock, Tenn - Tom Waterway AL

More lovely scenery today.

Tenn - Tom Waterway AL

Warsaw Cutoff, Tenn - Tom Waterway AL

We stop for the night, alone at an anchorage very near the Cameron Quail Preserve, a quail-hunting business where we got our late Boka almost 14 years ago.  We enjoy a nice sunset in this quiet, calm spot.

Sunset, Warsaw Cutoff, Tenn - Tom Waterway AL

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

We awake early to a glorious sunrise and head south again.

Sunrise, Warsaw Cutoff, Tenn - Tom Waterway AL

Our companions from yesterday have anchored nearby and gradually join our procession.  We pass through our only lock of the day with no delay.   By mid-morning we reach Jones Bluff, a memorable spot from our first trip.  This very narrow channel is flanked by high limestone bluffs.

Jones Bluff, Tenn - Tom Waterway AL

A hairpin turn passes under 2 bridges that cannot be seen in advance.

Alabama Great Southernn RR Bridge, Tenn - Tom Waterway AL

It was this spot 8 years ago where we rounded the bend and found ourselves directly in front of two tows, side by side, pushing a large load of barges against a strong current and high wind.  The tows were kicking out a huge wake that was bouncing back and forth between the limestone cliffs, creating 5-foot waves sloshing back and forth across the channel.  The bridge supports limited where we could go.  Robert quickly radioed the tow, asking “where do you want us?” and got the reply “out of my way!”  Yikes!  Really scary and memorable to this day!  We now have AIS (automatic identification system) that transmits our position and course and can be seen by all commercial tows.  This system is a huge improvement, preventing the kind of surprise meeting we had previously.

Alabama Great Southernn RR Bridge, Tenn - Tom Waterway AL

We pass miles of beautiful scenery and very little evidence of civilization.

Tenn - Tom Waterway AL

By mid-afternoon we reach Demopolis and our marina for the next few days.  We will buy fuel here as their fuel dock also services the large tows operating on the river.  We are told they sell hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel, receiving deliveries from up to 9 tanker trucks each day!  We can be sure we are getting very fresh fuel.

Fuel dock, Demopolis Yacht Basin AL

Wednesday, October 31 - Friday, November 2, 2018

Our two-day stop turns into three as we wait for a cold front to come through.  We are happy to be docked in a covered slip as the rain pours down.  On Friday, we get clearing weather and head to the Demopolis Lock, nearby.  We have an astonishing 20 boats locking down today.  The lock tender tells us his record is 27 boats.  Wow!  Not sure where he put them!

Demopolis Lock

Shortly after we exit the lock, we pass this tow, one by one.  Poor guy!  Bet he wonders what he did to deserve this!  The tows generally move over to give us room to pass but they must be careful not to get too far over into shallow water.  It requires a lot of skill on their part to navigate past us and around bends in the river at the same time.

Tombigbee River AL

We have planned a 97-mile run today, hoping for a boost from the current, as this is a very long day for us.  Most of the 20-boat flotilla plans to stop sooner at various anchorages, so we are relieved we should be able to get a spot at our evening destination, Bobby’s Fish Camp.  We reach some of the good anchorages early afternoon and the boats that had planned to stop, keep going.  Oops!  Looks like we will have way more company at Bobby’s than we want.  We arrive to this:

Bobby's Fish Camp, Tombigbee River AL

Bobby’s is the only option anywhere nearby where we can fit, so we ease close and raft to two smaller boats.  We are now part of a raft of 8 boats and must climb across 2 boats to get to shore.

Bobby's Fish Camp, Tombigbee River AL

So this is Bobby’s, the NICE part, a collection of fishing shacks, one floating dock and a fuel dock.  It’s not much but it’s a legend among loopers as a unique, colorful stop.  Bobby has passed on, but his daughter continues operating the marina, the only fuel for almost 100 miles.  She serves great catfish in the adjoining restaurant and our whole group shows up for dinner.

Bobby's Fish Camp, Tombigbee River AL

Saturday, November 3, 2018

We awake to dense fog, so we wait until it starts to lift before leaving.  The Coffeeville Lock is just 10 minutes away and is our last lock before we reach the Gulf Coast.  We have arranged to lock down as a group.  We tie up first and watch as the other boats emerge from the fog and enter the lock.

