Month: December 2019

Fair Hope to Fort McRee

Still fighting the crud, we moved slowly in our routine prep for leaving Fair Hope, Alabama Marina. The temps continued to be quite comfortable and the sun was shining.  Both are always welcome, but the way we have felt physically, they were especially encouraging, giving us hope that the worst of our current condition was behind us.  After a pump out, we eased into Mobile Bay, south by southeast.  The waters were flat, breeze mild.  A couple hours into the day, I saw our most recent traveling friends on AIS .  We could not have timed our rendezvous any better had we tried and ended up on the Gulf ICW in single file, once again.  Talking on the radio, we realized we all had the same sunset destination in mind. 

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There are mixed reviews about traveling with buddy boats.  Some say you don’t develop your skills as well when depending on other boats.  Nor will you meet as many people because you withdraw to your small community.   I completely disagree.  I’m pretty Type A, so I don’t tend to sit around and wait on people to make decisions, nor do I have the patience to debate the “best” way to approach a journey.  But what I have found is that most people we meet are pretty sharp, even if not highly experienced.  And seldom do we encounter an ego that has to be in charge.  As a result, our collaborations prompt learning from others, we enjoy the peace of mind of safety in numbers, and new friendships always result. So, we have become big advocates of the buddy boat-team-attitude system.   Traveling together teaches and does not hamper the learning experience.

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Our 47 NM from Fair Hope to Ft. McRee took about 7 hours.  We passed through Wolf Bay, Perido Key, and the Big Lagoon before arriving at the well protected basin of Ft. McRee. 

The fort itself is essentially gone.  Construction started in 1834 and was completed in 1839, by the United States.  It is located on the eastern tip of Perdido Key and was named after Brevet Officer Colonel William McRee.  Along with Fort Barrancas and Fort Pickens, they protected the Pensacola Bay.  During the Civil War, Ft. McRee was hammered by the Union until it was virtually destroyed.  Not much now to see, it more resembles another big sand dune/island along the Gulf coast.

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It is a beautiful setting as an anchorage for boats.  I understand it is a very popular spot on the weekends in the warmer weather.  With plenty of room for many boats, I can see how it might be a great venue for a big flotilla social event.  The storms of the past couple years have made it quite shallow in spots, so it was a little tricky finding a good anchor location.  We hit bottom 4-5 times looking.  After settling our anchor, our friends on Jo-Ca, Bliss, and Onward filled in around us.  With mild breezes from the East, we all had room to swing and enjoy the day’s end in this well protected tidal basin.  Before sunset, and before the final rain set in, we donned the dinghy and ran over to the shoreline.  Our friends from Jo-Co had taken their dog, by dinghy, for a little exercise, so we puttered over and joined them on the beach.  But soon the rains came and we scurried back to the boat, cutting our little exploration adventure far too short.

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Dinner and a little TV/reading and we put our running noses and cough to bed once more.

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12/5/19 Sunflower East to Mobile Convention Center

Our plans for 6:30 am anchor pull were postponed by Mother Nature.  The fog set in about 4:00 am, resulting in a delay until almost 8:30. 

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With no locks or other anticipated potential delays, we knew we should still make it around 4:30 pm, not too long before dark.  Our destination was the Mobile Convention Center.  The downtown dock charges a nominal fee to stay there with no amenities, other than security. 

We have now traveled with this group for 3 days, yet we have not met them all.  As chilly as it has been, nobody has taken the initiative of putting the dinghy in the water and visiting boating neighbors at an anchorage.  When we reach the warmer weather, afternoon dinghy visiting will once again be the norm. 

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The high of 68 degrees allowed us to run with the doors open most of the day. We have operated the boat from the pilot house, instead of the flybridge, for weeks. We do enjoy being on top and outside, but the weather has been too cold. Amanda and I both are still dragging from bad colds.  Our days are spent sneezing and coughing and going through boxes of Kleenex. The nights are restless, dozing between coughing spells and nose sprays. We are looking forward to getting this inconvenience behind us.

Our approach into Mobile reminded us much of Savannah. The Alabama Port Authority buzzes, but nothing compared to what I see at home.

