JACKIE B III Going Loopy

I really love getting up before dawn.  The world just looks different.  The Spanish moss and the still water reflections at the Big Briar Creek anchorage were beautiful. As we pulled away down the river the sun finally came up. I thought this passing barge was silhouetted nicely by the rising sun. As we continued into Mobile bay we encountered many barges In the sunshine with the blue skies eve the cranes had their own beauty. Once we were out in the bay, it was so calm. We were so thankful since we needed to go 7 mph.  This fishing boat had quite a following of brown pelicans. We even encountered a pod of dolphins.  They came racing to the boat and when I went to film them it seemed as if they disappeared.  They were actually running with us under the bow. As we approached Gulf Shores and the Gulf Intra Coastal Waterway a very nice man on the AGLCA Facebook page took some photos of our boat. Thanks Art! We pulled into Homeport Marina which is where Jimmy Buffet...

The BlackWarrior- Tombigbee Waterway meanders 430 miles down to Mobile Bay.  We only have two locks in this section and we will end up back in tidal waters after our last lock of our loop. We spotted our first alligator in this section although they have been reported further upstream.  I think the cold kept them in hiding. But the sun came out.  I spotted turtles sunning at first.  Then Mike spotted this big boy. We circled around to get a photo and he didn’t flinch.  I guess he’s not afraid of us. We left Demopolis with a big group.  We stayed at the back of the pack this time because we became the slow boat due to our failed engine Turbo and we needed to use only one engine.  Mike did a masterful job of navigating in spite of the handicap. We were the last boat into the anchorage at Bashi Creek just before sunset.  Fellow loopers on Paradise were kind enough to allow us to raft up. As you can see this creek in quite narrow so we backed out...

  The Tenn-Tom Waterway connects the Tennessee river at Pickwick Lake with the Tombigbee River. While we had no locks the first day, We had six on the second day and two on the third. I spent a lot of time on deck watching the bollards and fenders to ensure a good drop. This is a floating bollard also known as a pin. When they work properly they move with the water level up and down this tall shaft.  Occasionally they get stuck which would be really bad.  That is why I need to keep a very close eye on the situation. Before we went through the first lock My cousin Julie and her husband Owen met us on Bayspring Lake at the Marina there.  It was really wonderful to spend time with them. I hadn’t seen Julie in about 15 years. We met up with a lot of loopers in the lock and stayed together with them for all six locks. We progressed through the locks. This was the last lock of the day and one of the shortest drops we had. We made the anchorage right at sunset. We had a bea...

  We set our sights on the AGLCA Fall Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park.  To get there we cruised up the beautiful Tennessee River. Initially we went through Pickwick Lake formed by the Pickwick Dam. The colors of fall continue to offer us very pleasant views along the waterway. Our first stop on the way up was Florence Alabama.  This town is famous for the Muscle Shoals music industry which had its beginnings right across the river.  The weekend we arrived was the song writers festival.  We were able to enjoy some live music at a bar called Swampers after the band that started the movement here.  One of the best things about Florence is that old Army Air Defense families live nearby. On the way up to the park Rob and Tammy Jassey came for dinner. The night was just beautiful and we had a beautiful sunset cruise. We had an early morning departure to get through the Wilson Lock. Several boats joined us.  This is one of the largest lifts on the river,...