Nov 10
We just finished up our 2 longest travel days so far back to back. Our previous record was the outside passage around NJ from Atlantic City to Great Kills on Staten Island – a 95 mile day. Yesterday we pushed out 95.7 miles and today we bested that record with 104.85 miles. We started at 6:30AM and finally dropped anchor in Big Bayou Canton after the sun had set and the full moon had taken over to provide our light source.
Our day started yet again with fog. It didn’t seem too bad and we just needed to go 3 miles to the lock. Six of us all left together – thankfully I was not the lead boat so just followed the radar blip in front of me staying mid channel.
View of fog looking out from the flybridge
After Coffeeville Lock some mist rising off the water
Until you hit one of these fog banks where visibility went to zero
In Demopolis the Black Warrior River enters and the Tenn-Tom river becomes known as the Black Warrior-Tombigbee River down to Mobile. It’s one very winding river with multiple oxbows that loop you around so badly you can travel 8 miles roundabout to move just 2 miles downstream. It also makes for some interesting curves to meet or overtake the tows which were in abundance today. We met up with at least 8 and then just stopped counting.
GPS chartplotter shows the loopy nature of the river
One of the prettiest tows we passed - new or just fresh paint??
At one time I used to think it would be fun in my retirement to become a delivery captain moving boats seasonally up and down the east coast. After a day like today and knowing those captains are pushed to run all day every day for a speedy delivery I just don’t see where there would be much joy or fun in doing it. Thankfully a short run tomorrow will take us over to Fairhope so we’ll sleep in a bit and let any fog that shows up burn off before we leave.
Watching the sun set and still not at anchor. Yikes!!
Journey for Nov 10
(note the red line where we pushed hard )
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