Alabama River Cutoff

Hello,

Just as the title of this update eludes to, we made the Alabama River Cutoff somewhere around 3pm. The pace has been relaxing but the commercial traffic on the river has picked up a bit.

One of the negative aspects of this particular anchorage is the lack of adequate "dog friendly" facilities nearby. We anchored a few hundred yards off the river on this cutoff between the Tombigbee River and the Alabama River, (hence the name Alabama River Cutoff). The banks of the river contained trees right up to the edge of the water and there was no "user friendly" place to walk your four legged travelers. Also, as we get further south and the ambient air/water temperature increases, the likely hood of encountering alligators improves. Therefore, we need to take extra precaution in selecting the areas for our dogs to run.

Before entering the cut, we noticed a large sandy beach along the Tombigbee and decided this would be the place for our dogs. After getting secure, we loaded up all three boats worth of dogs (2 LARGE Chocolate Labs, 1 Doberman and our mix breed) and head to the beach for some exercise and bathroom breaks. Hey.. no problem in the daytime, but that night was a different situation.

After eating and before our Looper's midnight, we took our animals out for one last time before retiring for the night.

We successfully navigated to our selected beach but the return was exciting! Just as we loaded up the dogs and began our trip back, we noticed very bright search lights coming from BOTH directions on the river. Wouldn't you know it, there were TWO towboats with their loads coming and it appeared they would meet at the same place we are now located in our tiny dingy with 3 adults and 4 dogs! No problem, we can move......except when things go wrong, they usually go wrong big time.

At the most inopportune time  and while we were in the middle of the channel returning to our boats, the tiny little engine decides to quit! DANG!!! Towboats coming from both directions and we are now driftwood in the middle of the river!

I brought along a 2 million candle power Q Beam and Bob has his handheld radio. We announce our position on the radio to the oncoming tows and I begin to shine my Q Beam at the nearest tow. Meanwhile, Bob is desperately trying to restart the engine. Lady Luck stays with us and the motor restarts but would not go above an idle speed. We point the sharp end of the boat to the nearest shore and pray like heck we get there before the tows gets us.

The northbound tow is the first to arrive as we are hugging the shoreline making our way back to the entrance of our cutoff. You know.... that entrance seemed to be further away than I remember, but we do find it and with it the safety of the narrow channel. Whew!!!

During the night, we hear from Doug and Betty Turner on Seabiscuit. They are anchored at Briar Creek awaiting Mobile Bay to calm down for their crossing. Who knows...  they may still be there when we get there tomorrow.

Thanks for checking in on us. Tomorrow we are headed for Briar Creek, just off the Tensas Cut. Another short day!

Rusty

Bashi Creek

Hello,

We had a total of four boats at our anchorage in Bashi Creek. Of course there were our three boats but we also had a boat from Rhode Island who had left Demopolis the same time we did. Bill and Mary Russell are full time live aboards and have been cruising for several years. Bill is a published author who has written several technical articles related to solar power and it's uses. Their destination is Marathon, Florida where they intend on wintering on their boat called "Harbor Reach".

The morning began under cloudy skies with a forecast of rain the entire day. Unfortunately the forecast proved to be correct and we traveled in the rain for most of the day.

One of the nicest things about our Defever 44 is the ability to drive from the lower and much more environmentally protected helm. I spent most of the day operating from that station while we traveled to Old Lock Number One.

Old Lock Number One looking upstream

Old Lock Number One was one of seventeen locks constructed on the Black Warrior/Tombigbee River system. The work began on the seventeen locks in 1893 and was completed in 1909. Lock Number One began operation in 1908 and continued until 1960 when the river channel was redirected and a new lock  built further upstream.

When the lock was completed in 1908 the lockmasters and their families lived on sight. Unfortunately a tornado in 1955 demolished most of the buildings and they were never rebuilt.

