Getting Back to the Water
- Leslie Morrison
- Aug 29, 2024
- 8 min read
Ready, Set, Go!
Over the weekend, prior to our departure, we spent time with our families: with the Vuyk/Gray’s at their end of summer party, and with Tammy and Gary for a steak dinner. (Gary grills the best steaks you’ll ever eat!) After our goodbye’s we packed the car that evening, then started out mid-morning, Monday, August 19.
Rather than take I-20, Adrian mapped a more scenic route that took us north of Houston eventually to 190 and then to Hwy 28. We crossed Sternhagen Lake on Hwy 28 where we stopped to enjoy the scenery and a lunch break. In one Louisiana Parish the speed limit was 75 mph on a 4-lane divided highway. I only felt comfortable driving 65 as there were a number of turn-offs and residences along the road and the shoulders were only about a foot wide. When we entered another Parish, the speed limit dropped to 55. We stopped again to stretch our legs at Dies Jr. State Park before going on to Vicksburg.
See the Heron?
Oak Hill Bed and Breakfast was charming, and well maintained. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Elizabeth, the owner and shown to our room that had a lovely view of the yard.
We then enjoyed dinner at 101 Cocktails in downtown Vicksburg - they were the only recommended restaurant that featured salmon on the menu. Fortunately, the salmon was not overcooked and very tasty. As usual, there was more than we could eat. The waiter was a young man in his early 20’s with a very thick Mississippi drawl. He had tats on both arms. On one arm, F A M I L Y was spelled out with some indiscernible lettering in between, that, he explained, was a warning to others that “if you mess with my family, I will mess with yours”. The other arm had an
outline of an online game he enjoyed that he intended to color in and extend to the other side of his arm. He also had tats on his neck. He was courteous and friendly, and obviously working hard to move his life along. I think his mother raised him well. We gave him a good tip.
We enjoyed a wonderful, home-cooked breakfast the next morning with eggs cooked to our liking, sausage, a fruit salad, a pudding compote and strong coffee. The only other customers were a couple from Milan, Italy: Chistiano, Silvia and their 11-year-old daughter, Tecia. Christiano works for an international “brand company” whose work brought them to New York on a previous trip. They were surprised at the difference between NYC and the small towns of the South. They had been traveling from D.C. by car through the Southern states and were noticed the variety of cultures between D.C. and New Orleans - their destination. They commented on the number of Trump flags they’d seen along the rural roads. Christiano remarked that the outcome of our election is being closely watched in Europe and in Italy especially, since they just elected a “right candidate”. Our outcome will have repercussions for them. Further describing their journey so far, Christiano, who plays the guitar (“not well”) had “an intense experience” when while in Nashville. He met George Gruhn of Gruhn Guitars and got to “jam” with him. This sort of encounter is what I most enjoy about traveling - getting to meet interesting, friendly, people.
The next morning, we headed to Columbus, taking the Natchez Trace Parkway: a beautiful, curved, tree-lined, two-lane road that reminded me of the drive from Gainesville, VA to Charlottesville, VA that Leigh and I used to make to visit his daughter and her family. It’s funny how memorable such things are, and how enjoyable. We stopped at the Ross Bennett Reservoir to take in the view. I’m glad we didn’t take I-20 the entire way.
When we arrived at the Columbus Marina around noon Tuesday, we were happy to see that Petite Fleur was in good shape. No water in the bilge, and no other leaks. We unloaded the car and wondered where we were going to put all the “stuff” we brought back with us. The task at hand was to remove anything we wouldn’t use on this leg of the trip and stow it in the car. Ultimately, everything found a place, though it was challenging. On the second day, I reached a frustration limit that reduced me to tears. It seems that whatever I attempted to do was met with resistance or a setback. I was also having trouble finding where I’d put things since we were last on the boat, as we’d rearranged many items before we left. This was the first time Adrian had experienced me having a meltdown. He tried to console me, but I told him I just needed to get passed it and I’d be okay. Which was what happened. Poor guy.
The weather was pleasant, in the low 90’s but low humidity and a nice breeze. Adrian had purchased some detachable shades to keep the sun off of us while we were on the aft deck. So far so good, weather-wise.
During our first afternoon on the boat, we kept hearing a strange “scratching” noise. I sounded like a cat scratching a scratching post, only louder. Adrian thought it might be turtles in the water bumping the boat, but it had a consistent sort of rhythm each time, with only a slight variation: “scratch/scratch/scratch - scratch, scratch/scratch” pause. Then, again: “scratch/scratch/scratch - scratch/scratch - scratch”. This went on at intervals throughout the day. Then it would stop. It started up again at night, only now it was as if, whatever it was, was just on the other side of the hull from where we slept below the foredeck. And it was. But now it was coming from more than one places at a time. It would stop during the day and start up and then stop. It kept me awake the next night, as I imagined something chewing through the hull or making holes that would cause us
to sink. Adrian asked another boat owner about it the next day. Turns out there are fish that eat the algae off the side of your boat and the sound is magnified through the hull. Adrian considered that they were doing us a favor by cleaning our boat - a symbiotic relationship.
