Aberdeen to Columbus, Mississippi.

 

Another beautiful morning...and it is Friday. We tend to forget which day it is! One day looks pretty much the same as the other, so keeping track is a bit of a challenge.
We had called ahead two days ago, to the marina in Columbus to book ourselves a berth there for the weekend, knowing that they might be full of Loopers. Nice to secure that space ahead of time. No worries.
We pulled out from Aberdeen after a breakfast of bacon and egg and bacon and sausage biscuits from their Delli. Rich and Pam helped us get off the dock. It was a bit challenging, considering the depth of the water and the fact that Waz would have to back out before turning. We did it right on the second try.
Pam and Rich were following us in their little boat. They are loopers too, and it was good to spend some time with them again. We made our way back along the channel with some trepidation.

 Lots of debris in the water, and we had to swing wide a couple of times to avoid logs like this one. Not much room to go around these, and we had given up looking at the depth finder, again. We knew it was shallow, so no point worrying further.

 The Coreopsis Daisies were everywhere and a glorious sight. We wonder if they are partly responsible for our breathing problems, right now. We seem to sneeze all the time and Waz is using his asthma puffer a lot.

 Nearly there....out into the River again....but...

 See that stuff in the water out there? Well, there is a sand bar right there which collects debris. Hmmm....

 Yes, this one here...and ooooooppppps!!! WAIT! take it out of gear...we are grounded!! BAH!

 Waz had decided to gun it to get through the shallows we experienced going in yesterday, but guess what...it just made us stick. We couldn't go further towards the red markers because of a tree trunk in the water there. After a few mins, he decided to gun the engines a bit more to see if we would move. We did...phew! Floating again, but we probably have nice clean props out of that one.


We made our way into the next lock, just a little way down river. The next two took us down 25ft each. We now only have four locks to go through before we hit Mobile Bay.

 Rich and Pam saw us ground and as they were behind us, were grateful that we dug them a channel:)

We are ready to get out of this lock.

 We saw this tow on the AIS screen and that his name was Jack Binion. We had an off channel conversation with the tug captain about the name. You see, the previous owner of our boat goes by the same name:) Strange coincidence.

I didn't take any more photos, after this. We were close to the next lock, and before getting there we were to turn to port, before the Cells, to Columbus Marina. I needed to get the ropes and fenders ready for tie up there, so the camera was secondary to my purpose. I didn't have it with me as we entered the marina either, so those pics will come as we leave.

We arrived to find a LOT of Loopers in the Marina. Good to see so many of them again.

We are here for the weekend, leaving Monday morning. It has been a difficult decision to make...leaving, that is....such a pretty place, and so restful. You see, the push to make the Loop is over. We are almost 'home'! Home being when we cross our wake on the ICW, at the bottom of Mobile Bay, Al. Our boat insurance doesn't allow for us to enter Florida until the 1st of November, so we are in no hurry to do so. We still have a good 7 days before we get there, which is about right, down you think? This being the 26th, October.!

We are thinking of taking the boat out of the water in Mobile, to give her a bottom job, redo the gland packing (you boat folks will know of what I speak!), which was so poorly done by the previous person who 'packed' them..aiee!! and any number of other little jobs that can only  be done when the boat is on the hard.

Sooo...there you have it!

a