Bill and Mary Russell also anchored at the same location and since we had gotten in early (3pm) I stopped their boat (Harbor Reach) on my way back from walking Nayla and asked if they would join us for docktails at 5pm, of course I would provide transportation. They graciously accepted and it was a good opportunity to meet new friends.

We are following Summer Place back to the river.

The entrance to Old Lock Number One is on the Left Descending Bank (LDB) of the river and is pretty narrow. Once you get inside, the water begins to open up but don't be fooled. Most of the water is shallow so you have to pick your anchorage carefully. The State of Alabama has made some really nice improvements to the area by adding a campsite and small pavilion. Nayla enjoyed the opportunity to exercise!

You can see the light fog on the water as I took this picture before we began to decouple and start our travel. Al and JoAnn Barr's boat (Our Turn) is on the left, Bob and Karen Rutigiliano's boat (Always R Summer Place) is in the middle and that is "Bliss" on the right.You can see my davit for our little dingy hanging over the side of our boat.






As departed Old Lock Number One our next destination would be the Alabama River Cutoff.

Kris and Nayla making sure I stay in the channel.

Thanks for checking in on us.

Rusty

Hello,

Sunrise on the Tombigbee Waterway

Today Bob and Karen Rutigliano arrived with their friends, David and Lugene Yearwood. We first met Bob and Karen in our first year at Orange Beach marina. Their home is in Indianapolis and has wintered on “Always R Summer Place” for the last several years at Orange Beach. They have a 70 foot Skipperliner that has ALL the creature comforts of your home. Donna Davison, who is a manager from Orange Beach Marina, arrived shortly before noon and she will accompany Al and JoAnn on “Our Turn”. Donna had made the trip with Al and JoAnn Barr before and really looks forward to the adventure. And adventurist sort of person she is. I don’t believe I know of other women who considers big game hunting in Africa as an adventure, but she does and the proof is in her house! Later that evening, the Admirals (we Captains are but mere servants to the true leaders of our flotilla) of our fleet made a decision NOT to be tied to the galley for our evening meal, so they collectively opted to call Domino’s Pizza! One of the real advantages of a Defever 44 is there tons of room to entertain since we dined on deep dish pizza while sitting on the upper helm of our boat.

As the day went on, more boats arrived into the marina for their overnight stay before once again heading south. Since the next lock (Demopolis Lock) was just a short distance from the marina, it was apparent we needed to coordinate our early morning departure. Everyone agreed to be ready at 0600 and someone would be designated to call the lockmaster before we untie. It would be a real pain to idle in the channel of the river as we wait for the lock to become available.

There is a new “term” I have learned and that is “Looper’s Midnight”. Most boaters are early risers and get on the water as soon as possible. They would travel about 4 to 6 hours before finding their anchorage or marina for the night.  The general thought is the earlier you get on the water, the availability of contingencies increase. You really don’t want to get to your destination anchorage late in the evening only to find it occupied.  Therefore a Looper’s midnight usually occurs around 8pm.

Sunrise approaching Demopolis Lock

As the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, you could hear the boats begin to come alive. Shore power was transferred to the on board generators (gensets), engines were started and lines began to be untied. There were a total of 7 boats in our armada as we approached the Demopolis Lock. This is the largest number of boats Kris and I have ever locked through with. 

 There are a total of 10 bollards, 5 on each side, which you can tie up to. The bollards will float with the level of the water, so as you either descend or rise, you can stay secure to the wall of the lock. Sometimes the bollards are referred to as “pins”.  Once inside the lock and you are secure, you must notify the lockmaster of your status. Only after all the boats a “secure to the wall” will he/she begin to close the gate and start the drop.

Stephen and Charlotte Jensen on Jackets II

After the drop was complete, we began to dance with the other boats as the faster travelers took the lead. It is considered rude as well as unsafe to pass another boat while your boat produces some sort of “wake”. This can cause damage or harm to the occupants of the boat being passed. The boat being passed usually comes to an idle speed while the passing boat gently goes around. Three of the boats in our flotilla were considered “fast” boats (11mph) while the remaining four were slow boats (8mph).

