Tuesday, October 10 - Smithville, Mississippi

Started this morning out on the second section of the Tenn-Tom Waterway; the "Canal Section".  

First stop, the "Jamie Whitten Lock".

This lock is the fourth-highest single lift lock in the United States, and raises and 

lowers vessels 84 feet.  The dam forms Bay Springs Lake.

 Hmmm . . . I think a third ballard option in the middle of the other two would have been prime!😉

 YEP!  It's another REALLY BIG drop!!!

As we leave the Jamie Whitten Lock, we don't see any dam, just the canal.  At this point in the canal, the waterway is held in place by a levee built up on the west side.  The canal is built on the west side of a hill.  The canal actually sits on the side of the hill acting as one side of the canal and the levee the other.  For the next 44 miles the canal is held in place by a manmade levee, which is critical in keeping the canal open.  Failure of this levee would not only flood the adjacent land to the west, but also drain the canal.

Most of the canal is beautiful nature filled with wildlife.

As we come closer to our second lock on the Tenn-Tom, "G.V. 'Sonny' Montgomery Lock", we can actually see a dam to the right.

Once we exit the lock, we can only see the canal.  When I look on the navigation screen, I can see the waterway where the dam flowed.

Just 14 miles after starting our day and we're already for our third lock; the "John Rankin Lock and Dam".  However, there seems to be a problem with the lock and therefore we need to wait (boy, this brings back memories; remember the Ohio?!).  Well, an hour and a half later, we finally are able to lock through.

Well these are interesting!  Easy access doors, perhaps?

Hmmm . . . maybe this is what they're repairing!

Interesting how much extra water we see south of this third lock; Hurricane Nate perhaps?

 Besides nature, we have seen a few homes, and just a little bit of industry along the canal. 

Now that's A LOT of wood chips!!!

 While a few other boats have been heading our way, this is the first one that is headed northbound (I wonder if he knows which direction Florida is?!😁

While we're waiting for our last lock of the day, "The Fulton Lock and Dam", 

we see this U.S. Corps of Engineer boat surveying the river bottom.

We pull into Smithville Marina, where there are many friendly people who offer to help secure our lines.  Kind of glad we don't need any fuel, however!😮

The marina offers us their courtesy car and we are excited to go to town to get a pizza and a glass of wine.  However, as we cruise to town, we notice there are MANY Baptist churches and absolutely NO restaurant/bar/lounges.  We soon discover this must be a "dry" county; UGGH, again?!  So, to the local Piggly Wiggly we go to buy a frozen pizza to cook on our boat!😁  Only a handful of days until the Gulf Coast (I keep reminding myself); I wonder what tomorrow will bring?!