Monday November 8: Columbus, MS

Yesterday was again a very cool day but sunny. The river travel is very quiet - very few barges. The plastic stayed in most of the day (we only traveled about 25 miles - 3 hours) so we could get into port by the time the Browns game came on. We managed to dock and get connected just after the start of the 2nd quarter - what a game!!! No wasted 3 hours today as they beat the 6-1 Patriots. I was afraid to even think that we might win until 2 minutes left :-) Super Bowl here we come!!

We're in Columbus, MS and have decided to stay again today. There are a few projects that need to be done in preparation for the rain which I'm sure is coming one of these days. Steve needs to fix one of the portholes in the front cabin and I will redo a few places on the walkaround deck that have cracked a bit and are likely leaking. Overall, a lazy day - although Steve has been in town twice already in the courtesy car! He also spotted some coots by the marina and was up before sunrise again.

I spent the time looking at the charts and recommended anchorages for the remainder of the trip to Mobile (still 300 miles downriver). This is one crazy river! This is a page from the chart book so you can see how the Tombigbee wove it's way all over the place. The Corp of Army Engineers just dug a straight channel which cut through the center of where the original river flowed. In a couple of days we'll be on the Black Warrior-Tombigbee River and the curves in the river are still there. We just kind of weave our way all over the place in Alabama as we head south.

The waterways really are well marked - even the bridges have marks to let you know the clearance under the bridges. Wonder if the water ever gets that high??!! Weather is warming up to the low 70's today but it's really nice just to sit a day :-)