We awoke after 6 a.m. and found our boat surrounded by autumn trees. About 5 a.m. the rain pattered on our ceiling but lightened up when we pulled the anchors.
Tom connected the GPS and autopilot inside so each could be used from the settee. Here is Debbie running the boat as she looks out the front window. The only feature missing was the depth finder.
In front of Debbie is a set of Corp of Engineers Charts lent to us by Wendy. They show every marker and curve on the river all the way to Mobile. We can look up distances, marinas or overnight mooring areas.
Above is part of one page that shows a railroad bridge with one section removed. The blue area is water. The lower bank show a finger of land (in grey) come out into the river. The diamonds are red and green markers indicating the channel. The straight line is the recommended sailing course. The upside down dashed lines are deeper channels to areas at the sides. The boats at the sides are mooring spots. Now let's look at the bridge.
One thing that Tom missed when he piloted the boat from inside was a seat with a back. Inspiration hit and he found a good use for his crutch!
Late in the afternoon the rain stopped. We noticed the leaves again. Before we were concerned with the rain, fog and poor visibility. We were very concerned about the barges and not knowing they were there until a few hundred feet away. All day only two barges passed us. The River had frequent curves and a narrower width with a smaller deep channel.
About 4 p.m. we pulled off the river at Cuba Landing. Water was low in the entrance channel and again Tom moved very slowly to the gas dock for a fill up and pump out. We decided to take advantage of the pool on the way in. Below is a picture of the route around the edge to the marina. Just picture our boat just behind the white/red marker. That is where we spent the night as the rain fell gently on the roof.
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