Alone Time

Brenda’s cell phone alarm clock sounded at 5:30 am this morning.  We have 93 river miles to reach our destination, Kingfisher Marina in Demopolis, AL.  This slow-moving trawler averages 8 mph and we have another lock to get through on the way.  It’ll take at least 11.5 hours to get there.  Let’s go!

Our morning routine goes like this:  First, make coffee.  Second, go through a checklist (weather, engine, generator, batteries, pilot systems) .  Third, pull up the anchors and set sail (our route and destination were charted the previous evening).  Breakfast and anything else occur while we cruise.  Most of our time is spent together on the flybridge where visibility is best and we can easily take turns at the helm.  With internet connectivity through our cell phones, we have access to radio, podcasts, our favorite music, and Youtube videos to keep us up-to-date and entertained.

Yesterday and today, however, we’ve felt more isolated.  There is little to no cell phone coverage.  Towns—or even a home--along this river are far and few between I expect because of the river’s history for flooding.  In the 216 miles between Mobile and Demopolis, there is only one stop for fuel:  “Bobby’s Fish Camp.”  Bobby's is more known for its authentic Southern catfish cuisine than being a fuel stop.  We see a few fishing boats in the river and occasionally people fishing along its banks.  We watch for white egrets, blue herons and swallow-tailed kites along the way.  It’s peaceful.

As we appreciate the peacefulness, we imagine what it will be like when we are actually “doing the loop.”  This trip has been focused on getting to know our boat and getting it to a safe harbor during the hurricane season.  When on “America’s Great Loop” adventure, we look forward to having the time for experiencing opportunities like Bobby’s Fish Camp, riding bikes on the trail from Dunedin to Clearwater, walking through the shops of Saint Petersburg, and meeting up with old friends and making new friends along the way.  

When we do "America's Great Loop," we expect we'll have more than 100 locks to go through.  Yesterday and today we will go through our first two locks with "Velsignet."  In this photo, we are in the lock and looking back on the gate we entered.

With Brenda at the helm, Mike tied the boat to a "pin" which keeps her in place while water is pumped into the lock.  

This is view of the lock operations.  We were reminded of our "Long Boat" trip in England's canal system where we operated the old-time, manual locks on our own, using a "key."  So much easier when there's a Lock Master in charge!

"Velsignet" is secure.  As the lock fills with water, we will be raised approximately 25 feet
to the higher side of the Coffeeville Dam.  

Yesterday we went trough the Coffeeville Lock and Dam system.  Today we will go through the
lock at Demopolis before arriving at the Kingfisher Marina.

Rule of the Locks:  Anyone on deck MUST wear a life jacket!  In this photo, you can see we're about 22 feet higher
than when we first entered the lock.

From the helm, Brenda was able to see the river upstream as the lock filled with water.

Once at the river's water level, the gates opened, the lock master signaled us to depart,
and we continued on our way upstream.

This morning's sunrise brought a beautiful light on the peaceful Tombigbee River.

Here's one of the few homes we've seen along the river.  It's not easy to see, but the living space is on the second story.  Homes are built on stilts to accommodate flood waters.

Mike is enjoying the peace and beauty with his coffee on the bow of "Velsignet" this morning.
("Velsignet" is pronounced "Vel-sig-net")