11-24-09 Aberdeen Marina, Aberdeen MS II

[Rick] We did not do much today except chill out.


Having said this, I will digress to a geography lesson. Grand Harbor, the marina where we stayed last week sits in an interesting place. It sits at the confluence of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. The waters around Grand Harbor are the Tennessee River and the Tombigbee Waterway. The actual marina sits in Mississippi. If you leave the property and turn right, you will be in Alabama. If you go to the left, you will go into Tennessee in about 1 mile. Because of this, boaters in these waters are rarely sure in what state they are actually motoring. In fact, they go from state to state and back again without even knowing it. The lettering indicating the home port on the back of this boat says it all.

Tomorrow, more miles and more locks…….

11-23-09 Aberdeen Marina, Aberdeen MS

[Rick] Today was a typical day on the Tombigbee Waterway. We left Midway Marina and quickly passed through the first lock. The lockmaster told us that he had not locked anyone through going in our direction and we should have clear running. By the third lock, we encountered a small problem. The lock had a barge and tow in it and one waiting to go in, both going our way. They had probably pulled off yesterday and started again today. This meant a wait of about 1.5 hours. We pulled into the Smithville Marina to wait. This is a very old marina, kinda dumpy, but with cable TV and a laundry.

The problem is that the next lock is only 5 miles, so once we clear this lock, we will be behind the two tows for the next lock. And this is exactly what happened. The next lock was just dumping the first tow and we had to wait about 1.5 hours for the second one to pass through. All of these locks are 30 ft drops, so they take about 25-30 minutes to refill and reload. Along the way, we saw a raccoon swimming across the Tombigbee.

We proceeded to the Aberdeen Marina, a total distance of about 39 miles. This unique marina is a Quickmart on the highway, selling gas to cars, and selling gas to boats at the back docks. We know of no other place like it. Also, most loopers visit this marina since they sell the gas for less that most marinas. Today, Gas is $2.85 and it was $3.29 at Grand Harbor just 3 days ago. The courtesy car is a Lincoln Continental, with 115000 on the odometer, but then, they do have a courtesy car. Aberdeen Marina is about 2000 feet off the main channel. It is well marked with red and green poles, and it really needs to be marked. The channel looks like a trip back into time. Fog rising up, old trees, stumps, birds mark the entrance. It is much like the Dismal Swamp.

11-22-09 Midway Marina, Fulton, MS

Betsy speaks. We woke up to a cold and rainy Sunday morning. Knowing we had three locks one right after the other to go through, we waited a couple of hours for the rain to let up. Obviously, when locking at least one person has to be outside getting wet if it is raining. Usually that person is the female, since usually the male is the one at the helm. Fortunately for me, we do things backwards from the way most people do it! From very early on I have been at the helm for all locking and most docking, which means Rick is the one getting wet! I really don’t understand why more women don’t pick up on this. Handling the lines is a messy and often difficult job. You have to have quite a reach to put the line over the floating pin or bollard, or you have to be good at lassoing the thing. It is the major complaint you hear from women at our round-table discussions at AGLCA gatherings.

Anyway, by about 10:30 the rain seemed to have stopped for the time being, so we called the lock to see if we could get on through. After heavy barge traffic yesterday, today was very quiet, and we had no wait at all at any of the locks. So we made our 100th lock-through for this trip on the 84 foot Jamie Whitten Lock. If we had not taken the side trip up the Tennessee River and gone through the 95 foot Wilson Lock, this would have been the highest lock on the Great Loop route. The lock masters on the Tenn-Tom are very friendly, and we thanked this one for a smooth 100th ride. Seems like all these guys took their training at from the same person, because at all three locks today any affirmative they gave was a cheery “Roger, Roger!”

Leaving the Whitten Lock, we realized that this is the part of the Tenn-Tom that is actually a ditch that was dug through the middle of a cornfield. We had heard that the locks were built first, leaving this huge concrete structure apparently in the middle of nowhere, then the ditch was dug, then they flooded the area creating the waterway. This picture shows the earthen sides of the ditch.

Since the weather was so lousy (even though the rain had mostly stopped it was still wet, dreary and a very cold 59 degrees) we decided to pull in at Midway Marina in Fulton, MS, for the night, arriving about lunchtime after a total distance of 19 miles. At least here we have internet and cable TV, which we didn’t have last night.

Tucked back in a swampy cove amongst many seemingly dead trees, Midway is like a step back in time. Most of the permanently moored boats here are old and run down. Many seem to have people living aboard. Most are old houseboats. The docks are stationary instead of the floating docks to which we’ve become accustomed. But the people are very friendly and the facilities are exceptionally nice, including a lounge area with sofas and TV, a table set up for jigsaw puzzles of which they have a huge collection, many games, tons of books in the book exchange, and a large selection of VHS movies for you to borrow for the evening. They also have a hot tub available for use, and a nice lake. The restaurant was only open for lunch today, so we didn’t get to give it a try.

