Ocean Breeze: Great Loop Date 11.5 through 11.13.2010: The Long and Winding Road...

Days #85-93: 2208.9 total miles
Locks: 29 total
Ports #38 – 46

The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to your door........The Beatles
(Insert 'River' for 'road' and think 'Mobile Bay, AL' being the 'door'...and there you have the 9 successive days of travel on the Tennessee-Tombigbee, Black Warrior-Tombigbee River.)

Aqua Yacht Harbor did an excellent job repairing everything we gave them. The only repair that wasn’t accomplished was the middle windshield wiper motor. The canvas cover for the new refrigerator/freezer is awesome as are the covers for the two hatches over our bed.

Todd and I were glad to get back underway after spending three days at Aqua. Running the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, the Tombigbee River, the Black Warrior River and eventually the Alabama River, Mobile Channel took 10 days traveling every day. We stayed in 6 different marinas, had 3 different anchorages, travelled back and forth over the Alabama-Mississippi state line, moved through 10 different locks and went through the time change from daylight savings time to standard time. Each stop was as unique as the day traveled to get there. The scenery changed every day.

The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway is a 234-mile artificial waterway that provides a connecting link between the Tennessee and Tombigbee rivers. The waterway begins at Pickwick Lake on the Tennessee River, then flows southward through northeast Mississippi and west Alabama, finally connecting with the established Warrior-Tombigbee navigation system at Demopolis, Alabama.

After 12 years of construction, the waterway and its seventeen public ports and terminals opened to commercial traffic in January 1985. The elevation change between the two ends of the waterway is 341 feet. During and after its construction, the $2 billion waterway was widely criticized as an example of excessive pork barrel spending.

The waterway was busy with tow traffic moving both up and down river. The tows weren’t as big as the ones we saw in the Tennessee River, the Ohio River or the Mississippi. Most were 3X3 compared to the 6X5 we were used to seeing. We still saw mostly coal, grain and gravel barges. So pork or no pork, the waterway is being used commercially day after day, year after year.

Day #85 (11/5/2010 - Friday)
Port #38: Bay Springs Marina, Bay Springs, MS

OB left Aqua early. We met NII Wishin just outside of the marina. Joan and Jerry stayed at Grand Harbor while we were at Aqua.

We entered the Divide Cut, a 29 mile long cut made to connect Pickwick Lake to Bay Springs Lake. The straight channel left no doubt in our mind that we were in the Tenn-Tom Waterway. Along the way we passed a sign showing us where the town of Holcut, MS used to be located. It was moved to make way for the Tenn-Tom.

The Divide Cut in the Tenn-Tom Waterway left no doubt in our minds this was man-made.

Spillways along the Cut started out small and got bigger and bigger. They all had these cement baffles.

Fall colors were evident but not as bright as we expected.

The barge traffic continued. The barges were much smaller and easier to navigate around early in the waterway. This is Eastern coming around the bend.

Another spillway with more rows of baffles to help stop erosion in the waterway.

The sign marks where Holcut, MS used to be.

Terraced areas also help stop erosion in the banks. This wasn't the levee. It was on the opposite side.

Osprey nest on a daymarker. We saw a lot of these along the way.

OB made the turn into Bay Springs Marina located just before the first lock on the Tenn-Tom. Bay Springs, like so many of the marinas on the Tenn-Tom, is family owned, family run. We were met and welcomed at the dock by the son of the original owner. The family was from Solon, OH. Their application to start a marina was accepted while the waterway was under construction. They moved from Solon and each of the sons had a specific job in the development process.

Tree stumps dotted the way into Bay Springs. They reminded us this used to be above ground before man intervened.

Bay Springs Marina. Our night's rest was at the end of the dock. This was the nicest facility we'd have along the waterway.

Day #86 (11/6/2010 - Saturday)
Port #39: Midway Marina, Fulton, MS

The crew arose to fog and FROST. Todd called the Jamie Whitten Lock to see what the status was for locking through. The lockmaster advised him that although the lock was open and ready, there was a heavy fog bank at the bottom of the lock. He told us to make way to the lock in about 30 minutes and the fog would probably clear by the time we got to the bottom of the lock.

By the time we left our dock, the frost had cleared from OB’s front deck. Locking was a piece of cake, although a bit chilly standing outside. The Whitten Lock was the biggest drop we’d experience in the Tenn-Tom. It dropped us 83 feet. The fog was clearing as we exited.

