Demopolis to Bobby's Fish Camp

Whew... what a whirl wind trip back to Somerville to attend to some business and finally returning to the boat on Monday afternoon.

The trip to Somerville was pleasant enough, however the weather was terrible. There were heavy thunderstorms producing a Flash Flood Warning for the Demopolis area when we left. Great... we leave our boat in a flood!

When I realized I needed to get back to Somerville from Demopolis, I was confronted with a perplexing transportation problem. Of course there isn't any airline service from the metropolis of Demopolis nor are there rental cars available for hire. So... I called the ol' standby. ENTERPRISE!!! There was an office in Meridian (52 miles away) and they offered to have a car dropped at the marina for me and when I returned... just call them and they would pick it up. I was concerned about the additional charge but when they quoted me a $15 upcharge each way.... I was all over it!!! This agency continues to outperform all of my expectations. I will continue to make them my number one choice as I need transportation.

The evening we left, there was a Flash Flood Warning for the Demopolis area and I wasn't sure what we would find when we returned. The boat came through the flood just fine, but it did create havoc for us as we began our trip anew. The water on the Tombigbee was "smoke'n".... and trash was everywhere.

While we were at Demopolis a commercial tug boat pulled in to refuel. They had "parked" their load up river and just the tug itself was at the dock. Well,... being the curious type, I walked over and struck up a conversation with the deckhands. They both had been doing the job for about 6 years and really loved it. They would work 21 days on and 10 days off. While on the boat, they would work in 6 hour shifts (6 on followed by 6 off).

While talking with the deckhands, the Captain came by and offered a tour of the boat. The engines on those tugs are enormous!!! Just the generators where the size of the engines on large cruising style trawlers. The pilot house was quite large and had all the fancy gadgets that was needed to travel the inland waterways. What it DIDN'T HAVE was a "steering wheel". It had a basic tiller style handle that controlled the directional movement of each rudder. Of course, I played a "thousand questions" and walked away immensely impressed with their job. The Captain was extremely nice and answered all of my silly questions. He himself is a third generation river captain and truly enjoys the job.

Since the water level was up, that translated into a higher speed for us. There were times we were traveling over 12 miles per hour. Now, that doesn't seem like a fast speed, but remember our normal cruise speed is only 9.2 miles per hour.

Because of the higher speed, we were able to make it to Bobby's Fish camp for the overnight which was almost a hundred river miles from Demopolis.

Bobby's Fish camp is basically a small pier along side the river. We were the only ones there that evening and had the dock to ourselves. I tied several lines to the bow from the pier itself since we were alongside the fast moving river. Kris may have thought I was practicing overkill, but the last thing I wanted to do is wake up pinned against some river bank.

Isn’t there an old saying that goes something like this “time flies when you are having fun”? And yes, it has flown by this last year.


When I left you last, I had regained my FAA First Class medical after a bout with cancer. I have returned to the line as a B747-400 Captain for Delta Air Lines.


During this last year I was fortunate to complete a very inspirational trip to Vietnam with my Father, two brothers and my two sons. My other brother, Skip, who has a very demanding job, prevented him from attending the trip with us and he was sorely missed. The trip lasted just over ten days were we spent 6 days in Saigon (HochiMin City), 3 days in Hanoi and 2 days in DaNang before returning to Saigon for our return flight to the States. I could write an entire tome pertaining to this one trip, but that should be for a different blog. To sum it up, the trip was good for everyone traveling; for my Dad, the opportunity to revisit several places that were very special to him in many ways; to his sons, the opportunity to see firsthand the places where our Dad fought for his country and lastly for his grandsons to visit a foreign land that brought so much strife to this country. If you ever have the chance, I would strongly recommend the trip.


Also this year, Kris and I became brand new Grandparents!!! Ha, it is hard to imagine that we are now “Pawpaw and Gammy”, but it is a really cool job! Debra Nelson gave birth to Evey June Nelson on May 30th, 2010. I was somewhere over the North Pacific enroute from Nagoya, Japan when I received the digital data link message from our Dispatcher telling me that I was a new Grandpa! We landed 45 minutes early in Detroit (either good tailwinds or something to do with my “speed control”) thereby allowing me to catch an earlier flight home to Memphis and to see my first granddaughter!

Brooke Razzaghi gave birth to Suri Razzaghi on August 26th 2010 in San Francisco, CA. We got the phone call shortly after midnight from Brooke telling us they were enroute to the hospital. We were at our home in Pickwick so we loaded up the car and drove to Somerville were we got a fresh set of clothes and then off to the airport! We arrived at the hospital just minutes after she gave birth to Suri! This was our first Christmas with grandchildren and we are looking forward to many many more!


Last summer, I approached Kris with the idea of moving our boat to the Gulf Coast and spend the harsher parts of the winter months in warmer climes! This idea was met with mild to moderate enthusiasm but we needed to do several things to the boat before we wanted to undertake such a long journey.


We needed some Isinglass to protect us from the brisk/biting wind that we experienced when we brought our boat up the river. We also wanted to install some sort of Marine Sanitation Device (Type I MSD) to eliminate those nasty trips to the “pump out” station to rid your boat of waste. I searched around the Pickwick area for different bids for the Isinglass and proudly opted to go with our home port Aqua Yacht Harbor.


Let me put in a plug for these guys… they are GREAT! Gary is the canvas guy that did our Isinglass and it was done correctly, on time, on budget and looks super. I tried to install the Type I MSD with a new toilet but ran out of time and patience (actually ran out of quarters for the “cuss jar”) so I left it in the competent hands of David and Tom at Aqua Yacht.


