 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Skinwalker Log September 28, 2004, Tuesday 0530 hrs
It is dark, but we are not alone. There is a braying or horse bark with whining at the end of the call coming from the back of our cove. It is at least two, possibly more, elk is my thought. Last night was magical here at Zippy Branch at the top of the Tombigbee. The coat of night was warmed by the nearly full moon and rich with turkeys calling, owls hooting, the brush rustling with disturbance, the water rippled with fish that forgot their place and came out of the water only to find the air was too thin to swim through and fell back in the water.
Oh my, now there is an answering call to all the noise that suggests either a female elk or a calf.
The Tennessee had a boisterous send off for us. As we bent around Bear Creek about ten miles short of the Tombigbee mark we turned into a long fetch of the river that was throwing up two foot waves or higher. Nothing dangerous, but an energetic goodbye from the river we have come to love. As we turned onto the Tombigbee there was a weighty sense of loss and tears brimmed our eyes. We know tomorrow will bring new awe and excitement, but today we sorely miss our friends and adventures we experienced on this magnificent river system.
But onward. We have news that the west half of Mobile bay is open, but the east half closed. Further, from the east half of Mobile bay the Intracoastal Waterway is closed to traffic almost to Panama City. We have fairly good information that there are no marinas left between, near or in Pensacola. The Marina at the Pensacola Naval Air Station where we normally would and were scheduled to stay with its three hundred boats is simply not there anymore.
I cant imagine. I simply can not envision that the marina is gone except for a few pilings.
Regardless this could put a crimp in our Englewood bound plans once we get to Mobile. If the Intracoastal is closed we would have to change plans. Gee, then we may have to turn right and catch Texas, Mexico, Central America and Belize instead of Englewood and the Keys. More likely we would have to go off shore and then east 150 miles to Panama City to get around the destruction caused by Ivan.
Today we will go down the Tombigbee to Bay Springs. There we will wait for the four locks under scheduled maintenance to open on the morning of October 2nd.
Once the locks are open we will hot foot it down hill with a possible stop at Demopolis for a day. Our day on the 2nd will include six locks, assuming there is not too much other traffic or down- bound tows. That tow we passed coming out of the lock the other day? The 3 barge wide 5 barge long measured 105 wide and over a thousand feet long. That was 1/5 of a mile long. The Tombigbee barges will be smaller but then this is a smaller river with many twists and turns. We will remain vigilant. For our newer readers. The Tombigbee goes more or less south from the Tennessee River at the junction of three states, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee and comes out at Mobile, AL.
Our communications will be very spotty for the next two weeks since this is pretty primitive country.
We will continue to write as we go and then you will get a bunch of emails all in one day.
For all cruisers. Florence Harbor Marina has jumped its rate from less than .75 cents a foot to .95 cents a foot. Additionally there was no hot water for showers. We were miffed. We will not be back to this Marina until they see the error of their ways.
There is a mist drifting through the pilothouse this morning.
Captn Lynnie & skinwalker
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