NII Wishin leaving the Jamie Whitten Lock. The rest of the locks had smaller drops.

We chased the fog for a while that morning. We were glad to have radar and AIS to spot oncoming boat traffic.

We saw spots of fall colors but this was about as good as it would get.

Heron keeping watch on the Daymarker.

We had two more locks and as had been our norm, we had to wait for a tow to go through first. The wait time at these locks were less because the tows were smaller. However, waiting shortened the distance we could travel. We had to plan two or three possible stops at different distances to prepare our itinerary each day.

The Montgomery Lock. Red lights mean the same on the water as on the street. Bummer!

NII Wishin and AGAIN circling waiting for the Montgomery Lock to open.

A huge levee ran along our starboard side. Our reading material told us, if this levee were to fail, the whole countryside would be under water. This levee would shore up that side of the waterway for the next 44 miles.

OB came to rest in another family owned marina at the end of this travel day. Midway was not as nice as Bay Springs Marina. It had older docks and appeared to be a less expensive wintering port for many houseboats bearing northern states registrations.

Each port had its uniqueness and Midway was no different. Midway had a huge gathering building complete with a homey back porch packed with rocking chairs. The far end of the back deck had a hot tub and a 10 by 12 foot pool. The old fellas from the wintering boats gathered in the common room in the early morning to drink coffee, watch the morning news and discuss whatever came to mind.

The gathering spot. This building had a common room, bathroom with shower, 4 washing machines and dryers.

The back porch was probably used a lot during the summer and warmer fall days.

I thought this little house was interesting. I never found out who lived there.

Midway even had a cute little spot for the dogs albeit a little small for the bigger fellas.

Rumline, NII Wishin, OB and Lazy Dolphin all laid up alongside the transient dock.

Day #87 (11/7/2010 - Sunday)
Port #40: Aberdeen Marina, Aberdeen, MS

OB and her crew woke up to heavier frost and fog than the day before. Now we weren’t only delayed by locks but also waiting for fog to clear. The time change occurred during the night giving us earlier daylight. It also brought sunset an hour earlier, shortening our travel days even more.

The fog obliterated the tree stumps in the water off our port side. Not good for navigating out of the dock.

See that white stuff on the blue canvas covering our front cushion? Yes, that's heavy frost!

The locks on the Tenn-Tom are within a mile or two of the marinas. Lazy Dolphin, another Looping trawler, was docked behind us. Randy called the Fulton lockmaster for an update on his lock. He was empty and waiting. He said a tow was on its way but we could lock down ahead if we got there first.

By the time we’d dropped our lines and were underway, the fog had cleared and the decks were free of frost. We were blessed with cloudless skies these mornings, helping the fog to clear quickly once the sun was high enough to burn it off.

OB, NII Wishin and Lazy Dolphin made all three locks without a wait. We wound our way into Aberdeen Marina. The route reminded us a little of the Chenal Ecarte River going to Wallaceburg, ON, CA. This marina was the backside of a roadside gas station.

The fog cleared. This was the stump field we had to navigate around.

NII Wishin passing an old friend...Miss Eleanor. This tow's engine thrust left some damage on Jerry's rail when we were in the Kentucky Dam Lock.

Dredging operation. We saw many dredges scattered all along the trip in the rivers and canals. Shoaling is always a problem.

Ol Miss didn't slow down soon enough! We all got a pretty good wake from her.

Smoke from a burn. This barge left the Wilkins Lock before we arrived. That's what we like to see!

Shelby Jean passed us pumping out the starboard side. We had never seen a barge pumping ballast or bilge before.

The channel was narrow at times. We were glad not to pass barges in these areas.

Blue Bluffs has a free dock. We could see it in the middle of the pond.

The winding path back to Aberdeen Marina.

Aberdeen appeared around the final corner. We chose to go to Aberdeen because of their excellent fuel prices. Diesel was $2.29 a gallon!

OB's lay up was right next to the gas station.

Day #88 (11/8/2010 - Monday)
Port #41: Pirates Cove Marina, Pickensville, AL

Once again we were met with early morning fog. It wasn’t as dense and didn’t last as long as previous mornings. It was nice not to have frost. Todd and I, Joan and Jerry decided to go to breakfast in the convenience store at the gas station while waiting for the fog to lift.

