From
Tombigbee River Rats to Gulf of Mexico Cruisers: November 15 2022
Morning
thunderstorms barreled through Columbus, MS, which kept us aboard so that we
could keep an eye on our anchor spot (10/25).
All went well and the storms wrapped up by the afternoon. The boat was clean but the dinghy was a
swimming pool that clearly needed to be pumped dry - quick work with a kayak hand
pump. We walked along the Riverwalk
Trail and headed to Huck’s Place for dinner.
Bill and Pat (m/v Uno Mas) were right – this place is delicious. We are getting closer to New Orleans which
has creole flavorfully creeping into the menus; creole smothered white
beans and lightly breaded catfish and the perfect steak. Yum!
Happy
Birthday Chris! We rented a car and made
a road trip to Oxford, MS (10/26). Along
the way we passed harvested cotton fields rolled into disc shaped bails as big
as a VW bug. First stop was Tupelo, MS, to
check out Elvis’ birthplace. That is one
SMALL house with just two rooms…and a breezy porch. Arrival in Oxford meant Ole Miss, Faulkner,
Courthouse Square, Nielson’s Department Store (oldest in the South) and Ajax
Diner. We fueled up at Ajax with comfort
food favorites like tamale pie, mac and cheese, burger and fries and squash
casserole. Then it was onto the campus
of Ole Miss where “Hotty Toddy” is a greeting and a cheer. Once on campus the only thing in greater
abundance than the architectural columns were the students. It was fantastic to see the campus alive with
them. Holy cow – check out the food
delivery cooler on wheels?! No kidding
but they are officially called Starship delivery robots and they were
everywhere. The students didn’t give
them a second glance but we were intrigued.
Chris took it further by periodically stepping in front of them (they
stopped or went around him) and I snapped a photo.
Back
to Barefeet where incoming weather means we will leave one day earlier than expected from
Columbus, MS. That is too bad because
there is more to see – both historical and current. Historical such as visiting the Friendship
Cemetery on 4th Street where the tradition of Memorial Day was begun
in 1866 when a group of women decorated graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers
in an act of compassion and empathy.
Current times such as becoming a local at Muddy Waters bar where patrons were already welcoming us
as if we were regulars. And then, further afield, there’s
the Mississippi Delta. Yikes - so much
to see! We are amazed that we were the
only pleasure craft anchored during our stay.
Okay, there is a marina but it is not nearly as close to town as our
anchorage.
Back
on the lazy Tenn-Tom we played Elvis tunes as we motored from Mississippi to
Alabama (10/27). The river banks
continue to be lined with untamed nature that creates a remote feeling in the
heart of the USA. Our tranquil anchorage
for the night was Windham Landing Cut Off in Alabama with three other boats.
Good
morning Alabama! Nature and man again
merge as we pass through our tenth and last lock on the Tenn-Tom as well as
glide past the White Cliffs of Epes (10/28).
They’re a chalk formation approximately 30’ tall and one mile long. Additionally, these Alabama cliffs were
deposited the same time as England’s White Cliffs of Dover…over 70 million
years ago. The fall colors are a
stunning contrast to the stark white cliffs.
Our pleasant day ended anchored in Rattlesnake Bend after calling the
mooring company for permission to anchor.
The response, “C’mon back, it’s a treat – just be past the barges.” Check.
It’s just us, a squealing family of feral pigs and snow white
cranes. Another lovely spot.
Up
came the anchor after the rainstorm passed to have us slide into slip C15 at
Kingfisher Bay Marina in Demopolis, AL (10/29).
This is a fun gathering point for Loopers; unfortunately, we can’t stay
long so we telescoped our activities into two days. We got the lay-of-the-land from dock master
Anna-Marie (yes, she put our cell number in her phone and texted us her number
– as she does for everyone…just in case anyone needs anything), did laundry,
filled the boat with water, learned the drill for passing through the Demopolis
Lock as a group (4pm Captain’s meeting/Happy Hour) and ordered amazing BBQ from
A Slab and More via ASAP delivery app.
