RIVER SYSTEM: DAYS 120: Bay Springs - Jamie Whitten Lock - GV Montgomery Lock - John Rankin Lock - Midway Marina: Another Exciting Day

Bay Springs Anchorage to Whitten Lock: 3.5 mph; 1185 yds; 0:11 hours

Whitten Lock to Montgomery Lock: 8.5 mph; 5.1 miles; 0:45 hours

Montgomery Lock to Rankin Lock: 9.0 mph; 8.1 miles; 1:02hours

Rankin Lock to anchorage to check transmission: 5.5 mph; 3.0 miles; 0:33 hours

Transmission Check to Midway Marina: 4.3 mph; 1.2 miles; 0:18 hours


Everything was going so well …


LOCK: Jamie Whitten Lock: DOWN 84’

Floating Bollards


LOCK: GV Montgomery Lock: DOWN 30’

Floating Bollards


LOCK: John Rankin Lock: DOWN 30’

Floating Bollard; Heard a loud noise from under the boat; Lost starboard transmission in Lock. What was that awful sound?


Quick Anchorage to Check Transmission

While in the lock Jim has to use the engines to keep us steady on the wall - we don’t have thrusters. While doing this, we heard something hit, and hit hard. We were the last to enter and last to leave the lock. When leaving the lock, we realized we had lost transmission from the starboard engine. We pulled out of the lock using the port engine then pulled into a small anchorage off the canal. Transmission fuel was fine for both engines, we weren't taking on water, opened a hatch to see that the shaft was able to spin forward, reverse, and hold neutral - what happened? Is the prop there? Is a pin missing?


Intermission: A High Speed Chase

There was a lot of commotion in the water. At first we thought it was a pair of dogs playing in the water… Wait a minute, dogs don’t play in the water with one another - not like what we were seeing. Grabbed the binoculars. It was a black nosed animal chasing a doe! Halfway across the canal, the 'black-nosed-animal' gave up the chase and swam back to the shore line while the doe continued on towards her destination. What is going on in Mississippi? Was that a black lab or a black bear? When it crawled out of the canal - I really couldn't tell.




Midway Marina:

Called Midway with our situation and they were there to help - this is a great marina. We came in on one engine and the wind kicked up - of course. Even with all that, Jim was able to scoot LegaSea onto the T-Head without a problem.


The marina offers a AGLCA discount; you’ll need your member ID number. 

Because of our situation, our pricing is yet to be defined - we will be here a while. The cost will most likely run $1.00-$1.50/ft: Electric/water; shower/bath; coin-operated laundry; courtesy car; fixed lift; Guy’s Restaurant; fire pit (Looper favorite: light it and they will come).


You will feel at home as soon as you land on the dock. The marina was bought in the 90’s by some traveling Loopers! Seriously, Loopers on the look out for land. Since then, their children have bought and now operate this marina. It is so well organized. There is a knoll for country weddings and three adorable up-scale cabins to house the wedding parties. The ‘kids’ really got it going on here at Midway.


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