Coffeeville Lock, Tombigbee River AL

The lock tender assures us the fog will lift before we exit the lock.  Hmmm …

Fog, Tombigbee River AL

We creep along, straining to see any debris in the river.  A bridge is barely visible ahead.

Fog, Tombigbee River AL

We meet another tow in a stretch with back to back curves and a narrow channel.  He calls us on the VHF radio, asking some boats to wait for him to get around the curves before passing.

Tombigbee River AL

After a long, 80-mile day, we stop at a very peaceful anchorage with two other boats.

Tombigbee River AL

Sunday, November 4, 2018

At last we have a short run today, just 40 miles.  We are now in the Mobile River and the terrain has changed dramatically.  We pass flat, marshy land filled with cypress and palmetto.

Mobile River AL

By noon we enter the Port of Mobile.

Port of Mobile AL

Lots of big ships docked here.

Port of Mobile AL

We tie up at the Mobile Convention Center, a very challenging dock designed for much larger vessels.  Our companion from last night’s anchorage is already here.  We are directly across the channel from the manufacturer of these “stealth” ships – fascinating!

Mobile Convention Center Dock

Near dark, this cargo ship glides by, lit by an eerie glow reflected off low clouds.

Port of Mobile AL

Tennessee River

Friday, October 12, 2018

Today we leave on a two-week side trip to explore the Tennessee River.  Like other TVA regions, the Tennessee is dammed along its length, creating a series of lakes.  We begin our journey on Pickwick Lake, just south of Kentucky Lake.  We will travel upstream for 250 miles, going east as far as Chattanooga TN.  

A couple of hours after leaving Grand Harbor, we pass Gary and Linda on Unwinding, a 58’ Kady-Krogen.  We met the owners almost two years ago in Jacksonville FL.  At that time, their boat was under construction and Gary and Robert enjoyed brainstorming choices for custom details, electronics, and such.  We have been in touch by phone / email since realizing we are in the same area, but this is our first look at Unwinding since her delivery in July 2016.  We hope to meet up in a few weeks when we are both in Demopolis AL.

Unwinding, Pickwick Lake

Our 42-mile cruise today ends at Florence AL.  Large homes line the rocky shores across the river in Muscle Shoals.

Muscle Shoals AL

We settle in at this cozy marina for a two-night stay.  Our timing for this detour up the Tennessee is not the best.  A popular rendezvous for loopers begins in two days at a state park marina a day’s cruise from here.  We do not plan to attend, but we are in the midst of many boats heading that way and were fortunate to find a slip at this small marina, the only marina nearby.

Florence Harbor Marina, Florence AL

Saturday, October 13, 2018

Our day begins when we step off our boat and meet this local, who has just caught a nice bass right behind our boat!  Hmmm … Robert may have to rethink his decision to not buy an Alabama fishing license.

Florence Harbor Marina

We have scored a ride with Sam & Jerry on Tanuki to the local farmer’s market, then on to a big grocery store.  They have rented a car for their stay and have generously invited us along.  We enjoy an excellent farmer’s market and stock up on fresh veggies, hanger steak and rabbit.  Yum!

Farmer's market, Florence AL

Farmer's market, Florence AL

Back at the marina, we unload our bicycles and go for a tour of this charming small town.  We stop for lunch at a local barbeque shack, then ride a few blocks to tour the Rosenbaum House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Rosenbaum House, Florence AL

Now owned by the city, this restored home was built in 1940 in the Usonian style, intended to be an affordable middle-class home, in contrast to Wright’s grander Prairie designs for wealthy clients.  The tour was quite informative.  Unfortunately, photos were not allowed inside.

Rosenbaum House, Florence AL

Sunday, October 14, 2018

A group of 10 boats is leaving Florence Harbor this morning, heading upriver.  We will transit 2 locks today and have designated a spokesperson to call the lock to coordinate our arrival as a group.  We are told we will need to wait for 2 tows to lock up, so we should arrive at the first lock, just 3 miles away, by noon.  Most of these boats are stopping at Joe Wheeler State Park, just past the second lock, to attend the rendezvous.  We plan to continue another 26 miles to a marina near Huntsville AL, where we will meet Robert’s older brother, Jim, and wife, Rita.  The late start will make it difficult to get to our planned stop, so we search for an alternate stop and alert Jim of our change in plans.  We have now canceled our original reservation at Riverwalk Marina in Decatur AL and made a new one at Lucy’s Branch in Athens AL, about 15 miles closer.  

