Day 34 - the white cliffs of where?

Miles cruised 49, fuel purchased 120 gallons, fuel cost $298, daily high temperature 84*F

In the morning Silver Slippers and Red Dolphin departed the anchorage ahead of us. After resolving the round orange fender issue we headed down river towards Demopolis. We passed both an up-bound and down-bound tow. The up-bound tow Kristi P. Smith did not answer our radio call for passing. The down-bound tow Long Street answered our radio call and requested a two whistle pass. We caught up to the sailboat Silver Slipper. I called him and asked him to slow down so we could two whistle slow pass him and not break his liquor bottles.

We cruised past the famous white cliffs of Alabama. The White Cliffs on the Tombigbee River at Epes, AL. These white cliffs are part of the Selma Chalk formations which were deposited at about the same time as England’s famous white cliffs of Dover. This is an excellent area for fossil hunting.

The famous white cliffs of Alabama.

We fueled up at Demopolis Yacht basin. Their fuel dock has two sides – one side is for pleasure craft and the other side is for commercial tow boats. We took on 120 gallons and the tow boat took on 25,000 gallons. The tow boat can go 500 miles on 25,000 gallons. That is 50 gallons per mile which is $125 per mile. It is recommended that you should purchase fuel where they have good turnover of their fuel tanks. This would be the place.

Fuel up in Denopolis.

We are docked on a separate dock from Red Dolphin and Corkscrew. We would have had to go in a covered slip to be on their dock. Then we would not have Direct TV. A boat from Waukegan Bobin Robin is on the other dock also. Bobin Robin left Waukegan two weeks after us. This area is very spread out. They provide golf carts to get around. You need to take a golf cart to the main building to pick up the courtesy car.

There is a house boat called Good Medicine across from us. Captain Ron was on his way to Ft. Meyers when his crew jumped ship. Now he is stranded in Demopolis. He offers rides to town if the courtesy car is not available. I cannot imagine how flat the gulf would have to be in order to cruise a house boat across it. He plans to take the corner route but there are still areas exposed to the gulf. Captain Ron gave a lady Looper a ride to the Walmart. They had just returned when Priscilla and I pulled up in the golf cart. We chatted for a moment and she asked for a ride down the dock ramp to get her Segway . She explained that she recently blew out her Achilles’ tendon and bought the Segway for $3,000 so she could get around until she could fly home for surgery. We met another lady Looper that is driving home today to Tennessee for back surgery. Just because you are doing the Loop doesn’t mean stuff can’t happen.

We attended the yacht basin cocktail party. It is BYOB and an appetizer to share. Some of the live-aboard slip holders have taken appetizers to the next level. It was a feast. We chatted with several Loopers we had met at the Rendezvous and made some new acquaintances. Walking back to our boat we passed Winndecks and stopped to talk to John Wynn for a few minutes. He had made a side trip Chattanooga, Tn which is why he ended up on the same marina as us after all this time.

We once again made the trip to Walmart. Walmart is becoming the focal point of our entertainment. We drove the golf cart a mile around the perimeter of the marina to the fuel dock to pick up the keys to the loaner car. I signed the loaner car sheet which asked for my drivers license number. The attendant said they don’t need my drivers license number. If I don’t come back with the car they will sell our boat and buy 10 more loaner cars.

Remnants of hurricane Patricia are forecast to dump some heavy rains in our area on Monday and Tuesday. We are keeping an eye on the weather. We have had 34 consecutive days without rain during the day. That is about to end.

We are staying over a day in Denopolis so Dale can work out some issues with the wifi reception on his computer. We will use the time to clean the boat and do laundry.

We are now on the Black Warrior section of the Tombigbee Waterway. Not quite as straight as the upper section. Switchback 180* curves.

Here is a group photo from the AGLCA Rendezvous. John and Priscilla are on the left edge and Dale and Andy are in the front left.

Carl (Chef) Wooden – quote for the day.
“Hey swab. C’mere. Listen up. Now, the way it works shipboard is, you do your job. You do it good, you get a better job. Maybe you get promoted from swab to mate.”
Captain Ron AKA Kurt Russell.