The marina where we stayed last night was only ½ mile from our next lock. We got up at 6:30 to check for lock availability and fog. The lock was ready with no waiting and there was no fog (due to the wind we were experiencing). We left the marina at 7 with Ebb Tide, one of the 6 boats we were traveling with yesterday. Ebb Tide had stayed at the same marina. The rest of the boats continued on.
Ebb Tide is a 25’ Ranger Tug. It is a very cute boat, but it is small. We think it would be hard for us to travel in that small of a boat. Phil and June, along with their dog, started the loop in Hilton Head, NC. We used the courtesy car the marina offered and went to dinner with them.
In the morning the Tenn-Tom Waterway was narrow and straight. We occasionally saw the original Tombigbee river as it wound in and out of the canal. The original river was very narrow here. This afternoon we traveled more on the original Tombigbee river as it grew wider. There were more curves and higher banks.
We traveled by Columbus Air Force Base whose runways were only a few miles east of us. During World War II, more than 8,000 students came to this base for pilot training. In 1951 it provided training for pilots during the Korean War. Four years later it became the base for the Strategic Air Command (SAC). In 1969 it resumed its training mission and now trains a third of all new U.S. Air Force pilots.
Surprisingly, the number of landings and takeoffs at the base not only makes this the Nation’s busiest Air Force base but also ranks it right up there with Chicago’s O’Hare and Atlanta’s Hartsfield, the two busiest commercial airports.
We saw many T-37 jet trainers. The T-37 has a distinctive whistle, is nicknamed the “Tweety Bird” and is the first trainer Air Force pilots climb into. The other trainer used here is the T-38 or “Talon” that introduces pilots to supersonic and high altitude flight and is used by NASA for chasing the space shuttle during landings.
We got to our second (and last) lock of the day. It was very windy and Ebb Tide had much difficulty getting tied to the bollard. They were finally able to catch the bollard and we locked down.
Today was our daughter Keely’s birthday. We called her this morning to wish her Happy Birthday. We will be seeing everyone in less than 1 month!
We got to Pirates Cove Marina at 2:30. We are now in Alabama and will be for the rest of the trip on the Tenn-Tom Waterway. It is supposed to get quite cold tonight, 29 degrees. We are glad we are in a marina and can use shore power to heat the boat.
2 locks – total 103