The app worked like a dream and the BBQ was smokey delicious-ness;
pulled chicken sandwiches, fries, fried okra, coleslaw and 1lb of pulled pork
(for the freezer and future meals at anchor).
The forecast rain arrived and lasted all night…and into the next
day. Once cleared we walked into
historic downtown Demopolis (10/30). The
preserved architecture is beautiful but the downtown is dying. First settled in 1817 by French expats the town
bloomed due to a booming river trade and cotton farms which eventually dwindled
after boll weevil infestations of the 1920s and the Great Depression of the
1930s. Today the population is roughly 7,100;
however, the population swells to 40,000 for the weeklong festivities of
Christmas on the River. That sounds like
fun – we need to come back.
It’s
Halloween and, unfortunately, we started the day with more tricks than treats
(10/31). We were up before the sun
attempting to coordinate transit with the Demopolis Lock but that is not how
things shook out. We were delayed two
hours at the lock (hovering out front) due to commercial barge traffic. Drat!
The squiggly Tombigbee River in Alabama (Black Warrior River) is a
challenge for driving and anchoring because the barges are BIG and they run
24/7. Turns are especially perilous as
the hulking barges sweep around corners rather than pivot on a dime. This
means that when we stop for the night we have to anchor off the channel. Cool with us
but tough because many of the off-river creeks have become blocked by fallen
trees due to erosion which makes them impossible to enter. The result is that in this stretch of river there
are very few anchorages. We had hoped to
make a lot of miles; unfortunately, due to our delay at the lock we simply had
to stop at a sandbar across from Bashi Creek before running out of
daylight. We first anchored in 10ft of
water but a passing tug said we should nuzzle closer to the land because barges
need at least 10ft of water…so…if we are in water less than 10ft – we’ll be
okay. Got it. We raised the anchor, nuzzled closer to shore
in 6.5 - 7ft AND tied our stern to a tree to keep from swinging into the
channel. Yes, it was tricky as Erin
grabbed onto grass clumps of the shore, dirt under her fingernails while Chris piloted the dinghy and fed
rope to her that was wrapped around a tree and secured back aboard
Barefeet. Although a passing tug
confirmed our spot was okay we left all of our deck lights illuminated throughout
the night. Okay, time to relax with BLTs
and a star-scape that didn't quit. The
Pleiades is a cluster of stars that often blurs into one fuzzy “orb” but
tonight it was a distinct beacon with individual stars clearly visible. All’s well that ends well.
Up
with the sun and smoothly through our last and final lock (11/1). Yippee!
We are soooooo happy to have the locks behind us but
wholeheartedly appreciate that they made it possible for us to pass this way in
a boat. It was another long day of
driving (9 hours) on the squiggly Black Warrior Tombigbee River before we
anchored at three rivers anchorage just behind m/v Long Gone 2 (thanks for
scooting up so we could fit). Half an
hour to shower and tidy up before Chris and Dan came over for a Last Lock
Party. So long wing dams, cells,
bollards, multiple fenders on both sides of the boat, ropes mid-ship on both
sides of the boat, pool heights, locks, schedule uncertainty due to commercial
traffic - phew. Cheers to a great way to
end the day with improvised (fancy) espresso martinis thanks to Starbucks
frappacino from a mini-mart. Mother
Nature even got into the swing of things with a spectacular sunset.
Our
two days of long mileage runs meant a short run today (five hours) to Big Bayou
Canot anchorage, AL (11/2). We had
plenty of swing room and were well off the main channel. Yippee!
In those short five hours the landscape changed from vibrant autumn
foliage to Spanish moss, brown pelicans, palms, live oaks, cypress, nearly 80F
temps…and even a gator. Our time on the
inland rivers has been a gorgeous slice of nature dotted with historic,
charming towns despite being within easy reach of Dollar General, Walmart and
boarded up storefronts. We live in a
stunningly beautiful country loaded with kind, welcoming people…please, don’t
let anyone tell you otherwise.
