The early morning sky always inspires–Just over the treeline is the Gulf
Our last day began as many others. Beautiful sunrise. Warmer day. We traveled about 43 NM along the Gulf ICW. We were often in sight of the Gulf of Mexico, but most of the time, we enjoyed the calmer waters, shielded by the small barrier islands and sand dunes. We will soon see plenty of the Gulf itself when the right weather day allows us to cross from Carabelle to Clearwater, Florida.
We never get tired of the porpoise escorts
We arrived at Two Georges Marina around 2:30. Two Georges offers a reasonable monthly rate and is located where it is well protected from significant winds and weather. We will leave the Honey Queen here until Amanda’s brother no longer needs our assistance in Pine Mountain, GA., as he recovers from his recent surgery. How long this boat break will be is undetermined. We will trust that God’s timing is perfect and we will return to our adventure when conditions allow. We look forward to the holidays, time with family, and a few projects at Sweetwater Farm. Tomorrow, we rent a car, and head to Pine Mountain.
En William Hill, nos aseguramos de ofrecer solo tragamonedas de proveedores certificados como Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Microgaming, Play’n GO y muchos más. Más de 500 slots con jackpots progresivos, tiros gratis y funciones bonus emocionantes. Aquí te dejamos los mejores casinos en línea para jugar los mejores jackpots online disponibles en México. Con una trayectoria de menos de 10 años, este proveedor ha obtenido numerosos premios en años recientes por su desempeño, otorgados por organismos de prestigio tales como la Autoridad del Juego de Malta, entre otros. Por el momento Quickspin cuenta con una variedad con temáticas distintas y efectos de sonido y gráficos 3D increíbles para slots de casinos, mismas que podrás encontrar en su sitio web. Lo mejor que puedes hacer es disfrutar del juego tranquilo, sin presión y no tratando de hacer apuestas y partidas rápidas. Recuerda no exceder tus tiempos de juego y jugar de manera consciente y responsable. Digamos que se aumentan las probabilidades de ganar si en vez de repartir un poquito en todos los jackpot que veas en los casinos, te dedicas a jugar uno en particular.
Las tiradas gratis con multiplicadores, los “rolling reels” y los comodines están presentes, sumados a un bote progresivo que promete premios y acción. Con 243 formas de ganar y una volatilidad alta, esta tragamonedas te ofrece la posibilidad de conseguir hasta 12,000 veces tu apuesta. Con 5 carretes y 5 líneas de pago en ambos sentidos, este juego de alta volatilidad ofrece una ganancia máxima de hasta 6000 veces tu apuesta. Ofrece tres tipos de re-giros, giros gratis y una ronda de jackpot que puede generar enormes ganancias en casinos con pago rápido. Hemos hecho una lista con los 7 mejores slots casino tv azteca con jackpot para jugar en casinos online que aceptan American Express.
Si, te recomendamos que revises los casinos que recomiendan nuestros expertos en onlinecasino.mx los cuales son seguros y puedes revisar sus reseñas cada vez que lo necesites. Cuanto más tiempo tenga el bote sin explotar, más grande serán las ganancias. Al salir el premio del jackpot progresivo, se renueva de inmediato el sistema mencionado anteriormente. En la versión regular tienes la oportunidad de ganar más ganancias pero pequeñas y en la versión max la frecuencia puede ser menor pero, si aciertas al combo ganador, recibirás tantas veces como el indicador de ganancias del slot indique. ¡Te invitamos a probar este divertido slot y a obtener todos sus fabulosos premios! Buffalo Rising Megaways posee excelentes funciones de juego, jackpot progresivos, pagos muy buenos en relación a las apuestas mínimas y máximas permitidas, y múltiples modalidades de giros gratis con los que podrás obtener las mejores recompensas, sin gastar más pesos de los necesarios.
Si no sabes en qué casino jugar, te sugerimos probar las plataformas evaluadas por Gambling.com México, ya que son seguras y compatibles con celulares. Lo primero que debes hacer es verificar si el juego de tu interés está disponible en la app de casino en línea donde deseas jugar. En Winpot casino puedes iniciar con $500 MXN sin depósito y hasta $10.000 MXN, mientras que PlayUZU entrega 80 giros gratis sin requisitos de apuesta, ideales para explorar sus tragamonedas destacadas. Sin embargo, casinos como Winner, PlayUZU y Betsson te permiten jugar por diversión en varios de sus jackpots. Por lo general, los juegos de casino con dinero real incluyen los jackpots progresivos. Como lo prometido es deuda, seleccionamos los cinco mejores jackpot slots casinos para que sepas qué jugar y en dónde.