We also knew we wanted a different dinghy than the Boston Whaler that was on the boat when we bought her. First, there is NOTHING wrong with the Whaler, but we felt it was a little too cumbersome launching and recovering due to its significant weight. We found a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) in the Tampa area on Craigslist and we made the deal to purchase it. The previous owner just happened to be traveling to Ohio for the Christmas holidays and was gracious enough to deliver it to us in Atlanta.
Well, now with new Isinglass, new toilet, new Marine Sanitation Device and a new dinghy we are all set to head south for the winter!


We picked the departure date of December 27th to cast off our lines and begin the trip with our two sons! We left our slip at Aqua Yacht at 0945 with our marina neighbors Ken and Irene seeing us off. Our first stop was to get fuel at Grand Harbor Marina. We would have preferred to refuel at our home port, but Aqua Yacht allows their team to spend the entire last week of the year with family and friends, so they were closed from December 23rd.


After refueling, we began our trip in earnest at 1045 (mile marker 449) under calm winds and crystal clear but very cold skies. Our destination would be Bay Springs Marina, Bay Springs, Mississippi. As we were refueling, we noticed a nice looking Viking Sportfisher alongside the dock and I asked Barry, the dock manager, who and what was that boat doing. He told me new owners had just purchased her from someone in Savannah, TN and they had hired a crew to take them to their destination which was Houston, Texas. We knew we would once again see them as we traveled south but we didn’t think it would be an experience we wouldn’t soon forget.


As we were traveling down the “ditch” between Pickwick and Bay Springs, I noticed the “Charlotte Two” approaching from the rear at a very high rate of speed and making a HUGE WAKE behind her. As per the “Rules of the Road”, I slowed down to an idle speed and expected to hear a radio call from them indicating which side they would be passing us and of course anticipating a reduced speed and wake. Well, we got NEITHER! They “blew by us” and I have never experienced such violent rolls as we transited their wake. Once we had established some resemblance of control, Kris was up on the Bridge wanting to know “what had just happened”! I told her who had “waked” us and she insisted I view the damage that occurred in the salon area. We had overturned plants, broken bowls, broken glass and a broken lamp. It looked as if we had just come through a hurricane. It was a mess!
I got on the radio and called several times to the Charlotte Two and only after the 5th or 6th call did they answer. I explained to the Captain what he had done to us was rude, inconsiderate, and dangerous; that he had caused considerable damage to my boat and her contents. He apologized and said he didn’t realize the extent of the wake this new boat puts out and put the blame on his brother who he says was at the helm during our overtaking.


We got to Bay Springs just before 3pm and who do we see anchored in one of the fingers of the lake but the Charlotte Two! The next morning we locked through the Whitten Lock together and nary were a word spoken between the two of us. Now those of you familiar with this stretch of the river will realize there are several locks located within about 5 to 7 miles of each other. The lockmaster has no intentions of locking through a single boat when another is just minutes behind. Well, the Charlotte Two would “race” to the next lock while we would calmly and efficiently proceed to the very same lock. Once we were secure, then only the lockmaster would begin the process of “locking us through” by lowering the water level. Yes, there is justice in this world to those who have patience!! During the second lock, the Captain of Charlotte Two approached our boat with an apology offering. He delivered what he said were the very best breakfast burritos his cook could make and both my son’s tended to agree, they were pretty good. The Captain realizing what he had done to us was very unprofessional offered to repair or reimburse us for any damages. The items broken were more of a sentimental value and could be easily replaced at a fine furniture store so I decided it was best to accept his apology with the condition he pay better attention to the “little guy”. After the 4th lock we bid our adieus and he throttled up to race to the next lock 14 miles away. As we were slowly chugging along, I noticed a small jon boat containing 3 duck hunters near the shore. I certainly didn’t want to “wake them”, so I slowed down to just above an idle speed and as we became abeam them, I asked if they had any problems with the previous boat traveling southbound. Well…. to say they weren’t happy was an understatement. Obviously they had been the recipient of the larger wake from the Charlotte Two which nearly swamped them. I guess some people never learn!
Our first night at Bay Springs was great. This is a great little marina with very little traffic during the weekdays. The people who manage this marina are very hospitable and the marina has some nice facilities as well. Knowing we had several locks to transit the next day, we chose to get away at “first light”. Of course what is it they say about Murphy and its laws?? We had a little trouble with batteries on the first day, but I attributed that to sitting idle for the last several months. When I went to start the engines they were very sluggish. Hmmmm, what could it be that would cause both engines the reluctance to start? The only common system is the battery charger, so I take a quick look to see “what’s up”. For some reason, the battery charger plug had vibrated out of its holding and thereby rendering this system useless. A quick push of the plug and we are operational once again!


The weather was very cold (17 degrees) and we had frost on the inside of our Isinglass, so we decided to drive from below until the weather warmed up. Once the weather got above 32 degrees, the bridge became a comfortable place to drive the boat from. We did use a small space heater to take the chill off, but we were mostly comfortable the entire time to the Aberdeen Marina.


The approach to the Aberdeen Marina is like nothing we have done before. It is a very narrow passage marked by red and green buoys with only about 6 feet of water depth. Now keep in mind that we “draw” a depth of 4’6”, so there is very little room under our keel. The marina and people there were very nice and we used the courtesy car (huge Lincoln Town Car) to make the mandatory run to “wally world” for items we had over looked.


