Day-19 May 23, Wednesday  10:00 p.m.

The long trip back to Maple Grove, MN

They were sneaking up to surprise us.

 Doug and Linda

 Denise is checking out the beard.

 Dave and Janice meet after 19 days.

 Doug, Linda, Dave, Janice, Willis and Denise

 Pulled the boat out of the bay and on the trailer.

The start of our trip home

Day-18 May 22, Monday 5:00 p.m.

We made it to our final destination at 12:30 today. The Bahia Mar Marine in Pensacola, FL. Our final sleep over.

 Mobile Bay is a good size body of water. We got lucky again that the wind and water cooperated. With a small breeze we still had two foot chop.

 Thirty miles later heading south-east from our Mobile marina we made it to the intracoastal waterway.

 A short distance in the waterway we stopped at a restaurant for breakfast.

 As we approached Pensacola the water was blue and sandy beaches appeared.

 Our marina for the night. Bahia Mar Marine in Pensacola, FL 

The final dock approach for the trip.

 Day-18 May 22, Monday 7:00 a.m.

Yesterday we made 142 miles from Bobby's Fish Camp. We arrived at 5:00 p.m.

We are sitting at Dog River Marina in Mobile AL. this morning we are planning our trip to Pensacola, FL today. There is an intracoastal water way we will be taking. 

Our dinner last night was just across the harbor. It rained hard with lot's of lighting.

A Pelican met us at the harbor.

The view looking into Mobile Bay. This is one mile away from the zero mile marker. We have made our entire river journey.

A lift bridge that was raised for a tug boat. We went under at the same time, no delay. If the bridge would not have been raised the clearance is only 10 feet. Not high enough for us to get under.

The harbor has many tugs, ships and ship yards

A navy ship in port.

 Day-17 May 21, Monday 6:20

The Rat Babes have made it to Nashville today. The stopped at Paducah last night to spend the night.

Our hope is they find the way to Pensacola on Wednesday

Day-16 May 20, Sunday. 6:30 p.m.

Bobby's Fish Camp, Silas, AL. 

If you look at the map to the right are staying one mile above the Coffeeville Lock and Dam. 

Donna and Jane greeted us when we arrived. Dave got in a photo with them. They made us a great catfish dinner. We experienced the best hospitality and they were very accommodating as well.

 Dinner included catfish, hushpuppies, fries and coleslaw. More than we could eat.

Our resting spot for the night.

We passed our first sail boat on the trip. It's really not a sail boat. They should call them a power boat with a mast.

Day-16 May 20, Sunday. 5:30 p.m.

Bobby's Fish Camp, Silas, AL. 98 miles today.

We made it to Bobby's Fish Camp at 4:00 p.m. Tied up to the gas dock, filled up and ready for tomorrow.

 This is the Demopolis Lock and Dam at  Demopolis, AL. If you look to the right it looks like more of the river. When you look at the lower two photos you will see a view of the river looking upstream, it's a 40 foot drop . If a boater was not paying attention he is over the dam.

 This is the worst dam on the river. Very poor river danger markings above the dam.

 You can see the dam in the background.

 The entire journey has unbelievable beauty. Much more interesting than I expected.

The lower Tombigbee River on the Black Warrior River has a lot of bends on it.

 It is Sunday and the river has many pleasure boats out. We saw 10 tugs today so they work on Sunday.

Day-16 May 20, Sunday.

Bobby's Fish Camp, Silas, AL.  Gators and Snakes

Day-15 May 19, Saturday 5:30 p.m.

We made it to Demopolis Yacht Basin. Demopolis, AL.  91 miles today.

The White Cliffs along the Tenn-Tom River. They were 75 to 100 feet high. Again the photo does not do it justice.

We joined the Black Warrior River a mile north of the marina.

Demopolis Yacht Basin. Our home for the night.

We purchased some groceries last night. I have not seen this store in a long time. They also had a Pure Oil gas station, a name from the sixty's.

Along the river four guys were noodling. 

    A picture from  tsanda.wordpress.com shows the art of Noodling.

Day-15 May 19, Saturday 6:30 a.m.

Pickensville, AL. at the Pirates Marina Cove. We have over 100 miles to go today.

We know our schedule now that we have less uncertainty of locks and weather on the big lakes.

Saturday night-Demopolis.

Sunday night-Bobby's Fish Camp

Monday night-Mobile

Tuesday night-Pensacola

Wednesday night-Hotel and on the way home

We made it here early last night at 3:00 p.m. It feels good to unwind early rather than getting in near dark.

Line tender Douglas holding the floating bollard.

 A barge getting loaded on the Tombigbee River. It looks like Cypress mulch.

 One standard 15-barge river tow has the same capacity as 1,050 trucks and 216 rail cars pulled by six locomotives.

Barges move 1 ton of grain 500 miles on a single gallon of fuel. Compare that to semi trucks that moves 1 ton of grain only 60 miles on a single gallon. This one is located in Iowa. We have seen a great many grain elevators on the trip.

Day-14 Friday, Officer update number-2

Day-14 May 18, Friday 4:30

 At 3:00 p.m. today we made it to Pickensville, AL.  70 miles today.

Look at the  map on the side, we are at the marina above the Tom Bill Lock and Dam for the night. It is 4:30 now and we are off to town for dinner.

i
Breakfast at Smithville. Doug requested tabasco sauce and received the industrial size bottle. They like the stuff here.

 One of the few cruise boats we have passed. We are surprised that we have only passed a couple dozen large boats on the whole trip so far. The marina last night said the dock at his location is substantially down.

 We will find out the name of these plants. They cover the river in spots and it makes navigation tough.  The driver must make sure there are no logs in the plant cluster.

 A few of them are flowering.

Our marina for the night. Pirates Marina Cove.

Day-14 May 18, Friday 8:40

We are entering our second lock this morning. If you look at the map to the side we are in the Amory Lock.  So far no tugs to mess with us. I have to be short,  I will lose the signal soon.

Our marina last night in Smithville, Mississippi.

 We are in the South.

 One of the older boats in the marina.

 Smithville the town a 1/2 mile away had a tornado last year. It destroyed the town.

We beat the sun up this morning.