We arrive at Wilson Lock about 11:45 and still wait an hour for the tow to finish locking up.  The gates finally swing open and 10 boats proceed inside.  This impressive lock will lift us 92 feet!

Wilson Lock

By 1:30, we are finally on our way.  Now on Wilson Lake, we pass numerous waterfront houses.

Wilson Lake, Tennessee River

An hour and a half later we are at the second lock, Wheeler.  And here we wait … and wait … and wait.  We tie off to a mooring cell while the tows ahead of us are slowly locked up.  Both tows with their load of barges are too long to fit in the lock, so part of the barges are locked up first.  Then the lock is lowered and the tow with the rest of the barges lock up.  Once at the top, the tow must reassemble his load of barges before clearing the lock.  This long, slow process results in a 3-hour delay.

Waiting ... Wheeler Lock

While waiting, we have a good view of a concrete ring designed to contain the turbulence resulting when the lock drains.  Very impressive!

Water discharge, Wheeler Lock

We now realize we will not have enough daylight to reach our 2^nd choice marina, Lucy’s Branch.  So we cancel that reservation and are elated we are able to get a slip at Joe Wheeler State Park, the location of the rendezvous and surely packed with boats planning to attend!  We are so thankful we have a cell signal to make these reservation changes as we don’t always have coverage.  

We finally are allowed to enter the lock.  We have an 11^th boat with us now, so another looper boat rafts to us and up we go.

Wheeler Lock

As the sun sets, we leave the lock and head 3 miles to our marina.  

Leaving Wheeler Lock

We find our assigned slip, at the end of a dock, just as dark closes in.  It turns out to have a large support piling sticking out 18”, right in the middle, making tie-up difficult.  Another boat thinks this is their slip, too.  We have to wait for marina staff to adjudicate the standoff while the little remaining daylight disappears.  Finally, the other boat is directed to a different slip and we tie up in front of the support piling, sticking out 15’ beyond the end of the dock.  At least we are secure for the night.  Unfortunately, the dock creaks and groans all night, making for a fitful night’s sleep.

This state park facility is quite large with a hotel and conference center, in addition to the marina.  We walk to the hotel to check into our slip and eat dinner.  In the lobby, we notice a couple watching an Astros game and stop to check the score.  Turns out the couple is from Port Aransas (our former home) and they have been following our blog after a mutual friend sent them a link.  Small world!  They are attending the rendezvous and plan to cruise the loop route in several years.

Monday, October 15, 2018

By morning, we are most ready to move on!  We cruise along Lake Wheeler, with many lakefront homes in view.

Lake Wheeler, Tennessee River

We pass the Brown’s Ferry Nuclear Plant, quite a contrast to all the mothballed coal-fired power plants we have passed along the rivers since leaving Chicago.

Brown's Ferry Nuclear Plant, Tennessee River

Nearing Huntsville AL, we detect the unmistakable odor of dry cat food!  Think of the familiar odor (for those of you who have / had cats), amplified many times over as this plant cooks the kibble.  Ugh!  Our boat doesn’t go nearly fast enough to leave the odor behind.

Meow Mix plant, Decatur AL

We squeeze into a small marina on the outskirts of Huntsville, dragging our keel through the mud on the way in.  Robert’s brother, Jim, and wife, Rita, live nearby and take us into town for a nice visit and lovely dinner!

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

We head east again today and start to see a few hints of fall color.

Lake Wheeler, Tennessee River

As we approach Guntersville Lock and Dam, rain and fog close in.

Guntersville Lock & Dam

We lock up in rain, then head across Lake Guntersville to our marina, tying up for the night just as the rain stops.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

By morning, the rain is over.  We cruise up Lake Guntersville, a very pretty area with densely wooded hills and nice waterfront homes.

Lake Guntersville AL

Lake Guntersville AL

By late afternoon we approach Nickajack Lock and Dam. 

Nickajack Lock & Dam, Tennessee River

We lock up quickly and proceed another 7 miles to a small marina for the night.  The marina is located beside an old lock and power generation plant, long since abandoned, but dominating the view.  We are now in Tennessee and have crossed into the Eastern time zone.

Hales Bar Marina, Guild TN

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Sunrise illuminates floating cabins, part of our marina.

