Day 8 - Saturday, November 3rd, 2007

Barnacle II Cruise Day 8 – Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
Leaving Yazoo River anchorage at Vicksburg, MS

We were up at 5:30 and cranked the generator, then started coffee. We were awakened several times during the night by crewboat traffic and a couple of small tows. We also must have been anchored close to the hospital since we heard sirens several times during the night. Then at 2:00 AM, the strangest whistle/horn I ever heard blasted all of us awake, except Kenn. It sounded like a towboat tied up next to us, but it was a train up on the bank. I didn’t think I would ever get back to sleep, but finally did. I still don’t know what kind of whistle he had, nothing like a standard, lonesome sounding train whistle.

Boy, were the anchors set! Kenn couldn’t get the stern anchor up until Barney and I worked the boat and the bow anchor up river. He let out 100’ of rode on the stern anchor while we got the bow loose. The forward anchor was caked with globs of Mississippi gumbo that we had to scrape off with a boat hook, then wash off. We had a piece of scrap metal wrapped around the throat of the anchor flukes, so we were hooked into something really well.

We were moving out onto the Mississippi by 7:10. This was the first time I had seen Vicksburg by water, and all I can say is that the North didn’t win the battle for this town…the casinos did. They’re rowed up along the river bank where all of the old historical homes used to be.

Barge traffic has picked up; and even though it’s the weekend, I suspect that it will only get worse the further down we go…especially between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. We see a small fishing boat every now and then, but no bigger pleasure boats like us.

We saw our first pleasure-boater (18-ft. pontoon boat on the river at mile 373, 7 or 8 miles above Natchez, MS). At that point we were also able to see the water tower and a couple of church steeples high up on the bluff in town. Passed through Natchez and under the Natchez/Vidalia bridge by 12:15. That is 74 miles since 7:00 this morning. The old houses on the ridge were beautiful, a little different perspective that I’ve had going over the bridge instead of under it. Lots of kudzu on the bluffs.

At 4:00 PM, we had made nearly 130 miles for the day. We were approaching within 5 miles of the cut off and mooring area where we want to try and spend the night. A tow captain upriver had told us to contact the skipper of the ‘Glenna M’, a tugboat going in and out of the cut, to see if he would let us in there. He is supposed to be monitoring channel 13 or 16, so when we get within range we’ll give him a shout.

It may or may not be a good idea to spend the night there. It’s across the river from the main section of Angola State Prison, and the prison farm is on the west side of the river where we’ll be. There is a ferry that takes workers and prisoners across the river, and we just passed it a mile or so behind us. There are barges tied up on the west bank full of the rocks and boulders that the prisoners have likely been busting, according to the way things used to be.

Mile 305, Carr Cutoff anchorage, arrived at 4:30, secure with anchor by 4:50 – The hidey-hole was perfect. It’s large enough for several boats to anchor in, plus a few barges, if need be. There was a small boat ramp, and a couple of fishing boats were put in as we were setting anchor. Otherwise, it was nice and quiet. If we can get a good night’s rest, it may be all we get until after New Orleans. We won’t have many choices for anchorage or tie-up after getting through Baton Rouge. The river gets tight with twists and turns that sometimes take ten miles on the water to go one mile as the crow flies.

After Barney’s hamburger steaks, we did a little star-gazing and watched “Wild Hogs”, of all movies. If we were going for ambiance, our choice should have been “African Queen” or “Captain Ron” (a couple of our other options). But the movie was good for a bunch of laughs. None of us have any cell phone coverage, much less broadband access, so the only way anyone could find us would be by VHF radio. We’re about 75 miles north of Baton Rouge, and not sure what towns are close to us at this point. But we’re in a good, protected spot in case any bad weather came in. The last I heard (this morning), we don’t have any worries there either.