Mobile to Fort Mcrea to Pensacola (on the dock) at Palafox Pier

It took a little longer to put up the mast than it used to. I guess I am getting older. Up and down the mast a couple of times. Cheryl kept forgetting to remind me of the parts I needed.

Things were really humming around Dog River! About fifty trawlers (real ones) and shrimp boats and mussel fishermen were all over Mobile Bay. They were moving a mussel bed. Some type of reaction to the clearing up of the water in the bay. The water in the bay is getting cleaner so they can replace the old Mussel beds that were damaged by the oil spill. Though the water is all silty and muddy I haven't seen any sign of damage from oil or even any oil. The bay must be about 35 miles North to south and maybe 25 miles east to west at its widest point.

Silt over the last gazillion years has left the bay only about 6 to 9 feet deep all over with many areas less than 6 feet deep.

It was like sailing into another world as we entered the GIWW (Gulf Intracoastal Water Way). We hadn't gone two miles before the water became clearer and porpoises surfaced in the canal! We went about another twenty miles until we reached the site of old Fort Mcrea. This place was a small channel that was too shallow at the east end for us to go out. As we arrived four Blue Angel jets circled us. I have no idea how they knew I was even on my way there. Funny how important people just attract attention!

This was just around the corner from where we have to enter the Gulf of Mexico for a fifty-two mile run to Panama City. We didn't want to attempt this in the windy rainy weather we woke up to so we turned Surona North up into Pensacola Bay to wait for better weather. Rain is forecast for tomorrow but Thursday looks good.

Dog River, Showers and my mast!

The ceremony was short, sparsely attended but nonetheless dignified as the two little black buttons were pushed and Mini-me collapsed, slowly lowering the radar deflector and the Loopers flag to the deck where the saga of the valiant little mast whose one opportunity at greatness entered a cocoon like phase until once again low bridges make his rise to the occasion necessary. Minnie Me served well from Chicago to Mobile. A service any whisker pole would be proud to attempt.

The day before we had a welcome surprise as we looked back to see that "Amalia" had decided to accompany us to Dog River. I think that Greg's background in management may have told him these people shouldn't be left alone when attempting complex operations.

We found the big mast over beside the marsh grasses where it had spent the last 6 months. With the help of Cheryl, Greg Leslie and Mike we hoisted the mast and carried it to where we could work on it conveniently. The crane would arrive at 9:am the next morning so there was lots to do. I think I was carrying more weight than Cheryl but we won't go into that now.

The crane operator said that we shouldn't be surprised by the noise that is made if the mast slips in the strap. I nodded stupidly not knowing that he was yanking my chain. He suggested that we tie a secondary line down around the lower spreaders that would prevent this from happening. I thought "that will work". Everything went without a hitch. We felt so good we went to the Yacht Club for lunch and had some cold beers. Of course the beers made us old folks sleepy so we had to have a little nap. Greg showed genuine concern when he said "I hope this doesn't have a negative affect on Happy Hour".

So here I sit with todays blog finished and just some little things to finish up. We have to put the sails on, do some rigging tape on the spreaders and buy some charts of the Pensecola area. Then we just have to wait till the weather is right and we are on our way. We now have a mast that is too high (52ft overall) so we will not attempt any intercoastal waterway routes. Some bridges are only 50 ft.

Peter and Cheryl, Surona, Mini-me (retired), Greg Leslie and Amalia

Bates Lake to Mobile (54 miles following the river,92 miles after dodging logs)

We have invented a new short form for texting. LFL (looking for logs). This is the section of river that slows down as we near the ocean. All the debris that has come down the river from halfway up into Alabama settles here before it sinks or just floats over against the shore. No danger of boredom today as we weave our way back and forth across this minefield of logs, branches and some stuff that has started to grow in mats.

We asked one tow pushing 4 barges if we should pass him and he said ok so he slowed down a little and we started our pass which took a long time at 7 knots. We felt like the little train that could as we gained on him foot by foot. He called back on the radio "Is that all you got". I let Cheryl answer "yes". Not a comfortable thing for a man to admit. The day before I had asked a tow captan how many horsepower he was controlling. He said a measly 2,000 but earlier in his career he had driven them as high as 6,000 horsepower. I asked "What will you do when you retire, buy a boat"? He answered"Iam agoona set on my porch and watch the grass grow" nine days from today! We congratulated him and wished him well.

