Layover in Demopolis, Alabama

Saturday, November 7 - We woke up to rain, rain and more rain.  Actually, it rained all day.  We left Columbus Marina with Mazel Tug and Sum Escape and headed south, locking through 2 locks on the way.  We were lucky - no waiting at the locks.  At 3:00 p.m., we arrived at Sumpter Landing, a small bay off of the Tenn-Tom.  After we anchored (still raining), we gathered for a potluck dinner on Sum Escape.  It was a peaceful evening and we slept well because there was no wind.  We did not have to worry about the anchor dragging.

Sunday, November 8 - Our destination was Demopolis Yacht Basin which is at the end of the Tenn-Tom Waterway.  From this point forward, we will be on the Black Warrior River and then the Alabama River which empties into Mobile  Bay.  

Today's passage was challenging because there was a lot of debris (logs and branches) in the river that we had to avoid.  The river was very muddy after all the rain.  On a positive note, we saw 2 bald eagles.  One was sitting on a dead tree and the other was in flight.  We also saw some beautiful scenery along the Tenn-Tom.  It would have been prettier if it wasn't so overcast.

                                            Cliffs along the Tenn-Tom - Beautiful!

The Demopolis Yacht Basin is brand new.  The facilities are new and modern and clean!  The dock hands were very friendly and helpful.  It was probably the nicest marina we have  been in since we left Reefpoint Marina in Racine, Wisconsin.  Several Looper boats arrived today, so we had docktails tonight at 5:00 p.m.  Docktails consist of Loopers bringing an appetizer to share (can be anything) and also bringing their own drinks.  It is a lot of fun and a great way to catch up with our Looper friends - and meet new Loopers. 

Tomorrow (Tuesday, November 10), our plan is to travel down the Black Warrior River approximately 50 miles to an anchorage.  Unfortunately, the anchorages along this stretch of the river are not as protected as previous anchorages.  Essentially, you anchor along the edge of the river instead of going into a bay or lake off the river.  Because of the several days of rain, the river water will be higher and the current will be stronger.  We will probably have to watch out for more debris along the way.  We won't get to Mobile, Alabama until Friday which means we won't have internet until then.  The good news is that starting tomorrow, it will be sunny again!  It's been a long time since we've seen the sun.