Si te gusta jugar y obtener giros gratis por montón, está slot es para ti. Gonzo Quest te ofrece efectos únicos con animaciones 3D moviéndote en el tablero cada vez que el bono “Free Fall” se active, el sonido de la selva te adentrará en el mundo perdido de la cultura Inca. Una de sus divertidas características son los “bonos” ya que tendrás que clavar estacas a estos vampiros para conseguir la mayor cantidad de bonos. Trabajamos con los mejores proveedores del mundo como Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Microgaming y Play’n GO para ofrecerte títulos exclusivos con los mejores RTP del mercado. Desde clásicas de 3 carretes hasta las más modernas con megaways y funciones bonus espectaculares. Este jackpot ofrece la posibilidad de ganar un premio mucho mayor al habitual, atrayendo a jugadores que buscan grandes recompensas en una sola tirada. Las tragamonedas con jackpot funcionan como los slots tradicionales, pero incluyen un bote especial que puede ser fijo o progresivo. Un jackpot progresivo es un premio acumulativo que crece con cada apuesta realizada en un juego.
Neue Kunden erhalten einen Einzahlungsbonus und Freispiele zum Kennenlernen. Der Anbieter bietet im Vergleich ein starkes Gesamtpaket an und weiß insbesondere bei der Vielfalt an Spielen zu überzeugen. Dazu überzeugt der Anbieter mit einem zuvorkommenden Kundenservice und einer breit aufgestellten Auswahl an Zahlungsmethoden. „StarGames ist eine Top-Adresse und überzeugt mit Premium-Slots als Hauptargument. Zu den größten Stärken zählen die vielfältige Auswahl an Spielen oder die spannenden Boni, welche für Neu- und für Bestandskunden bereitstehen.
Die beste Casino Auszahlungsquote bietet Wunderino. Wunderino hat in unserem Test hinsichtlich der Auszahlung am meisten überzeugt und ist das am besten zahlende Online Casino. „Die Online Spielothek von Lapalingo wurde im Jahr 2015 gegründet und zählte zu den ersten Plattformen, die eine GGL-Lizenz erhalten haben. Das GGL-lizenzierte Online Casino überzeugt darüber hinaus mit einem sehr guten Treueprogramm und einer ansprechenden mobilen Web-Applikation. Insgesamt stehen über 1000 verschiedene Spielautomaten zur Verfügung.
So erhalten User nicht nur einen Einzahlungsbonus, sondern auch Freispiele on top. Bereits auf der Startseite finden User aktuelle Aktionen sowie die beliebtesten Slots vor. Alles in allem überzeugt Novoline.de mit einem starken Gesamtpaket, welches als Nummer vier nur knapp das Podium verpasst. User finden einen zuvorkommenden Kundenservice vor. Qualität auf höchstem Niveau bietet Novoline.de auch abseits der Spiele und Plattform an. Weitere Stärken sind die Sicherheit, die rechtliche Regulierung und die speziellen Features, welche zur Verfügung stehen. „Novoline.de ist eine der besten Anlaufstellen auf dem deutschen Markt und bietet ein Premium-Erlebnis an. Die Online Spielbank Novoline bietet auf seiner Plattform legendäre Spiele wie Book of Ra, Lucky Lady’s Charm, Sizzling Hot oder Lord of the Ocean an.
