Day 26: Grand Harbor to Fulton

We're in the great state of Mississippi and today will be our first on the Tenn-Tom. We're off the dock around 0715 in dim light and under a leaden sky, and are soon sailing the length of Yellow Creek (more a small lake, really) to the entrance to the Tenn-Tom, in company with 3 bloopers (happy days!).

A pleasant cruise ensues, with Rosie at the helm, as we wend our way along the waterway for 24 miles between developing fall colour, to enter the top end of Bay Springs Lake. Eight miles down the lake, we encounter the Jamie L. Whitten Lock, and life gets interesting. This Lock is the highest we encounter on the entire Loop, and will drop us 81.4 ft to a continuation of the Tenn-Tom. A further 4 miles through scenic Tishomingo County and we are at the G. V. "Sonny" Montgomery Lock & Dam. As we head south, a buck is spotted swimming across the river between the vessels in our (now) 10-ship flotilla. It's behind us and I hope to get a video from someone to put here in due course (PS: this evening we meet the crew of "Slow Poke", and the lady generously promises to email a copy of the video. It is awesomely bloggable!). The captains warn each other to watch out for the animal, which makes it across and disappears into the riverside forest. A further 8½ miles--most of it along the Rankin Pool (Beaver Lake)--and we arrive at the John E. Rankin Lock & Dam. We're almost done for the day - after this Lock it's a lazy 5 miles to the Midway Marina near Fulton.

We tie up and Rosie and I go for a walk in the light rain, ending up at the marina restaurant.Read more