Our little first lock was open and waiting. The little flotilla of three entered and tied up to bollards. Once we were settled, the lockmaster told us another pleasure craft was on the way. We waited for 30 minutes before Rumline came into the lock.

The Aberdeen Lockmaster is up there somewhere.

Todd and NII Wishin (in the background) waiting in the lock for another pleasure craft. The Lockmasters would hold the lock for any incoming PCs to get us all down in a group. Less wear and tear on the lock.

And there she is...Rumline. We learned about her at the next stop...Pirates Cove.

Rumline was a huge catamaran sailboat without its masts. It was built in Estes Park, CO and shipped to Minnesota where it entered the Mississippi. The owner that built it died before he could put it in the water. His family decided to take the project to fruition and have it professionally delivered to Florida where it will become a bareboat that will take people to the Bahamas. The first passengers will be the family of the deceased gentleman. They will take his ashes to sea for burial. We thought it was an amazing story.

Out comes the flotilla...Lazy Dolphin, NIIWishin and Rumline.

OB had Air Force jets and airplanes flying overhead all day long. Columbus Air Force Base was nearby. It is a training base for new Air Force pilots. We read that there are more take offs and landings on the runways at Columbus AFB than at Atlanta or Chicago O’Hara. After seeing these planes all day, we were believers.

We were always being watched by someone.

Daymarkers continue to be obscure at times.

Another onlooker...osprey perched in a tree along the way.

Abandoned railroad bridge. It was taken down to make way for the Tenn-Tom Waterway.

We had a tight ride down the Stenis Lock with Tombigbee pushing this huge crane.

OB ended her day at Pirates Cove Marina. This was another family owned marina, of course. Great people but the marina was really rickety. The wooden floating docks all tilted to one side or the other. If a person had a few too many, I’m certain they’d walk off those docks into the water. Even non-drinkers might question their sobriety walking down the docks. Entertaining Happy Hour on the dock was pretty interesting, as well.

Happy Hour on the leaning dock...Jerry (NIIWishin), Randy, Barbara (both from Lazy Dolphin), Joan (Jerry's better half) and Todd (OB's favorite Captain).

Little Beers definitely added a dimension to the cambered dock!

Sunset on another great day filled with adventure.

Our milestone today: Joan on NII Wishin said we had passed back and forth over the Mississippi – Alabama state line four or five times before getting to Pirates Cove. I was too busy taking pictures to count. We were in Alabama to stay!

Day #89 (11/9/2010 - Tuesday)
Port #42: Sumpter Recreation Area, AL (anchorage)

OB and crew were up and at it early again only to be met by more fog. The beginning of each day was beginning to feel a lot like the movie “Groundhog Day”! Our fate was to keep at it until we got it right!

This morning was Rumline’s turn to call the lockmaster. And just as the previous mornings, we were given the ‘go ahead’ to come to the lock. Our flotilla of four dropped lines and floated off into the lifting fog. Best yet, we knew this was our only lock today.

The scenery was more fun today too. We came upon Dragonfly, another Loop boat that we had seen at fall rendezvous. Bill and Cynthia are a younger couple that never boated before the summer of 2009. They rented a canal boat on the Erie Canal that summer and decided they wanted to do the Loop. Bill is a professor at Penn State. He is on sabbatical and the canal boat is his lab. He has solar panels covering to top of the canal boat. The energy they produce runs almost everything on the boat, including an electric motor. They do have a small diesel engine should they need it.

Bill was actually out in the kayak when I first spotted them. He moved back to Dragonfly when he spotted us coming along.

The area along the river was looking more like marshland. Trees were sporting Spanish moss dresses. Cliffs of sandstone were still cropping up at times but we were getting the feeling that we were more south now. Many logs had turtles lined up sunning themselves. We were enjoying the warm sunshine too, changing into t-shirts and shorts for the first time in many weeks.

Spanish moss is everywhere.

We still saw sandstone cliffs along part of the trip.

Turtles were lined up sunbathing on many of the logs we passed in the water.

Our destination today was a nice anchorage in a recreation area. NII Wishin led the way into Sumpter, a quiet little cove. Once they were anchored, we proceeded in and rafted off their port side. After we were settled, Lazy Dolphin came in and tied off our port side. It wasn’t long before we heard a call from two other Looper boats, Married With Her and Scoperta. They came into the cove and rafted to Lazy Dolphin. Scoperta was last in and dropped his anchor stabilizing the pack. No sooner were all five boats settled in and Dragonfly came into the cove. We sent them to NII Wishin’s starboard side to raft. You can imagine the Happy Hour we had on OB’s flybridge that evening! We were a small floating town of Loopers sharing stories, laughing away the early evening hours.