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We did make it by 4:30. It took the 4 boats a while to coordinate the dockage on the concrete wall at the Convention Center. It was tight, but we squeezed them into place. After everyone chilled on their own boats, we met on the dock at 7:00 and walked a few blocks to dinner. It was nice, finally meeting everyone and getting acquainted.

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As we closed out our day with friends, Amanda and I made the decision to go east across Mobile Bay to Fair Hope on Friday morning. The other boats wanted to stick together and instead would go to Turner Landing on the west side of the Bay. Fair Hope, Alabama, is a town Amanda had visited on several occasions growing up.

12/6/19 Convention Center to Fair Hope City Marina

We slept in a little this morning. Moving slowly from our head colds, we eventually got the energy to make the 15 NM trip across the Mobile Bay. The winds were calm and the water was flat. We wanted to take advantage of that weather window, after hearing that the Bay can get pretty rough. Interesting to me, the bay is relatively shallow, except the shipping channels. Exposed directly to the Gulf, we were told the waves can get 6-8 feet high in the bay. Where much of the water is only 6-10 deep, a boat like ours can actually hit bottom coming down from the top of one those waves. The danger of damaging or sinking the boat is real and we wanted no part of that experience.

Our trip was uneventful, 2 hours long, and we were in the little safe harbor of Fair Hope by 1:00 pm. Because we had pushed our way down the Tombigbee, and were ahead of our planned date, we opted to stay here for 2 nights.

We did very little while here. I washed the outside of the boat and not much more. Our energy levels are low, and though the weather is appealing, we laid around on the boat missing opportunities to shop, restaurant, and sight see. But getting well was more important. Hopefully, resting will pay dividends and we will be hitting on all 6 soon. Our splurge for a night at the Grand Hotel will have to wait until we are well.

The highlight of the weekend was certainly the LSU SEC Championship win over Georgia. GEAUX TIGERS! GO JEAUX BURREAUX!

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Sunday morning, we head to an anchorage on the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway (GICW).

Bashi Creek to Sunflower East

We pulled out of Bashi Creek Anchorage just before 7 am this morning and headed south to our next anchorage, Sunflower East.  Fifty-six NM and ONE MORE lock were today’s goal. 

For the first 2-3 miles, we dealt with fog. 

The sun was bright enough to allow us to keep moving, but we wouldn’t pass each other, not being sure of what might be coming around the corner.  It soon burned off and we passed the slow sailboat.

Coffeeville Lock was our last lock experience, since we will by-pass the Okeechobee Canal, south of Stuart, Florida.  We lost approximately an hour at the lock because 2 barges were just ahead of us, also southbound.  We have been entertained, challenged, overwhelmed, and educated by the more than 100 locks we have traversed. The Erie Canal, Trent-Severn Waterway, the Illinois, Tennessee, and Tombigbee Rivers boast as massive engineering structures, that enable navigation and flood control of North America’s waterways. 

Since leaving the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway last summer, we have had no tide.  Leaving the Coffeeville Lock behind means tidal water now lies ahead. Tidal water always has some impact on your journey.  Whether you are fighting the tide or going with it, trip plans should be planned accordingly. As we continue southward, the tide swing will continue to be a factor.  Tying to a fixed dock must be carefully measured.  Tying tightly to a fixed dock at a high tide can have devastating results 6 hours later.  So, though I am happy to be getting further south, I don’t look forward to adding the tidal planning into the equation daily.

Our day was gorgeous, starting with temperatures in the mid-30’s and reaching the mid-60’s by arrival time.  No wind and a following current made the day (and the miles) pass quickly. Our only challenge was the debris in the river.  The scary part of days like this is what you don’t see.  A tiny little stick or limb that you do see, attached to a log, that you don’t, could literally rip your prop off or do major damage to the hull of your boat. The lead boat normally offers the courtesy of warning the team that follows of any unusual or particularly dangerous conditions.  For most of the day, that boat was me, so I was on the radio a good bit announcing another log or tree or submerged channel marker.