As I’ve said before, often I am amused by boat names, and I thought the name “Moby Duck” was cute, so I took a picture. As it happened, the owner of Moby Duck approached us later and introduced himself, saying he had been reading our blog regularly! He had done the loop a couple of years ago on a boat similar to ours in size, and decided he wanted to do it again on a larger boat (sort of like us!). So he bought the Moby Duck and hopes to do the loop a second time in a couple of years. We are often surprised and pleased at the number of people reading our blog, especially when it is a stranger that we then get to meet.

We took the courtesy car for dinner and made a quick stop at Wal-mart. Then came back and enjoyed walking the docks and admiring the Christmas decorations. Yes, it seems early in the season, but most of the boats are already decked out with Christmas lights. They have a contest amongst local children’s groups for the best decorations. This seems to be a very active marina. Last night we missed a huge “hobo feed” complete with band. On Thanksgiving they will have a marina wide Thanksgiving dinner with everyone signing up for a dish to bring.

Tomorrow,we look forward to more locks and more southbound travel through the ditch…

11-21-09 Bay Springs Marina, Belmont, MS

[Rick] Today was one of those days that reaffirm our decision to not make plans or schedules.
Our Goal for the day: We were to leave Grand Harbor, travel about 54 miles to Midway Marina. We would pass through three locks. All in all, a very easy day.

What actually happened: Before we could leave Grand Harbor, we had to place a call to the technician that had installed the new bilge pump yesterday. During the night the float switch came on, trying to get the new pump to pump, but there was no water to pump. The float switch stayed on and actually woke us both up around 0200 (that is 2am for the non-nautical types). I had to remove the fuse from the fuse box to cut off the switch and the pump. Naturally, I did not get much sleep as I was worried about the noise, and more importantly, would the Pickwick Marine Service be open on Saturday morning. Well, when I called at 0800 they were open and the nice lady said she would get someone over to look at the pump. About 0900, the same person that installed the new pump came over and discovered that he had placed the new pump at such an angle that made it contact the float switch, causing it to go on. He realigned the new pump, we tested it out and all was good.

We left Grand harbor at 1000 and proceeded per plan down the Tombigbee Waterway. The Tombigbee is a combination of lakes, rivers, and manmade canals that connect Mobile Bay with the Tennessee River. It was opened in 1985 as the most expensive civil project in history. In reality, it was an “earmark” for Senator John Stennis, the main backer in Congress. It was supposed to be a commercial waterway paralleling the Mississippi and take some of the barge traffic off the Mississippi. History has shown that while there is some commercial traffic, it is nowhere near the amount projected and supporters now talk in glowing terms about the recreational advantages of the waterway. For loopers, it is wonderful, as it provides a peaceful, well marked, and safe waterway without having to go on the Lower Mississippi River which is totally unsuitable for pleasure boats. The Tombigbee is 449 miles long, beginning at the convention center in Mobile, AL and ending at the junction of the Tennessee River just past Grand Harbor Marina. There are 12 locks on the waterway and there is a steady current, but not overwhelming, flowing from north to south.

After about 35 miles, we overtook a tow and in about a mile came upon the first of the three locks we wanted to navigate, the Whitten Lock. At the lock, one tow was just entering the lock, one was waiting, and the one we had just passed was right behind. The average tow takes about 50 to 60 minutes to pass through the lock. We inquired with the lockmaster as to the chances of passage and he said it would be “awhile”. We went to a nearby marina, Bay Springs Marina. After sitting for about 3 hours, it was now 1500, we decide to just spend the night at Bay Springs and make a good start tomorrow. After all, the next lock is only 5 miles and we would have been following those three barges for the next 3 locks, waiting at each one. Our decision to stay gives us hope that the three barges will get past the bunched up locks and our travel tomorrow will be uneventful. Overall we’ve been very lucky with locks. This is lock 100 of our trip, and it is the first time we’ve had to change our plans due to having to wait an extraordinary amount of time.
Bay Springs Marina, at mile marker 412 RDB, is a small but nice marina. It has no cable or WI-FI, but it does have a very nice courtesy car and washing machines and dryers. The restrooms and showers are certainly adequate. So, it is not a total waste of the day.

