Integrity Cruise

Day 215: - Near Coffeeville, AL to Mile 52.8, AL

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Day 215: Sunday, November 27th These days we are traveling in countryside so isolated that there are no towns or even place names to reference where we are. Bobby's Fish Camp were we spent last night is officially in Silas, AL, and is about five miles from Coffeeville, AL. It's about 119 waterway miles from Mobile, AL. Got it?

This morning we are only a couple of miles above the Coffeeville Lock and Dam, the last lock on the Tenn-Tom waterway. Today was to be a pretty long day, so we got up at dawn. The sunrise was dramatic:

At the lock we had to wait for a tow to be locked upstream. Just as it cleared, another tow, Creek, came around the bend headed downstream. The commercial traffic has priority in the locks and the pleasure boats, like us, simply have to wait for a chance to lock through. Fortunately, Creek and the lockmaster agreed we could go through with the tow. Roman Holiday was with us by now and we all went down together.

As we entered the lock behind Creek, we noted the lock building. In 1979, when the US river system flooded in the spring, water was three feet below the windows:

We eased in behind the tow and to the left wall. It was snug, and we were concerned about the "wheel wash" (water rushing out behind the tow as he moves out of the lock):

When we were finally moored to the wall, it was snug:

Roman Holiday eased in to the right:

The snowy egrets in the area have learned that when the lock gates close, the water is going to drop in the chamber. They fly over and feast on small fish caught in the gate's steel superstructure:

We avoided the "wheel wash" by having the tow wait for us to leave the lock first. It was very tricky to back and fill between the lock gate and the stern of the tow. By the time we were clear Roman Holiday was well on his way:

Two miles downstream is the bridge carrying US Highway 84 across the waterway. Actually, we are traveling in the Black Warrior River, which is loosely included in the "Tenn-Tom."

This cabin was once several hundred feet from the water; we figured the 1979 flood removed the front yard:

These rusty remains are of the Lone Star Cement dock. It didn't seem to survive the flood either:

We passed under the US 43 bridge. There isn't another road bridge for 71 miles, and the landscape became even more isolated:

However, there are two railroad bridges. This one opened for an upbound tow just as we arrived. Around the bend is the tow, and we had to do some quick-stepping to stay out of his way in the tight turn:

Just past the bridge stands this steam generating plant at Jackson, AL:

About 4:50pm the sky began to darken as the clouds took on a silvery look:

It had been breezy all day but no serious weather threats were predicted. We weren't sure about that as things got darker:

Soon, the edge of the dense clouds seemed to move on by:

The sky got light again and we pressed on. About 66 miles from where we started this morning (a long day for us), we turned into the "Alabama River Cut-off." This is a large canal that was dug to allow boats to pass between the Black Warrior and the Alabama Rivers without having to go several miles downstream. Today, it's seldom used by commercial traffic:

We pulled over near the bank and dropped anchor. It turned out to be a peaceful anchorage and the weather was warm and docile. There were no signs of humans anywhere.

We traversed one lock today for a trip total of 154 locks.

Position tonight: N 31 11.408 W087 56.500 END

Position tonight: N31 112.408 W087 56.500

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