Day 8: On the road again....

Cold this morning, as predicted, but bright and sunny.  We headed out of the marina and around the corner to our first lock of the day - us, Irish Attitude, Headquarters, and two other boats that we didn't know.

Everything has settled into the river rhythm, slow and winding, with an occasional tow to pass.  There are long stretches of absolutely nothing but water and trees, interspersed with small clusters of homes or cottages, then back to water and trees.  There is a surprising lack of wildlife to be seen - lots of herons and crows, but little else.

Edee has settled into the rhythm, too, and relaxes on the bridge with us as we travel.

We left Mississippi and returned to Alabama, then went back to Mississippi, then back to Alabama, and so on.  Such is the nature of the river.  And with all of those bends, seeing oncoming tows is a bit of a problem.  Michael installed a new radio with AIS (Automatic Identification System) to help us keep track of commercial traffic here and especially in Mobile Bay.  Tows and barges transmit a signal that is picked up on our radio and gps, and identifies the vessel with name, speed, heading, distance from us, and time to meeting.  It has been invaluable in avoiding surprise encounters on some of these blind bends.

The boat also has forward scanning sonar, which allows us to see contours underwater ahead of us.  As we approached Cooks Bend Cutoff, our anchorage for the night, we took the lead, using the sonar to ensure there was enough water without hidden obstructions.  Irish Attitude and Headquarters followed us safely in, and after happy hour aboard Headquarters, we all settled in for the evening, planning another early start in the morning.

Today's Miles:  58 to Tenn Tom Mile Marker 277

Total Miles:  337.5