Departing
Big Bayou Canot had us exiting the lazy river and into BUSY Mobile Harbor
(11/3). We passed multi-stacked barges,
tows, dredges, ocean tankers, commercial fishing fleets…you name it. Quite a shock to the system. But the shocks kept coming. All of a sudden – pow – we were in open water
again. Our departure one day early from
Columbus, MS, paid off with a smooth 30 mile crossing of Mobile Bay. The next day we learned just how much it paid
off when Loopers arrived with tales of 4+ foot waves resulting in a very
uncomfortable crossing. Once across the
bay we were into the protected Gulf Intercoastal Waterway. By 2pm we were tied up at Homeport Marina and
by 4pm we were in Lulu’s (Jimmy Buffet’s sister’s place in Gulf Shores) meeting
up with Bill and Pat (m/v Uno Mas) for a bit of fun thanks to the Gulf Shores
Songwriter’s Festival.
The
next day was a bit of a blur as we cleaned Barefeet from stem to stern, from top
to bottom and from the inside out (11/4).
Barefeet sparkles and we are ready to move along. Do not even ask how many spiders were killed. Our heads were spinning as we anchored off
Orange Beach in Wolf Bay (11/5). Wow –
we are salt water cruisers again and it feels amazing! We gently bob at anchor with a view of the
wide bay…heck, even the squawking seagulls make us smile. Afternoon rainstorms kept us huddled aboard
reading until we donned rain jackets bound for GT’s On The Bay for some college
football, creole empanadas and great restaurant tips from bartendress Peyton as
we move east toward Panama City.
Thanks! A short one hour move had
us not only feeling like cruisers again but feeling like it was summer (11/6). Is it really November?! It’s hard to believe. Down went the anchor off Redfish Point in Big
Lagoon, FL. That’s right – we’re in
Florida! We immediately dropped the dink
and buzzed to the beach where there was sand between our toes, a sea bean in the
flotsam and birds along the surf. Anglers
dropped lines in the water and boats nuzzled the shoreline for a day of fun in
the sun on the sand dune shores. But by
the time the sun set there were only four of us remaining at anchor. OMG – and the blues (aka the Blue Angels)
returned home in the last rays of daylight.
Wow!
There
have been a lot of wows in the last few days for us but this one takes the
cake. At the Pensacola Beach Bridge we
crossed our wake and completed The Great Loop (11/7). Over the past 13 months we have passed
through 19 states, 2 countries and more locks than we can count (we stopped
counting at 100). Mother Nature provided
a sun filled day past white sand beaches through emerald clear
waters with dolphins leaping beside us. We
anchored in snug Destin Harbor to celebrate our accomplishment and wait out the
passing of Tropical Storm/Hurricane Nicole, largely well to the east of us
(fingers crossed it stays that way). We
put on our going-out clothes and dinghied to Louisiana Lagniappe for Gulf
seafood with a creole flair on an outdoor porch tucked in a cozy corner of the
harbor. It is going to take a minute for
all of this to sink in. Cheers!
Life
is good here in the land of the Big PX with Winn Dixie, Walgreens and breakfast
diners within steps of the public dinghy dock in Destin Harbor, FL. We soaked in the rays and watched the fun on
the water of jet skis, kayaks, sport fishing charters, glass bottom boat tours
and parasailing as we waited for the pre-storm Nicole rowdiness to arrive (11/9). Winds started to
crank up during the night to 28 knots and continued through the morning. Barefeet was well stuck and none of our
neighbors appeared to drag either. All
good - phew. With this confidence in our
anchor spot we rented a car to dart back along the Emerald Coast to Pensacola
for a visit with Terry (s/v Sora from our South Pacific and South East Asian
sailing days). Palafox Street is the
tree lined center of the historic downtown with its Spanish architectural influence
from Spanish explorations as early as 1513 (by Ponce de Leon) and a lasting
settlement in 1689. It is a charming
downtown but we cannot dawdle because we have our friend to see. Oh boy did we have a blast! We told tall tales, laughed until our sides
hurt (probably not so great for the dude recuperating from back surgery),
remembered places and people and critters like it was yesterday…until,
eventually, the sky was dark and we needed to drive back to Destin. We did not want the time to end but we’ll see
ya soon!