NII Wishin leading the way into Sumpter Recreation Landing anchorage.

Day #90 (11/10/2010 - Wednesday)
Port #43: Demopolis Yacht Basin, Demopolis, MS

Another morning of fog! NII Wishin called the lockmaster for our one and only lock. The lockmaster had the same enticing invitation. The lock was open, he knew two tows were on their way, if we came we could go down now, but there was dense fog below the lock. We all pulled anchor, one by one, and left our cozy little cove.

The fog outside the cove was even denser. I went to the bow to watch for the boats ahead of us, to sight the sides of the river, and look for logs in the water. Todd watched the radar, the chartplotter and sounded the horn every two minutes to let the other boats know where we were. Periodically we could hear NII Wishin sound his horn in the distance. The scene was scarey but interesting. I had the feeling of isolation. It was so quiet, still and cold.

Can you see anything? I couldn't either!

We found the lock by instruments only. The lock had no fog in it. However, when the lock doors opened, we were met by another wall of fog. I continued my bow vigil until the fog became light enough to see the lead boats. Married With Her and Scoperta were traveling faster than trawler speed. They vanished from view leaving Lazy Dolphin and NII Wishin ahead of us.

The river had more interesting scenes for us as the day cleared again to a cloudless sky. We saw a golden eagle watching us from a tree, a house that looked like it would fall into the river at any moment, an abandoned sandy beach that hosted an abandoned summer playground and finally the White Cliffs of Epes that nearly took my breath away with their beauty.

We thought folks had a good time here during the summer.

Not a place I'd visit.

The amazing White Cliffs of Epes.

I loved the contrast of colors...

...and the odd shapes carved out by the river.

OB continued to pass her big sister barges along the river, as she had every day since entering the rivers at Chicago. One of today’s barges was so big, we had to wait before a tight turn to let it come ahead. It had huge yellow plastic wrapped packages that looked like missiles. We asked to tow captain what he had on board. He said they were big steam generators going to a power plant on the TVA.

Waiting for John G. Can you see him?

And here he comes!

John G had a pretty interesting load. The captain was really nice and answered our questions.

Our day ended at Demopolis Yacht Basin in Demopolis, AL. We had crossed a milestone. OB was now out of the Tenn-Tom ditch and entering the Black Warrior – Tombigbee River.

Charlie was more comfortable lounging on the bridge.

He did venture out on the bow at one point...wondering what we were doing inside.

And there was the occasional trip to the pet grass to relieve himself.

This is Demopolis Yacht Basin. Their basic service is to fill the tows with diesel fuel. Those big uprights are where the tows pull up. It keeps them from tearing the fuel dock down. Although there were no tows when we came in, we could hear the tow engines into the night.

Day #91 (11/11/2010 - Thursday)
Port #44: Bashi Creek, AL (anchorage)

Same song, different day. The crews on Lazy Dolphin, NII Wishin and OB were up and ready to go to the lock at 6AM. The dense morning fog was back. The lockmaster had the lock ready for us. I took my position on the bow and shivered through the trip to the lock.

Veda L was ahead of us in the lock. We had first seen her at Aqua. We met Bob and Linda at dinner the night before. They live in Stillwater, Minnesota and have wintered on Veda L in the Bahamas every year for the last 11 years.

Out of the lock, Veda L disappeared ahead of us in the fog. When the fog lifted, the river view had changed again. And we were now on alligator watch.

At every bend in the river were wide, sandy beaches. We saw some interesting boat launches. We also passed our normal number of barges. The average seemed to be about three each day.

The cliffs along the river changed from limestone to sand. Todd and I spotted an alligator by a log. He was in the water and gone so fast we couldn’t get a picture of him. We had been warned not to let Charlie swim until we got to the Gulf and into ocean water. Charlie didn’t seem to mind. He hadn’t gotten a swim in since the Tennessee River. He was more into sunbathing.

OB, NII Wishin and Lazy Dolphin ended the day in Bashi Creek, a small but quiet anchorage. Claddagh came in shortly after. We rafted two by two here since the area was so narrow. NII Wishin and OB laid up with port to port so we had an anchor off each end. One boat was the bow anchor and the other boat served as the stern anchor even though the anchor was of his bow. It worked so well we knew this wouldn’t be the last time we’d have this arrangement.

