WEEK 34 - Back to the Salt! - Demopolis, Alabama to Fairhope, Alabama

This week we ended our journey on the inland rivers with mixed feelings…it is nice to be done with the locks and the commercial traffic and the long travel days, but the rivers were historic and educational and in their own way quite beautiful. There is not a lot of civilization on the Tenn-Tom south of Demopolis until you get to Mobile. Our stops this week were at Bashi Creek (anchorage), Three Rivers Lake (anchorage), downtown Mobile (pay wall), Turner’s Marina on the Dog River (marina, 2 nights), and finally the Fairhope Yacht Club (marina, 2 nights).

Leaving the marina at Demopolis at the crack of dawn and in the rain, we got through the Demopolis Lock right away and began our 71-mile trip to Bashi Creek. We were helped along by a 1-1.5 knot current, and we arrived at Bashi Creek with plenty of daylight left. You wouldn’t look twice at this spot anywhere else, but on the lower Tenn-Tom it stands out as the best spot for a hundred miles. It’s just a narrow creek with good depths for maybe a hundred yards in, full of overhanging trees and snags. But it has a decent little boat ramp there that makes for easy dog landing, and it is at least off the river so you don’t have to be worried about getting run down by a tow in the middle of the night. We shared the spot with Contentment, Alcyone, and Papa Charlie, all anchored bow and stern and with snub lines to shore in the tight quarters.

Looks like the weather is going to clear by 10 and the worst is past us

Happy Anniversary to us...on this day 17 years ago, November 23, 2002

  

Off we go after a speedy lock-through!

Contentment coming in behind us

Alcyone tucked in the far end

In the morning, we had the choice between a short 26 miles to Bobby’s Fish Camp, a sorta-kinda marina, or pushing on to a point where we were within one day striking distance of Mobile. We decided to shoot for the 81 miles and one lock run to Three Rivers Lake, another little hole-in-the-wall anchorage. Our three buddy boats from last night all dropped out to stay at Bobby’s, but we continued to the LAST LOCK (#152!) for the foreseeable future (yea!) at Coffeeville. They got us through in record time, and we were back in tidal waters again, although still over 100 miles from Mobile. Arriving at Three Rivers, we found our friends on Misty already there and anchored up. It was nice to have a buddy boat way out there in the literal middle of nowhere. There was no convenient launch ramp dock to land on here, and thanks to the recent flooding Bella’s shore excursions here were a muddy mess, but we got it done.

Still enjoying fall colors!

The LAST lock

The gates are opening! Only 22 minutes from entry to exit!!

It only seems fitting to bid farewell to the locks with a little memento

Starting to see some industry on this leg

Lots of sandbars along this stretch

Overtaking a barge on the 2 whistle

Misty at anchor in the morning fog

Jonathan and Bella coming back from shore leave

Paw dipping bucket at least dilutes the horror

Mud murder in the dinghy and on the swim platform!

In the morning, we were all very excited to get to the big city of Mobile just 64 miles downstream. But it was a little foggy, so we and Misty waited a bit. When it seemed to be clearing, Misty took the lead back out the narrow creek to the big river, where a downbound tow was just passing and of course right then the fog came back with a vengeance, with visibility down to a couple hundred feet at best. The tow captain advised us to tuck in behind him until the fog cleared, which we were happy to do. We all plodded along at idle speed for an hour or so until the sun burned off the fog and we were able to pass the tow and throttle up. Before too long, the skyline of Mobile began to peek through above the marsh and swamp. The transition from sleepy deep south river to bustling beehive of shipyards, cargo terminals, and cruise ship landings was a bit jarring, but we were ready for a little big city civilization. To that end, we docked for the night on the wall behind the Mobile Convention Center, right in the middle of downtown. Jayne got in touch with some old friends in the area, and we all went out for a nice dinner at Noble South and a nightcap at a fancy rooftop lounge nearby. It was a nice change from skulking in the swamps and going to bed by 8:00.

Time for radar assist

Cold and foggy but we are headed in the right direction

Waiting for the railroad bridge

Starting to see Palmetto bushes!