Die Registrierung ist einfach gehalten, erfordert jedoch eine Verifizierung über den Drittanbieter Jumio, um Identität und Volljährigkeit sicherzustellen und so den Schutz vor Geldwäsche und Teilnahme Minderjähriger zu gewährleisten. DrückGlück bietet seit 2015 ein umfangreiches Online Spielotheken-Erlebnis und hat sich nach Inkrafttreten des Glücksspielstaatsvertrags erfolgreich die GGL-Lizenz für Virtuelle Automatenspiele gesichert. Über die übersichtlichen Menüleisten lassen sich neue und beliebte Winplace Casino Slots, aktuelle Aktionen sowie spannende Slot-Turniere im Handumdrehen finden. In unserem Bwin-Test haben uns insbesondere die fairen Umsatzbedingungen (50-facher Umsatz) sowie das benutzerfreundliche Design der Website überzeugt. Bwin überzeugt mit über 1.100 Online Slots, einem attraktiven 200 %-Bonus bis zu 80 € inklusive 100 Freispielen Willkommensbonus sowie einem umfassenden Spielerschutz und spannenden Aktionen. Um stets genaue, relevante und aktuelle Informationen zu bieten, werden unsere Bewertungen kontinuierlich aktualisiert. Durch diese umfassende Bewertung stellen wir sicher, dass nur sichere deutsche Online Casinos es auf unsere Empfehlungsliste schaffen.
Der renommierte Anbieter – weltweit bekannt für sein exzellentes Sportwetten Angebot – bietet inzwischen auch einen hochklassigen Slots-Bereich an. Der Anbieter überzeugt im deutschen Vergleich mit dem stärksten Gesamtpaket, das für jeden Spielertypen geeignet ist. Zahlen Sie €10 ein und erhalten Sie 50 Freispiele, wenn Sie €10 auf teilnehmende Slots gesetzt haben. Dann ist die Gamesbasis genau die richtige Anlaufstelle! Regionale Bestenlisten mit gültigen Lizenzen, sicheren Auszahlungen und Unterstützung lokaler Zahlungsmethoden. Die deutsche Lizenz der Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder ist der wichtigste Punkt überhaupt. Trotzdem lohnt sich ein genauer Vergleich, denn die Anbieter unterscheiden sich spürbar bei Bonus, Bedienung, Slots, Zahlungswegen und Support. Wer dagegen klassische Casinospiele sucht, benötigt ein Online Casino, das solche Spiele anbietet.
So Finden Wir Seriöse & Beste Online Casinos In Deutschland
Bei lizenzierten Anbietern in Deutschland stehen virtuelle Slots im Mittelpunkt. Sie überzeugen durch einfache Spielmechaniken, bekannte Themen oder ein ausgewogenes Verhältnis von Spannung und Unterhaltung. Für die meisten Spieler stehen ganz bestimmte Punkte im Vordergrund. Wir prüfen genau, ob Umsatzanforderungen realistisch erfüllbar sind, wie viel Zeit dir für das Freispielen bleibt und wie unkompliziert sich Promotionen aktivieren lassen. „Ehrlich gesagt überzeugt mich nicht der Anbieter mit dem lautesten Angebot, sondern der, der auch drei Monate später noch fair und übersichtlich ist. Im Fokus stehen bekannte Hersteller wie Pragmatic Play, Greentube, Merkur und Push Gaming, ergänzt durch viele weitere Studios. Bei den Zahlungsmethoden stehen moderne Optionen wie Apple Pay zur Verfügung.
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.
Mobile Bay fades behind us…as the storm moved in
The Gulf ICW waits our entrance
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.
If you have followed this blog since inception, you will remember our guardian “angels” Michael & Gabriel. It’s nice to have them back, now that we are in the saltwater.
Tacky Tacos looked like a fun place for a lunch stop, but we wanted to make it before dark. Maybe next time around.
Minimal barge traffic here, but the scrap business still warrants it. I wonder how many of these cars are there because of storms.
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.
The lighthouse across Pensacola Bay
Sand bar covered with birds, forming part of our surroundings
The storm slowly moving in
Prehistoric Pterodactyl sightings are very common. One can’t be too careful. Small animals and attractive women are especially susceptible. I had to disguise Amanda as a man. It’s just too hard to train a new mate at this point in the journey.
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.
A short dinghy ride before sunset.
Dinner and a little TV/reading and we put our running noses and cough to bed once more.