The next day we got to sleep in and left somewhere around 9am for Pirates Cove Marina. The reviews from ActiveCaptain and other sources indicated this Marina is in need of some TLC, but the crew managing the operation was very accommodating. As we entered their harbor, we were assisted by two dock hands that helped us tie off our lines and make sure we had everything we needed. After a quick trip to the Marina office to settle our account we relaxed as Kris began to prepare another gourmet meal. The food on this trip has been nothing short of wonderful, from the French Toast breakfast’s to the Quesadilla’s for lunch and the stuffed chicken breast grilled to perfection by our expert griller Jonathan.


Our departure from Pirates Cove Marina was even later than the two previous days. We managed to toss the lines at 0930 but to only wait for 30 minutes as a commercial tow was locking Northbound through the lock. Kris has been driving the boat into the last several locks and is doing a pretty darn good job. It isn’t an over challenging task, but something that has the potential to go bad quickly if you aren’t watching everything. As you “lock down”, you can get involved with some funky winds when they begin to swirl around inside the cavern of the lock itself.


Our destination for the fourth overnight was Sumter’s Landing at mile marker 270. We haven’t ever stayed there, however it comes highly recommended by friends who have recently made this trip. It has been advertised as a really quite cove off the river that is protected at the entrance by a shallow sand bar. We cautiously made our approach into the small opening and we experienced water depths as shallow as 4.5 feet deep as we crossed the entrance to the anchorage. Our depth gauge is calibrated to indicate 3.6 feet of water and we will “touch” bottom, so 4.5 feet on the gauge pretty much gives us less than a foot clearance. Once inside the anchorage the water depth goes to 8 feet plus and we found the ideal location to drop our anchor.


This was the first time we had the opportunity to use our new RIB. It was much easier launching and considerably easier to control once in the water because of the deep V hull. After the trip to shore for the dogs, the boys took the dinghy and went exploring with a fishing rod.


Well, that is all from Sumter’s Landing. We hope to get an early start tomorrow so we can beat the weather arriving in Demopolis. Once there, we will be leaving the boat for the weekend as we return to Somerville to attend some business Monday. Of course we will be rooting for our Mississippi State Bulldogs as they play in the Gator Bowl.

Last Leg to Iuka

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we have been in our homeport now for several weeks, but I still need to update our adventure and bring everyone up to date.

When I last wrote, we had finally left the Columbus Marina enroute to our anchorage. Originally I had planned on staying on the hook the first night then docking at the Smithville Marina the second night. There we planned to join up with some friends for the final two legs to Iuka.

Since we didn’t get away from Columbus as early as I had wanted, I wasn’t positive when at the end of the day, where our anchorage was going to be. Fortunately as we progressed further to the north we had several options and as we ticked the miles off, it became apparent we could make my first choice which was an anchorage on the West side of the river in a much protected area.

We arrived “onsite” just before the sunset and the location provided all that was hoped for. We were anchored in a “cut” that was at one time the river channel, but after many years, Mother Nature decided to redirect the flow of her river! Thanks Mom!

The “cut” was probably wide enough for us to swing on one anchor, but being the over controlling rookie, I decided it was best to put out a stern anchor to prevent a possible swing into shallow waters.

I don’t have the talent or vocabulary to express the awesome beauty that is constantly displayed by our God. That evening Kris and I enjoyed the sounds of wildlife ending a crisp cool autumn day as the sun began to slowly slip behind the trees. The concert of frogs, crickets, cranes and other animals began to serenade us as we grilled on the aft deck. We are truly blessed!

The next morning we got underway at a decent hour (8:00am) and planned on getting to Smithville Marina in time to make the last required replenishment of our food stock. The plan was to spend the night there and join up with some friends the next day and finish our great adventure. Since we had several locks to transit, I wasn’t sure how far we could make it that day and chose Smithville as our initial destination. Fortunately we experienced no delays as we locked through three different locks and I decided then to proceed to Midway Marina for our overnight.

That evening we used the courtesy car to travel to the local Super Wal Mart for our final reprovisioning. The next morning I got to use the laundry facilities at the marina, and as far as these go, they were pretty nice. One thing I have noticed with the local amenities at each different marina and it’s correlation between the cleanliness and newness of the public use facilities. The more live-aboard tenants at a particular marina, the nicer the facilities are.
Jim and Cheryl Haas arrived right on schedule where we unloaded their car and got them settled in. We cast off our lines at 12:08 which was right on time and our destination was now Bay Springs Lake!

Once again the weather was a perfect Fall day for cruising. Keep in mind, Kris and I started this trip at the end of August and due to unforeseen delays, we are finishing at the end of October. As we moved our boat northward, we moved into cooler temperatures along with the changing colors of the trees. Kris even made the comment, we have traveled “into fall” and its accompanying colors. As we enjoyed are first guests aboard Blissfull we drove from the upper bridge while we watched the river slide by. We transited three more locks before anchoring in the clear waters of Bay Springs.

The very last lock on the TennTom waterway was the Whitten Lock which has about an 84 foot lift. It is the 9th largest lift on the inland waterways and can be somewhat intimidating as you sit at the bottom of its canyon like walls. Since Jim and Cheryl had experienced two other locks today, they were now ready to try their hand at locking through.

All went well, and once on the main body of water, we began looking for a place to anchor for the night. We initially began to look for a spot known as the “five fingers” located on the eastern edge of Bay Springs, but after some discussion we opted for the western shore near the Corp of Engineers camp grounds. This location was familiar to Jim and Cheryl; just past a special cove with a name that can’t be repeated in good company but it sounded like a place that required lots of privacy. This also was near an area they would bring their family during their summer water skiing outings.

After securing the anchor and a special evening visiting with long time friends; we shared a good meal and then retired for the evening only to awake during the night to the sound of our anchor alarm!!! Once the excitement was over and realizing the “operator” (me) incorrectly set the alarm we returned to bed.

