Tenn-Tom pics

Club house at Columbus Marina.

Small marina.

Alligators are just one of many wild critters seen on the wwaterway.  You will see them.  You will see deer swimming.

Grand Harbor Marina at the top of the Tenn-Tom Waterway.

lock wall opening.

Let us out !!!

Tenn-Tom swamp.

White chalk clifts on the river.

Down town Mobile is mile "0" at begining of the Tenn-Tom.

 Morning calmness.

The meeting of new and old friends is a reoccuring treat.

Demopolis Marina.

Early in the morning the waterway is serene.

The Tombigby waterway is amazing.  Some hate it but we loved it.  So much that we've done it 3 times!  The sites' the marinas, and most of all the people we've met.

Locks, docks and alligators (Tenn-Tom waterway)

As barge leaves the lock we wait to be signaled to come inFloating bollards that fit in the lock wall and move up or down with the water in the lock.  JoAnn's job is to tie our boat to the bollard after I get the us up close to the wall.  Note fender hanging between wall and the boat.

Inside with the doors closed.  Once we are secure to the wall, we tell the lockmaster and then he starts to fill the chanber if we are "locking up". He drops  the water if we are going down.

Beautiful fall day on the Tenn-Tom.

Passing a barge moving coal in a narrow strech.

Bobby"s fish camp is a stop known to most pleasure craft on the river.

St. Louis River Frount.

New Home for our boat..

Left Dog River in a very ruff Mobile Bay for just 12 more miles to the Tenn-Tom.  We were the only boat going north as all others were going south for winter.  Other captians seemed to enjoy telling us we were "going the wrong way" on the radio.  Relaxing at the dock.

Lets cross a panhandle (Carabelle to Mobile)

Sunset on the Fla Panhandle.

New Naval vessel in Mobile

LuLu's on the ICW.  A favorite Orange Beach hangout and is owned by LuLu, Jimmy Buffett's sister.  Lots of Margueretaville music there.

Shrimp boats

One of our favorites, Bear Point Marina on the ICW in Orange Beach.

With days getting shorter in fall and colder winds we are anxious to get above Mobile Bay into the Tenn-Tom waterway.  After a lay over of 7 days in Orange Beach waiting for a weather break we crossed Mobile bay in spite of the weather and it was ruff .

Great Escape (or motorhome w/o wheels on water)

New to us boat.  Like everyone else we feel we have the perfect boat for doing the "Loop"  Bayliner 4788 Pilothouse is easy to board and get off of at any tide level  with the pilot house doors.

At dock with new name on her

Forwaed state room

Pilothouse

Pilothouse

From lower helm easy to get to upper helm with out getting wet in rain.

Saloon

TV cabnet

Saloon

seaworthy with a keel

Captiva to Steinhattche west coast Fla

Leaving entrance to Captiva's South Sea Yacht Harbor

Friends (and fellow boaters) who joined us in Fort Myers Fla. on dock at Anna Marie Island where they left us to return home.

 Railroad swing bridge

Having fun at the "Bubble Room" resturant on Captiva Island.

Guest state room bed ( not the Queen Mary)

Friends Donna and Bob Soos met us for lunch and to visit in Tarpon Springs just north of Tampa.

Municiple dock at Tarpon

Harvey the Heron eating part of my lunch.

Deserts at Hella's greek resturant.

Sea Hag Marina (the best place to stay) in Steinhattche .  Depth further up the river from the Gulf gets dangerously shallow. Steinhattche is the :jumpping" off spot to cross the Gulf of Mexico in the "Big Bend" area to Carabelle Fla.