Day 4 (continued). Mobile Bay is a large but shallow body of water. It can be very rough but we crossed it on our way to Gulf Shores in very nice conditions following Priorities. We saw pelicans and playful dolphins along the way and few other boats. Jane and Regina swore that one dolphin looked them straight in the eye while surfacing... whatever.

Easy crossing right into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to Lulu's Marina in Gulf Shores. That Buffett family knows how to have a good time! We really enjoyed our time at the marina, and in the area, sampling great sea food and checking out nearby sites. Got in a couple of walks that almost killed us (story for another time).

This is where our latest leg ends and where we prepare for the next by getting a bunch of work done at nearby Saunders Marine Service. The next leg will take us the rest of the way across the panhandle to an 18 hour overnight crossing from Carabelle to Tarpon Springs. Nothing like boating in the dark. We are all looking forward to the other side.

 Day 4. On to Mobile! We met the challenge of another 5:00 call and were ready to roll by 6. We were all excited for the next change of scenery 10 miles down the river.  Cruising through the city of Mobile after an hour on the river did not disappoint. We saw ships, tugs, industrial docks of all kinds, boat yards and barges and even US Navy ships under construction against the back drop of the picturesque port city of Mobile Alabama. Lucky to putt by without a lot of traffic. 

 Day 3 (continued). Anchor windless was still broken at the time we anchored at Brier Creek with two other boats. "You meet the nicest people on the water", you often hear. The crew of "the Bles-sing" can testify. After settling in a scenic swampy setting, our friends from two boats piled into a dingy launched from Priorities and headed over. Rick and Monica from Best Mate, Randy and Sherri from Priorities. Rick arrived with multi meter in hand to test for electrical problems. Thankfully we did not spend a lot of time fixing the problem but quickly moved on to a fun happy hour with our friends. Not exactly docktails, let's call it swamptails. 

 Day 3. Everyone was excited to get up early and cruise across Mobile Bay. Mother Nature, however, had her own plan as we woke up to thick fog. The kind you don't mess with and the type of pea soup that makes you want to stay put until it clears. So we did until about 10 am. Our friends made the best of it by suggesting a shorter day of cruising to wonderful anchorage in a remote location... Brier Creek... off the Tensaw River... off Mobile River. Turn left when the banjos start playing.

Day 2. Up early waiting to lock through at Coffeeville Dam, the last one! Had to wait on a couple of barges who take priority at dams. We finally got the call from the lockmaster and we all headed to the chamber. A total of 12 boats locked through requiring us to raft up so we could all fit in. We tied up along our buddy boat, Priorities, without incident. Our destination was a beautiful anchorage on the Tensaw River just off of the Mobile River. We made about 70 miles and arrived about 30 minutes before sunset. Beautiful... great protected anchorage that led to a great night's sleep.

 

The October Birthdays Cruise

 Day 1. Left Kingfisher Bay Marina at 6 am with 11 other boats of all shapes and sizes. We had power cats, sail boats, cruisers, new boats and old boats. A regular fleet of boaters headed for the promised land of sunshine and crystal blue water. After locking through the Demopolis Lock and Dam we made 92 miles on the Black Warrior/Tombigbee Rivers of winding switchbacks arriving at our anchorage on the river across from Okatuppa Creek. We anchored nearby our boat buddies on Priorities and had a nice night’s sleep after several attempts at anchoring. Couple of glitches but with Tom’s mechanical genius at work got the anchor down manually and settled in. Enjoyed hot chili on cold night that got down to 39!