The next morning, we started the last leg in a rainy, gray and dreary environment. Certainly not the first choice for the last leg of this epic trip; but we were ready to get our Defever to her new surroundings. The remaining miles clicked off uneventfully as we began the end of our trip.

When we turned the corner to entrance of Yellow Creek, Jim was at the helm bringing us in. Both Kris and I were on the bridge with him and the emotions I was experiencing were running all over the place. I could barely contain the euphoria of completing this trip but I was also experiencing the sadness of the trip ending. It is hard to explain to those that have never experienced this type of travel or lifestyle, but it is a feeling that is incomparable to any other.

When we left Boca Raton on that September day, I wasn’t sure what we would experience. I only knew I was now in possession of a Defever 44 and needed to get her home. We experienced everything from picture perfect sun rises and sun sets to screaming winds creating miserable conditions on deck. The boat performed flawlessly and the only hiccups or challenges were self induced.

Let me talk about the name “Blissfull”, I must admit the idea of this name was not my own, but from my younger brother Chip. He has owned several live aboard size boats and he thought this would be an ideal name for a boat belonging to a Bliss. Of course our thoughts would be we would keep the boat full of Bliss descendants and hence the name BlissFULL. But as Kris and I continued on our trek, we began to realize this name wasn’t the name that truly represented this boat or of our feelings for this boat. Yes, we want to keep the boat “chocked full of Bliss’s”, but what we experienced was something entirely different than a boat full of kinfolk. We experienced true bliss; peacefulness…, calmness…. I could go on describing the feelings, but they would always come back to plain and simple bliss. What’s in a name? Well, Bliss tells it all! Our Defever 44 formerly known as SeaQuinn will be christened “Bliss”. ….. It doesn’t get any better!!!

Thanks for following us on our trip. I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed doing it and writing about it. As you probably have noticed, I am not the writer in the family (thank goodness for spell checker). I was fortunate to have the time off to undertake this journey, but it is now time to return to the salt mine. I have regained my FAA First Class medical certificate after a battle with cancer but now cancer free. I have requalified in my position as a 747-400 Captain flying for Northwest Airlines (soon to be Delta) and will begin crossing oceans once again. As I fly between those Asian cities and the U.S. mainland I will look down across that vast expanse of blue Pacific Ocean and smile with envious joy of those cruisers making their special passage.

Thanks to all that made this trip possible, especially the woman that lets me dream. She has always been there to support me even in my wildest ideas.

God Bless

Rusty

Demopolis to Columbus

Demopolis Northward to Columbus

Sorry for the lengthy delay between updates. We are now actually in our home port, but I will continue to update the blog as if we were moving daily.

Our layover in Demopolis was very nice. We arrived at a decent hour (3pm) and after checking in at the fuel dock, we were assigned our overnight slip. Once in the slip we noticed there were but only two 30amp power receptacles in the connection box and no 50amp receptacle. I do have an adapter that will allow us to connect to the two 30amp receptacles and provide a single 50amp power source, but either because of operator error or a failure of the equipment; I wasn’t able to get power on the boat. My only solution was either to connect two 50 foot power cords so as to reach the only 50amp receptacle or move the boat to another slip. I explained my dilemma to the Harbor Master and they had an easy solution! They would put in a 50amp power source at my current slip and would do it ASAP! Wow!!! Talk about customer service! Within thirty minutes an electrician was at the slip and replaced one 30amp service with a 50amp service. Presto… power to run everything!

Since we had been “on the hook” the last five days, our provisions needed restocking and as with many marinas, a courtesy car was available for doing such errands. We had the car reserved for the hours between 6pm and 8pm, but Wayne (the night watchman) told us to keep it as long as we wanted and if there was a request for the car he would call me on my cell phone. We then embarked on our mini tour of Demopolis and the re-provisioning of BlissFull.

The homes in Demopolis were absolutely beautiful! In my opinion there is no better example of Southern Elegance as there is from a well taken care of antebellum home. And the streets were lined with them up one side and the other! As the night began to fall, you could see the “haunting decorations” of the upcoming Halloween evening! We finished our mandatory stop at Wal-Mart then found a local restaurant that promised a good seafood and steak menu!

Just one comment about the Demopolis Marina; in several resource documents, there has been negative comments made about this Marina and its staff. Yes, the docks are worn and could be very hazardous to splinter prone feet, the marina lounge has seen better days and the laundry facility needs to be updated, but all of that was overshadowed by the sincerity of the warm and friendly staff as well as the fellow cruisers staying there. So, if you are undecided whether to stop or continue… I recommend you stop and enjoy the sights, the people and of course that good ol’southern hospitality.

The next morning we were up and off as the sun began peeking over the horizon. The river was a little foggy and I was truly proud of my radar. Since we had three locks to transit today, I wasn’t sure what my progress would be. I had heard from several other cruisers of lengthy delays waiting as a commercial tow was transitioning the lock. As it should be, those of us using the waterways for pleasure should come behind those using the locks for business. Fortunately we were able to make good time and only experiencing one minor delay as a group of ten boats transited the lock. We had several choices of anchorages that night and we made 71 miles to the Cochran Cutoff for our overnight stay. Once again, the experience and beauty of spending the night on “the hook” was exceptional! I am starting to truly enjoy this anchoring thing!

The next day we departed our anchorage shortly after 8am since our journey today was going to be a relatively short segment.

