Captain's Log: 11/05 thru 10 /10 (Day 49-54)

Wow! Where do I begin? Lots of firsts since we last talked. But let's just say as I write this I am looking off the back of my boat at palm trees. Short ,stubby, and not very healthy looking but, PALM trees none the less. Seagulls squaking and tide rising.
     I'll try to put this in some kind of order: 11\05\10:
                  We left Demopolis, the last marina for approx. 243 miles, in a light fog with 15 other boats all hoping to find a safe anchorage by dark. At 40 to 60 miles per day that meant 4 or 5 nights at anchor (in the boonies) or should I just say the banjos are well into the second verse by now.
     Only one small anchorage (that was safe anyway)to be found at 71 mile mark. Getting dark and of course guess what.... 10 other boats had same idea. The guide books say that the small Bashi Creek will hold 2-3 boats. With a little cooperation and alot of fear to spend the night on the river, we got all ten boats in (just like 42 ft. sardines.

Hard to see but, the shore is about ten feet from either side and there is ten boats in here. Lucky there was no wind.
      11\7\10
     Left Bashi Creek and made it to a place in the sticks called Bobby's fish camp. They charge top dollar for a tie up to a dock with no power. They probably know that we would pay double not to have to find another anchorage in this area. 7 boats made it to Bobbys

Our boat is on the far side. Bobby's fish camp is actually a "must stop" place. They have a lot of history on walls, in scrap books, family picture albums etc.  Oh Drew, you wanted me to send you a picture of a river fish. Here is one that was caught near Bobby's!!!

It's an alligator gar. It's over 6 ft long and 137 pounds. We are not at the top of the food chain anymore. It was caught in 1961.   Wait, here is another picture of a fish at Bobby's

11/08/10 Dorene's Birthday!!!!!    and 11-09-10
        Oops, poor timing, at anchor tonight and tomorrow. You know what this means.... it's her birthday week...it's her birthday month....it's her birthday year.

Paige made a b-day cake at anchor and no, that's not biscuits and gravey it's cookies and cream ice cream. We forgot to turn the freezer back on this AM.  We rafted the last two nights with a great couple from Alabama on a Mainship named Seamoore. They invited us over for a pork chop birthday supper while at anchor. Paige also made homeade garlic mashed potatoes for Mom!!!

As you can see, anchoring is real rough!
     There was actually a fish shack at this anchorage (only reached by boat)

(sorry, somehow these photos got posted twice!!)

OK. Finally 11-10-10

      I forgot to mention that just after Bobby's we went through our last lock on the river system (40 or 50) I forget the exact number. The big difference on this one is that our boat just depreciated by about 20% since we are now in salt water and tides, Oh boy!   About 3 miles into our day today we got a call over the radio that the boat ahead of us came across a fishing boat doing the "circle of death" . For you non boaters that is when some one falls out of their boat and is NOT connected to a shut off lanyard the boat will go into a spin going in circles until it eventually runs over the person in the water.
        So the coastguard was called and all boats started searching the water and shore for a survivor. Very tense time, hoping to find a survivor and not a victim.     The good news is that the bigger boat you see above had just picked up the young man from the water shortly before we got there. WEAR YOUR CUT-OFF LANYARDS PEOPLE!!!!!

Made it through the Mobile shipping channel ! These ships make the river tows look tiny.
    Wait! What's that I smell? Salt water and the Mobile Bay! Beautful day calm winds . The nasty bay that people have talked about is as smooth as glass today as we make our way 1/2 way down (about 15 miles) to our first marina in 5 days. Showers for everyone! Shopping! Eating!
     I'll try to keep up here now that we are back to civilization. By the way, Welcome aboard Karma!