Wed Nov 8: Dry Creek to Midway Marina

Quite early (of course) we said goodbye to our sweet anchorage.  It was nice to be all on our own again, as we have been so much of the trip - before this year...

 

Travel today took us out of the bottom of Pickwick Lake, and into the Divide Cut.

Right before the Divide Cut we came to a place where, if you turn the boat sideways, you can be in AL, MS and TN - all at the SAME TIME!!  No wonder I can't tell which state we are in at any given time on this leg of the journey.

The Divide Cut (which links 2 lakes) is one LONG canal, 25 miles long - you are not allowed to stop or anchor in any part of this waterway.

The baffles keep streams entering the channel from entering too fast, and thereby creating shoaling.

It was one LONG boring channel.

This part of the world people seem to be expecting the worst from the water.  Probably smart.

There are whole stretches of RVs with roofs built over them...  We haven't seen that before.

 The Divide Cut empties into Bay Springs Lake (which looks like it has lots of lovely anchorages), at the end of which is the Whitten Lock.  The biggest lock we will go through on the Loop, and the 2nd largest one in the country (the largest is one we will not get to in TN).  It's an impressive 84' drop (from here on out each lock will drop us down, on the way down to Mobile).

All of these locks have floating ballards - I drive in, Rick loops a mid-line over the bollard, and away we go! Very civilized...

This lockmaster was kind enough to let us lock through with a tow/barge. He was small enough and not carrying hazardous materials. It saved us a ton of time. 

Two more locks and we arrived at Midway Marina.  It was unnerving to dock in the wind next to a drowned forest, but Rick managed it.  There may have been a little yelling on my part to get the dockhands into the right place - at this point we are experienced enough that we want what we want, and you had better be where we want you!

There were LOTS of Loopers in this marina, many of whom went out to dinner together.  But we were tired, not in need of company and trying to 'draw down' our supplies - so Rick made us a great dinner and we fell into bed...