October 18, 2012, Midway Marina on the Tenn-Tombigbee Waterway

We finally got going this morning but not without another little "surprise" late last night.  We both went to bed early and about 23:00 or so it started to rain and rain very hard.  Not long after it started raining we were both woke up to rain drops on our heads.  The escape hatch for our state room is right above our heads and it was leaking from all the rain.  It was leaking so bad I had to put buckets out to catch the water.  Needless to say, I moved to another bed but Keith was so stubborn, he refused to move, and went back to sleep next to the bucket in bed. 

We were up early and got ready to leave as soon as day broke.  We were both optimistic that we would have a good day, for sure, it was long over due.  Well, the locks were good to us and we made it through 3 locks and went 57 miles and still got to the marina by 14:00.  These were the first locks with the Gulf Star and it went real smooth and we went straight through all 3 of them.  We could have made it further but we decided not to push our luck. 

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CO's comments:  Our Gulf Star is more than 10 feet longer than the Sea Ray and a foot wider.  Yet, going through the locks today was much easier.  It must be that it weighs more, has a deeper keel, and a bow thruster.  Also, the XO tells me that the side railing is higher and the walk way is wider and it makes her job much easier.

Entering the Whitten Lock Mile 411.9 on the Tenn-Tombigbee

First time using my new and bigger, homemade, bollard loop.  I left the other one in the Sea Ray for the new owners, whoever they will be.

 

 

 

 

Leaving Whitten Lock on October 18, 2012.  We went down 84'