Really nice Island Gypsy called "Monarch"

Our destination was Bashi Creek which Kris and I have stayed at before. The creek is a very narrow inlet near a public park and since all three boats are “dog friendly”, it was important for us to anchor near a spot where we could walk our dogs.

We arrived at Bashi Creek around 3:30 and fortunately there was no one in the anchorage. This anchorage is a coveted spot because it provides wind protection from almost all sides. There is a trade off for this wind protection, the channel is very narrow and has a lot of overhanging branches.  There is just enough room in the channel for the 70 foot Skipperliner to turn around.

Since Always R Summer Place has the shallowest draft, it was decided they should go in first. As Bob went into the creek, he would call out the depths. The Skipperliner has a draft of under 4 feet while Al and me, need at least 5 feet of water to be comfortable.

Because the creek is narrow, it is required to drop both a bow and stern anchor. There are different ways to do this, but the most common would be to drop and then set your bow anchor. Once the anchor is set, then you would let out several more feet of “rode” as you back up the boat. Once I had about 75 feet of anchor rode out, I dropped the stern anchor from the aft swim deck. I then had Kris begin to wind in the bow anchor using the windlass as I set the stern anchor into the floor of the creek. Now we can comfortably stay in the center of the creek without the worry of drifting to the shore. Hah!! At least that is the theory; I will let you know how that goes tomorrow.

Since Bob went in first, Al followed him and they rafted together. The original plan was for me to raft with them, but because the creek is so narrow, we decided to go it alone. Once everyone was anchored securely, Bob came by with his runabout to pick up our dog. It was a real sight to see 3 grown men with 2 large Chocolate Labs, 1 Doberman and 1 mix breed dog all in a small dingy as we slowly made our way to shore.

The Admirals have coordinated the cooking of meals. Tonight was the Rutigliano’s night and in honor of their Italian heritage, they provided a wonderful meal of stuffed shells, anti pasta salad and several other side dishes as well as different desserts. Hey... did I mention Looper’s Midnight. We were finished with our meal and the dog walked by 8pm. I was sound asleep by 8:30!!

Tomorrow we are planning anchoring at either “Old Lock Number 1” or Three Rivers. It just depends of the river. Remember, you travel at the river’s speed, not yours!

Thanks again for keeping up with us. Let us know what you think about our blog. Here are some additional pictures of today's trip

Early lock through with 6 other boats.

Nayla making sure Rusty is doing it right!

This is just below the Demopolis Lock

Demopolis, Alabama

Hello,

After spending the night on the hook at Sumter Landing, Water Music and the Bliss left our anchorage just as dawn was fading to early morning. Of course with the cool weather, warm water and no wind, you have a recipe for FOG! And there was lots of it.

As we got on the river going toward the Heflin Lock our visibility was less than 100 feet. We paddled along at a reduced speed and as I called the lock, he mentioned there was a tow, the Green Wave, pushed up against the bank just before we enter, so use caution.

When I turned the bend to line up with the lock, my radar was filled with a large “blob” which was obvious the Green Wave. We silently passed as I could barely make out the silhouette of the tow and its load.

Water Music and I got secured to the wall and the drop began. Once we started out of the lock the fog began to lift and we now had enough visibility to “run” without the radar on.

As we cruised towards the Demopolis harbor, the scenery was nothing short of spectacular. The fall colors mixed with the evergreens along the shore provided a canvas of colors. At one time I noticed two large birds in some sort of acrobatic combat. Upon closer inspection, they were two Bald Eagles. What a magnificent sight to see the bright white tail and heads of these majestic eagles as they danced on the sky!

We arrived at the newly opened Kingfisher Yacht Marina and were met by our good friends Al and JoAnn Barr. It was really good to see them again and we will be traveling with them along with another boat as we complete our journey to Orange Beach.