After gathering groceries, refilling our propane cylinder, and the boat’s water tank, we took off Friday morning. We only went a few miles and anchored in the River Oaks oxbow where we had stayed before. I drove the boat most of the way and positioned it to drop anchor. After a dinner of leftover mushroom stuffed pork tenderloin, we were enjoying the cool summer evening as dusk approached. We had purchase two small, solar powered “bug zappers” that were supposed to greatly reduce the mosquitoes. But I was being bit on my feet (Apparently mosquitoes go for the feet because they are stinky.) I was reading on my iPad, which was emitting some light, therefore attracting some other sort of flying insect in addition to mosquitoes. They kept dive bombing my head and getting in my hair. I made a dash for the cabin to escape them, but a few got in and kept attaching me. Gradually I got them under control (dead) and proceeded to clean up after dinner. Even though we closed all the hatches and doors, a couple more got into the sleeping quarters. Turns out they were Mayflies which breed like crazy and then die within 24 hours or less. Apparently, we had anchored in a breeding ground. Our boat had hundreds of dead Mayflies on the deck and roof the next morning.
Thursday morning we motored on upriver, enjoying the calm water, blue sky, and the tree-line shores. There were no barges to be seen, although we’d heard a couple during the night at our anchorage. Aberdeen Lock was the first of several locks ahead of us and the one that will be
closing for repairs on September 2. We were the only passengers, so we quickly entered and continued on our way for just a few hours before we dropped anchor at a small inlet off the Tombigbee called the Weaver Creek Cutoff. We settled in for the rest of the day, Saturday and spent Sunday night as well.
Adrian always has projects to improve and maintain the boat. While at the Marina, among other things, he replaced the plastic holders that were attached to the wall of the bathroom (Head) with small metal shelves with railings. They are more attractive, and you can see what is there. While anchored at Weaver Creek, he installed a cell booster system that will hopefully give us a few more bars of reception as we travel. It is installed and connected to our phones, but we are still trying to figure out if it’s actually working.
We plan to be at marinas more often this trip, so we can at least plug into WIFI more often.
The weather continued to be hot and there was little to no breeze on Weaver Creek although, we’ve enjoyed cool mornings and evenings. What has surprised me, has been the absence of birds. Unlike our time in this area in June, when we were able to identify as many as twenty different bird varieties, we’ve only heard a few calls in the distance. I’ve spotted more birds this time around: a woodpecker in a tree near me at the Columbus Marina, a hawk that flew ahead of us and over the river as we traveled, and what looked to be an eagle’s nest on an antenna of the Aberdeen Lock. We haven’t seen but a few egrets along the way. I’ve heard a Bard Owl hooting, woodpeckers pecking and hawks calling, but that’s about it.
Monday morning, we continued North, passing through three locks without much trouble. Again, there has been very little barge traffic in this area, so we “pleasure boats” don’t have to compete with the big guys for lock space. In the second lock, as Adrian sidled the boat up to the wall on our starboard side, the wind pushed us away, so he had to back up and reposition a couple of times. Other than that, he has it down pat.
We arrived at Midway Marina at Fulton, MS planning to scope it out and head on the next
morning. Adrian wants to find a marina where we can leave the boat safely in the winter when we will return to Houston until next spring. So, we are scouting out the next few marinas to see if they are satisfactory. We initially gave Midway a thumbs down since it seemed to had no bathrooms or showers to speak of. We later found out that they were located up the hill. So depending on where you are docked (we were at the furthest end) it can be a hall to reach them. Upon further investigation, the facilities weren't too bad. Just not very convenient.
The staff at Midway Marina has been friendly and very helpful, which is a good thing, since, while preparing to head out Tuesday morning, a good amount of water got into one of the fuel tanks. The only recourse was to pump out the fuel tank that was about 2/3 full. "Grumpy" the harbormaster and some of his crew, hooked us up to a pump to remove the contaminated diesel. It was a long process since, mid-way, the pump gave out and we had to wait for a replacement. Meanwhile, Sam, a young, 21 year old maintenance guy employed by the local Marine store, came to fix the pump so we could continue to drain the tank, and to replace a water pump near the engine that Adrian had been unable to remove himself. Sam was a very cordial, clean-cut boy from Mantache, Mississippi. While in the process of replacing the engine water pump, water poured into the bilge which had to be pumped out, but that pump quit as well! Sam was very apologetic, but he got the main job done. It had been an expensive and frustrating day. As I was writing this, Adrian was taking a well deserved nap. Later that day, when Adrian tried to finish pumping out the bilge with a hand pump, we got soapy water. A bottle of liquid soap had leaked from the cabinet under the sink, right into the bilge. It never ends!
We went to dinner that evening at the local restaurant that was within walking distance and enjoyed pan fried catfish for me and fish and chips for Adrian. The following day I made fish tacos out of the leftover fish. Having a restaurant close at hand is always nice at a marina. Though this one had some drawbacks, I enjoyed being able to walk around the grounds (again, up the hill) to get some exercise the two mornings we were there. Here are a couple pictures from my walk:
Here's hoping the coming week is a little less difficult.
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