November 11 2012 Demopolis and the Black Warrior River

We slept pretty well and woke to a somewhat warmer morning. About 8:00am we left the marina and headed North on the Tenn-Tom, then turned to starboard and entered the Black Warrior river. It was a quiet and peaceful morning, and the 13 or so miles we traveled were mostly wooded, with low banks. There were, however several spots where the banks turned to high cliffs. The first of these cliffs we saw as we headed upstream was of the white, clay type substance we saw yesterday at Moscow Landing, with a layer of harder rock just above the waterline.

These bluffs looked to be made from the same clay type soil as we saw at Moscow Landing.

Several barges were tied up along the bank in a couple of places, but we didn't pass any moving tow boats. We went past the cement plant and then the Alabama Power steam plant at (I think) Forkland, AL.

Several barges were "parked" along the bank of the Black Warrior.

The cement plant with barges at the loading facility.

 

 

This is the Alabama Power "Barge and Wastewater Canal" with the steam plant in the background.

 

We would like to make the entire trip from the headwaters of the Black Warrior, through Tuscaloosa, and to Demopolis one day, but for now the steam plant marked the time to turn around and head back home. On the way back downstream, I pulled over to the right bank to get a better look at "Pearl", a small steel-hulled trawler we'd seen on the way upriver. As I snapped a few pictures, I heard a lady say "I like your boat", and I realized the owners were on deck on the bank just above us. We had to fight the wind, which had now picked up, to keep our boat in position close enough to for us and them to asks a few questions about the other's boat. We got back to the marina and gassed up the Knot-So-Fast with 7.1 gallons. Not bad for 3 days and 91 miles of fun! (That comes our to 12.8 mpg).

After tying up at the marina, we took time to tour Bluff Hall, which was built by Allen Glover in 1832. My great-great grandfather, Nathaniel Glover, was also in the Demopolis area at about the same time, and, like Allen Glover, he came there from South Carolina. So far, though, I can't make a definite family connection between them.


Back at the marina, I hooked up the trailer and Glenda took the truck and trailer around to the city boat ramp, while I took the boat from the marina. She did a good job of backing the trailer in, and after a little winching, we had her in place on her trailer. (Glenda hates backing the trailer in, but she's getting pretty good at it.)


Glenda Says:
I slept really well last night.  The temperature was just right.  We got up about daylight and shared some pleasantries with our boating neighbors.  Dan and Carla from Minnesota had rented a car and were headed back today.  Several other boats were headed south for their adventure.  Tom and I just decided to meander up the Black Warrior for a couple of hours.  The wind had increased and it was partly cloudy so there was a chill in the air.  I don't believe the leaves could be any prettier any where else.  We watched a hawk as he appeared to just hang in the air not moving.  We stopped to take a look at another "custom built" tug docked at a house.   The owners were in the yard and we got the chance to speak to them.  We were yelling from the boat into the wind but we were still able to pass compliments back and forth. 


"Pearl" was a unique, custom built steel-hull trawler, that is a star at the Christmas on the River boat parade in Demopolis.
 

We decided to come home early since some cold rain is forecast to come in during the night.  But we got the chance to visit Bluff Hall, an 1832 house that sits on the river.  Built by Allen Glover as a wedding gift for his daughter and her husband Frances Lyons.  It was beautiful.  I enjoyed Demopolis, there is a lot of history and yet a lot of convenience too. 

Nov. 10, 2012, Demopolis and Moscow Landing

Beautiful colors!

We woke this morning to a light fog on the river. We took the truck and went to town to buy some water, and to take a short walk along the riverfront park.
By 8:00 am the fog had lifted, so we straightened up the boat a little and pulled out of the marina at 8:25, headed downstream toward the Demopolis lock and dam.

Outside the lock, we lined up behind a large sailboat that we'd seen yesterday afternoon, just north of the marina. When we saw it yesterday, we noticed the duck decoy tied to the back, seemingly following the boat. When we pulled up beside the couple this morning I had to ask how long the duck had been "following" them. The lady, with a heavy accent (maybe Swedish?) told me that the duck had been with them for 10 years!

Glenda then noticed the deer on the bank to our port side. The sun's glare prevented us getting a good photo, but on the return trip we got several when we saw about 20 in the same spot.

We only waited a few minutes before the gates opened and we were told by radio to enter the lock. 20 minutes later we exited the downstream gates, after being lowered 40 feet.

The gates hold back the water as we are lowered 40 feet to the next level.

We continued south for about 13 miles to the site of the old "Moscow Landing", where pre-historic fossils are plentiful in the clay layer exposed at the river bank. We had to look a while to find a spot on the bank with a sandy bottom, as most of the bank in the area is rocky. We nosed up to the bank and put the boarding ladder over the bow, removed our shoes and climbed down into the edge of the water. I had to carry a rope over 100' up the bank to find a tree to secure the boat to. We walked the bank and found several fossilized shells, plant stalks and few pieces that looked like petrified bone.
If you do a Google search on Moscow Landing, you can get more information about the prehistoric layer that is exposed here.

