The Canal Section

Our stuck-anchor follies yesterday had an unexpected benefit—besides saving our $300 anchor, chain and nylon rode, we connected with a group of four Canadian boats at our alternative anchorage and arranged to go through the next three locks with them. The Lockmasters prefer groups of pleasure craft rather than individual boats and make every effort to prioritize a flotilla. We set our alarm and were ready for the 7:00 AM departure. After waiting for a northbound tow to exit, we entered Whitten Lock for the 84-foot drop, the largest on the Tenn-Tom. The Whitten Lockmaster called ahead to the Montgomery Lock five miles downriver, and it was ready and waiting for us with the doors open and the green light flashing. After a 30-foot drop, our flotilla continued on to the Rankin Lock, which knew we were coming, but had to finish some maintenance before getting us through. Another 30-foot drop and we were on our way, until Dragonfly stopped for the day at Midway Marina in Fulton, MS, while the Canadians continued on to go through one more lock before anchoring for the night. We had a lot of fun traveling with this group—who called us their “+1”—and were grateful that they let us join up with them to get through the three locks more efficiently.

 

This part of the Tenn-Tom is called the Canal Section, a 48-mile chain of man-made lakes connected by straight canals. The Tombigbee River is so narrow and windy here that the Corps of Engineers chose not to use it, and created an artificial waterway instead.  The screenshot below shows some of the lakes and canals that we’re traveling on, with the natural river to the north and west.

We had a late lunch at Guy’s Place, the marina restaurant, then took a long walk along a local country road and enjoyed the 75F weather before the 4:48 PM sunset. We’re still getting accustomed to the shorter days of fall, and are always surprised and disappointed when the sun disappears so early in the evening. The shadows were already descending on the marina when we finished our walk. You can see Dragonfly in the bottom right of the last photo, framed by the boat hoist.