Hales Bar Marina, Guild TN

We cruise up Nickajack Lake and soon enter the Tennessee River Gorge.  This passage features hills with rocky outcrops.  Both sides of the lake / river are park land and we see only a few homes along the way.  Lovely!  Unfortunate the fall colors are not yet in evidence.

Tennessee River Gorge

Tennessee River Gorge

Tennessee River Gorge

Tennessee River Gorge

Our 3-hour cruise through the Gorge ends just 30 minutes from Chattanooga.  We approach downtown and our dock between 2 bridges at the foot town.  The 2 large modern buildings on the right house the Tennessee Aquarium.

Chattanooga TN

Friday, October 19, 2018

We spend 3 nights in Chattanooga, renting a car for a whirlwind tour of the area.  At nearby Lookout Mountain we visit Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.  Considered the site of a pivotal Civil War battle, the park offers commanding views of town.  At this location, Union troops defeated the Confederates and gained control of key supply routes, enabling their victorious march to Atlanta.

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Lookout Mountain TN

After a delightful lunch in Lookout Mountain TN, we drive 45 minutes to Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia.

Lunch, Lookout Mountain TN

Here we have a chance to get some exercise, hiking a trail along the canyon rim.

Cloudland Canyon State Park, GA

Saturday, October 20, 2018

After grocery shopping, we return the rental car, then walk to the Tennessee Aquarium.  This museum is housed in two buildings, one featuring fresh water aquatic habitats and the other, salt water.  We much prefer the fresh water exhibits, especially the ones focused on the Tennessee River valley and lakes.

Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga TN

Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga TN

Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga TN

Sunday, October 21, 2018

An additional 185 miles upriver would take us to Knoxville TN and the edge of the Smoky Mountains, but the weather is changing and Robert is more and more anxious to get back to salt water, so we will turn around at Chattanooga and return to the normal loop route.

We retrace our steps through the Tennessee River Gorge, locking down to Lake Guntersville and our anchorage for the night.  Another looper boat, Miss Utah, joins us.

Battery Hill anchorage, Guntersville Lake, Tennessee River

Monday, October 22, 2018

We awake to dense fog.  Beautiful!  But we must stay put until visibility improves.

Battery Hill anchorage, Guntersville Lake, Tennessee River

We finally get underway, stopping for the night again at Guntersville Marina.  This time, no rain, and a magnificent sunset!

Sunset, Guntersville AL Marina

Brother Jim and wife, Rita, again pick us up for dinner, catfish at Top ‘O the River in Guntersville. We enjoy another visit with them and lament they cannot fit cruising time into their busy schedule.

Robert, Rita, Jim at Top 'O the River, Guntersville AL

Tuesday, October 23 – Wednesday, October 24, 2018

We continue retracing our steps, stopping overnight in Decatur AL, home of Meow Mix!  No odor wafting our way this time, thank heavens!  We leave early the next morning and are quickly stopped to wait for this train to pass before the bridge will lift for us.

Norfolk Southern TN River Bridge

This time we have no delay at Wheeler Lock and only a short delay at Wilson Lock, waiting for a US Coast Guard buoy tender to lock up.  Note the stack of red and green-topped buoys on his deck.

Coast Guard buoy tender leaving Wheeler Lock

We lock down alone and are again impressed by the depth of the drop, 95 feet today, our largest of the trip!

Leaving Wheeler Lock

We make our second stop at Florence Harbor Marina and Robert is asked to fire a cannon exactly at sunset, a long-standing tradition here.

Cannon firing, Florence Harbor Marina

This little baby packs quite a punch!  We are told the marina had to get a “parade permit” for every day of the year in order to shoot the cannon.  

Florence Harbor Marina cannon

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Despite a forecast of steady rain today, we are ready to get settled at our next stop.  We push on through drizzle, then rain, enjoying the comfort of our pilothouse.

Pickwick Lake in the rain

Four hours later, we arrive at Aqua Yacht Harbor and a covered slip, a welcome sight with the rain still pouring down.  We are just across the state line in Mississippi, leaving Alabama to our east and Tennessee to our north.

Aqua Yacht Harbor, Iuka MS

When we bought Sauvy B in early 2011, she was parked at this marina, so in a sense we are home.  Or at least, back to familiar territory.  The last leg of our loop journey lies ahead.