We untied and Glenda fixed lunch and we headed back north, arriving again at the Demopolis lock at 2:45 pm. The lockmaster was waiting for us and we entered just as a tug and barge combination called to say he was about 2 miles away. Luckily for us, the lockmaster let us go ahead and lock through. We'd known that the tug was not far behind us, and we were hoping we could get to the lock in time to go first. Otherwise we'd have had wait nearly and hour. Exiting the lock we saw LOTS of deer, and we realized they were probably regular residents of the Foscue park and campground.

Arriving back at the marina, we checked in and paid for another nights dockage. After listening to the first half of the Alabama game, we rode into town and had a catfish dinner. We got back to the boat and listened to the final part of the game.


Glenda says:
We really slept pretty good last night.  The little electric heater knocked the chill out of the air and we actually slept until the sun came up.  After a brief moment of panic this morning (I couldn't find the coffee), the day went perfectly.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing and I could almost believe all was right with the world.

Just think I could be sitting on a dinosaur!



 It was lots of fun climbing out of the boat and tromping around the fossil area.  I hope when I get to heaven God will explain all about what we call "prehistoric" time.  It is hard for us to comprehend time much less eternity.

Some fossilized tree limbs. 

   Daisy had a blast running and sniffing at everything.  I think it will be worth a trip back to bring the grandkids.  We saw lots of individual fishermen along the bank and lots of boats enjoying the beautiful day.

Isn't she lovely?

 On the return trip, I was able to get some really good pictures of the deer grazing near the lock.  It was a pleasant day of travel.  When we returned to the dock a couple from Minnesota was interested in the boat so Tom gave them the "grand tour".  They are traveling in a 30 foot sailboat.  I wanted to go walk through the graveyard where the mausoleum is but there were gates and Tom wouldn't go in.  We ate at Halls Catfish and Seafood, it was good.  The air is not as cool tonight so we are not even going to get the heater out. 

Nov. 9, 2012 - Demopolis, AL

Tom says:
Glenda and I trailered Knot-So-Fast to the Demopolis Yacht Basin this morning, for a few days of leisure cruising on the Tenn-Tom waterway and Black Warrior rivers.

We launched about 9:15 am and checked in at the marina, parked the trailer on thier storage lot and headed upriver. We traveled north to Rattlesnake Bend, a loop off the main channel that meanders for about 8 or 10 miles before reconnecting about a mile north of the point where it split. This was a quiet, peaceful trip, and Glenda says the leaves are really showing off their colors!

Coming back south, we passed the marina and went to Foscue Creek campground and the Demopolis lock and dam, just to get a look at them. When we got back we talked with a couple who trailered their 27' C-Dory from New Mexico to Kentucky, where they started on the "Great Loop". They are leaving tomorrow headed South, and I'm hoping we can lock through with them at the dam.

We put a total of about 31 miles on the boat today, at an average speed of 5.2 mph. The weather was a little cool, but sunny and pretty comfortable overall. As I write this the temperature is dropping pretty fast, though. I did find a 30amp adapter on e-bay though, so we can plug in our little heater if we need to.

One of a thousand views we had of the leaf colors.

view to the west of the marina at sunset.

Tranquilo, on a stop during the Great Loop adventure. Makes us a little jealous!!

Glenda Says:

He was unconcerned about his photo op.

Glover Mausoleum, Tom's grandmother was a Glover, wonder if they are related

Boy do I need this trip!  So far it is working well.Its time for me to get a dose of the wonders of God.  I seem to forget how powerful he is too often.  The leaves are beautiful!  I hope to add more pictures but it won't be the same for you if you're not here.  We did get to see a couple of very large hawks and lots of water birds.  The turtles were also taking advantage of the sunshine.  Demopolis is a very historic town and you can see some of the sites from the water.  I am looking forward to seeing dinosaur fossils tomorrow.  So far the chill has not bothered me much but its not bedtime yet.  Daisy is doing well as usual, she just wants to be wherever we are.  You know, its nice to be loved!

Great News - Locks will stay open for recreational boaters !!

USACE heard your voice and reconsidered its plan to close the Alabama River Locks to recreational boaters!!



Thanks again to everyone who signed the petition asking the USACE to reconsider their decision to close the Alabama River locks to recreational boaters.

Due to your input, the Corps did reconsider, and the result is that the LOCKS WILL REMAIN OPEN ON A REDUCED SCHEDULE !!!

