Day 24 Nov7, 66 miles to Dog River, Mobile AL

Water like glass....some fog...43 degrees...7:50AM...

Departing

 

The waterway

 

Ready to water ski

One note on Miss Saddi...she knows what to do when she gets on the green grass....What a girl!
When Rik starts the boat she is ready to go to the bridge to her place for the day.  We stop mid-day to repeat the green grass and she does well.

No one but us

Mile 45.0  The Alabama River twists and turns for 305 miles past Selma to Montgomery, Alabama's capitol city.  There are considerable commerical traffic on this river and precise maneuvering is necessary for a downbound towboat on the Tombigbee to clear the shoals to the north and then make the difficult upstream turn into the Alabama.  Well...no barges...just us on the river this morning.

Daymarker for Alabama River

David Lake at Mile 41.5 is Towboat central station.  Barges are often dropped off here to await a tow going in their direction.

Barge Central Station

No more bluffs....not since we left Bay Springs 390 miles ago has the water been this wide.  From here on the waterway is less of a river.  Trees and shrubs grow down to the water.  We could see an alligator...$.50 for the first alligator!!!!! 

Mile 39.1 We follow the Mobile River South.    We come to Barry Power Plant which was impressive from the water.

Big Power Plant

Rhett Parker Towboat loaded with coal is on his water power plant with the piles of coal.  Rik wouldn't let me ask him on the radio but that's my story.

Coal being delivered

Mile 22 This is the first highway bridge in 71 miles and a reminder that we are emerging from the wilderness.  The locals call this the "Dolly Parton" bridge.
When we worked the Spring 2005 ACA Mobile Rally we would travel I-65 and go over this bridge.  We never knew we would be looking at it from the water.

Looks just like Dolly Parton

This little blue house is for sale.  We made an option to buy it after the elections.  Lease contract with an option to purchase.

Saddi says "NO WAY" an alligator may get me.

No banks

Mile 13.4 We see the 14-mile Railroad Bridge.  A new "lift" bridge is being finished and will replace the old 4 foot swing bridge.  Lots of workers, cranes....busy busy busy...

14-mile Railroad Bridge

Brand new...then the old....

Early lunch as we are starting to see the skyline of Mobile.  It was something else.  We traveled the ship channel....again big ships, little ships....busy busy busy...

I-10 Bridge

Downtown

 

Interesting Building

 

Research Museum

 

As we neared Mobile Bay we saw this huge ship in the channel and two tugboats waiting to bring it in.  Rik said a port captain brings the ship into the harbor and with the help of the tugboats they dock the monster.

At Green Marker 63 we turn to starboard and follow the channel into Dog River.  A little rocking and rolling....under the bridge...with a good breeze and into Turner Marina.

About 14 miles into Mobile Bay

 

Looking for Dog River

 

So this is Mobile Bay

 

What a day!!!  What an experience!!!!  Time to catch up and study the charts.

As of today we have traveled 780 miles
Rik, Nancy and Saddie have been on the Nanseann 24 Days
Gerald has been on the Nanseann 14 Days
We have gone thru 17 locks
Anchored 2 nights