Later that evening a “potluck” was planned and to be hosted by Doug and Betty Turner on “Seabiscuit”. Strangely enough, Kris and I had actually met the Turners at a Defever Rendezvous almost 4 years ago. During the rendezvous they themselves were “boatless” having lost their boat to Hurricane Ike and we were in the market for our first one. They now have a beautiful Defever 44 and have been traveling the “Loop” for several months.

The potluck was well attended by several boats on the dock and really a great deal of fun. I don’t have the talent or skills to describe the camaraderie of fellow boaters. It doesn’t matter your political affiliation, your social status or your net worth, there is a strong common bond shared by everyone and that is the enjoyment of living on the water. However when we would discuss SEC college football teams… then temperaments can flare!!! J

The next day “Took the Plunge”, “Water Music” and “Seabiscuit” got underway in a very dense fog. Once they got out of the marina and onto the river, the fog was worse. They collectively decided to return to the marina and give the fog a chance to clear up before trying again. Good decision!!  After about an hour, they once again returned to the river and began their trek southward.

The rest of the day, I spent doing minor maintenance on the boat while Kris decided to explore Demopolis.  She got her bike off the boat and began her exploration of Demopolis while searching for that boater’s required staple…. Wal-Mart!!

That’s it for now, thanks for checking in with us.

Rusty

m/v  "BLISS"

Defever 44

Columbus Marina

Hi All,

Kris and I stayed a couple of days at the Columbus Marina and we got to visit with our youngest son, Kyle. Actually he opted to spend the night with us and then go off to his classes from the boat. This was an exceptional treat for his mother and me.

In preparation for our early morning departure, we relocated our boat to the fuel dock and since we had planned on taking on some fuel, this was the perfect thing to do. The Harbormaster suggested we do this after 4:30pm so that we wouldn't conflict with inbound transits and then we would have full use of the dock.

Just as we were arriving the fuel dock, another boat arrived from Pickwick. Their intention was to fuel up and spend the night before leaving early the next morning for a southbound trip. We both got getting settled in and refueled. I  took on 225 gallons which now gave me a total of 500 gallons of fuel onboard the "Bliss". This is enough fuel to go to Orange Beach and back, so I am comfortable with that amount.

In my conversation with the transit boat, we decided it was best to depart together so we could "lock together". We wanted to have some daylight entering into the lock, so the time decided was a 0630 departure. As you will see, the key to boating is "flexibility"!!! You travel on the "river's time" and not your own.

Shortly after 6am, I am beginning the process of powering down the external power connection and getting the lines ready to cast off. I then notice another boat leaving one of the slips in the marina and I assume they are "southbound" as well. Dang... this could cause a delay locking through if we don't follow them.

I quickly give a call to the Columbus Lock and ask about the status of getting a southbound lock? No problem he says... he has another "RV coming his way" and he would lock us through together. GREAT!! I then let the other boat on the fuel dock know we are leaving earlier than planned. Fortunately, he is ready to push off!

We quickly get to the lock and I proceed to tie up on my boat's starboard side just one "bit" or "bollard" away from the first boat having already entered the chamber.

As I was waiting on the "drop", I noticed the hailing port of the first boat. They were from Minnesota and I inquired about their home port.

Water Music in the morning mist

In the "Small World" department, the boat in front of me is owned/operated by a retired Delta Air Line's pilot. We had actually flown the same airplane category (B747-400) at the airline and even flown a couple of segments together. He and his wife decided to "live the dream" and have been on the river since mid August where their final destination is Pensacola, Florida for the winter. Their boat was named "Water Music" and is manufactured by Fathom Boats.

As I mentioned earlier, the intention was to get to Sumter Landing and spend the night on the "hook". No problem there, just a little challenge entering the cove. Since Water Music only has a draft of 3'9", he suggested he be the lead boat going into the anchorage. I was okay with that since my draft is 4'6" and if there were to be trouble he would let me know. Fortunately the least amount of water was 5'2" which left me plenty of room to slide over the bar.