Almost immediately after leaving our anchorage we came upon a dredging operation. Many of these dredging companies are contracted by the Corp of Engineers to maintain the integrity of the channel along the waterway and there are certain protocols and procedures as you approach these operations. We gave them a call on channel 16 to inquire about transiting their area. There are times they are actually dredging in the channel itself and you have to wait while they disconnect everything to allow you to pass, but today they were working on the edge and we had a clear passage through their area.

The further we moved northward, we began to see vast improvements in our speed over the ground (displayed as SOG on the GPS). We now were going almost 8mph!!! I even decided to turn my hat backwards for fear of losing it in the strong wind!!!

The weather was starting to improve in the temperature in the temperature arena and we are beginning to see more barge traffic as we go north.

We arrived at Columbus shortly after 4pm and were welcomed by “T” (harbor master) and Al and JoAnn Barr from the boat “My Turn”. Al Barr had been very helpful in providing guidance on overnight anchorages while Kris and I moved from Mobile to Demopolis, so it was important for me to see him first hand and thank him for his help!

Later that evening we were the guests of Al and JoAnn on their Defever 44 for cocktails and snacks. Kris and JoAnn immediately became good friends while Al and I swapped common interest stories of flying. While we were there, we were joined by another Defever 44 owner (Charlie Liffick from “Slow Flight”) and coincidentally was a retired commercial airline pilot.

It would be hard to put into words the gracious hospitality Al, JoAnn and Charlie showed to us while we were moored at the Columbus Marina. There seems to be a special bond between fellow aviators; Al is a combat wounded Marine helicopter pilot, while Charlie served our nation flying the Birddog in Vietnam. Al continued his service to our country in the FBI while Charlie continued his flying at a major airline. Kris and I decided to stay a second night at Columbus so we could continue the fellowship of our cruising friends.

The next night we gathered with several other cruisers in the “social area” of the marina before we walked over to “Woody’s” for a great supper. One of the attractions to the cruising lifestyle is the opportunity to meet wonderful people and this was no exception!

The boat moored next to us was completing their Great Loop aboard a Four Winns power boat. They had already completed a Circumnavigation of the WORLD aboard their sailboat. This in of itself is a herculean feat, but they passed around both “Horns”…. Located on the southern tips of Africa and South America! I tried to learn as much I could about their three year adventure in the short time we were moored next to them. Another truly interesting gentleman was a fellow traveling alone on the Great Loop aboard a 19 foot American Tug. I honestly believe we will read more about his interesting voyage in widely circulated magazine. I could fill this entire blog with the number of interesting people and I wouldn’t be able to describe the wonderful folks we have come in contact with.

Al and JoAnn left for their home in Texas on Friday and we originally had planned to leave Columbus that day as well, but like all good plans…..

I had a very important conference call set up for Saturday morning at 10am and it was imperative I have a solid cell signal to conduct this call. With the experience of the spotty reception along the waterway we decided to delay our departure until Saturday after the meeting. We struggled with the desire to get home after spending over three weeks on the road, but decided it was best to wait an extra day.

The conference call was completed and now it was time to get on the “river” again.

As I began the “preflight” process and starting the GENSET, everything was progressing normally. I then went to start the port engine and nothing….nada…zippola… I try the starboard engine….. ditto… nothing there either! Dang, must be dead batteries. But how could they be dead? We have been on shore power for 4 days and I do have a battery charger that is supplied by AC 110 volt power!!!

I look over at my electrical panel and notice the circuit breaker labeled “WASHER/ Battery Charger” is flipped to the OFF position. Aha….There is my problem… but how did it get selected OFF???? I certainly don’t remember turning it off, but no problem, just flip it back on…let the batteries recharge and then on my way.

I let the batteries charge for a couple of hours and make another attempt to restart the engines. The port side starts almost immediately while the starboard would barely turn over. I decide the best thing to do is let the batteries charge for a few more hours longer and try again. It was getting late and I had already made the decision to stay another night and try again tomorrow, so we weren’t going anywhere.

As I was making the second attempt to start the engines, there happened to be a couple of diesel mechanics by the boat who diagnosed my situation as a “dragging starter” and not a battery issue. I was a little suspicious with the coincidence of multi failures in separate systems, but hey… they were the professionals. Their theory was starting to look like the real thing after I had swapped the battery from the “good side” to the side that wouldn’t start and the symptoms stayed. What I thought was the bad battery started the port engine without any trouble. If it truly was a battery problem, then logically the problem “should” follow the battery, but it didn’t!

I knew there was a place in Columbus where I could have my starter checked, so I take the starter off and find a ride to town to have the starter analyzed. I find the store, we hook it and “spin the motor”. The “young man” tells me in “his opinion” my starter is bad and I should immediately purchase a new one from his store. In my “opinion” the starter is fine and works as advertised. I return to the marina and along with Charlie Liffick’s help I put a new “loaner” starter on the engine. Just a side note, Charlie’s boat (another Defever 44) had been set up for long range, independent cruising and had many many spare parts, one which was a starter! Now if the problem was truly the starter, and once I replace it, then it should start without a problem…. Right?????

Yes, you guessed it! Same symptom! A lethargic rotation of the engine with no start! Dang…. Is it something other than the starter or battery? Could it be a problem with the engine? A hydraulic lock somewhere? My mind was racing…..this was turning into something serious. It was late and Charlie and I decide to call it a night and start fresh in the morning.

That night I dreamed about engines… I dreamed about solutions…. I dreamed about single engine cruising!!!! To say the night was restless was an understatement.

