Sights Set On Florida
So - last week we were hunkered down in Demopolis, Alabama, in the rain and freezing temperatures. A lot changes day to day. I didn’t know when we would get out of there, I didn’t know where we would be on Thanksgiving Day. I find it hard to write sometimes, because, I wait so long to write again. I have to go back to my last blog, see where I left off, and play catch-up, which is what I will do now.
We had been given a warning not to leave Demopolis until the River crested and started to recede. “There will be lots of debris in the water” they said. “ You’d be fools” they said. “It’s not what’s on top of the water, it’s the giant trees below the water that will kill you,” they said. “There will be no one to rescue you,” they said. I listen to this and think, OMG - we will never get out of here. Jim, being the Captain says “ I’ve reviewed the weather, I’ve been watching the River pool reports. Yes, the river is flooded, but, we tackled the Mighty Mississippi in flooding worse than this.” So the decision was made and on the first sunny day, we departed Demopolis, Alabama and will head to Mobile Bay.
There is only one place to tie up that has electricity from Demopolis to Mobile. Bobby’s Fish Camp. It is 120 miles from Demopolis. Too far for us to go in one day, so we will anchor out a few of the days. We are traveling with Mark and Lezlie on Antonia, and our new friend, Brian, a solo captain, on his boat Tomcat. The three of us will stay in a pack for the next 3 days. We all got through the Demopolis Lock and headed to this night’s anchorage. Our trip was uneventful, other than having to dodge a few logs. It was not bad at all. You could see how flooded the river is. The banks and its vegetation are under water. Edna 2 on the Tombigbee River is the name of the anchorage. We all got our anchors set and enjoyed an early evening.
Early morning was a bit foggy, but it cleared up pretty fast. Our next stop is Bobby’s Fish Camp. This is a true Looper stop. Kind of like Hoppies on the Mississippi. Bobbys Fish Camp is a one dock pier on the Tombigbee River. This is the only place between Demopolis and Mobile Bay that you can tie up your boat, have electricity, and get fuel. 4 boats fit on the pier. All other boats will raft beside each other. You just put fenders out and the next boat in will throw you their line and literally just secure to your boat. It’s was fun. Mark and Lezlie rafted to us. We all enjoyed a Catfish dinner with a few other loopers at Bobby’s Fish Camp Restaurant.
In the morning, all 7 boats that were rafted up, departed for the Coffeeville Lock. The last Lock on the River System. I’m saddened by this because it will be the very last Lock we travel through. I remember the first lock we went through like it was yesterday. May 24, 2018. I was a nervous wreck. Up until that day, I had watched countless YouTube videos on how to get through a lock. The very first lock we went through was literally a 2 foot drop. It seems so silly now, but that was a day I will never forget. We told the Lockmaster we were “Lock Virgins. He was so kind, and explained everything to us. He also told us about the next 4 locks we would go through and what to expect. Jim and I got through all 5 locks with no problem and we both felt like “Lock Stars.”
On this day, November 18, 2018 we completed a grand total of 99 locks.
We did indeed lock through the Coffeeville Lock and gave each other a kiss for a job well done. We have pretty much mastered Locking. Not to be cocky, because this isn’t child’s play, but Jim and I have gotten pretty darned good at it. We have not scraped a wall, hit another boat, or missed catching a bollard in many a day now. We have one scratch on the boat from a lock wall, and a small hole in the fiberglass from a boat hook. That’s it! I have enjoyed the locks. It’s made me very courageous. We’ve battled winds, and rain. We’ve rafted to other boats. We lost an engine in a lock in the dark of night. From the girl who used to say “I can’t” to the girl who says “ No problem!” makes me smile. I’m proud of the two of us. I’ll really miss the adventures of Locking.
Here are some highlights of some of the many locks we conquered!
FYI - Make some popcorn, this is a six minute video.
Destination - Three Rivers Anchorage. Another day traveling with Antonia and Tomcat. Jim and I decided to travel a bit faster than the two of them today. The River is still swollen, but we had a beautiful trip. We left the Tombigbee and entered the Mobile River. Three Rivers Anchorage is at the confluence of the Mobile River, the Middle River and the Tensaw River. We hung a tight right and entered a very small channel with big trees on either side. It was imperative that we stay smack in the middle as not to go aground or hit the trees. I stood on the bow and reported to Jim, via our headsets, what I saw in front of us. He was busy at the helm keeping an eye on the depth gauge. We made it through the trees and were dumped into the most beautiful lake, and it was all ours! Not a soul in sight.
Three Rivers Lake
Antonia and Tomcat arrived about an hour later.