We got anchored and Nayla made her trip to the shore for her "business". Then we dingy'd over to Water Music for "docktails". Kris had made a wonderful chicken/cornbread casserole with mashed potatoes, green beans and corn, so the Water Music crew came over to eat. Pretty cool!!!

Thanks for checking in on us.

Rusty

All is Good!!

Hello All,

It has been almost 18 months since I last updated our blog and as you noticed in the last posting, we were in the process of moving our boat "Bliss" back up the TennTom to our home berth.

A lot has transpired in those 18 months. As many of you were aware, our 23 year old son had been recently diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) on May 11, 2011. He spent the next several months going into and out of the hospital undergoing chemotherapy to get this terrible disease in remission. All and all, he completed 5 rounds of massive doses of chemotherapy before we moved to Nashville, TN so he could undergo a bone marrow transplant at Vanderbilt University Hospital. Once in Nashville, Jonathan went through one final round of chemotherapy and then several days of total body radiation before he received a bone marrow transplant from two separate donors.The next 100 days after Jon's transplant, his mother and I attended to his recovery needs while temporarily living in an apartment across the street from the hospital.

Those were trying times, but the the good news is Jonathan is doing great. He recently completed his annual checkup where he received his "well baby" shots and just last week he got the good news of NO signs of leukemia from his bone marrow biopsy. If you want to know more, here is a link to Jon's Caringbridge website. Jonathan Bliss

Let's talk boats!!!

Kris and I once again have decided to return to Orange Beach Marina for the winter and live aboard our Defever 44 known as "Bliss".

Unlike the last time when we left the day after Christmas, this time we decided to leave a little earlier in the season. Our plan is to get the boat to Orange Beach and leave her with Saunders Yacht to have some needed maintenance done until we return after the New Years holidays. We are scheduled to arrive the 16th of November and Kris will stay a few days before driving back home while I go off to work.

Our first leg from Iuka to Bay Springs was a pleasant and uneventful trip. This leg is only about 30 miles long and is mostly a boring visual since this area of the Tombigbee is basically a "divide" until you enter Bay Springs Lake. The boat performed flawlessly and we docked just before dusk at the Bay Springs Marina.

While in Bays Springs we had the pleasure to meet a couple of other boats that were going south the next day and we asked about accompanying them.

It is important to coordinate your travel groups since we would be traversing several locks en route to our final destination. It usually takes about 45 to 60 minutes to "turn" a lock, so to prevent delays you can see how important it can be to group your travels. Since I am the slowest of the three boats, they graciously allowed us to travel with them.

We left Bay Springs very early (0515) and hit our first lock (Whitten Lock) right out of the marina. One of the other boats with us was a corporate owned boat and had a final destination of South Florida. However, unlike us little pleasure boats, they were on a schedule and it was important we didn't interfere. The Captain was extremely gracious and accommodating to us smaller guys and as the Captain, he is the representative of his corporation. I didn't get to know who he worked for, but in my opinion his company is lucky to have such a professional in charge of their vessel.

Here is a picture of the other two boats with us going through the Whitten lock very early in the morning!!!

As the sun came up over the horizon, the visibility rapidly went to less than 100 yards in a dense fog. Fortunately I was tail-end charlie and with my onboard radar and AIS I was able to keep a safe distant behind the two other boats and in the middle of the channel. After the second lock the fog began to clear up and we could resume our normal cruise speed of 9mph.

The next 5 locks we went through were quick and painfree, although our dog would eye the small green patch of grass near the edge of each lock. "Nayla" was a real trooper and made the entire 12 hour trip without an accident.


We pulled into the Columbus Marina right at dark JUST as the rain began to fall. The marina's dock hands met us at our slip and helped get us tied in and powered up for the night. Whew.... long day.

