Celebrating the Salty Life

I made it to Mobile Bay yesterday afternoon, just before a storm came in.  From Demopolis to Fairhope, Alabama is about 230 miles.  I did this in three days, anchoring out both nights.  I stopped at Bobby's Fish Camp for a little extra fuel.  While I was there, I met some other boaters, who offered me cherry pie and coffee.  It was a nice break in the morning routine.  Anchorages are few and far between on the Tombigbee and Black Warrior Rivers.

The Demopolis Lock had been closed a few days for repairs. There were many barges lined up to go through.  "Le Hooker" and I left Demopolis at the same time, having called ahead to find out when the best time was for us to lock through.  Another, much larger boat, Lady Pearl, apparently didn't call.  They left a good hour or more ahead of us for the lock and had to wait to go through with us.

The last lock of the "Dirty Dozen" is Coffeeville, which is just south of Bobby's Fish Camp.  Bobby's Fish Camp is the only fuel stop between Demopolis and Mobile Bay, known for their restaurant which serves catfish.  I stopped to get some fuel, but with three large boats on the fuel dock, the only way for me to tie up was perpendicular to the river at the end of the dock, near the fuel pump.  Although I called in advance and did what I could do to get fuel quickly, the other boaters explained how it was a "relaxed" kind of place.  I had passed a barge a couple hours before showing up and hoped to get to the lock with plenty of time before the barge.  By the time I finished fueling, the barge was close by.  I radioed the barge and asked if they had room for my little boat in the lock downstream, but the barge took up the whole lock.  Instead of heading down river immediately, I enjoyed the company of the other boaters at Bobby's.  I missed out on having catfish for dinner by not staying for the night.  In order to make it to Fairhope, I knew I had to get to an anchorage 64 miles north of Mobile, about 55 miles further than Bobby's.

Heading into Mobile Bay was pretty cool, because it represents the completion of the inner river part of the Loop.  Tonight, two other couples and I will celebrate making this part of the Loop by going to a nice restaurant.  I have made it from Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico.  The other two boats, Sea Fever and dARrf V, did stay at Bobby's, but also run much faster than my boat, Annabelle.  They both left Demopolis a day after I did.  They made the 230 mile trip in two days, versus my three.  Despite our different strategies on getting here, we all arrived within a few minutes of each other, moments before it started raining. (I met Debi and Jim last year at the Rendezvous in Alabama, and they are on Sea Fever.)

Someone's home away from home, outside Midway Marina

He found his perch, on this sunken log.

The moon was still full, when I left one of the anchorages, as the sun was coming up.

These were the water lillies, which created the lock debris.  Not bad debris compared to logs.

The lock gates closing in behind me and all the flowers.

Sunset at anchor before going to Demopolis, around MM 276

This is the I-20 bridge.  I had to smile since I crossed this bridge when I moved to Southport from Tucson.

The white cliffs of Epes!

Anchorage

A collection of towboats of all different sizes, sitting by the side of the river.

My anchorage in Three Rivers Lake, definitely 'gator country.

Cochran Bridge, the entrance to Mobile Bay.  Those are barges coming through.

Beyond the normal barges, there are also container ships and a variety of other ocean vessels in Mobile.

These high rise buildings are so pretty, they seem like they should be up in Chicago!

These just look tough and mean... don't know what they do, and I don't care to ask.

Mobile Convention Center

Getting closer to Mobile Bay

Just past this last container ship is the entrance out into the Bay.

Sunset after the storm, at Eastern Shores Marina, in Fairhope.

From here, I will be heading east across the Florida Panhandle.  Do I dare say out loud that I am hoping to avoid hurricanes?  I am stopping here for a couple days to take care of some boat maintenance, including new zincs, washing and waxing my hull, changing my thru-hull valve, and changing the oil.  I am way ahead of schedule for being home by Christmas.  I am looking forward to the small towns along the coast as well as the ocean air!