Mobile in the distance

Downtown Mobile getting ready for the holidays

https://thenoblesouthrestaurant.com/

Joe and Kim joined us in Mobile for a lovely evening!

Oh Bella!

The waterfront 

Downtown Mobile for breakfast at Spot of Tea https://www.spotoftea.com/

The wall at the convention center is well located but there are zero services and not ideal for boarding

We didn’t want to stay too long on the downtown wall – although it was right in the center of all the action, the city wants 50 bucks a night to tie up there. With no electric. And 24/7 tugboat wakes. So the next morning we went out for breakfast then took an Uber to the USS Alabama. We returned shortly after lunch and made a short 15 mile run to Turner’s Marina on the Dog River, where a whole fleet of looper boats were converging for a Thanksgiving eve potluck being held the following day. Here we got to tie up to real dock with electricity for 30 bucks a night. We did some re-provisioning at a nearby Costco for major items and used the new Publix delivery app for general groceries delivered right to our slip. Nice. The Thanksgiving potluck was a rousing success…our hosts at Turner’s made two fried and one roasted turkey for the crowd, and folks brought trimmings, side dishes, and desserts. Everyone had a great time and felt maybe just a bit less homesick for the families we left behind to do the loop.

This was such a great hands-on self-guided tour

So much preserved authenticity

In this area they had a sound track playing that made it sound like a bustling mess hall

In the rest of the ship they had big band music of the day playing softly in the background

Thanksgiving meal with Misty, Alcyone, Contentment, About Time and Golden Daze

Turner Marina

The next day we went straight across Mobile Bay to the town of Fairhope on the eastern shore. There we found the Fairhope Yacht Club would allow us to stay on their docks for only 10 bucks a night, thanks to a reciprocal arrangement with the Marine Trawler Owners Association, to which we belong. Very upscale place, without being in the least snooty. We stayed there two nights enjoyed a dinner there one night and drinks a couple of times. Jonathan's friend Neno came for a visit and took us to lunch at one of her local favorites on the estuary just to the north. Downtown Fairhope is upscale and trendy with lots of boutiques and restaurants all of which were gearing up for the holidays. And the sunsets!

The sunsets on the Gulf in Fairhope are amazing

Cheers to us at the Fairhope Yacht club

Did I mention the sunsets?

A part of downtown Fairhope known as the French Quarter

French Quarter for breakfast at Panini Pete's https://www.paninipetes.com/fairhope

Some of the best beignets ever! And yes, we've been to Cafe DuMonde

At this point, we are just one day’s run away from being back in Florida, 8 months to the day after we left Vero Beach!

Weeks 32 and 33 - Heading South....Chattanooga to Demopolis, Alabama

Following a delightful stay in Chattanooga, we got up on a frosty early morning to get back on the loop and continue south. In fact that morning it was 19 degrees and the dock lines were frozen. We banged hard for 8 straight days, traveling from dawn to dusk most days, almost 500 miles and 14 locks to get to Demopolis, Alabama. From here we are only a bit over 200 miles from Mobile and the Gulf of Mexico! After retracing our steps back down the Tennessee River, our stops along the way were at the Aqua Yacht Harbor (marina), Midway Marina (marina), Blue Bluff (anchorage), Columbus Marina (marina), Sumter Recreation Area (anchor), and finally the Demopolis Yacht Basin (marina).

Week 32 and 33 route

The night before leaving Chattanooga we had a night of pizza, Mexican dominoes, and little beers with our friends from Golden Daze and Seabatical.

BellaGatto leaving the dock at Chattanooga. Photo Credit: Rick from Seabatical

BellaGatto leaving the dock at Chattanooga. Photo Credit: Rick from Seabatical

An impressive 8 point buck swimming across the river

Manifest, BellaGatto, Golden Daze, and She's the One all lined up at Joe Wheeler State Park after being rejected for a lock through at Wheeler Lock the day before.

