October 28 - Anchorage (Mile 287.4) to Demopolis AL

After a peacefull night at anchor, we returned to the Tom Bigbee - destination for the day was Demopolis at Mile 216. Weather was not the best - lots of rain, windy and cold. The only good thing is the weather forecast - lots of sunshine to come. At Mile 249 we came to the white cliffs of Epes. A few miles further was the half way point between the beginning of the Tom Bigbee and Mobile AL.



Dinner this evening was at the marina restaurant (see picture below). Afterwards I borrowed the marina courtesy car and went shopping for food, etc. We turned in around 10:00 P.M.

October 27 - Columbus MS to Anchorage (Mile 287.4)

This morning we said farewell to our Michigan friends and headed back to the Tom Bigbee. Before astarting out, we called the Stennis Lock to check how long we would need to wait before locking down. We were told to figure on a 45 minutes wait.

Around lunch time we arrived at the Bevill Lock and Dam. Before locking down, we visited the 108 foot snagboat Montgomery. This boat was used to clean the rivers of floating debris such as trees, etc. Nearby is the Tom Bevill Resource Management & Visitors Center, housed in a replica of a southern style mansion. If you are ever in the area, be sure to visit these two attractions. After our visit, we locked through and continued to our anchorage for the night.

October 26 - Columbus MS

This morning was our cleaning day. Ed, Virg and Sue cleaned the interior, changed sheets, etc. Henk took care of the laundry and later he and Ed cleaned the exterior of the boat.

Around 2:00 p.m. we said good bye to Sue, Virg and Ed and hello to Chuck. Chuck will be with me for the coming week. Later that afternoon Chuck and I helped the local economy - we purchased the food and drink required for the coming week.

After having returned from our shopping trip, we were welcomed by some new arrivals. These included Ron and Karlene Redders (Blue Line), Jim and Sharon Angel (Blue Angel) and Scott and Nancy Diedrich (Mary Jo). The Redders live in Kentwood MI, the Angels call Grand Haven MI home and the Diedrichs have their home in Port Sheldon MI.  The Diedrichs live next to Melody Hisko, my colleague for many years. Melody retired from Witte Travel a few years ago. This evening's meal featured brats and chips.

October 25 - Aberdeen MS to Columbus MS

After a relaxing breakfast, we topped off our fuel tanks. The pump was very slow and the entire process took close to 45 minutes. In less then a mile, we came to our only  lock for the day - the Stennis Lock and Dam. We were the only boat being locked through. The distance to our next marina was just 24 miles. This afternoon I got a much needed hair cut while the rest of the crew went shopping for our "farewell dinner".

This afternoon we saw a boat being towed into the marina. This boat had a freaky accident. It capsized and ended up on its side with just a few feet of its hull above water. Luckily all aboard were saved. We understand that the combination of being top heavy, having an inexperienced captain onboard and the prop wash of a large tug might be contributing factors to the accident.

We also heard from Chuck that he and his wife were enoute to Columbus MS and are expected to arrive around noon time on the 26th. Thus one day later then planned.

October 24 - Fulton MS to Aberdeen MS

Our last full day with Sue Schuitema and Ed and Virginia Hoezee. Another sunny and warm day - how fortunate and blessed we are! Our trip included three locks - the Fulton Lock, the Wilkins Lock and the Amory Lock. Ed has become a great help and "locking through" became a no stress experience.  Scenery was breathtaking - the fall colors were getting more pronounced.

 

Towards mid afternoon we arrived in Aberdeen Marina, located close to the Aberdeen Lock. Getting to the marina takes you on a zig-zag course through a swampy area with some cypress tree knees and yellow flowers, all very picturesque. Shortly after our arrival, we used the courtesy car, a very old Lincoln which we used six years ago, for a tour of Aberdeen. This town is known for its many antebellum and Victorian homes. In the early evening we got a call from Chuck Koning, my next crew member, with some disturbing news. Chuck had a vertigo attack and was hospitalized. By the time he called, Chuck was starting to feel better and would hear within the hour if he could be released. He advised that he would also check with his doctor if it was allright for him to make the trip on the Marco Polo II. Later that evening we were relieved to hear that Chuck was released from the hospital and received approval for the trip.

October 23 - Iuka MS to Fulton MS

Our day started with fog, followed by sunshine and afterwards we had lots of rain. We locked through the Whitten Lock, five miles downstream through the Montgomery Lock and after eight more miles we locked through the Rankin Lock. Today we went through the 24 mile long Divide Cut. This channel with rock riprap is 280 feet wide and 24 miles long. Towards the late afternoon we arrived at Midway Marina in Fulton, MS. Since it continued to rain, we decided not to eat out. Instead Ed and I drove to Fulton to 

pick-up a few pizzas. Afterwards we played gin - Ed and I were the winners. 

