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