We began our trip on the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway (the Tenn-Tom for short) from Aqua Yacht Harbor in Iuka, Mississippi. We had a pretty long way to go (55 miles and 3 locks) to Midway Marina, so we got an early start and ignored the patchy morning fog. That fog quickly closed in and we spent the first hour of the day poking along mostly blind except for radar. When the waterway narrowed in the Divide Cut, the fog lifted and we had a pleasant trip, other than the inevitable delays at every lock. We arrived at Midway Marina just in time for a stunning sunset, and we also got to catch up with our friends on Misty, who we haven’t seen since back in Canada.

Looper boats on the transient dock at Aqua Yacht

A good layer of frost on everything. Time to head south for sure!!

The fog layer starting to envelop us

Time for a radar assist

The fog gave way to a beautiful and calm passage.

Lots of shore birds on this leg. 

My view (Jayne) as we lock down

Whitten lock is the 4th largest lift lock in the US, 84 ft. Locking down is much easier than locking up

Sunset at Midway

The Tenn-Tom doesn’t get much love from the loopers, who mostly seem to just want to get it over with. But it winds through some dense forests and opens up here and there into broad shallow lakes teeming with bird life. From Midway, we were going to try to run 58 miles and 4 locks to Columbus Marina in Columbus, Mississippi, the largest town on the waterway. But after getting held up for a couple of hours at one of the locks, it was clear we were not going to make Midway before sunset. We try to always have a plan B and C when we cruise, and this time plan B was to pull off just before the last lock and go up a side channel to the Blue Bluff Recreation Area, a park and launch ramp facility with a nice free overnight dock. Bella got to run to her heart’s content on the huge grassy lawn. 

Seven of us travelling from Midway to Columbus

BellaGatto secure in the lock

Misty across from us in the lock

Tied up at Blue Bluff in time to take a nice Bella walk before dark

Plenty of water and space. Did I mention it's free?!

Fall colors accentuated by the sunrise. This Florida girl is loving fall!

The next morning, we did the remaining one lock and 20 miles to Columbus, arriving a little after 10:00 in the morning. This worked out great, because it gave us the whole rest of the day to do laundry and borrow the courtesy van to go shopping. Later that day our looping buddy Golden Daze pulled in, and there was much rejoicing. We went to dinner that night with the crews from Misty and Valentine.

Delicious dinner at Harvey's in Columbus

Columbus Marina is right next door to the Stennis Lock, and a whole herd of looper boats showed up on their doorstep at first light. By quarter to eight, we were all through the lock and on our way. Our goal for today was the Sumter Recreation Area anchorage, 64 miles and two locks away. Various boats from our flotilla peeled off at different anchorages, and we wound up sharing Sumter with Contentment. This was a perfect spot for “dog boats,” because there is a launch ramp and dock to make for dry and non-muddy dog walking trips. We launched the dinghy but the engine soon crapped out. It took a while to figure out the problem, but when the engine would get fuel with the gas tank turned upside down we knew it must have been the pick up tube coming loose. If you have to have a problem it was a good one to have because we could fix it ourselves without needing any parts. The anchorage itself is small and tucked away off the river – very quiet and very peaceful, and we had a great night.

Leaving the lock

Sumpter Recreation area anchorage. Weather change coming.

BellaGatto in the background and Contentment in the foreground

Bella Gatto in the distance. Photo Credit: Elizabeth on Contentment

Another day on the Tenn-Tom, and another crack of dawn departure to show up at the Heflin Lock at first light. We coordinated the lock through time with the boats that pulled off in nearby anchorages and when we all arrived at the lock we all got to pull right on in with no waiting, and from there it was just 50 easy miles to the metropolis of Demopolis and the Demopolis Yacht Basin. Along the way we got to pass by the famous white cliffs at Epes, Alabama, which broke up what was otherwise a monotonous vista of bottomland hardwood swamp and pine forest along the waterway. Just about a mile before Demopolis, the Tenn-Tom technically ends where the waterway is joined by the Black Warrior River. From here on south, it is properly called the Black Warrior – Tombigbee Waterway, but just about everyone still refers to it as the Tenn-Tom. We are going to lay over here for a needed day of rest, and to wait out some rainy weather.

Contentment ready to lock down

Misty secured and ready to lock down

White Cliffs at Epes 

The White Cliffs at Epes