ALABAMA STATE BASS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 21, 2011           Dateline: Rogersville, AL USA

Yesterday Rich and Carol walked over to the tepees that I had seen the day before.  It appears that the tepees are rented to campers as the floors were covered with pine straw.  Rich got Carol's picture peeking out of the tepee.

Last night Rich and Carol went with Wayne and Francine of MY WAY and Brian and Jean of SPIRIT OF WHITBY for dinner at the Florence Marriot which has a rotating dining room on a tower.  The food was outstanding and the dining room made one rotation around through the course of the dinner.  The beautiful view included an aerial view of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Wilson lock.

This morning I woke up to a lot of noise as 97 bass boats were being off loaded from their trailers into the marina waters.  The temperature was in the high 30’s and the fishermen were bundled up in heavy clothes.  The marina was just full of bass boats with their navigation lights on.  Rich spoke with one of the fisherman who told that the tournament was for the Alabama State Bass Championship.  The boats were allowed to leave the marina one by one and each was told when it had to return.

Today, I left Florence Marina about 8:30 along with 7 other Looper boats.  We had called the Wilson lock and were told that we could “sail” right into the lock and asked that we include as many boats as possible.  I got to the lock and in I went.  The lock is deep, 97 feet, and I entered it I lost access to the GPS satellites and my chart plotters started to beep.

By the time I got to the second lock of the day, Joe Wheeler Lock, our group picked up three additional boats and lost one.  The floating bollards in the lock were all taken and there were two additional boats coming in.  When in a lock with a floating bollard I am held in place with a single line.  Rich offered a large Bluewater boat the opportunity to raft to me and we would ride up together, held in place by a single line.  It worked well.  GRIANAN and PASSPORT did the same thing, they are of equal size.

Ten boats arrived at Joe Wheeler State Park together and the dock hands did a great job of getting everyone in place.  The America Great Loop Cruisers Association (AGLCA)  will hold its fall rendezvous here beginning on Sunday, October 23.  I will stay in place for the meeting.