Later that night our youngest son Kyle came over from Mississippi State University to visit with us and his mom talked him into staying with us. Since Kyle is in his senior year, we hardly ever get the chance to visit with him. It was really nice to spend some time with him.

We are planning another early departure tomorrow (although not at 5am) with a scheduled stop at Sumter Landing where we plan to anchor for the night.

Thanks for checking in on us.

Rusty

Back in Iuka, MS

We are back in our slip at the Aqua Yacht Harbor Marina (G-55 if you all would like to come see us).

Our first experience living full time on the boat in Orange Beach, Alabama was great. We had great boat neighbors, excellent Marina management and of course a wonderful place such as the Orange Beach Marina.

The last couple of legs from Bobby's Fish Camp to Orange Beach were uneventful. The first night was spent anchored on the Tensas River cutoff and the next at Homeport Marina which is home to Lulu's famous restaurant. It was only a two hour boat ride from Homeport and we were docked and secured in our new home for the next several months.

The original plan was to stay in Orange Beach until after the wedding of a very close friend's son and then we would head back (March 5th). Of course we all know what happens to the best laid plans.

Everything was just perfect at our marina... actually too perfect. We decided to stay another month enjoying the liveaboard lifestyle. New plan... leave mid April for our return to Iuka.

The days and weeks past while we approached the new departure date, but Mother Nature had different plans. She thought it should rain, rain and rain some more. Of course all the rain had to go somewhere and it ended up on the Tombigbee Waterway which resulted in very high, very fast and very debris infested water. Not really a good time to travel.

But we had to leave... after all we already had our "Bon Voyage" party and we told everyone good bye. So... let's cast off those lines and head back home. Right??? errr...wrong!!!

I tossed and turned the entire night before leaving, trying to resolve the conflict in my mind of how we are going to do this. The next morning, I was up on the aft deck reviewing my options with my boat neighbor and it finally occurred to me. There is an old saying in my industry; "I had rather be on the ground wishing I was flying, than flying wishing I was on the ground". Well, that sealed the deal. The boat was staying and we were getting in the car for the drive home.

Next opportunity to bring the boat home would now be the end of May, but that is the good deal. Our boat neighbors also had planned to return during the same time and we would now travel together!

Then our world changed.

During our time home we got news our 23 year old son had been diagnosed with Leukemia. Of course our entire world had changed in a blink of an eye.

Jonathan Russell Bliss who is our oldest son and newly hired Emergency Medical Tech was now in the hospital beginning his first round of chemotherapy. The boat trip was a distant thought and our first and foremost concern was the health of our son.

Jonathan entered the hospital on May 11th and the next 20 days was spent in the hospital as Jonathan concluded his 7 continuous days of chemo and recovery.

We have started a website on Caring Bridge and if you would like to follow his recovery. The address is: caringbridge.org/visit/jonathanbliss

But this blog is supposed to be about our boat and it's travels with family and friends and I want to keep it that way as much as I can.

However, this is the best part....Jonathan's doctor recommended, encouraged, suggested, he spend some time rebuilding his strength before the next round of chemotherapy began. We asked about him traveling on a boat for the next several days and the Doctor thought it would be an ideal situation.

Ideal it was... not only for him but also for Kris and I.

We drove down to Orange Beach, re-provisioned the boat and began our trek Northward.

Our days were long and the pace was fast, but the opportunity to spend with your children was priceless. What should have taken 10 days to do, we did in 6 days.

I won't go into the boring details of places we stopped or what we ate or what we saw but I will tell you it was a trip that FAR EXCEEDED all of my expectations. When you are traveling 12 hours a day going 9 miles per hour, you get to spend some quality time with the ones you love the most.

We are now safely back at our homeport; the boat is cleaned and secure and on Monday we travel to Vanderbilt University Hospital to begin the second phase of Jonathan's treatment.

Life is fragile and you never know what God has in store for us. I have relearned to cherish each and every moment with my family.

Tomorrow is Father's Day and I have a very special phone call to make to my Dad.

God Bless