The new schedule will take effect in February 2013, and will consist of the locks being open 4 days a week, for 10 hours each day. The locks will be closed on federal holidays and some other times during the year, but the bottom line is that with a little pre-planning, the access will allow for navigation from around Wetumpka to Mobile and the Gulf Coast.

The trips we've taken on the Alabama River have been experiences that I will never forget, and have provided memories for our grandchildren that nothing else can compare to. 

The beauty of the changing landscape as the river winds through the high sandstone cliffs in the northern section to the huge white sand-bars of the lower sections is really hard to put into words. When you add the thrill of seeing bald eagles, leaping gar, deer, raccoon, and even a black bear, it's easy to understand that this natural resource should always be accessible for our future generations to enjoy.

My heartfelt thanks to all of you for helping to keep this great part of God's creation accessible to everyone.

Tom

HELP!

The federal government has just announced plans to close the 3 locks on the Alabama River, effective October 7th!!

Please go to the link below and sign the petition from the Alabama Scenic River Trail Association, which asks the government to reverse this decision:


http://www.change.org/petitions/alabama-scenic-river-trail-push-back-against-closing-alabama-river-locks-to-recreational-traffic#



Thanks for your help.
Tom

Tuesday June 26, 2012. Headed Home.

Tuesday June 26, 2012.

Jay Landing is in the heart of a heavy industrial area, and the noise made it hard to  get to sleep last night. We woke early and decided to get a head-start on our trip back upstream to Ditto Marina. Our ice was running low, but the office here at Jay Landing would not be open until 9 o'clock, and there was not guarantee that they even had ice. Although everyone here was very friendly, overall the marina was a disappointment. The bath/showers did not appear to get much use (or cleaning). One positive was a good wi-fi connection.

Jay Landing marina and campground. 

We pulled away from our slip about 6:00 am and headed east. We were going to to stop at the Riverfront marina and see if the office was open so we could get ice, but as we passed the city harbor and boat ramps, I saw a self-service ice machine across the yard beside the highway. We pulled in behind the Pickwick Belle riverboat and walked to the ice machine. I was pulling out my wallet when I saw a sign on the machine, "Free Ice Today, Limit Two Please". I'm not sure what the deal was, but I got a free bag of ice and carried it back to the boat. Looks like a good day already!

Just in case you ever asked yourself "Where does Meow Mix come from?"

We were headed upstream and against the wind all day today, and I kept the engine about 4,000 rpm just to maintain a speed of a little over 5 mph. This was the hardest we'd push the little Yamaha on this trip, and I wondered how it would affect the gas mileage when I filled up.

The weather was great today. There was a good breeze through the windows, and the humidity was low. We saw quite a few more boats out today, compared to yesterday, but it was still pretty quiet. We made it to Ditto marina where our truck was parked at about 12:30 and pulled up to the fuel dock, where the tank held 8.8 gallons. A quick check on my phone calculator revealed we'd gotten 15.6 mpg since the last fill up! It appears that by reducing my speed to between 5 and 5 1/2 mph, I got about a 3 mile per gallon savings. Not earth shattering, but good to know if we ever get in a situation where we need to conserve gas to avoid running out.

Can you spell RELAXED?

There were noticeably more boats on the water today than yesterday.

After settling up with the cashier for gas, and the transient slip and ice we got on Sunday night, Glenda and I pulled the boat out of the water and headed home, stopping at Cracker Barrel for lunch. This was a really good trip - no real agenda, and a short daily mileage plan made for a relaxing 4 days.

Glenda Says:
We slept pretty good again last night.  Despite the heat from the day, after the sun went down it got quite comfortable.  During the night I actually sought out my jersey sheet.   We have slept every night with the door open and only the screen up.  This worked very well with airflow.  The manager at Jays Landing was very accommodating and it was nice to have a shower.  But I felt a little too much like I was upsetting a communities routine, so I was not quite comfortable there.

We woke early and after a quick cup of instant coffee we decided to head out.  The wind was cool this morning and it felt nice and relaxing out on the cockpit.  Tom was in a good humor due to the free ice and Daisy is just happy to be here.  The trip back to Ditto landing was pleasant.  I think we need to plan a few more of these kind of trips.

 By the way if anyone out there is reading this blog trying to decide if this type of cruising is for you feel free to e-mail me any questions.  I don't know much about logistics but I can tell you my experiences, mistakes and successes!

Sunday June 25, 2012. Ditto Landing to Decatur

Monday June 25, 2012

"Oh, we're closed on Mondays".

Ditto Marina really quieted down overnight.  At dark last night, the place was buzzing with people, boats, and cars scurrying about. At daylight this morning it was dead quiet and no one was anywhere to be seen. I woke at daylight and got up, only to realize that the “daylight” was coming from the lights at the marina office. I checked the clock --- 4:30 am!  By that time I was wide awake and could not go back to sleep. I finally did doze off for a while, and Glenda and I both got up around 6:30. This time the daylight was real, so we got in the truck and drove to McDonalds, which was closed for remodeling. We then backtracked to BoJangles and ate breakfast. I’ve never eaten at a BoJangles before, but they beat McDonalds hands down.