October 22 - Iuka, MS

Another warm and sunny day. This morning we took care of some chores - laundry and shopping. I had arranged for the use of the marina courtesy van for an afternoon trip to Shiloh National Cemetery, located on the banks of the Tennessee, just 30 miles northwest from our marina. Since we had a good size van, we invited the Ron and Karlene Redders and Mark and Terri Wey from Goderich, Ontario to join us. After seeing a film in the Welcome Center, we explored the battlefield. The two day Battle at Shiloh in April 1862 was very costly - 23,746 casualties.



October 21 - Clifton TN - Iuka MS

Last night we got together with Ron and Karlene Redder from Kentwood, MI. We had a great time time together and later had dinner in the marina rerstaurant. This morning we had thick fog over the river that delayed our departure. Once under way, we had another fantastic day on the Tennessee.  After the fog burned off, we had beautiful blue skies and warm sunshine. The fall colors were just starting to show. Many cottages and some palatial homes line the river. Since spring time floods can be quite severe, homes near the river are built on stilts. The one shown here has the main floor on the third level. Even though you have a great view, it has to be a pain climbing the stairs with groceries. To the right one of the palatial homes. Towards the late afternoon we locked through the Pickwick Lock and Dam and continued to Grand Harbor Marina in Iuka, TN. We are spending two nights at this great marina.

October 20 - New Johnsonville TN to Clifton TN

What a welcome change - we had blue skies and sunshine. Temperatures were however still below average and we had strong head winds. Later in the afternoon it finally started to warm up. Our trip took us along some very beautiful stretches of the Tennessee. As can be seen, Virginia relieved me from having to pilot the boat - it lasted just 5 minutes. We had an easy day since we needed to cover just 62 miles. Towards mid afternoon we were hailed by radio - a raft asked for a tow. The current and winds were too much for their small outboard. These water gypsies rafted from Pittsburgh PA down the Ohio River to the Tennessee River. After towing them to a nearby creek, we continued on to Clifton Marina in Clifton TN. Dnner that evening was at the small marina snack shop. Ron and Karlene Redder, from the Blue Line, joined us for dinner.

October 19 - Grand Rivers KY to New Johnsonville TN

We had hoped for sunny weather, but it turned out to be cold, dark, windy and rainy. We left the marina around 9:00 a.m. and cruised from Barclay Lake to the Tennessee River. The northern end of the river, just south of the Kentucky Dam and Locks, is very wide. Due to the stong wind, waves were between 3 and 4 footers. It was so cold that we decided to leave the flybridge and steer the boat from from the lower helm in the warm

main cabin. Windows steamed up and needed to be continually wiped. River traffic was light, we however did meet a few tow boats. Virginia, a avid birder, spotted many birds, including bald eagles. At one point we came to a bridge to no where. If not mistaken, it used to cross the Tennessee. After the TVA project flooded the area, the bridge was dismantled and now has just two spans - great for fishing. Arrival at Pebble Bay Marina in New Johnsonville TN was around 5:30 p.m. Helping us with docking was Ron Redder from Grand Rapids, MI. Ron and Karlene are friends of friends and are also doing the Great Loop trip. Dinner was at the marina restaurant.

October 18 - Grand Rivers, KY

Today was set aside for cleaning the boat, doing some sightseeing and having dinner with Norma and Merle Peterson, friends from Grand Rapids MI who were vacationing in the area.  Weather was drizzly and later became a steady rain with temperatures dropping down into the 50's. Since the refrigerator was still not working properly, a couple technicians came to the boat to see if the problem could be fixed. After some time they gave me the dreaded news - the refrigerator needs to be replaced. Lucky for us, the refrigerator still worked a little so that we could keep food and beverages cool - not cold. In the afternoon we were again able to borrow the marina courtesy van for a drive through the "Land Between the Lakes". Even though it was raining, we had a lovely drive with great views of Barclay Lake and the Tennessee River. At 6:00 p.m. we met Norma and Merle for a tremendous meal at Patty's. The restaurant specialty are the 1 and 2 inch pork chops. Afterwards we had a night cap on board the Marco Polo. Since Merle and Norma had to drive to their hotel, and we were all tired, we did not make it a late evening.

October 17 - Grand Rivers, KY

After a break of more then a month, we returned to Green Turtle Bay Marina in Grand Rivers KY. For the coming week, I am being joined by our friends Sue Schuitema and Ed and Virginia Hoezee. When we boarded our boat, the Marco Polo II, we noticed a strange smell. Soon we found out the refrigerator was not working and a lot of food had spoiled. Since work had been done on our boat, we figured that the workers made a mistake and turned off the power switch. After making a report of this problem, we cleaned up the mess and soon thereafter drove to Paducah to return the car we had rented for the trip from Michigan to Kentucky. Ed drove the rental and I drove a marina courtesy van. After dropping off the car, we stopped at a grocery store, had dinner and drove back to Grand Rivers. By the time we arrived back on board, it was 11:00 p.m. After a glass of wine, we all turned in - it had been a very long day.