We entered Mobile Bay around 2pm and motored about five miles to the Convention Center where they let us tie up for free along the shoreline at the dock used for Cruise boats. A little bumpy due to traffic but not bad. Still no showers for 5 nights. I washed my feet in the toilet bowl. Cheryl said thanks. The boat is getting a little small.

This is our first taste of tide activity. Information for these is readily available on the internet. Yesterday afternoon was high tide and last night at around 4am was low tide. It rises and falls about 1.2 feet here. You can't tie up very snug if your water level is going to fall.

Today the mini me mast comes down at Dog River and tomorrow the bid guy goes back up! She is going to be a sailboat again!

Today we will be saying goodbye to our friends on Amalia. Just like those other Trawler people on Yesterdays Dream and Selah they make great travelling companions. Even though I am always having to slow down so they can keep up it is nice to meet people like these. None of them have seen the last of Surona. In the famous words of Steve Franco "You can run but you can't hide".

We are off to Dog River Marina it is 8:45 am.

Pete and Cheryl and Surona

Bates Landing

Well last night we were at Mile 100, Old Lock #1. If you started at Mobile you would be 100 miles up the river by now. We anchored at a nice place with lots of fishermen and a launch ramp. Skipper Bob says only 5 feet deep at the entrance. I marked 34ft. Either the Army Corps of Engineers have been working to clear the entrance or the high water in the river has cleared it all by itself. Stranger things have happened! The place we stayed two nights before (Bashie Creek) had a water level drop of around 3 feet overnight. In this anchorage the trees show evidence of water levels being 4ft higher than present. The dam at Coffeeville is supposed to lower us down 20 feet. It lowered us four feet. When these people tell you you are at high water they aren't kidding! We saw our first fridge washed up on shore today.

The alarm for temperature came on yesterday. We slowed down and it stopped but there was still steam coming out of the exhaust. I pulled over five miles downstream at Bobby's Fish camp and checked the strainer. I cleaned out a whole bunch of crap. After I put that all back together the same steam problem persisted so I reduced speed and limped along for twenty miles with little to no water going through the system. Hats off to Synthetic oil! I finally rafted up against "Amalia" in the anchorage and dismantled the through hull fitting. Sticks and plant life were competing for space in there. Little water was able to seep past the opening and subsequently the first 90 degree bend held debris that wouldn't go around the corner. At Demopolis the debris had formed mats almost thick enough to walk on or so it seemed. In order to get pumped out I had to sail straight into a huge patch of this crap. I got a run at it and coasted up to the dock. That worked but I think I sucked up a bunch when I tried to pull away. I got it all cleared out and the water shot up over a foot in the air. This morning the motor ran like a sewing machine. I see why Yanmar powers many hundreds of vessels.

Through the day yesterday we listened to some interesting conversations. One of them went like this when one large empty tow wanted to pass a slower loaded one. "How you wanna do this"?

"Ah think its lookin pretty good rahght heare"

"Tell u what....Ahm a goona get you some...lemme know. Ahh got some reverse, ahh got some neutral...lemme know

"Ahh think its ok now....juss eeese on pass"

"Ahh ahhpreciate it"

"Safe Trip"

In the anchorage I was accused of being a Yankee from Canada by a fisherman. I told him I had to come a little south just to go Hunting. Maybe its these people in this John Deere Trawler causin me trouble.

I have observed that you don't need teeth to fish in Alabama.

These people are great!

Gotta go...Happy hour!

Jim we are nearly in straakin distance of Mobile!

Pete and Cheryl "Surona" and "Amalia" and Greg and Leslie

Demopolis

We arrived at Demopolis yesterday. After Columbus we anchored one night at Sumter Landing. A highly recommended anchorage. It was well protected and very pretty.

On our way to Demop. the alternator belt broke. I tried to keep the boat moving down the river with the current while Peter found the spare belt and got it onto the motor.

