Day 26

Location: Amory Mississippi, Mile 371.1 of the Tenn-Tom

Distance Travelled Today: 18 Nautical Miles

Total Trip Distance: 1,044 Nautical Miles

We’re still in the land of no Verizon internet service so this will get posted when it does, perhaps not for a couple of days.

Big crew change and social event today. The lovely Laura Lee and the charming Gail drove Randy over from Birmingham and picked up Hardheaded George to take him back to Birmingham. With plans to leave Birmingham at 8 am, Randy arrived at our house at 7 am, earning him the name “the early Uncle Randy”. He’s already decided he likes the name better than “the late Uncle Randy”. The whole crowd arrived at the boat a little after 10:30 and at 11:15, we went into Fulton, MS for lunch at the Family Grill. For me, it was the biggest social occasion in four weeks…having lunch with four other people.

A word of tribute is in order here concerning Hardheaded George. He is hardheaded and he continued to bump his head daily. However, he is great company and did more than his share of the work during his tenure here. He fixed the hot and cold mixup at the kitchen sink and fixed the knob which opens the kitchen sink drain. He took the horn apart and trouleshooted far enough to know that the compressor, not the horn, is causing the problem. He also responded to my nicknames by beginning to call me “Captain Blye” when I forced onerous duties on him and laughed at his head injuries. I enjoyed having him aboard and appreciate his help. Thanks George, hope the head gets better soon. And thanks to the charming Gail for lending me her husband for a few days.

After a tasty meal at lunch, the early Uncle Randy and I decided to get away at around 12:30 and get a couple of locks behind us in hopes of accomplishing our mission and reaching Coffeeville Lock before it closes on Tuesday morning. We transited two locks and moved down the Tenn-Tom 22 statute miles. Coffeeville Lock is at Mile 116.6, about 255 statute miles away. If we can average 65 miles per day, including the locks, we will make it.

We arrived at our third lock of the day, Amory Lock and Dam, at around 4 pm and we could have locked through, but there was nowhere to anchor before sunset. So we anchored just above the lock and we’ll get an early start in the morning locking through at about 5 am.

So follow us on the countdown. We are at mile 371 and need to reach Mile 116.6 by Monday afternoon. Stay with us.