Our friend boats, (L-R) Jo-Ca, Bliss, and Onward with the sunset as a nice backdrop
Además, son ideales para aquellos jugadores que buscan una experiencia nostálgica. También te enseñaremos algunas de los mejores títulos de los últimos años. Ofrecen un entretenimiento sencillo, buenos gráficos, emocionantes bonificaciones y la oportunidad de mejorar tu experiencia en general. Siempre estoy probando los títulos competitivos de momento, aportando un toque de frescura a todos mis contenidos. Con un transfondo técnico en informática, analizo al detalle los algoritmos de los últimos juegos de póker lanzados y las tragamonedas betista casino inspiradas en la cultura gamer. Juegos como Book of Dead ofrecen multiplicadores masivos de hasta x5.000 la apuesta, aunque las slots con jackpot progresivo no tienen techo en su bote acumulado. Para sacar ritmo a tu partida no basta con mirar las cifras teóricas de la máquina. Encontrarás una gran variedad de modalidades, cada una con reglas de combate propias, mecánicas de pago y ritmos de partida.
Después de revisar nuestra guía, puedes empezar a jugar a las mejores tragamonedas online por dinero real accediendo a nuestras listas dedicadas de casinos online. Esto puede hacer que una Tragamonedas Video sea un poco más complicado de entender al principio, pero lo bueno es que nuestras guías y el propio juego están equipados con la información adecuada. Ten en cuenta que esos títulos están mejor valorados según nuestra comunidad. Jugar a estas tragamonedas online mejor valoradas te da una mejor oportunidad de conseguir ganancias. ¡Las mejores tragamonedas para jugar han vuelto y están listas para que las aproveches! Los símbolos colosales son divertidos cuando aparecen, pero ojalá salieran más a menudo. El RTP parece sólido, pero hay que tener paciencia con la alta volatilidad. El juego se beneficiaría de gráficos actualizados, pero en general, es divertido para jugar de forma casual.
Busca tragamonedas más divertidas que ofrezcan funciones adicionales, como giros gratis, multiplicadores, rondas de bonificación y minijuegos. Antes de jugar, revisa cuál es el RTP de las tragamonedas para jugar en aquellas que te ofrezcan mejores probabilidades. Además, cuenta con gráficos de alta calidad y otras funcionalidades interesantes, como giros gratis y multiplicadores. Además de una temática fascinante, cuenta con símbolos en expansión que la hacen mucho más divertida. Incorpora un innovador mecanismo de ‘avalancha’ que hace que los símbolos caigan en cascada y que las oportunidades de ganar en cada giro se multipliquen. Starburst es la tragamonedas más famosa de NetEnt y muchos jugadores la prefieren por encima de todas las demás. Si te gustan las tragamonedas online, aquí te presentamos cinco de los títulos más populares de ayer y hoy.
Que Puedes Encontrar En Los Casinos
Los bonos que requieren que se realice un depósito para activarlos pueden tener límites. Antes de activar cualquier tipo de bono, asegúrate de leer los Términos y Condiciones de ese casino y del bono que quieres reclamar. Las condiciones pueden referirse a cosas como los requisitos de depósito máximo o mínimo, requisitos de apuesta, periodos de tiempo, opciones bancarias, juegos elegibles o límites de retirada. Estos bonos de casino pueden ayudarte a jugar sin depositar una gran cantidad de dinero. Opta por opciones bancarias conocidas sobre las que puedas encontrar información adicional online. La primera preocupación de cualquier casino legítimo debería ser proteger tu información bancaria.
Ofrecen un número variable de símbolos por carrete, generando miles de formas de ganar en cada giro. Incluyen jackpots acumulados que crecen con cada apuesta realizada. Cada tragamonedas define sus propias reglas, por lo que siempre conviene revisar la información del juego antes de apostar. Estas funciones añaden variabilidad a la experiencia, aunque no alteran el carácter aleatorio del juego. Hoy en día, las tragamonedas online están presentes en casinos virtuales y permiten jugar desde ordenador, móvil o tablet, sin necesidad de acudir a un casino físico. Las tragamonedas, también conocidas como tragaperras, son máquinas de juego basadas en el giro de carretes con símbolos. Esto puede significar que, si no juegas el valor del bono en unos días o semanas, puede cancelarse automáticamente, y todos los créditos acumulados hasta ese momento se retirarán de tu saldo.
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.
Looking south, we waited a couple hours later than planned
Looking north
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.
The Tensaw junctions with the Mobile River
Ahhh….the marsh grass
….and palmettos
If I didn’t have such a bad cold, I could smell the marsh
The landscape continues to evolve to our familiar coastal waters.
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.
I-65 Bridge just north of Mobile
The Mobile skyline came into view a little after 4 pm.
Our approach into Mobile reminded us much of Savannah. The Alabama Port Authority buzzes, but nothing compared to what I see at home.