The temperature yesterday and today was well above 30C. Just a week ago I was complaining about how cold it was, and now ..... you got it. It's too hot. I gladly spent the afternoon in the air conditioned laundry room where it was comfortable. We have re-provisioned the boat, and my nails are done. We are ready to proceed down the river. We will be anchoring out for the next 4 to 5 days, so we may be out of internet service and unable to communicate.

The flood waters are down significantly and they continue to fall. Now we hope there will be enough water to allow us to get into the anchorages, and yet not too much that we can't safely anchor. Boy, we seem to be hard to please these days. It's too cold, it's too hot. Too much water. Not enough water

We are travelling with another boat now "Amalia" with Greg and Leslie, and expect another boat to join us "Emerald Lady" haven't met the people myself yet. It sure is nice to be travelling with another boat.

With the flooding, we are having to dodge the debris. Some of it is significant..... logs. Some of them are hard to see.

There is a lot of debris in the marina. We will need to be careful when we go to the pump out dock in the morning.

Our plan is to go to Bashe Creek, 70 miles downriver. At 7 miles per hour that will be a 10 hour day. We will need to get an early start.

We will be in touch soon

Cheryl and Peter, Surona

Columbus (Mississippi) Marina

I'm trying to remember back to BAY SPRINGS when we moved the car down from Grand Harbour. The day was cold and the lady at Bay Springs told me to take the courtesy car for as long as I wanted so long as it was full of gas when I returned it. I took her literally so I told Cheryl we were going for a drive at 11: AM. We went up to Pickwick, used the good Wi Fi at Jack's restaurant (Iuka) and did some communicating. We went over to Grand Harbor and picked up the car and with this Gypsy GPS the Murrays sold me we proceeded to follow a course similar to that taken by either migrating geese or that used in evasive training in the military. Our course was south then east then north then east then south then west then south...you get the idea. After what I believe were brief glimpses of each ocean and a moment at the Arctic Circle we arrived at Columbus Marina where we left the car. We arrived back at Bay Springs Marina at 8:pm after circling passed to the west and north, through Boonville and Tishomingo. I think I do better on the river, it is harder to get lost.

That night it went down to 0 degrees Canadian. This little Walmart $30.00 heater is the best money we have spent. This kind of weather has a tendency to really thicken your Peanut butter and honey.

The next morning we were up and away and off into the fog with a Jim Murray Jack rabbit start that left us peering into the fog as we approached our first lock of this leg. Linda Murray spoke of a pleasant surprise on the Tenn-Tom but she didn't elaborate. We discovered that the lock masters help control traffic on the waterway by calling ahead to the next lock so that that lock master will, if possible have the lock open and ready for you to just drive on in, no waiting and milling about for hours. By 12:30 we had passed through four locks and were looking for a Marina to tie up in for the night. We went to the Smithville Marina and met 85 year old Jesse who still runs the Marina, owns two farms and rents out several trailers and homes on the property. Jesse had a little spasm which he blamed on the computer and charged me $333.00 to tie up over night. Almost as much as lunch in Italy, eh Sandra. Jesse's son fixed things up with Mastercard. We had a quiet night and an early start at 7:15. We were thru the first lock by 8am. The first lock master has parents living in Walters Falls. The weather is up around 22 Canadian and the trip is peaceful with hardly any traffic. That lasted until we intersected with the Butahatchee River from the east. It was flowing fast with lots of debris. We spent the rest of that peaceful warm day dodging logs, branches and one cooler. We tied up that afternoon in Columbus where we met friends of Linda and Jerry Hawke on a boat called C Horse. They had met on the eastern ICW when the Hawkes were doing their loop.

We met another colourful gentleman who explained that his father was from Canada. When he became fed up with snow he attached the snow shovel to the top of his car and drove south until someone asked him "What is that for?". He knew then that he was far enough south.

People here are staying put for a while due to extreme high water on the Black Warrior River where it flows out into the Tenn-Tom about 100 miles south of us. We drove down to have a look and the river is really high there with fast current and big debris. The park across from the marina has benches mostly submerged. We want to wait at least until the Black Warrior crests before we head down further. We may go down another 24 miles to Pirates Marina Cove and check then as to water levels. We just got the "Spot" device working so watch for those communications. I am going to go for a long walk now to stay in shape, maybe as far as the "Waffle House". Where is that sun screen? Sorry I couldn't resist. Have a good one

Pete & Cheryl on Surona

Away we go Again

Yesterday we left Grand Harbor and started down the TennTom.

