Bobbies Fish Camp to Mile 0, Mobile

Nov 4, 2017

      Again a group decided to head through the next lock together, and again it was really foggy, but 14 of us made it through the Demopolis Lock at 7 AM.    Heading down the Tombigbee River we were making better time.  Up to 10 mph! but still had to anchor out that night.  About 7 boats anchored in the same area.  Some were in Bashi Creek, off of the river and some of us just off the side out of the channel.  A couple barges that went through that night set us rocking, but it worked out pretty well.   I got out my kayak and had a wonderful trip up the creek for about an hour.  It’s a pretty good way to get some exercise.

Nov 5-7, 2017

      The next day was short again since everyone wants to stop at Bobby's Fish Camp, an infamous restaurant with a very short dock.  We were one of the first to get there so we got one of 3 spots on the dock, but then as more and more boats showed up we had to raft together.  There were four boats tied together at three spots on the dock for a total of twelve boats together.  The restaurant was really a must see, but I really don’t like fried catfish well enough to appreciate the “best catfish on the Tombigbee River”.

There be monsters in this river!

All tied up just for some catfish.

 

      The next morning untangling ourselves was a sight, but daylight saving time went off Saturday night and we had more light to help.

       Only one lock on this section and we anchored out again in Tensas Creek.   It was a much bigger area and about 10 boats fit in. I tried my charcoal grill on the boat that night and made the best steak of the whole trip.  (Maybe it was because the steak was 1.5 in thick.)

        Lots of fog the next morning slowed out departure, but we were going to make it to Mobile no matter what.

        Mobile is 0 mile on the waterway that started 450 miles before on the Ohio River. And that was after 325 miles on the Illinois from Chicago, 217 miles on the Mississippi and 60 miles on the Ohio.  And more locks than I have any intention of counting again.

       Unfortunately Mobile is a very busy port and boat building area and there are no recreational marinas so we had to proceed down the bay about 20 mile to Dog River to tie up.   Not much of a marina, but they did have a courtesy car so I was able to get to a grocery store to provision.  We have a lot of storage and a full size refrigerator with a freezer, but we go through a lot of fruit and vegetables and can’t store more than about 5 days’ worth.

Mobile!!!