November 27, 2014: Happy Thanksgiving. We are at The Wharf Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama. There several Looper boats here at the marina but many have left their boats and gone home for the holiday.  Those of us still here, Ithaka, Miss Hadley, Endeavor, & Twelve Stones have reservations for turkey dinner at a local restaurant. Yum.

Every night the Wharf area has a great light show. 

The weather forecast for tomorrow is pretty good tomorrow so we will throw off the lines and continue heading east. Another Great Loop Milestone will occur tomorrow. We will leave Alabama and enter Florida. We were last in Florida, April 2014. 

It appears their maybe some relief this Saturday for those Loopers who have been at Carrabelle, Florida for over 2 weeks waiting on a good weather window. We won’t make it there for this crossing but heading that way to await the next window. This Florida girl certainly wants to get to some warmer weather.

Elaines Christmas Wish: Be at a marina that DOES NOT have this sign.

November 20, 2014: Eastern Shore Marina, Fairhope, Alabama – Orange Beach, Al = 29 NM.

Our wait on good weather once again paid off. The crossing from Fairhope to the Intercostal was perfect. Thanking God for the calm waters.

Calm Mobile Bay, Alabama

Mobile Bay looking out into the Gulf of Mexico

Earlier in the week we attended Attitude Change and Panacas ‘Cross Their Wake’ party at Lulu’s.  Pretty cool going by it on the water.

We await yet another weather event before we head east. Enjoying Orange Beach, Alabama with our friends from Pura Vida, Steve & Sheli, John on Endeavor, Steve & Martha on Miss Hadley.

Getting ready to build a fire & have some ribs.

11/18/14: The weather has kept us at the Fairhope marina off Mobile Bay. For 3 days we have experienced winds 25+ knots & temperatures as low as 28 degrees. The winds are blowing towards the marina which offers no protection from the winds. Needless to say it has been a very rocky 3 days! Praising God that we are at least at a marina. 

We hope to make a run for the Intercoastal waterway on Thursday. 

November 13, 2014: Mobile Bay. 

We arrived at the Fairhope marina located in the northeast end of Mobile Bay yesterday early afternoon just before the bad wind picked up. By 3 pm the wind was blowing and the boats in the marina were rocking. We tied off 11 lines in preparation for the winds and rain expected over the next couple of days. The winds are predicted to blow straight across the bay in our direction so we are prepared.

We will wait out the weather here at the marina in Fairhope, probably 3-4 days.

November 9, 2014 – November 12, 2014 = 185 Nautical Miles + 2 Locks / Demopolis, Alabama to Mobile Bay, Alabama. Almost no internet connection & very little phone service for 3 days.

Military Ships, Mobile Bay

Sunrise as we head towards Mobile Bay

It is 213 statute miles from Demopolis to Mobile Bay. There are no marinas, except Bobbys Fish Camp, to stop at along the way.  The first two nights we anchored alongside the river (Markers 149 & 97)just outside the channel. The large Tows/Barges that go past during the night light up the river.  The 3^rd night we anchored off the river on the Tensas River (Marker 39). The Tensas River offered us a large protected anchorage, so a goodnight sleep was had by all.

Anchorage View

Endeavor Anchored just off the channel at MM97

Tow on the River

At mile marker 116.6 we went through the Coffeeville Lock making this our last lock on our Great Loop Adventure. To-date we have went locked through over 100 locks. Call for a celebration.

This time of the year we are encountering fog almost every morning which makes for beautiful pictures, especially when the sun starts coming up.

Foggy Morning on the Tenn-Tom

White Cliffs of Epes which are part of the Selma Chalk formations.  The red fall colors really make the white cliffs pop.