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Another day under the belt, we have made good progress since returning to the boat on Monday. With the other boats in the group, we have been motivated to push a little farther each day. We will be able to do in 3 days what we had planned (on our own) to do in 4. This will be helpful in our goal of reaching Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., where we plan to return to the farm to assist with Amanda’s brother.

12/2/19

Our Thanksgiving was absolutely fabulous.  All our children and grandchildren were there.  Most everyone felt good.  Lauren had strep and Lane and Haynes were dragging part of the time, but otherwise we enjoyed each other and the outdoors.  Thanksgiving Day, my sister and her family joined us for good grub and hanging out together.  We had a great outdoor fire at the fire pit.  As the sun set, it seemed everyone wanted the moment to last just a little longer.  I am a blessed man to have family that cares for, and actually likes, one another. I’m grateful.

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We left the farm mid-morning, headed back to Demopolis in the rental car.  Amanda’s brother was undergoing surgery as we drove.  Pretty extensive, the initial report is that things went as hoped.  We will have to wait for details over the next day or two.  We arrived in Demopolis around 3 pm, made the grocery run to restock the bare cupboard, turned in the rental car, and unpacked for the next leg.  Amanda took a short walk and I met a couple guys, John and Jamie, from other boats who were also southbound. They said we were welcome to join them at the marina office to plan and coordinate the Demopolis Lock passage with the other southbounders.  So our new friends (boats) are Jo-ca, Bliss, Moon Dance, Onward, and Mar Sea.  Anchorages and marinas get further apart in this area, so it’s comforting to join forces with other boats looking out for one another on the long days.  This group, for the most part, was not comprised of Looper boats.  We learned that some of these guys take their boats south for the winter each year from this western side of the Loop.  They travel this section of the Tombigbee frequently, so they know the trouble spots, the anchorages, marinas, etc.   Their experience and knowledge was quite helpful in our discussion.  Their fruitful insight, and the opportunity for camaraderie, influenced and improved our game plan.  We agreed to pull out at 6:30 am Tuesday morning, assuming clear passage at the lock.

12/3/19

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At 6:00 am, Moon Dance called us on the radio and said the lockmaster would lock us through at 6:30 am.  We injected our coffee (for the safety of all parties) and pulled out of the slip shortly thereafter.  Arriving at the lock at 6:35, the lockmaster bluntly told us exactly how he expected us to approach, secure, and go through his lock.  Not rude, but absolutely no non-sense, and direct, we submitted to his authority, and got through without excitement or issue.  I learned later this guy has a reputation for such crassness, and has even been fired for his treatment of boaters.  But most boaters with any experience can attest, you can argue with these guys and lose, or you can be kind, and probably still lose.  Since they are the boss, and they know they are, the best way to get through the obstacle is to kill them with kindness.  The practice obviously applies to more than getting through a lock.

The Tombigbee River will take us to Mobile Bay. That will be in 3 days, based on the new game plan. Our anchorage/ destination for today, with the group, will be Bashi Creek.

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With only the one lock (Demopolis), the whole day was spent moving and not waiting.  We covered 65 NM and arrived at Bashi before 2 pm.  With a nice current on our stern, we averaged 9.4 knots, just under light speed, in our world. I think we only passed 2 tows and with only 1 lock, we covered a lot of miles and still arrived early enough in the day to see where we are and what is going on.

We pulled into the creek, very narrow, with little current, just off the river.  The trees formed a slight canopy above the water, making the feel of the creek narrower than it really is.  The others decided to stay on the side of the river out of the channel.  With 4 other boats needing that space, I volunteered to take the creek, giving them plenty of room to anchor end to end, facing into the current.

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There was plenty of depth, so I moved to a position that would accommodate another boat, if one showed up.  We manipulated the anchors to keep the stern from swinging into the shoreline and was set for the night.  There was a sense of being at a marina, because it was so quiet and still.

As often is the case in rural areas, not much TV, internet, or phone, so entertainment is scarce.  I grilled burgers at 4:30, read the 3 month-old magazines on the boat, and shut down pretty early.  Amanda and I both are fighting cold/sinus issues, trying to stay well.  Amanda’s is worse, so she was out by 8:00 and me just a little later.