Great Loop: Demopolis, Bashi Creek and Okatuupa Creek
We arrived in Demopolis, excited to have reached this major
checkpoint on our trip. This is an
inflection point, as it is the last river city before we reach Mobile, still
216 miles away. So that fact makes
Demopolis a major stop for groceries, topping off fuel and water tanks, and
making sure the black water tank is empty on departure. In the next stretch we will be exclusively anchoring out, no cushy marina nights which means you have power,
water, fuel, pump out, wifi, showers and access to shopping. So the 4 or 5 days after we leave Demopolis
we will need to be entirely self-sufficient.
As when skippering any decent pirate vessel, our first concern when we
hit port is our wine supply. How can
pirates adventure without sufficient quantities of the fruit of the vine? Thank goodness we were back in Alabama as,
unlike Mississippi, we could again purchase wine at the groceries store.
We un-packed our folding bikes, strapped on our empty day
packs, and headed off to the nearest market.
It was only a couple of miles away and we would be biking through the
old original downtown area. We found the
river front area to have some striking pre/post-Civil War homes. They were in remarkably good condition. Several of the more striking homes were open
for tours. Unfortunately they were
closed on Mondays so we weren’t able to visit.
Our trip through the old core of Demopolis was a bit
sad. Almost every store front was
closed. Some buildings were occupied by
professional offices, lawyers, an architect, mortgage company, an insurance
company, a gift shop, and a thrift shop.
There were not cafés or restaurants still in business that we could
tell. Outside of town was a strip of
franchise stores and fast-food restaurants.
It was too bad their appearance resulted in the gutting of
downtown. I don’t know what would bring
a renaissance of this area, but it is certainly needed.
Kingfisher Marina, where we berthed Amy Marie for two
nights, was a bustling spot. Especially
during the annual migration of boats to warmer waters. The boatyard, fuel dock and transient moorage
had been very busy since early October.
They indicated that transient business would taper to almost nothing
after Thanksgiving. We were part of the migratory
crowd headed south.
After two nights, we attended the 4pm skipper meeting to
coordinate the next day’s departure.
This was necessary as we would need to transit the Demopolis Lock almost
immediately after leaving the marina.
The lockmaster really wanted to have everyone lock through as a
group. So 12 skippers signed up to lock
through at 6:30am.
The plan fell apart the early the next morning, with the
sound of diesels at 5:45am and the departure of a group of 4 or 5 large fast
boats. Evidentially, they didn’t see the
value in executing a plan that benefited many. Their thoughts were just of
themselves. This meant the lockmaster now had to contend with multiple groups. It would take an hour at least for the lock
to be emptied, refilled and ready to accept those of us that had planned our
day around a 6:30 passage. It was 7:30am
before we motored into the lock chamber with 4 other boats. We had a long day ahead of us and now would
be rushed to get to the anchorage at Bashi Creek before dark.
Bashi Creek Anchorage
Our journey the next day would be about 55 miles and very curvy. There is one spot where you complete a double loop, travel about 7 miles and make no forward progress. Of course, this is the spot where we encountered two tows. Doing so in a curve is the most hazardous passing situation. Beth handled it like a champ. We passed both tows on the “2”, which is local lingo for starboard to starboard.
Wildlife was in abundance today. We saw our first gator sunning on the
shore. We also saw bald eagles soaring
overhead and keeping vigil from loft, river front, perches. We were so excited to see our first gator we
turned around and went by him again. He
was a big boy enjoying his afternoon siesta.
Bald Eagle keeping Vigil
We turned off the Black Warrior River into Okatuupa Creek mid-afternoon. The travel up the tributary was slow going as
the trees hung over the waterways and snags were always a threat. We found the most open spot and anchored
parallel to the shore with a line off the rear to an overhanging tree branch. In this way we would not swing out and block
the channel. We did get the occasional
deer hunter or fisherman headed up the creek.
One of the hunters returned with his bounty in his boat, legs straight
up in the air. Shot it at a range of 365
yards. Good shot!
We were anxious to explore this area as it was a nature preserve. The crew of Mickey launched their dinghy as did we. Off we went to explore and enjoy the bayou like fresh water estuary. There were Cypress trees in their fall colors, wood ducks, and other birds we couldn’t identify. We found a spot we could go ashore and we walked an access road enjoying the forest sounds. The only snake we saw was a garter snake. I was happy no others were encountered.
This was our last non-tidal anchorage for a while. We passed through Coffeeville Lock the next
morning. This is the final lock on the
Black Warrior River. We would now see
the influence of Gulf tides on the waterway.
117 miles and two anchorages remained till Mobile.
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