There was something I hadn’t tried the day before and that was to “bypass” the cables from the battery going to the starter. This was something I was going to do first thing in the morning when I get up. However before the sun was up I hear this knocking on the door and it is Charlie. He also was thinking about my problem through the night and had come to the same solution. In his opinion it had to be the cables from the battery to the starter; after all this is a 20 year old boat and cables do deteriorate. We bypass the cables and cross our fingers for a good rotation….. ugghhhhh, still the same thing. A slow lethargic rotation of the engine.

I have one more idea and that is to put both batteries in parallel and see if that will improve the rotational speed of the starter. Both engine batteries are less than one year old and are considered to have relatively larger cranking amperage, but keep in mind they were drained DEAD! I hook up the port battery to the starboard battery and press the start button!!!! SUCCESS!!!! The engine starts.

Now I have located the problem and it is after all the batteries! It appears the boat needs a little more battery for starting and sustaining “house power” while without shore power. I now need to add more battery power, especially for the starboard side which also supplies the majority of the “house power”. The solution is easy so I decide to purchase a battery from the local marina and then hook them up in parallel to begin our trip northward!

What happened next is what cruising friends are all about and that is the extreme hospitality shown to basically a stranger passing through. I won’t go into the boring details, but the management of the Columbus Marina is second to NONE! They provided me with the additional battery capacity I needed and saw to it we were safely on our way. Thanks Mr. T.!!!

We got underway that morning at 1030!

Oh, did I mention how the battery charger got turned OFF?? The admiral of my boat has made it very clear she was NOT going to wash clothes on the boat. You see, the washing machine/dryer is located just past the engines which require a little agility and balance to get to, and it was made clear to me that THAT wasn’t going to happen!!! When we left Indiantown Marina three weeks before, she noticed the circuit breaker labeled WASHER in larger font, but didn’t notice the small font reading “battery charger”. Since the WASHER wasn’t going to be used, there was no sense in having this breaker closed, so she opened it thinking it would save power usage. Because we were on the move constantly the batteries were being charged from the daily use of the alternators from the engines, but since we were on shore power with the battery charger OFF the 12 volt side of the system was being constantly drained, hence a dead battery.

Oh…. Did I mention forgiveness is the key to a good marriage????

Tell the next time.

Rusty and Kris

Mobile to Demopolis

Kris and I begin our trip northward without another crewmember. It is just her and I now crewing our boat.

We knew the trip going up river was going to be a challenge for many reasons. One of the main reasons was the lack of convenient facilities for the first 200 miles. There is only ONE marina and that is Bobby’s Fish Camp which is over a hundred miles north of Mobile Bay. The other reason was the extremely strong current going against us due to the recent heavy rains. The rivers that empty out into Mobile Bay come from all over the Southeast and lately, they have had their share of rain. The river we were to be navigating was the Tombigbee/Lower Black Warrior River which collects water from many states before emptying out into Mobile Bay. When your boat travels at 7.7 knots full speed and you have a 3 to 4 knot current against you…. Well let’s just say it adds time to the trip!

We started our trip driving from the upper helm, but as we entered the Mobile Channel, it began a heavy rain. So…., down below we go and began driving from the lower helm. When we first began shopping for a boat, we were unsure of the advantages of having a lower helm to drive from. Many so called “experts” would tell us it wasn’t needed, their thoughts were if the weather was bad enough to drive from there, then maybe you should be staying in port. What they failed to think about or share was what happens if you “get caught” out in the rain. Of course they were selling boats without a lower station.

Fortunately the weather begins to clear up and we return to the upper helm. The water is almost glass like smooth as we begin our trip into the extra busy Mobile Harbor.

As I am heading north in this “highway on the sea”, I begin to see a low object on the horizon. At first it seemed to be stationary and possibly could be on shore. Soon it became obvious it was on the water and beginning to get larger as it got nearer. I still couldn’t make out the shape, but all I could determine it was “gray”.

The closer it got, the easier it became to identify as a navy vessel, but what kind of vessel? Not knowing how fast, how much room does it need and what kind of wake will it put out, I do what is obvious to me. I call him on the radio….. Now in the past, big Coast Guard ships have answered me when I called them, but this weird looking navy guy won’t respond at all.

As we get closer, I see the navy ship is being escorted by several smaller boats and one Coast Guard boat. We soon realize this is a very different ship and obviously has a special mission in the Navy. I begin to question whether or not we should be here? Did I miss some special Notice to Seamen that restricted movement in the area?

One of the small boats escorting this Navy vessel rushes ahead and pulls along side of us as I slow down to see what he wants. He tells us it is okay to continue but he makes sure he is between us and the Navy vessel as it passes.

On the Navy vessel we expected to see personnel attired in the usual Navy garb, however there were nothing but people dressed in civilian clothes. It was my guess this boat had either been built or worked on in the Mobile Shipyard and this was some type of “sea trial”.

As you can see, the shape is strange and it looks as if it was straight out of the movies.

We continued on up the river and as we entered the central harbor, a large Coast Guard boat falls in behind me. He is on his way to replace a couple of dislodged buoys and tells me to keep on “trucking”.

As you would expect, the harbor was teaming with activity. We made every attempt to stay out of other ships way and once I got north of the zone of confusion, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

That relief was short lived as we truly entered the river. My speed, which had been a pretty consistent 7.7 knots was now is the lower 6 knot range. The river was now a true obstacle course with logs and other junk in the river. The last thing I wanted was to run over a submerged tree and damage my propeller or worse yet, bend the shaft to the propeller.