Double horseshoe bend–God has a funny sense of humor
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.
Downtown by night….
And by day
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!
Friday night sunset
Saturday night sunset
A little rain…a big threat.
A view of Mobile Bay at dusk.
Sunday morning, we head to an anchorage on the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway (GICW).
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.
Our anchorage looked more inviting at daybreak than after dusk.
For the first 2-3 miles, we dealt with fog.
The fog often impacts boat travel, as the air temps are cooler than the water temp.
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.
Our new friends, John & Heidi own this beauty, the Jo-Ca, named over their 2 moms, Joann and Carol.
The Tombigbee should have been named the Politician River…crooked and unpredictable. Not to mention, we often see markers on the right that have been pushed to the left.
Erosion took this home out
Pardon another bridge, please….there will be more.
Debris stuck to the bottom identifies the speed of the current.
After dinner tonight, we had a tug come by. Very little wake, but still it makes you appreciate being tucked out of the way as these beast ease by.
Tonight, we all anchored in the river. We were near the town of Sunflower, Alabama. In 2 lines, well out of the marked channel, we found safe harbor and slept well, even when the tows passed in the night.
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.
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.
Honey teaching Lane and Haynes how to prep collard greens. Now if she can teach them how to eat them.
When I asked Stella if she wanted to ride Poppy’s buggy, she said no, but wanted to ride Kroger’s buggy. Clint, Mali, and half of my favorite grandchildren.
Poppy gets the Will snuggles
My assistant tractor driver can now open and close the gate. Good job, Haynes!
Miss Stella didn’t have an LSU outfit, so she had to settle for this.
Poor kid…never happy.
Fantasy of Lights, Callaway Gardens
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
Sunrise as we left Demopolis
Demopolis Water Tank
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.
Highway 80 bridge over the Tombigbee. I have crossed this bridge probably 100 times since graduating from college, going back home. Never thought I would someday go under it.
The red clay in the mix…
Vertical lift railway bridge, no longer in use.
This eagle was especially proud today, after his relatives’ victory over the Crimson Tide Saturday.
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.
The tows churn the water. Nothing compared to the Mississippi, but still deserves attention as you reenter behind. The current will steer your boat where you don’t want to go.
My honey has a cold, but presses on for the cause.
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.
Looks like places where we used to go duck hunting. All I’m doing is staying out of the way of the barges.
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.
El mejor casino online con bono de bienvenida es aquel que ofrece bajo rollover y mayor margen de tiempo para utilizar el bono. Tal como su nombre indica, los casinos con bono de bienvenida sin depósito brindan saldo extra sin la necesidad de que ingreses fondos. Los casinos con bono de bienvenida por depósito otorgan un saldo extra calculado como un porcentaje sobre tu depósito inicial. Los bonos de bienvenida son un beneficio que el casino otorga a los jugadores que se registran por primera vez en la plataforma. Descubre los 10 mejores casinos online de Chile que ofrecen bonos de bienvenida. Estas están fijadas principalmente por los tipos de bonos que ofrece el bono de bienvenida, por el porcentaje que ofrece el casino, los requisitos de uso como el de apuesta o rollover, la vigencia, entre otros.
Antes de elegir un casino online en Chile, conviene entender cómo cambia el valor real y qué requisitos afectan el acceso a las ganancias. Este casino online con licencia Kahnawake Casino Cote Lopez 902 ofrece primer y segundo depósito, giros gratis en Mummy’s Jewels y The Dog House, y aplica KYC. El operador muestra licencia de Curaçao 8048/JAZ, acepta transferencia bancaria, tarjetas, e-wallets y criptomonedas, y exige KYC antes del retiro. Tras analizar beneficios adicionales y paquetes de bienvenida, seleccionamos los mejores casinos online en Chile para este ranking actualizado de 2026.
Por ejemplo si el casino elegido tiene como depósito mínimo la cantidad de $5.000 CLP esta es la cantidad a depositar en tu cuenta para obtener el bono. Cada casino ofrece una vigencia diferente para poder usar el bono de bienvenida. En este caso clasificamos los casinos que no solicitan un depósito mínimo o aquellos que si solicitan sea una cantidad accesible para los usuarios. Aquellos bonos donde el casino te ofrece una cantidad de créditos para jugar en el casino por el total de tus pérdidas en el mismo. Es la cantidad de tus jugadas en determinado juego que van contando para completar tu rollover, por lo regular las tragamonedas contribuyen al 100%, es decir, todo lo que juegas en una tragamoneda se suma para completar tu rollover. Entre los casinos online con bonos de bienvenida, solo se incluyeron las opciones con estructuras promocionales más completas y transparentes.