Day #92 (11/12/2010 - Friday)
Port #45: Bobby’s Fish Camp, Bladen Springs, AL

OB didn’t have as far to go today. Our stop was planned for Bobby’s Fish Camp, another ‘must do, can’t be missed’ attraction on the trip. It seemed to have the same kind of mystique as Hoppies back on the Mississippi River. AND we were celebrating living on OB for 3 months! AND we had no locks to go through today!

Since we weren’t traveling as far, we decided the night before to leave an hour later to let the fog dissipate. The plan worked well. The fog was nearly gone by the time we left our tight creek setting.

Morning fog with Lazy Dolphin and Claddagh anchored ahead of us in Bashi Creek.

Bashi Creek behind us with early morning anglers.

Our reading mentioned the hills we saw today were the last we’d be seeing on the rivers. The fall colors were sparse to none. White’s Bluff bloomed out of nowhere. It was shrouded in a haze of smoke. We had seen smoke the day before. We thought it might be either cane fields or timber. We saw our first bald eagle but couldn’t get the camera out fast enough.

More autumn colors trying to break out around us.

These were the last hills we would see on our journey down the rivers.

More color trying to appear.

White's Bluff was a little hard to see through the trees and a smokey haze.

I was so busy taking pictures, Bobby’s Fish Camp came up very quickly on our starboard side. We almost went by it. The long finger dock was new wood and floating. We were expecting something older and maybe more barge-like. Lora Jane, Bobby’s daughter, was at the dock to meet us and help us tie up. Bobby died in February.

Lora Jane told us all about Bobby and how the fish camp came to be. Bobby’s father bought the land on January 1st,1880. He built a dock for the steamboats coming up and down the river. Buses would pick up the passengers and take them to two hotels in the area.

The first sign you see when you walk off the dock at Bobby's. Lora Jane said he didn't put up with anything and expected everything. He had to have been quite the fellow. From what we understood, he was the institution!

When I saw this sign, I knew it had to be the one Bobby put up himself.

OB and NII Wishin at the long finger dock.

The sign up at the Camp Office and Restaurant...and the memorial Lora Jane made in Bobby's memory.

The sign on the front door of the restaurant (and camp office). More of Bobby's personality that remains.

The restaurant was filled with collectibles that Bobby came across. I never got the full story on this Alligator Gar that was mounted over one of the tables. At first I thought it was like our Jackalopes in Wyoming but Jerry told me there really is such a fish. Hmmm...I'm still not quite a believer.

Bobby's memorial.

Todd and I took a long walk with Charlie up the road to Bobby’s old house. His daughter lives there now. She and her husband manage the Fish Camp. Their house is very nice. The ‘camps’ dotting the lane coming back to the river are anything from old trailers, travel trailers and one Quonset hut.

The road sign at the junction of the highway.

Bobby's house just off the highway. Lora Jane and her husband live there now. The Fish Camp has become their full time job.

The sign in front of Bobby's house.

When we returned to the dock, a 147 foot Christiansen Yacht was taking up the last 50 feet of dock. Freedom used to be owned by Jimmy Dean (the Sausage guy). It is now owned by a fellow in Nashville who was not aboard. The crew was taking Freedom to the Florida Keys where the owner will enjoy Thanksgiving aboard.

Freedom at the dock when we returned from our walk with Charlie.

She didn't exactly fit...and they didn't lay an anchor to stabilize her, which surprised me. It all seemed to work and we had a quiet night at the dock.

Joan, Jerry, Todd and I ate dinner at Bobby’s restaurant. They are famous for their catfish. A few locals were eating catfish dinners. We all ordered catfish. It wasn’t the delicacy I was expecting. I decided it was the difference between grain-fed, farm raised catfish and river catfish. I think I will pass on river catfish if there is a next time.

Day #93 (11/13/2010 - Saturday)
Port #46: Alabama Cut-Off, AL (anchorage)

OB’s crew arose early. Today we were celebrating three months on the Loop. We had travelled just over 2200 miles. AND we would pass through our last lock today. Our next locks won’t occur until the Dismal Swamp, should we decide to take it, or the Erie Canal.

Todd and I had become pretty used to waking up to dense fog. I took my perch on the bow until the fog lifted.

