Heading down the TennTom Waterway

The TennTom Waterway connects the Tennessee River at Pickwick Lake to the Tombigbee River at Demopolis, AL. Then from Demopolis to Mobile, it is called the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway.  Most just refer to the whole stretch and all 12 locks as the TennTom. Originally proposed in the late 1700’s by the French as a way of connecting these two navigable rivers, construction began in 1972, and it was completed in 1985. This was a huge project that moved more earth than was moved in the construction of the Panama Canal. The waterway shortened the trip for vessels by as much as 720 miles (avoiding a long trip and swift currents up the Mississippi River).  It is a commercial waterway, so tows get priority in the locks.

Monday, 21 October – Counce, TN to Iuka, MS – 3 mi., 4476 cum mi.

Fog, 52 degrees. Our plan was to change the oil and fuel filters, then proceed down the TennTom to Bay Springs Marina (just before the first set of locks).

Fog delayed us for at least an hour. Then it took longer than expected to get service at Lee Spry Marine. Several boats were lined up for service, and one needed to be hauled out. We had the expert service of Lee himself, but he was interrupted a few times to deal with other matters. We did get the engine and generator oil changed, and we got the engine and generator fuel filters changed, and Lee added fluid to the trim tab motor, but it was too late to make the trip to Bay Springs before closing. We took a dinghy ride, cooked some supper, and went to bed.

Tuesday, 22 October – Iuka, MS to Fulton, MS – 53 mi., 4529 cum mi.

Rainy, cloudy, 56 degrees. With no fog, a few rain drops did not stop us from getting an early start

down river. We encountered tows going both up and down river, but they were smaller – 2-4 barges – than those on the bigger rivers.
The sunshine overtook the clouds as the day progressed. Most of this part of the TennTom is called the Divide Cut – a canal dug to connect two water systems. Although we started out alone, soon we were overtaken by Masterplan, a huge boat that docked next to us at Joe Wheeler the day before we left. Later Second Wind and Golden Hawk caught up to us as we approached the Whitten Lock (down 84 ft). We locked through together through Whitten, Montgomery (down 30 ft), and Rankin (down 30 ft). Masterplan continued
down stream, while we joined Second Wind and
Golden Hawk into the Midway Marina. The hot tub was a welcome respite. I hurt my back (somehow – don’t know how), and the hot water eliminated any and all pain, albeit temporarily.

Wednesday, 23 October – Fulton, MS to Columbus, MS – 60 mi., 4589 cum mi.

Clear sky, 50 degrees. We left at sunrise in a four boat procession – Second Wind, Always 5 O’Clock, Golden Hawk, and Lumiere. We locked down four locks: Fulton (26 ft), Wilkins (25 ft), Amory (25 ft), and Aberdeen (28 ft), with only a 20 minute wait at Aberdeen. This is the canal section – mostly straight. Second Wind and Golden Hawk are bigger boats and have bigger engines, normally cruising at
10-11 knots. We kept up, but our Yanmars were working hard. We saw several fighter jets and later learned that Columbus has an Air Force base where they train pilots – in fact Columbus was once home to the B52 bomber. Columbus is the largest city on the TennTom, and they claim to have held the first Memorial Day ceremony in 1866. (When we lived in PA, we were told Boalsburg held the first.) We docked at Columbus Marina where we caught up with Reunion. After fueling, we found we burned just under a gallon per mile. Good to know, since we will need to know our fuel consumption for the Gulf crossing in a few weeks.

Thursday, 24 October – Columbus, MS to Pickinsville, AL – 28 mi., 4617 cum mi.

Blue sky, 71 degrees. Second Wind and Golden Hawk left early for another 60 mile run to an anchorage. Charli and Carol borrowed the courtesy van for a trip into town for provisions. We left with Reunion about midday through Stennis Lock (27 ft down) and downriver towards Pirates Marina Cove. On our way out, Summer Recess was pulling in. We traveled at about 8 mph, so when we refuel, we’ll be able to compute our fuel burn rate at the lower speed.  This begins the river
section – where the TennTom mainly follows the existing rivers, and it has the nicest scenery. Pirates Marina Cove gave loopers a 10% discount for dockage – nice. And using the marina’s courtesy van, we explored the Bevill Lock Visitors Center just before they closed. Turns out
that Tom Bevill was an Alabama Congressman. When the US Army Corps of Engineers first built the locks, they named them A, B, C, D, etc. Congress later renamed the locks after their own members, usually selecting local representatives for each lock. The visitors center had a model of the TennTom

waterway, with an interactive display of the locks and recreational areas by the water. Docked at the center was a refurbished snag boat – the Montgomery – a paddle wheeler with a crane to clear the debris
from the waterway. Although we did not get a chance to visit it, we are told that in nearby Aliceville there was a camp where 6000 German POWs were held during WW2.

Friday, 25 October – Pickinsville to Sumter Landing, AL – 37 mi., 4654 cum mi.

Cold, but clear, 46 degrees. After calling the Bevil Lock requesting passage, we left early with
Reunion. Al, Charli, and Eli all took turns at the helm on the flybridge, with frequent trips downstairs to warm up. It was a beautiful day, but chilly. Lots of egrets and other birds near shore. Scenery is pretty, and it has not changed much for the last 100 miles of this river section. We anchored at the Sumter Park landing near the boat ramp. A short dinghy ride around the basin and then to shore and a walk around the recreation area was fun. We met Mike, a local who was fishing and pulling his bass boat out of the water at the boat ramp. Three more looper boats pulled in to anchor: Journey (cat), Harmony, and Daisy Mae. They are also headed to Demopolis Yacht Basin in the morning, so we will lock through the next lock together.

Saturday, 26 October – Sumter Landing to Demopolis, AL – 54 mi., 4708 cum mi.

Cold, foggy, 47 degrees.  We awoke to heavy fog and gobs of floating hydrangea that filled the basin. the fog provided a beautiful sunrise.  Even the Heflin lockmaster said he couldn’t see the highway bridge next to the lock through the fog. So we waited for the fog to lift, and all five boats left the anchorage and went through Heflin Lock (down 32 ft) together.  We fueled up, since this is the last clean fuel stop until Mobile Bay. We docked at Kingfisher Bay, a relatively new marina connected to and managed by the Demopolis Yacht Basin. This is also the last marina until Mobile. We stayed two nights to relax and get ready for upcoming anchorages. We set up a trip line to mark anchor location and to be able to free the anchor if it got stuck. We also set up a stern line and anchor, in case we encountered shifting currents or narrow creeks. And we fixed our anchor light (loose bulbs). The marina had several golf carts, free to borrow to get to the ships store at Demopolis Yacht Basin. The locals hosted a pot luck happy hour

(and costume party). Nice to meet local boaters – and learn about their favorite anchorages. We also took advantage of the free courtesy truck and went to the Red Barn for dinner. Summer Recess pulled in – good to see them again. They’ve been traveling about a day behind us.
The highlight of this section of the TennTom is Epes where we saw beautiful white cliffs. Part of the Selma Chalk formations, these were deposited about the same time as England’s white cliffs of Dover. Demopolis marks the end of the TennTom Waterway.