Moondance has crossed her wake!

The last 200 miles on the Tenn-Tom have been completely rural.  We have been traveling 70 miles a day, and anchoring at night.  Besides being cold, the ride has been pretty, but somewhat monotonous.  We have been driving from downstairs in the comfort of our heating system.  Winter is early!  We have been travelling the last 200 miles with Todd and Debbie on Seaveyor, along with several other Loopers.  Seaveyor’s anchor winch has been on the fritz, so they raft to us at night, and we enjoyed their company on this lonely part of the Tenn-Tom.  Last night we watched Planes, Trains and Automobiles with them.  I had forgotten how funny that movie is. 

Today we passed through Mobile, AL where we crossed our wake in Looper parlance.  We have now completed the Loop!  Most of the Loopers will head east to Florida from Mobile, but we turn west to New Orleans and home.  It was refreshing to hit salt water again, and see dolphins, pelicans and sea gulls after being in the river system so long.  However, I can’t wash down the boat with the raw water pump any more!  We are excited to soon see family and friends again, but a post loop depression is upon both of us.  We are at the Grand Mariner Marina on Dog River just south of Mobile for the weekend, and then will head into Mississippi Sound toward New Orleans.  Dog River is off Mobile Bay, so we entered the bay after leaving mile 0 of the Tenn-Tom.  The wind was howling out of the north about 20 knots and we took spray for the first time in a while and I executed a really ugly docking on my triumphant completion of the Loop.  We didn't hit anything, but it was exciting.  Alexis and I use headsets to communicate to each other during dockings.  Loopers call them marriage savers as you are not yelling at each other for all to hear.  It is a good thing that only I heard what Alexis told me over the headset during the docking….  But, any docking that you don’t hit or damage anything is a successful docking!!

 We have a few stops left, and I will post our boating stats for all the boat nuts, so stay tuned. 

Traffic on the Tenn-Tom.

These bluffs were close to Demopolis.

Moondance.

Crews of Seaveyor and Moondance.

Seaveyor.

Our last lock!  Fruitcakes and Arevaderchi, both Loopers and Mainships, are in the lock with us.   

These Bufflehead ducks are striking, and winter arrivals in the south.  

Mr. Bones on front of Seaveyor.  Too much sun....

Moondance and Seaveyor rafted up for the night.  

Mobile is a busy port.  Are these stealth ships?

Mobile.

We entered Mobile Bay and crossed our wake (we had passed here on our way to Florida when we stared the Loop from Houma).  

Salt water and seagulls in our wake.  

We are now "Gold Loopers"!  The white Loop flag indicates you are on the Loop, Gold, completion of the Loop, and platinum, completion of successive Loops.  

Replacing our white flag with a shiny new gold one.  

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