Freedom had left a half hour before us but was waiting on the wall in the lock when we arrived. I celebrated our lock passage by taking the fenders off and stowing them in their racks on the bow.

The Heflin Lock...our last lock until May or June 2011.

Freedom leaving us behind.

We continued to pass large sand beaches that had been summer havens for sun lovers. The natural scenery became more river-like between the beaches. Barge traffic continued to be about the same in number and posed no real problem.

More evidence of summer fun on the beach.

An abandoned cement company, the first abandoned business we've seen since the Tennessee River.

Lover's Leap...but we didn't witness any leaping as we passed.

OB came to Alabama Cut-off and found it to be a much wider anchorage than Bashi Creek had been. NII Wishin and OB rafted in the same fashion as in Bashi Creek. Claddagh surprised us and came in to anchor. We had a nice little Happy Hour on NII Wishin and a good visit with Bob and Elaine. It all ended in a quiet, peaceful night.

OB and NII Wishin rafted up in Alabama Cut-Off.

Claddagh tucked in behind us.

Day #94 (11/14/2010 - Sunday)
Port #47: Dog River Marina, Mobile Bay, AL

Today was a happy day on OB. We knew at the end of the day, OBs feet would be in salt water once again. OB came from salt and to salt she would return!

The crews on both NII Wishin and OB were up at the crack of dawn and ready to get underway. Mother Nature obliged us with clear skies and NO FOG! Our anchors were up and we were on our way to Mobile Bay.

The river widened and took on a more southern look with palm plants showing up in swampy areas. We passed the confluence of the Alabama River and the Black Warrior-Tombigbee. At that point we were in the Mobile River.

As the river widened, large loaders appeared here and there along the river.

This lift loader was part of the Scott Paper Company.

After we rounded the corner, we could look back and see the Scott Paper Company.

The confluence of the Alabama River joining the Black Warrior - Tombigbee Rivers. We were now in the Mobile River.

The scenery changed again, looking more like we have seen in Louisiana while visiting my folks.

Hmmm...they even have trash collection here! Actually I was wondering how this big dumpster made its way here.

OB couldn’t get through the day without passing one more barge in the river. Even shipping changed as we passed into Mobile Channel. We were seeing huge ocean going freighters in dry dock along with bigger tows and muscled tugboats. We even passed a big oil platform bearing ship in dry dock.

Entering the Mobile Channel.

The skyline rose high behind the industrial area of the channel.

The ocean tugs were mammoth compared to the tows we had been seeing for the last month in the rivers.

Yay! Mobile! We had finally arrived!

And there to greet us was one of Marathons tows...looking a little low at the stern. We were concerned she might be taking on water.

This was an interesting platform rig on a ship in drydock. All the drydocks in this part of the channel reminded us of Paducah in the Tennessee River.

As we passed into Mobile Bay we saw the USS Shadwell, a mothballed Naval Research Vessel. I thought it might end up in Battleship Park one day with the USS Alabama. We took David and Carissa there in the 1980s after one of our visits at my parent’s home in Slidell, LA.

However, after doing some research I found The ex-USS Shadwell is a decommissioned United States Navy Landing Ship Dock that serves as the Navy's full-scale damage control research, development, test and evaluation platform.

Moored in Mobile Bay, AL, the ex-USS Shadwell is regularly set ablaze in a controlled environment to further the safety of operational Navy and civilian shipboard fire fighting measures.

It was really odd to see a large Navy vessel grounded.

The sign led me to believe it might appear in Battleship Park one day. I was wrong. It would be a little disconcerting to come down the river to see it on fire during one of the Navy exercises without knowing what was really going on!

Mobile Bay opened up before us. It wasn’t as big as I had envisioned. We could see land on both sides. It is a very shallow bay, so we had to follow the channel markers to the south, then the channel markers into Dog River. The trip through the bay really didn’t take very long, however after nine days of travel we all were ready for a few days rest and Dog River couldn’t appear soon enough.

OB made way to Dog River Marina where we saw many other Loopers we’d met along the way. Veda L was staging to make a run to Apalachicola, Lazy Dolphin was preparing to go to Gulf Shores, Squivot was making ready to go to Orange Beach, Bade Boomer and Dream Catcher would be heading for Fairhope a day or so after us. We saw Windsong on the hard waiting for some work to be done while Jay and Joan were off to Boston for some R&R. Yesterday’s Dream was sitting in a dock without her crew. We had landed in Looper Land and planned for 3 days rest.