Uncharted, Salty Dog, and Honey Queen all pulled anchors at 6:30 this morning and headed toward Demopolis. Uncharted, whose boat is faster than ours, lead the way. We would see them tonight at the marina.
Calm waters, sunny skies, temperatures in the 70’s, and spectacular scenery made this day so delightful. We took a number of pictures, making up for the past days.
The red clay banks tell me I must be getting close to home
Limestone banks glow in the sunshine
Our friends on the Salty Dog
The limestone cliffs that look like the Alabama version of Mt. Rushmore and colorful trees made the slow trek down the last leg of the Tennessee-Tom Bigbee Canal a delight. The canal ends just North of Demopolis, where it connects to the Black Warrior River and then the Tom Bigbee River. From Demopolis, we will be 4 boat days from Mobile Bay, Alabama. Another 7 boat days after will find us at Carabelle, Florida, the point where we make the “crossing” to Tarpon Springs, Florida. More to discuss on that later, as the time draws near.
We called to notify the marina we were near and we would need fuel before going to our slip. Skipping the painful details, we waited an hour for Uncharted to get their fuel and then spent another hour getting ours. The “high speed” fuel pump shoots fuel into our tanks faster than they can vent which results in constant “burping” of the tanks and fuel back-splashing out the fuel fill inlet all over the place. With no assistance from the hands on fuel dock, it took forever to trickle the fuel into our tanks. When the guy walked past our boat with a cigarette in his mouth, while I was pumping, Amanda said, “Please don’t smoke out here,” he said, “It’s just diesel.” She said, “It’s the law.” He flipped his brand new cigarette into the water and walked off. The attitude didn’t exactly make a great first impression of the Demopolis Yacht Basin. With diesel all over the boat, I had to wash it as soon as we got to the slip. Diesel takes the wax right off, slicks up the walking surfaces, and makes the whole boat wreak.
With all the Loopers in the marina, lots of visiting happens on the docks. Loopers typically pour their cocktails or pop their tops and start wandering the marina neighborhood. For some reason tonight, the majority of the roaming was taking place around our slip. I finished washing the boat and it took me 1 ½ hours to get my water hose disconnected because of all the folks hanging out. With the Looper flag displayed on the bow of boats, everybody knows who the Loopers are, so there is no lack of conversation as people pass your boat. We always enjoy meeting folks this way. And now that we have been doing this adventure for 6 months, people now perceive us as veterans. Many of the Loopers we’ve recently met have just started in the past few weeks, so they are still figuring out so many things. I don’t realize how much I have learned until I hear some of the questions and comments. For example, we heard someone complaining about the long hard day. The bad news is they have no idea what a hard day is yet. The rivers are virtually unaffected by the wind. The depth of water on the rivers and canal allows you to almost ignore your depth finder. There is no chance you will run aground if you follow the marked channel. And some have never dealt with the tide. Yes, there are some fun times ahead…for all of us.
We ended up with 6 guests in our little salon. As tight as quarters are, it doesn’t take very long to really acquainted, nor to figure out their deodorant scent. After an hour or so of great conversation, folks drifted back to their boats. We had dinner and turned in shortly thereafter.
11/22/19
We got up this morning, finished our packing, and caught a ride to Enterprise in Demopolis. We rented a car to drive to the farm for Thanksgiving. If all goes as planned, we will return to the boat on Monday, December 2nd, and move on southward. As some of you know, Amanda’s brother, Tom, has some health issues that may affect our short term plans on the adventure. We may need to hang at the farm (he lives in the area) to offer any assistance to him as he recovers. When his prognosis is clear, we will respond accordingly.
We always take photos of the Honey Queen when we leave it somewhere, just in case something happens.
We arrived at Sweetwater late afternoon, looking forward to having all the kids and grand kids for the long Thanksgiving weekend.
The ground looked like the aftermath of a parade…so colorful