We had a daytime high of 17F. It felt balmy. If only all the days could be like this. We went down the portion they call The Cut, or The Divide. It is 24 miles of ditch that they dug out of the land to connect the Tennessee River and the Tom Bigbee River. Apparently they dug out more for this than the Panama Canal. The colour of the water was a dirty brown colour, reminding us of the Mississippi. Down the ditch there a lot of run off areas from what they call disposal areas. The running running into the ditch was the same brown colour. There also was a tremendous amount of debris in the river around the Aqua Yacht area, and frequently as made our way down. After clearing "the ditch" the water became some of the clearest we have seen so far on the trip.

We travelled a relaxing 38 miles, with no barges, and arrived at Bay Springs Marina. Just as we were arriving with about one mile to go the sun disappeared and the storm clouds opened up and soaked us. Then stopped. It was sort of a Bay Springs welcome. Some of the people at Bay Springs are not very hospitable. The guys we originally met yesterday were not very helpful, however the woman Peter talked to today was most helpful.

Today is just too cold to travel on the river. Currently 6F. Friday and Saturday are looking like better travel days.

We are using the courtesy van to go back to Grand Harbor and move the car to Bay Springs.

Arrived at the Boat

We got onto the boat Sunday. We arrived in the general area on Saturday late afternoon, but it was cold and too late to try to get settled on the boat. Rented a room for the night in Iuke.

Sunday we proceeded directly to the boat. Got the heater working. What a treat. The temp was just a little above freezing. Everything on the boat looked great. However you wouldn't believe the mould that has made its way on the boat. The head (bathroom) was the worst. All of the wood was covered in mould. A bleach based cleaner made short work of the cleanup.

Sunday we did the grocery shopping for the boat and began to settle things onto the boat.

Peter looked after the important task of getting the TV hanging on the bulkhead. We were able to make our first meal on the boat and watch movies our first night.

Monday was laundry day and more settling. Late in the day we had the laundry finished and the remainder of things from the car onto the boat.

There is some business stuff that needs to be finalized and then we hope to set out tomorrow, moving down the river. Sounds like we have 2 good days of weather coming up.

Typically now the temp drops to about 36F at night and gets up to mid 50's or low 60'sF during the day. Still cool on the water. We need to get going down the river towards the warmer weather.

Iuke, Mississippi

We spent the night at a small hotel in Iuke. We are about 20 miles from the boat.

It is cool here. Down to 36 F at night with a daytime high expected of about 65F. We will get things settled onto the boat today.

Laundry, groceries, TV monitor installation. Not sure what the boat will be like and how much cleaning will have to be done.

It could take a couple of days to get the boat ready to travel. That may coincide with the warmer weather that is coming mid week.

Blog, Blog, Blog

We are on the road, back to the boat.

We wanted to start the blog once we got to the boat; but no ..... the natives are restless.

We left Canada a week ago Thursday and have been making our way down to boat. Took a shortcut to South Carolina. First stop to visit with Kathy and Martin at Surfside Beach which is very close to Myrtle Beach. They gave us the tour and then we had dinner out. We tried to stay up to watch the Oscars but had to retire before the end because Martin and Kathy were falling asleep. They had a 7:30 am golf game scheduled.

Then we were off to see if we could find Jim and Linda Murray, Edisto Island South Carolina. They couldn't hide; we found them. Even though we arrived unannounced, they invited us to stay 2 nights with them. They took us to tour Charleston and then the following day a tour of Edisto Island. Their southern hospitality is amazing and they made it very hard to leave. They have a beautiful southern plantation home. The driveway looks like something out of Gone with the Wind. Driveway lined with live oaks draped with french moss. We are surprised they can pry themselves away for their boat trip.

Cypress Trees Plantation is right on the intercoastal waterway, too bad for them because we will want to return and visit on our way back home.

For a $10. finders fee we will tell anyone how to reach them.

Currently writing from Valdosta on our way to Alabama.