RIVER SYSTEM: DAY 137: Midway Marina (Fulton, MS) - Mile Marker 318 Hairston Bend: Our little Looptillia of Boats

The following entries are a little different because of the circumstances - it’s a river system - more of the same. This part of the journey is merely a means to an end - eventually ... we will motor through the Gulf of Mexico and salty waters.


76 miles; 5 locks; 12 hours

From Midway: There aren’t many anchorages along this route - plan on staying at Columbus Marina or the 1st anchorage after the Stennis Lock - do not push it to mile marker 318.


MM394 Midway Marina to MM391 Fulton Lock DOWN 25’: 6.0 mph; 3 miles; 0:30 minutes 

  • Floating Bollards

  • 59 miles to Columbus; 12 boats moving from Midway to Columbus

MM391 Fulton Lock to MM376 Wilkins Lock DOWN 25’: 7.5 mph; 14.6 miles; 1:57 hours 

  • 15 miles to Wilkins Lock; Floating Bollards

MM376 Wilkins Lock to MM371 - Amory Lock DOWN 30’: 6.8 mph; 5.2 miles; 0:45 hours 

  • Floating Bollards

  • Between the locks, a team of men were laying fiber across the canal. They had all the toys out, helicopters, big boats, small boats, fast boats, slow boats …

  • Even though they told us we would have a three to four hour wait, we only waited 10 minutes. So far, LegaSea has never had to waited more than 30 minutes, or so, for a lock. I hear the stories from other boaters about three to four hour waits. I guess we are just lucky (and the peanuts seem to help).

MM371 Amory Lock to MM358 Aberdeen Lock DOWN 27’: 7.2 mph; 8.8 miles; 1:13 hours 

  • Floating Bollards

  • 4 miles to Aberdeen

MM358 Aberdeen Lock to MM334 Columbus/Stennis Lock DOWN 27’: 9.7 mph; 15.8 miles; 1:45 hours

  • Columbus is the Last Stop for Diesel Fuel until Demopolis

  • Floating Bollards

  • Columbus Marina seems alright from a distance and a lot of Loopers use the marina

  • 65 miles to Sumter Landing

  • 120 miles to Demopolis

MM334 Columbus/Stennis Lock to MM318 Hairston Bend: No idea but it was really long

  • G.O.T Strong! King Stennis!

  • Passed the first marked anchorage just before the lock; shouldn’t have done that because the sun is setting earlier now.

  • While the sun is beginning to set, the reflection of land and tree line on the water was a perfect mirror image - great for a camera - bad for boating.

  • Something hit under the boat while I was driving - of course! UGH! 

  • An oncoming Tow Boat showed us I was outside the markers with a shine of his light, Jim got us back in the channel - gotta love those Tow Boat Captains!

  • Finally in a marked anchorage, S K E T C H - Room for one boat: I’m sure there are alligators hiding. It has been a long day and there is a frost warning for this part of Mississippi - really, frost! Jim needs Wifi? You have to be joking - opening the engine hatch for extra heat - putting on all my clothes and going to bed.

    Didn’t paint today and I miss my house, family/friends, and cats.


    Photos of the Looptilla from one of the many locks today.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

AGLCA SPRING RENDEZVOUS IN NORFOLK VA 2022

Image
The event this year is scheduled to take place in Norfolk, VA The Waterside River Ferry   A schedule is online and the ferry travels between Waterside, Norfolk & High Street, Portsmouth & North Landing, Portsmouth gohrt.com > Routes > Elizabeth River Ferry Waterside Marina   The 'right there' marina for the event - in the thick of it all. Nauticus Marina   Located at the end of the Waterside park at the museum is 'right there' too, it’s a little more quiet and smaller. Marinas near the Waterside River Ferry Ocean Yacht Marina Tidewater Yacht Marina Portsmouth Boating Center 36-hour Free Dock in Portsmouth (small); get there early Marinas, Portsmouth with an Uber/Lyft or Ferry :  Virginia Boat Yacht Service, Western Branch Diesel  Reciprocal Marinas, Norfolk with an Uber/Lyft :   Norfolk Yacht & Country Club (reciprocal with who?) Marinas before the Chesapeake Bay with and Uber/Lyft :  Willoughby Harbor Marina Rebel Marina  Mari...
Read more

DAYS 266-269 : Charleston SC to South Santee River Anchorage - Georgetown SC Anchorage

Image
Charleston to South Santee River MM 420 ANCHORAGE: 7.9 mph; 49.8 miles; 6:18 hours South Santee River MM 420 Anchorage to Georgetown SC ANCHORAGE: 6.9 mph; 18.3 miles; 2:40 hours NOTE: There are strong currents after Charleston. Whenever possible, best to ride the tide. NOTE: Charleston MM 469 to Georgetown MM 403 is about a 60 mile run with a few no wake zones; be sure to check your fuel. You have some choices.  You could anchor at McClellanvile (Leland Oil Marina) MM 431 or South Santee River MM 420 before heading to Georgetown MM 403.  If you are a fast boat, you could head straight to Georgetown. Some Loopers hop from Charleston to McClellanville to Georgetown. It’s all ‘boater preference’. MM 420 South Santee River ANCHORAGE This anchorage is right off the ICW and has a reputation for holding steady with a quick current - I agree; so, we added the snubber line. Another Looper tucked a little further in from the ICW with a ton of space. Great Sunset! On the Way to MM 420 T...
Read more

DAYS 242-246 : Daytona Anchorage to St Augustine Mooring/Slip

Image
Daytona Anchorage to St Augustine: 8.7 mph; 54.2 miles; 6:11 hours This was a longer run with great scenery and a pod of dolphin. The topography has changed from mangroves to salt marshes. I excepted to see an ecological shift in Georgia but seeing it now took me by surprise. There’s only one stop for fuel between Daytona and St Augustine so check the gauges: MM 803/Palm Coast Marina. ANCHORAGES & MARINAS DAYTONA TO ST AUGUSTINE:  MM 809; Cement Plant Anchorage : No longer a viable anchorage   MM 803; Palm Coast Marina , GAS & DIESEL, $1.32/ft plus electric (PREFERRED LOOPER MARINA) MM 803; Hammock Beach Marina , MM 803, NO FUEL, Snag-A-Slip, $2.25/ft  MM 796; Marineland Marina , at MM 796, NO FUEL, and $1.25/ft plus electric.  St Augustine Municipal Marina: The marina is perfectly placed outside the historic district of Saint Augustine. You have to call the marina for reservations and all marina/mooring field maps are online. Mooring : We arrived a day ear...
Read more