Half-Way Down the Tenn-Tom Waterway

Monday, November 2 - We left Aqua Marina at 7:00 a.m. and started down the Tenn-Tom.  It was a cloudy day, but no rain.  We were with Looper boats Sum Escape, Grand Baron and Sea Moss.  The Tenn-Tom Waterway proved to be much different than the Tennessee River.   Narrow in some places and very swampy most of the way. 

                                   Typical Shoreline in the Tenn-Tom Waterway

We continued to see a lot of Blue Herons and Eagles (including Bald Eagles), but now also saw White Egrits and Canadian Geese.  The day before, we even passed a nest on top of a day marker that had a Bald Eagle sitting in the next!  Now, that's not something you see every day! 

                             Bald Eagle sitting on next on top of day marker in river.

We had 3 locks to lock through - all going down (Whitten Lock at 84 feet, Montgomery Lock at 30 feet, and Rankin Lock at 30 feet).  All the lock-throughs were uneventful - going down is a lot easier than going up!

                                          Nancy fending LeeLoo off the lock wall.  

                                Mazel Tug (Captain Ralph) going through 84 foot Whitten Lock.

We cruised to Midway Marina at Mile Marker 394 on the Tenn-Tom and spent the night.  There were good facilities at this marina and Nancy was able to catch up on some laundry.   We enjoyed  the evening with docktails on Grand Baron (Vicki and Tom).  It was a very pleasant evening!
 
Tuesday, November 3 -  We left Midway Marina by 8:00 a.m. and spent another cloudy day cruising.  We went through two locks, then found an anchorage with Sum Escape (Julie and Tom) and Grand Baron (Vicki and Tom) at Mile Marker 366.  Grand Baron anchored first, then Sum Escape anchored with their bow next to Grand Baron's stern.  Once they were anchored, they tied their boats together, then we took LeeLoo in and rafted to Sum Escape so that all three boats were tied to each other.  It was nice because we could go from boat to boat without having to get the dinghy down and go  by water!

Grand Baron (left) and Sum Escape (right) positioning themselves to anchor and tie themselves together.

Sum Escape (left) and Grand Baron (right) after they successfully set anchor and tied together.

The main event of the evening was to set off a Chinese Lantern from Sum Escape!  We have seen this done, but never participated in setting one off.  It was beautiful in the night sky!  Launching a Chinese Lantern at anchor gives a new definition to a dark sky since there is no ambient light!

Wednesday-Friday, November 4-6 - We woke up leisurely and finally left our anchorage at almost 10:00 a.m.  We cruised to Mile Marker 334 to the Columbus Marina near Columbus, Mississippi.  The interesting thing about this marina is the amount of water hyacinths here.  When we left the channel of the Tenn-Tom to cruise to the marina, it felt like we were driving the boat through a salad!  This plant life is easily moved by the motion of a boat or a breeze, but the plant growth is everywhere!

                                    More water hyacinths than you can imagine!

While at the Columbus Marina, we have been able to borrow the courtesy car a couple of times.  Yesterday, we took a car full of shoppers to go to Walmart and the liquor store!  Then later we all went out to dinner at Huck's in Columbus.  Great Cajun food!  Today, we borrowed the car again and toured the Old Waverly Mansion just outside of Columbus, Mississippi.  This mansion was built in 1852 and the family that owns it has opened it up to the public.  The mansion is very old and very beautiful, although it appears to be a full time job to keep up with the maintenance!

                                 Walking up to the Old Waverly Mansion in the rain.

Tomorrow we plan to be back on the water again - heading toward Mobile, Alabama!  We will be anchoring out again tomorrow night, so no internet again!