Glenda and I in front of Ditto Marine's fuel dock.

After a quick stop at Walmart for a few groceries and to get Glenda a pair of sunglasses (her good pair broke yesterday), we were back at the marina. I took care of the porta-pottie while Glenda walked Daisy. By then it was almost 9:00 am, but the office was still closed. At 9:15 there was a nice lady in the office, but she said the office wasn’t open for another hour – maybe later. The cash register was not “open” and she couldn’t take money for my slip and ice. Since we are coming back on Tuesday, I told her I would settle up then. I hope the office is open when we get back.

We headed toward Decatur about 9:30 am, turning right out of the marina onto the main river. Unlike the last two days, we had the river pretty much to ourselves. We passed under the I-65 bridge going into Decatur about 3 ½ hours later, and had only passed 3 other boats since leaving Ditto – two bass boats and one lone kayaker!

Can you see the kayaker? Look at the base of the rock wall, just left of the center of the picture. You may have to zoom in.

The rock formations had lots of interesting features when we hugged close enough to them to notice.

This section of the river seemed mostly remote, broken up only by the occasional Army facility and several more gorgeous rock bluffs. It was a quiet, peaceful ride. Glenda took the wheel for a while and let me take a short nap. 

As we approached Decatur, I called Jay Landing and Riverwalk Marina to ask about renting a slip for the night, but only got recordings at both numbers. Glenda then called the Chamber of Commerce and learned the location of Riverwalk Marina, and learned that a restaurant, the Hard Dock, was adjacent to the marina. That sounded good, so we passed under the Hwy. 31 bridge and saw the restaurant on our starboard side. It was closed. We idled past the marina fuel docks, which had notes saying they were out of gas taped to the pumps, and looked for the office. There were some nice floating docks which appeared to be transient docks, but they were not covered, and we really wanted to get out of the sun. Finally we saw a gentleman working on his boat, and we inquired where office was, and pointed toward a large building, and then added, “but they’re closed on Monday”. That’s OK, I thought, we’ll find a place out of the way and settle up tomorrow. His answer to the next question was “There aren’t any showers”. I didn’t even look at Glenda. I put the boat in forward and we headed to Jay Landing marina.

Passing under the I-65 bridge, we could see the US Hwy 31 bridge several miles ahead

We had to go under the railroad lift bridge, which was raised to 60’ or more when we turned into Riverwalk’s harbor, but was now completely lowered. I put down the antenna and Glenda stood on the side of the boat to watch to make sure we had clearance. With a good 2-3’ to spare we passed under and were met with a pretty good chop as the river widened and the wind kicked up. We passed the City dock and took a picture of the Pickwick Belle, the riverboat, before arriving at Jay Landing. Again we found someone on one of the docks, and asked were the office was. There were several empty docks near the small office, and we tied up. We then learned that the office was closed today, of course, because it’s MONDAY! I felt like Gomer Pyle when he said "Stupid, I guess I just wasn't thinking!" The gentleman we first spoke with was very helpful, though, and directed us to a covered slip and the shower/laundry facilities.

Glenda and I discussed walking to a BBQ restaurant that my phone map said was less than ½ mile away, but when I called them, the young lady said it was “at least a mile, maybe two”. Although there was a good breeze, the temperature was near 100 degrees, so a delivered pizza sounded much better than the possibility of a 2 mile walk in the sun. The pizza arrived in about 30 minutes and we finished all but 2 pieces, which we put in the cooler for breakfast tomorrow.

After all day on the boat, even the delivery of a pizza is a big event!!

Glenda Says:

I felt MUCH better this morning.  I slept really hard last night.  We went and had a nice breakfast.  I must say while I don’t care to back-track alot, it has been nice to have access to the truck. 

I sat on the cockpit for a while this morning before the sun got really bad.  The land seems to drop to gently rolling hills between Huntsville and Decatur, rather than the higher mountains.   I kept the binoculars handy in hopes of seeing more wild life but the herons, swallows and buzzards were the only ones that made themselves visible.  I guess any intelligent animal was finding cool place to rest. 

I was disappointed we could not find a place to eat within walking distance but having pizza delivered to a boat was kinda fun.  I’m sure I’ve gained 2 pounds on this trip.  The people here at Jays Landing have been nice but Decatur is more industrial and it’s just not very picturesque.  

I’m sitting here on the dock watching the fish chase minnows, waiting for it to get cool enough to walk to the showers.  I know Daisy has been a little quiet on this trip but she told me to tell everybody “It’s HOT!” 

At the city dock in Decatur