Our goal today was make it to Mile Marker 52.8 and anchor out in the “Alabama Cut”. This was a small anchorage that had good wind protection on all sides except from the Northwest. As we entered the anchorage, I soon realized this was going to be a challenge. The “Cut” was narrower and the current stronger than I had expected. I went in far enough to escape the turbulence of passing traffic on the river but not too far to jeopardize my ability to return if the river level changes during the night. We dropped our bow anchor and I let the current push be back to a spot I felt comfortable dropping the stern anchor. Once the stern was out, then I began to “take in the rode” on the bow anchor so as to set the stern anchor securely in the channel. Because the anchorage was very narrow, I had both anchors set on the front and the back to prevent us from swinging into the bank should the wind change.

As forecast, the weather was to turn nasty that night with some severe thunderstorms and damaging winds from the Northwest. Great…. The only area not truly protected was my stern which was facing the Northwest.

Because we are a great distance from any type of civilization, I had limited connectivity on my cell phone. I could intermittently send and receive text messages, but voice communication was non-existent.

Chip was at home and we continued to keep in touch discussing the severe weather bounding toward our position. He kept me informed of the tornado watches and the moving line of thunderstorms. That night we were treated to a spectacular lightning show and the winds were strong however for only a brief time during the storms.

Before retiring for the night, I set the “anchor alarm” and track on my Chartplotter. These are neat little tools that will track your movement and alert you if you have exceeded a specified distance. Everything worked as advertised and we had a safe night.

You have heard people say “what a difference a day can may”. Well, it certainly was the case today regarding the weather. Yesterday, Kris and I were wearing shorts and flip-flops; today there weren’t enough clothes on the boat to keep us warm! The wind was a steady 15 to 20 miles per hour from the Northwest and the temperature was in the lower 50’s. Brrrrrrr.

Because of the trash in the river, it was necessary to drive from the upper helm. Down below you couldn’t really see the stuff hiding just below the waterline. I am once again reminded what a mistake it was I didn’t get an upper bridge with some type of enclosure to protect us from the elements. But this can be remedied when we get to Pickwick.

The river current was starting to get stronger as we got farther north. I am now questioning how far I can travel in a day. Will I make the anchorages I had hoped too? Because of the very limited availability of anchorages and marinas from Mobile to Demopolis, I needed to pay careful attention to this.

The next night we stayed at an anchorage called “Old Lock # 1. This was neat little place that offered a lot more room than the previous night. The entrance was a little narrow but it opened up to a very comfortable spot with lots of swing room. As we entered we noticed we would not be without company for the night. There were already 3 other boats on the hook, so we took our spot behind them and set up for the night.

The next morning we would once again be battling the strong current and trash, but at least the sun was out but certainly not very warm. Also, this was going to be the first day Kris and I will lock thru a “big lock”. The locks on the Okeechobee Waterway are basically for smaller craft, but these locks on the Tombigbee are the “Real McCoy”. They are 110 feet wide and 600 feet long which can accommodate most commercial tow boats going up and down the river.

We arrive at the Coffeeville Lock and Dam where we are locked thru almost immediately. Because the water was so high our “lift” was only about 10 feet versus the normal lift of 34 feet. After locking thru, we now begin to look for our next night’s lodging which was Bashi Creek at Mile Marker 145.

I had been forewarned to lower my antennas as I entered the creek because it was so narrow and they were correct….. It was narrow! There was barely enough room to turn around a 44 foot boat, but we made it work. We once again set out a bow and stern anchor and when we were confident we were secure it was time for an adult beverage!! The peacefulness and quiet was amazing. We grilled out on the aft deck that night and went to bed early because we knew tomorrow we had a very early wake up.

Our plan was to leave Bashi Creek with just enough daylight to see obstacles in the water. We needed to get to Demopolis, Alabama which was about 60 river miles. Normally this would not be a problem since we usually cruise around 7 knots, but because of the strong current and a lock to go thru, we knew this was going to be a challenge to accomplish.

When we entered the river once again, it became apparent we weren’t going to make Demopolis that day. The current was the strongest we had encountered to date. There were times I was making 3.8 knots over the ground…… ugghhh, which meant I was going into a current almost 4 knots! How long will this last? Where was I going to spend tonight? Was I going to travel at night to our destination?

As with anything, I have always planned an “option B” and sometimes a “C” and so forth. We did have our “bailout” point and that was going to be Chickasaw Bogue located at Mile Marker 188. We were trying to get to Mile Marker 216 and the decision was made if I can’t be by MM 188 by 1pm, then we would spend the night there and retry the next morning. The only problem was we didn’t know anything about the anchorage at Chickasaw Bogue and what if there was someone else already there?

As we approached Chickasaw Bogue, the river was swirling violently near the entrance and it was a narrow entrance. We decided it was best to give this anchorage a try rather than take the chance of traveling at night. This was a good decision because this anchorage was probably one of the nicest we had been in.

The next morning we were delayed for about an hour waiting for the fog to lift. I do have the equipment with my radar and Chartplotter to navigate in this type of weather, but I don’t have the confidence in doing so. It would be similar to a brand new instrument rated pilot with 200 hours of flying experience flying into Chicago O’Hare during peak rush hour with barely landing minimums broadcast on the ATIS. Someday we will do this… but not today.

The weather is finally starting to warm up and we are not nearly as uncomfortable on the bridge as in the past. We arrive at the Demopolis Marina where I put on a couple hundred gallons of diesel before moving to my slip for the night.

The Demopolis Marina was an Oasis in the Desert! There was a courtesy car available, laundry on site and a great restaurant attached to the marina. The people there were friendly, courtesy and certainly accommodating. My slip was supposed to have a 50 amp service but unfortunately it had only two 30 amp receptacles. This normally isn’t a problem if you have the right adapters which I did but unfortunately they didn’t work. I had some options available which was to move to another slip for power or I could run my genset all night (not very courteous) or I could plug into a neighbors power. The marina’s solution was they would install a 50 amp service. Now that is paying attention to customer service. Within an hour, the electrician was onsite and replaced one of the 30 amp plugs with a 50 amp and we were “online”.