One highlight of the day involved some visitors to our boat. One of Betsy’s harmonica-playing friends (Mike Bruce), his wife (Faye) and daughter (Abbie) came to visit us. They live about 15 miles away. Betsy met Mike at her first SPAH convention several years ago, and they have become good friends over the past few years, partly due to the fact that Mike usually has a car at SPAH and chauffeurs Betsy and several others to dinner, etc. Betsy was pleased to finally meet Mike’s wife and one of his four daughters. They seemed like wonderful, down-to-earth people and we visiting with them.

Tomorrow, we strike out again, with a plan that is subject to change.

11-20-09 Grand Harbor 2

[Rick] We have been lolling around Grand Harbor waiting for Eric to call and let us know when he will be able to perform the 700 hr service on our Honda motors. He called this morning and we are set up for 1300. We have to go about a mile from Grand Harbor to a boatyard with a travel lift. It turns out that they have a 100 ton travel lift, certainly adequate for lifting the 9000 lb Rick ‘N Roll II.

We arrived at 1300, were lifted up and placed on land. The three technicians jumped on the task and got the maintenance done very quickly. We changed the oil, filters, spark plugs, and other general maintenance. We also changed out a bilge pump that had quit working. Here is a picture of us on the travel lift. For those interested, the maintenance is about $600 and the cost for the lift is about $200.

On the way back to Grand harbor, we saw an eagle in a tree. As we approached, he flew off. I got this picture.

Tomorrow, we begin our trip south down the Tom Bigbee waterway. It is 449 miles to Mobile Al. There are 12 locks, all going down, and we anticipate the trip to Mobile to take about 7-8 days.

11-18-09 Grand Harbor Marina

[Rick] Welcome back. Today the blog will be in two parts. The first will reference our trip back to North Carolina and the second will talk about our voyage today as we left Joe Wheeler State park.
You will recall that we rented a van, filled it with some things we no longer needed, and went to Sneads Ferry for some R&R. Here are some of the things we did while home:

A. We attended a party for the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the New River Sail and Power Squadron.

B. We got to hear one of the two interim pastors at SFPC, Jim Holderness. He was a very good preacher and we enjoyed his sermons.
C. We made an offer on a used boat on the Tennessee River. We were to sea trial the boat today, but the broker called yesterday and told us that they had discovered a leak in the gas tank. Glad it was discovered then and not after we had agreed to purchase the boat.

D. We had our annual get-together with some of our St Andrews friends for a weekend. We have held this gathering for the past 6 years at our beach cottage in the fall of the year. This is the group that provided the large sign on our beach cottage.

E. Betsy, Beamer, and I all three got buzz cuts the day before returning to Alabama.

F. When we returned to Joe Wheeler State Park Marina, the difference in number of boats was startling. When we left, the marina was full, a result of the AGLCA rendezvous. Today, there are few boats(2) in the transient section.

Part 2. Leaving Joe Wheeler State Park.
We returned the rental van and decided to leave Joe Wheeler and make a run to Grand Harbor Marina. We had to pass through 2 locks, including the 95 ft lift Wilson Lock. The total trip is 62 miles. We have been to Grand Harbor before and find it to be one of our favorite places. The weather was cold and dreary. The temperature was in the low 50’s. The main reason we are here is that we are due for the 700 hour service on our Honda motors. We have arranged for a local Honda Technician to do the service. The main problem is that we have to be lifted out of the water for the service and we have no trailer here. So, we are usually lifted out by travel lifts with the straps. But, it is a concern and a cost, usually about $200.

11-03-09 Topsail Beach and Sneads Ferry, NC

[Rick] Yes, the title is correct. We left the boat in Rogersville Al, rented a panel truck, loaded about 700 lbs of “stuff” into the truck and off the boat, and made our way to Sneads Ferry on Thursday and Friday, October 29-30. We had planned this break from the beginning. We attended the rendezvous at Wheeler State Park, left the boat there, and headed home.

Our purpose for coming home was multifold. It is election day, the 50th anniversary of the New River Sail and Power Squadron, our friends from St Andrews coming to the beach cottage, and a myriad of other things. Plus, it is a nice break and a chance to recharge our land batteries. We knew it was time to come home when we began to say “over” at the end of every sentence while talking on the cell phone.

We do have some news. On Saturday October 24, at the informal get together, Betsy won the conch blowing contest, and was awarded the flag of the conch Republic, a nickname for the Florida Keys.

One other fun game was “Buttdarts”. This picture will tell you all you need to know about dropping a quarter from between your butt cheeks into a cup, scoring points.

We did attend the 50th Anniversary party for the NRSPS. It was held in Susan Kleinfelt’s home. About 55 people were present and we elected new officers. As the Squadron Chaplain, I got to give the invocation.

We plan to be home for about two weeks, returning to Alabama around November 18. There will be no further postings until that time. Join us as we take a break from the trip and recharge your batteries. Over…..