Dave and Kelly's Boat Trip: Thursday, October 12 - Warsaw Cut at Mile 274.8 { somewhere in Alabama ;) }

Left Columbus Marina at 8:30 this morning and safely passed the dam to lock down in the

John C. Stennis Lock.

We are the first of three boats to enter the lock; "Eagle Heart" and the sailboat "Lady Bird" are behind us. We wished we had a weed-eater with us (check out the weed bog at the entrance)!😲

We see two towboats today. The tow in the picture below is moving barges around in this backwater channel called an "Ox Bow". Ox Bows were created when the river was "straightened". Simply put, a canal was dug to cut across a twist in the river making the channel straighter and creating an island. Behind this island the water looks very inviting as an anchorage. However, we have been told: don't count on it!!! Many of these Ox Bows were used as dumping grounds for canal construction material and others have just silted in. When we anchor, we are very cautious to make sure the anchorage is recommended in more than one of our publications (as well as by fellow "loopers").

After the first lock, there are many more homes than we have seen in the past couple of days. This one not only is a really nice house, but it also has a lot of nice toys in the front yard!

We LOVE the name of their boat! It reminds Dave and me that since we're only a few hundred miles from the Gulf of Mexico, it is a real possibility that we could see an alligator; we keep our eyes peeled and our binoculars handy!

Shortly after passing by "Alligator Hilton", Captain Dave has a great conversation with this towboat captain to create a plan for him to overtake the tow. As you can see, it's a VERY narrow channel!

Notice that the towboat is tucked up between two barges so his overall length is able to go through a lock as one unit. This is different from back home, as most towboats have to break apart and it takes two lockages.

Some beautiful places along the Tenn-Tom!

You can see the river flowing into the Tenn-Tom on the side of this house.

Here is another picture of trees in the water. I have added other pictures like this and wondered if it had to do with Hurricane Nate. I recently found out the reasoning for this picture: When the dams were built on the Tenn-Tom, not too much effort was made to remove standing trees and stumps. As a result, many of the large quiet pools behind the dams in the Tenn-Tom Waterway are full of sunken or partially submerged trees, stumps, and logs.

Even in this beautiful waterway, we found a few VERY interesting things today:

A couple of critters are all set for a game of volleyball; who's in?!😄

A rooster checks out the sites of the Tenn-Tom!

And, if you need to make a phone call . . .😆

These homes are at mile marker 313.5 and this is the Alabama/Mississippi border. We actually zigzag between Alabama and Mississippi for the next 3 miles before entering Alabama for good at mile 310.8.

As we approach our second and last lock for the day, Tom Bevill Lock and Dam, we can see the

Tom Bevill Visitor Center to our left.

The US Snagboat Montgomery was the last steam-powered sternwheeler to ply the inland waterways of the south (dredging). For nearly six decades the Montgomery labored to keep seven of the South's major rivers navigable. Built in 1926 in Charleston, SC, the Montgomery is 108 feet long and represents the culmination of steam engine technology. Later, river workboats generally were diesel powered with screw propellers. Retired in 1982, she is on display at the

Tom Bevill Visitor Center.

Leaving the lock, we see this sign. The lockmasters are so friendly on the Tenn-Tom! They sound a siren when they're getting ready to lower the lock so that people fishing below the lock are aware of the turbulent water that will be released near them. The lockmasters are also concerned for the safety of each boater, as each lock has wanted us to wear our life jackets.

Just like yesterday, this boat might need to check his compass, as he is heading north to colder weather. He has a gold looper flag (which means that he has completed the loop), and after he passes both us and "Eagle Heart" behind us, on the marine radio he wishes us safe travels south, and hopes to see us in the Keys sometime this winter! Gosh, Loopers are so friendly!!!