A LONG RIDE WITH MANY SIGHTS

November 6, 2011 Dateline: Fairhope, AL USA

I said yesterday that the boats were tied three deep off of Bobby’s Fish Camp dock.  In order for Carol and Francine to get from me and MY WAY to the dock, Wayne rigged a ferry from me to the dock using MY WAY’s dinghy.  The concept was good but the girls had, at best, a difficult but fun time. The catfish dinner at Bobby’s was well worth their trouble.

I awoke early this morning at 5 AM, stretched my connecting rods and got the Caterpillars going to leave at 6AM.  All of us boats learned at 5:45 that the Coffeeville Lock was waiting for us. So the nine of us untied ourselves in record time and got going.  Fog was lifting off the river so we moved quickly to the lock 3 miles downriver.  Once through the lock there are only 129 more miles to go.

The backside of the lock doors has openings in them.  A local egret has learned that fish get trapped in the openings as the water level drops in the lock chamber.  These fish represent an easy meal for him to catch.  He flies down from opening to opening looking for dinner.  He seems to know the right time to give up and fly back up to his roost before the doors open.

The owners of KA-DEE-ANNA got this picture of me in the Coffeeville Lock.  You can see the water line from where the drop started. 

The sea gulls on the river have learned that boats kill or stir up a lot fish.  They fly behind the boat and have an easy meal.  Birds are certainly not dumb.

I went under two significant bridges along the way.  The first one is referred to locally as the Dolly Parton Bridge.  The second bridge was a railroad swing bridge that was recently replaced with a lift bridge.  The swing bridge has been removed and is likely off to the scrap yard.

The fishermen in Alabama have been known to shoot at boats that leave a large wake.  Rich saw three men in a small row boat and slowed me down so that I coast past them.  MY WAY did not slow down enough for them and they raised a rifle.  That was a close one.

As I moved further down the river the scenery changed. I began to see pelicans like this one.  Additionally, the plant life changed from broad leaf trees to pines and low shrub palms.  I could begin to smell the deep salt water, it is good to be back.  The rivers for now are finished and I have so far traveled approximately 3,200 miles, passed through 101 locks and burned some 4,500 gallons of diesel.