Catrina has lot of miles to cover today because it is 64 miles to Mobile and our marina is 15 miles further toward the Gulf. We beat the sun up and were on the river before 6:30! We must be getting used to the cold as the inside was 45 degrees and who know how cold it was outside. However, there was no ice!
Debbie even remembered to take a picture of Three Rivers Lake Mooring in the predawn light!
With the tide going out (downriver) and the wind from the North (usually behind us) we make 8.4 mph and pass the junction of the Alabama River in 2 ¼ hours (8:45 a.m.)
Please notice the colors on the sign post. Green for the AL flowing into the Black Warrier/Tombigbee and Red for the upper river (away from port) of the main river. At this point the River is also called the Mobile River. That seems appropriate!
At this point the Mobile River is a lot wider. We spend a lot of time going with the current from side to side on each curve. Not often are we headed south with the sun on our left but I guess the river knows where it is going. Let’s hope!
When the Tensas River junctions at mile 39.3, the Mobile River gets narrower. It did not look like water was leaving to go to the Tensas. We will have to check this out. There wasn’t a marker post at the junction.
At mile 30 we come around a bend and are passed by a steel hulled two masted sailboat. He looks like he is going rapidly but the truth is we are the one moving quickly and he is motoring upriver!
We pass a swinging railroad bridge. This time we did not have to ask. They saw us coming and open the bridge!
Tom make good use of the sunlight to go over the lines that run up the mast. He changes the hook-in line for the TV set. The windvane and radar are good.
At 11:30 a.m, mile 20,we passed under the I-65 bridge. In three miles the shore changed to bayou country with grass, small palms and mangrove trees. From here on there are a number of small waterways back into the bayou.
When we reach the Big Bayou Canot Junction at Mile 9.8, we asked a passing pusher to make sure we took the correct route of three. He said two would work but of those one was pretty shoaled in. We took the one the barges use and passed a number of them. One of the barges was Kirby’s Antigone. We have passed it each day for the last two and this makes the third time. So I took a picture of it.
We reached Mobile at 2 p.m. It is a working town and the river is cluttered with boats of all types. On the north shore is their Convention Center and behind it Government Street and a few high rises.
Toward the gulf are the cruise ships. We passed a very large Norwegian Lines Ship.
Catrina cruised on by and 3 miles into the Gulf. It is windy here, very brisk with white caps. Next we turned east and headed for the Eastern Shore on a rolling broad reach and our home for the next three days. You guessed it - East Shore Marina!
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