We all got settled and everyone came to the Happy Destiny for a nice dinner. It was a great evening and I actually really enjoyed being anchored this night. I felt safe. I didn’t feel like I was going to get run over by a tow and barge. I really do want to like anchoring. I think we will have to go around the Loop again so we can get really good at it! 😂
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
We left Three Rivers Lake in the early morning and waved goodbye to Mark, Lezlie and Brian. They are going to anchor out again this evening and Jim and I are going 80 miles to Mobile, Alabama. It was a very long day. We played dodge-a-log a lot today. We are headed to the Gulf of Mexico and the River runs South towards it. All the flooding of the different rivers forces all the debris down in their currents. We passed several upbound tows and barges. The work never ends on the Rivers. It has been a lot of fun being on the Rivers the last few months. I still can’t believe all I have witnessed. All the little towns we have traveled through, the people we were privileged to meet, the weather we have endured, the lessons we have learned.
As we entered Mobile Bay, everything about life changed. The sky, the scenery, the smell. We are definitely not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.
The air smelled like salt and the dolphins appeared! You know you are in salt water when the dolphins are in sight!
As we continued on through downtown Mobile, the shipyards became huge and the Navy ships were on either side of us. We cruised into what looked like and endless horizon, which is, The Gulf of Mexico.
We hung a sharp right up Dog River to our safe harbor for the next few days. Dog River Marina is nothing to write mom about other than it is home to Captain Sids shrimp boat, they sell fresh white shrimp right off the boat. It’s one of the reasons we chose this marina. We picked up a few pounds and Jim made Shrimp Scampi for dinner. It was amazing!
I also made a new Kitty friend. It took all I had to leave him behind.
Wednesday November 21 2018
This day we crossed Mobile Bay. It was a lumpy ride. Pretty windy. It reminded me a bit of Lake Michigan. Ugh. Destination - The Wharf Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama. We again traveled with Mark, Lezlie and Brian - they had arrived to Dog River the day after us. This is where we will spend Thanksgiving Day. There are several Loopers here and a catered Crackerbarrel Meal will be served.
The Wharf Marina is upscale. There is a high end shopping center, a movie theater, an ice skating rink and a Ferris Wheel. This marina is inundated with million dollar boats. I really don’t appreciate this kind of opulence anymore. It does nothing for me. Our little Happy Destiny is just my size. 😊
Thanksgiving Day was very nice. The dinner and the company was pleasant. I have so much to be thankful for. A wonderful husband, a beautiful boat home, everything I need and everything I want. We have our children, our grandchildren and some very great friends. We have our health. We have our sobriety and we have our God. Even though this holiday is “different” than what we are used to, we made the best of it and we are both grateful for the experience of a day with new friends we met along the way.
The following morning we made our getaway! We are a hop, skip, and a jump from the Florida border. OMG!
And just like that, we are back in the state where we started our Great Loop Adventure.
Destination - Pensacola, Florida. A 29 mile trip, in windy, snotty, not so nice Florida weather. There is a storm a brewin’. Pensacola Bay was rocking and rolling! Jim kept us on course and delivered us all to Palifox Pier Marina. We got secured in our slip and were both happy to be tied up. There are only a few million dollar boats here!
It rained all night. We awoke to a gorgeous Florida morning. Sun shining, nice breeze. We ventured out to the local Farmers Market and had an iced tea. Pensacola is a nice little town from where we stand. I’m sure it’s much bigger than what we can see by foot, but the little downtown area is littered with nice restaurants and boutiques. If we need to go to the grocery store we will need an Uber. The closest market is 3 miles away. I’d really like to get to a meeting here. There are many. Just to far to walk for this old girl. Lezlie and Mark on Antonia, split from the hoity-toity Wharf Marina and have landed here. We are going to have Sunday Brunch, with them, in the morning. I’m looking forward to that. We will stay here through Monday and I believe our next stop is Destin, Florida.
The Panhandle of Florida, and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, which is what we’re on and what we need to continue traveling on, has a lot of damage to the marinas in the area due to Hurricane Michael which blew through here last month. Some of the marinas that were loopers stops along this stretch, have either been totally destroyed or have major damage. We will have to do some creative, strategic, planning in the next few weeks. Our destination is Carabelle, Florida, a 175 mile trip. From Carabelle we will have two options. A 3 day trip along the coast to Steinhachee, where we will dodge crabpots the whole way with shallow waters, or a 20 hour night into day crossing in the Gulf of Mexico. Most Loopers band together in Carabelle, wait for a good weather window, and travel as a pack across the Gulf. We aren’t sure yet what we will do. Stay tuned! Once we are across the Gulf, it will be a matter of a few days until we cross our wake in Osprey, Florida.
I will stay in today. Today we aren’t going anywhere. Home is where the boat is - Pensacola, Florida. Brunch with Lezlie and Mark, and hopefully an Uber ride to a meeting. Being back in Florida is bittersweet. My mind is trying to tell me our adventure is all but over, but the truth is, this is a brand new day! I only get today. I’m going to enjoy the hell out of it!
peace and our love❤️
