August 29, 2007
Tombigbee Waterway, Mile 64
Bridge at Dog River
A Great run today! I am very pleased! Everything worked well, and we went much farther than I imagined.
Up at 05:45 this morning, I began my onboard ritual of making coffee, starting up shipboard systems, and topping up the transmission fluid – a new part of this ritual after the gulf crossing problem.
We set off at 06:35 with the sun slowly climbing from below the horizon. Fifty minutes later, after carefully negotiating the Dog River channel, we rounded the marker northbound into the Mobile shipping channel in Mobile bay. Even this early, the waters surrounding Mobile were busy with shrimp boats, tug traffic, and freight. This was only the beginning, however, as the Alabama State Docks and the Port of Mobile would prove to be one of the busiest ports we’ve ever visited. Unfortunately, it was so busy we didn’t get a chance to take any photos as we were forced to remain vigilant at all times, negotiating course, currents, traffic, and excitement.
Shimp Boat on Mobile Bay
While not huge by port standards, the port here was full of life, with barge tows and ocean-going freighters constantly delivering materials to and from the port. Add in the shipyards at the state docks building boats as fast as they can weld them and this was one busy place. We entered the port at about 08:20. It would take us until almost 10:00 a.m. to clear the last of the barge ties to get to open river. From mile twelve on, it was just us, the river, and the occasional barge.
We made great time! With self-proclaimed title of “Wind-on-the-nose Steve,” I feel extremely fortunate as the tides were with us today, pushing us along at 6.2 knots, while running the engine at a moderate speed. It was pure luck, as the tides following the full moon lined up just right on this day. Being the opportunist I am, I took full advantage of them.
Tug pushing barges down the Mobile River
The reason it was so beneficial was the farther up river we went, the later the tides peaked. For example, The tide charts shows the tide in Mobile Bay flooding until high tide at 2:45 in the afternoon. The Tensaw River tide peaks much later and the last chart shows the upper rivers even later!
So, in essence, we surfed the flooding tide all the way to our anchorage. We saved fuel and increased our speed – a big advantage. Our goal for the night was to make the Alabama River cut-off at mile 52.8 – Mile Zero being the I-10 tunnel which crosses under the Mobile River in the middle of the port. It was a long way and we weren’t sure we would make it. We plotted every other anchorage on the chart, so we could plan for alternatives. None of them were needed, as we made it well beyond our planned first night anchorage at the Alabama River Cut-off and managed an additional fourteen miles, arriving early at Three Rivers Lake entrance near mile marker 64.
Rail Road Swing Bridge across the Tennasee-Tombigbee Waterway
We couldn’t be happier! 66.72 nautical miles in 11 hours and 49 minutes! We saw plenty of barge traffic. We navigated a lot of river. When it got too hot, we were cooled by a rain shower. Now we are in an idillic setting for the night, enjoying bucket baths on deck. It is nice to cruise in fresh water again.
It was a great day rollin’ on the river! We are actually looking forward to tomorrow. We won’t have the tides helping, but if it is like today, it will certainly be manageable.
-Steve