A
mandatory stop before returning the rental car was breakfast at Ruby Slipper
Cafe (11/10). We first discovered this
delicious combination of the spirit and soul of New Orleans with an obsession
for brunch four years ago in Pensacola.
Lucky for us they have expanded to Destin. Back aboard Barefeet we stowed the dinghy in
preparation for main event storm Nicole to arrive (thankfully, much to the east of
us). Fighter jets periodically pierced
the sky with their swagger of an alpha lion on the Serengeti backed by the
collective will and tech of the entire USA.
Blue skies came and went until the afternoon when the winds swirled and
the sky darkened. Anchor bridle ropes
creaked, Barefeet hunted like crazy at anchor but all was secure as the sun
came up. Cruiser friends were all okay,
too. This is prime southern migration
for cruisers and there was a lot of scrambling on the entire eastern seaboard before
the storm hit...not to mention major schedule interuptuss At the Destin anchorage we
towed a guy in his kayak over to his boat because paddling was just not getting
it done (11/11). Apparently, last night he had spent the night in a hotel
because winds were too strong for him to paddle to his boat (we clocked 30
knots). Bummer but we get it. On
Barefeet we were warm and dry - two characteristics that we do not take for
granted.
With
the storm solidly in the rear-view mirror we headed ashore to stretch our legs
at the Destin Historical and Fishing Museum.
Destin is a fishing village founded on the sandy shores of the Gulf of
Mexico in 1830 (electricity did not arrive until the 1930s). It's
a place of fishing mixed with fun - called the world's luckiest fishing
village. The Primrose, a 36-foot seine fishing vessel
was designed and built in Destin. She
was exceptionally seaworthy and could be handled by a small crew for dropping a
large, weighted net that hung vertically in the water, with floats on top. The Primrose’s crew of eight (plus a 30-hp
engine) replaced multiple boats working together powered by oarsmen. She worked the Gulf coast 1925 – 1968. In 1948 Destin started a Fishing Rodeo
Tournament to bring people to Destin. It
worked and continues to this day. The rodeo is a
month-long tournament (October 1 – 31) with daily weigh-ins and a carnival
atmosphere. We missed the rodeo at the
HarborWalk Village but we did catch the outdoor Veteran’s Day Concert.
Mother
Nature displayed a short weather window to get us from Destin to Panama City
between storms. Tick, tock - our time
here was wrapping up. Let’s be
tourists! A breakfast table at Tailfins
over looked the harbor with sun sparkling on the water followed by a walk in a
cozy residential neighborhood with mature trees and a lovely waterside park
(11/12). Dinner at McGuire’s Irish Pub
rounded out the day where dollar bills cover every wall and ceiling and each
meal is accompanied by an amazing loaf of warm brown bread frosted with a
drizzle of melting honey butter. It is
to die for!
So
long Destin with your armada of pontoon boats, glass bottom tour boats and
to-go boardwalk cocktails. Summer must
be quite a party! Our first hop was to
anchor beside the Choctawhatchee Bay Bridge.
It was a gentle ride with dolphins frolicking along the way
(11/13). Dinner of a smorgosboard of
apps on the top deck including velveta queso dip nicely closed out the
day. Winds never quite laid down but we
were off for our second hop to Panama City, FL.
There was not a cloud in the sky accompanied by bright sunshine as we
moved along the “Grand Canyon" (23 mile carved channel, nowhere to stop),
through West Bay, into Saint Andrews Bay, turned to port into Watson Bayou and
tied up at Emerald Harbor Marina (11/14).
Phew – staying ahead of weather…arriving one day before the next
storm. Emerald Harbor is our stopping
point for two months. Barefeet (and us)
needs a rest. Engines need maintenance
like fuel filter and oil changes; canvas needs some TLC and we look forward to
being at our condo on dirt where we will close the doors and the windows and not
look at weather reports several times per day. Yippee!
We’ll be back aboard in the new year – see ya then! In the meantime, sunsets on the water never disappoint.