Tensas Cut to Dog River, Mobile, Alabama

We stayed an extra day at anchor at Tensas cut. Don't ask me what we did for the day, but the wind howled and we just stayed still for the day and watched us and the others swing. Not much fun, but the sun came out, even if the temperature was cold. We had all the blinds drawn so that what sun there was could at least attempt to warm us up. Lots of clothes on, and we don't go outside unless we have to. We couldn't get internet, so I spent most of the time writing the book of our adventures. Make that Books...there are four of them, as I have said previously. I chop and change between the four, as my interest wanes on one I pick up where I left off on the other:)

As you can see there is more fog on the morning of our leaving. How unusual! (tongue in cheek!)
It did clear quickly. That is Gene out getting his anchors in, in the coldest temps yet. Sheesh...it was no more than freezing point, I swear. We heard told, later, that some boats further up the river had ice on their decks this morning!
The fog lifted and stayed away. Gene left in the fog around 7, and we left after the red boat (freedom), around 7.45am. The others were not leaving until around 9, they said. It was amazing to see how the wind calmed the waters, after chopping and whipping it up for 16 hrs.

The same fish shack in the early morning light...much nicer!

Here we turned right at the fork, as indicated by the black arrow, and followed the lower Black Warrior, Tombigbee River

...and around the corner...Mobile, Alabama. The skyline isn't far away.

There it is!! The river runs through the bottom of downtown. Lots to see here, before going out the other end of the port into Mobile Bay. We had become so accustomed to being on rivers, that the bay was a bit of a shock...more later.

The view above is not the prettiest, but then we mostly see the industrial or 'working' parts of the big cities and towns.

This is what the chart plotter showed us, going down the river to the bay (being at the top of the chart). All those triangles are boats/ships/tows etc. all with AIS. You can see our boat symbol in the very middle of it all.

I couldn't believe this fellow hanging onto a rope attached to the canopy...he could barely walk along the edge of the barge, and here he was guiding that cover. No wonder there are so many barge related accidents!

 

The US Navy in it's infinite wisdom built these 'stealth' ships. However, they were a complete disaster, I believe. Underpowered, is the least of the worries! It was interesting that they were here in the middle of the port and river. We could have gone right up to them I think, without being kept away. We have been around other Naval ships and warned off by security boats, elsewhere.

The passenger terminal for the cruise ships, we believe.

Lots of boat associated industry going on in this river/port. We love all this kind of activity. Endlessly fascinating!

More Navy vessels

and passing the last vessel before Mobile Bay.

There before us is Mobile Bay. She is very shallow off the main shipping channel, so we are careful to stay between the markers. Lots of tow traffic going towards the sea,.

We only had 12 miles to go to get to the bay, this morning, and it has taken us only 1 1/2hrs to get here. You can see just how shallow it is, by the single digit numbers on the blue.

The wind came up once we got out onto the bay, and the chop was there too, with a following sea. We are now in salt water! :(

We have to take another shallow channel to get into Dog River Marina. That is the beginning of the channel at the top of the chart, going off to the right.

and low and behold...a shrimp boat right in the middle of the channel, and he is fishing! sheesh! We didn't think they were allowed to do that. The channel isn't that wide, and this guy was a bloody nuisance!

We turned off the main shipping channel, onto the Dog River channel. This is the depth for the most part.

I was getting a bit crazy, again...(ha!) with trying to get Waz to stay within the white area, where it appeared to be deeper...which is crazy, coz about now, one of the depth finders flatlined and we had nothing discernable under our keel. Crazy making it is!

Just to keep me otherwise occupied, I took photos of this Osprey eating a fish.

The channel is very narrow and very shallow, and we wondered several times if we were in fact cleaning the props again????Yes, we have to get under that bridge

WOW! at least we have some real water under us now...phew! just before the bridge. We are now contending with tides again...bah! this had better be low tide, or I will scream, getting out of here.

The pelicans are opportunists...I don't think this fellow was fishing, but they were prepared to be patient.

Our first glimpse of this marina that was written up as First Rate. They must have written it themselves, coz there is no way it is even 3rd rate. One  shower and two toilets comprise the facilities for a whole marina full of transients.  We had to wait for about 20 mins for the big SeaRay at the fuel dock to finish filling up, pumping out et al, before they moved forward on the dock and we could dock for fuel too. We had the wind against us, so docking was a bit of a challenge for those silly enough to hang onto the ropes.

Finally tied to the fuel dock, filling and pumping out. We moved down the dock a bit past the SeaRay, and happy to be at rest. We are  exhausted by the rivers.

The fuelling took forever!

We booked in for three nights. It might be long enough for us to get our second wind before tackling the shallow bay and making me crazy all over again...oh...you cant get crazy all over again?? now you tell me!!! Perhaps I was never NOT crazy, lol. Don't ask Waz...he will nod in agreement.

We have been here for two and a half days now. We have borrowed the car for groceries, gone out for dinner with 4 others, across the bay, and again tonight with Cindy and Grant, our Canadian friends from Lock 42 on the Trent Severn. We enjoy their company always, and tonight was no exception. They are tired too, so we all departed after dinner, and Waz is asleep on the sofa next to me...snoring as usual! We are laundered, cleaned (well, vacuumed) and ready to depart in the morning some time. No rush. We are only going to Orange Beach. Maybe we will find a few old friends down there???:)

Ciao for now. We are anticipating the weather coming in for a few days, and then look forward to crossing the Gulf of Mexico...again. Lets hope the journey this time will be as good as last time.
23 hrs is a long journey in one go, but it has to be done. I will be back here before we leave though. Panama City is where we will wait the weather out, no doubt.