As you may have noticed, I have referred a couple times to some type of resource for this segment on the river. I did purchase the book “Nitty Gritty of the Tombigbee”, but also I used a website called ActiveCaptain which provides updates from boaters who have actually been there. But the best resource is the fellow cruiser who goes up and down this river frequently. Since I am a member of the Defever Cruiser’s Forum, I put a simple request online for information pertaining to this voyage. What I got back was responses from several cruisers providing accurate and timely tips. This was an invaluable resource and I can’t say enough positive things about them, specifically Al and JoAnn Barr of “My Turn”. They have been there for every question and I appreciate their support.

Tomorrow we begin the second half of our trip on the river.

Till then….

Rusty and Kris

Shalimar to Dog River Marina

After staying at Homeport Marina a couple of days we were ready to get underway for Dog River Marina located in Mobile Bay, Mobile Alabama. There Chip was scheduled to leave us since he needed to return to that pesky thing called work. He was being pulled from both ways since he truly enjoyed being on the trip but he also wanted to complete his scheduled trip to Africa. As a Delta Airlines pilot he flies to some pretty neat destinations and one of his favorite is the African Continent.

The trip to Dog River was an uneventful one, which is the kind I prefer. We got in shortly before 4pm and immediately signed up for the courtesy car. Speaking of courtesy cars… this was by far the best one we had ever had the opportunity to use, a late model Grand Marquis with all the bells and whistles working!

While we were tying up our lines, the radio crackles and we hear a boat announcing their arrival to Dog River Marina. They also inform the marina staff they were "crossing their wake"; meaning this is were they began their trip and now they were finishing it. They had began the "Great Loop" three years ago on this 24 foot boat and now finally they are finished. It was fun to meet this couple and hear some of their amazing tales. Their plan now was to spend a few days organizing their things and then trailer their boat back to Savanna, Georgia. This is their picture coming up to the dock.

We did our necessary errands restocking up on the basic food staples and even replacing the book “Nitty Gritty of the Tombigbee” by Fred Myers. Chip had purchased this book the last time he and I came through Dog River but we wanted an up to date version. It has TONS of good information regarding marinas, anchorages and special sites to see along the Tombigbee.

Because of the weather Kris and I decided it was best to stay one extra day in Dog River before making our trek northward. Since we were now available, the marina allowed us to use the courtesy car to take Chip to the airport the next morning. Thanks Chip for your help!!

Later, Kris and I spent the remainder of the day doing odd jobs on the boat and generally taking it easy. We knew the next several days of going up the Tombigbee were going to be a challenge because of the torrential rains “up river” and I thought it was best to take advantage of this opportunity to hangout for awhile.

That’s it for now... short and sweet.

Till then…

Rusty and Kris

Shalimar to Gulf Shores

We left Shalimar early in the morning with a scheduled destination of Homeport Marina in Gulf Shores, Alabama. This segment was going to be a relative short one and hopefully an enjoyable one. Since it was a Sunday, we expected to see lots of boat traffic on the water and we weren’t disappointed.

Because of the numerous “no wake zones”, we took our time as we idled by some beautiful homes located on the Intercoastal Waterway. We finally transited Pensacola Bay and re-entered the Waterway near Perdido Key Pass. Here the water turned to a much clearer quality due to the tide coming in. That was the positive aspect of the tide, but the negative was the confusing current as we passed by the narrow inlet to the bay.

As we re-entered the ICW, we passed by the Oyster House Bar and Grill located on Perdido Key which was a favorite dining experience for us when we would stay at our condominium. However, in 2004, Hurricane Ivan had other plans regarding our long term use of this condo. It was completely destroyed by the hurricane and we are still in the process of either rebuilding or selling the beachfront property.

We had our reservations at Homeport Marina which is attached to “Lulu’s”. Those of us that frequent the “Redneck Riviera” are familiar with this establishment since it is owned and operated by Lulu Buffett. You may have heard of her brother, he plays a guitar and sings songs about Margaritaville! What was truly impressive, we actually saw her on the property tending to the landscaping. You can really appreciate an owner who is involved in the everyday things of operating a business.

The approach to the Marina was somewhat challenging since I had a very strong following current. I made a quick 180 degree turn as I approached the marina and cozied up to the dock. It was important I didn’t “screw this one up” since the Marina had a web cam overlooking the dock. I certainly didn’t want to be the next “You Tube” phenomena.

Once there we paid our overnight fee and were given directions to our slip. The marina is a relatively new facility and has some very nice attributes; the main thing being the facilities are very clean and well maintained. Unfortunately our slip location wasn’t the best, since we were moored up next to a boat that was operating their generator. Shore power was available and connected to his boat, but he still insisted on using the generator and because of this we were the recipient of the noxious fumes of his exhaust. The solution was to move our boat to another slip or slide it up several feet to escape the potentially deadly gas. Of course we took the easy way out and moved up enough to clear the fumes. All is well!

After getting secure for the night, we all went to Lulu’s for some needed refreshments and supper. I promise not to write about the food on this trip but the atmosphere certainly made up for any short comings in the tastiness of the food! We actually enjoyed the marina, Lulus and staff so much, we spent and extra night there. This is one place I would recommend staying during the winter season.

Tomorrow our plan is to get to Dog River Marina and re-provision.

Till then,

Rusty and Kris