Now the Tenn-Tom - Day 38 - Iuka to New Site, MS

Technically, we entered the Tennessee Tom-Bigbee Waterway several day ago when we first stayed at Grand Harbor Marina.  However, we only explored mile one and then turned north and east for our side trip to Florence.

Today, we began the 449.7 mile journey south to Mobile down the Tenn-Tom, which will involve 12 locks that will lower us some 414 feet to sea level.  As usual, the morning began with fog on the river and a long walk with Kodi.

Fog bank obscuring the Aqua Harbor bay

View of Grand Harbor as we completed our walk

We departed at 9:13 AM with clear skies, unlimited visibility light winds, warming temperature and spectacular scenery as we traveled the six miles stretch to the Divide Cut, a 24 mile man-made canal that connects the Tennessee River to the Tom-Bigbee River. 

Rock formation to stern

While scenically uninteresting, it is the vital link that created the Tom-Bigbee Waterway and in doing so eliminated risking life, limb and hull on the treacherous Mississippi (to quote Fred Myers, author of Tenn.-Tom Nitty-Gritty Cruise Guide).


Rip Rap along the Divide Cut

We passed Dave and Bill in the River Cities condo sales barge, who like us were on there way to Bay Springs Marina.

Photo Pending

At 12:47 we departed the Divide Cut and entered Bay Springs Lake, which returned us to beautiful and serene scenery and a perfectly calm lake.  An hour later we reached the Whitten Lock and Dam, turn left up an embayment and tied up a Bay Springs Marina.

Photo Pending

Kodi got to swim, do some retrieving and, to her chagrin (and our pleasure) got to endure a bath on the dock. 

Photo Pending

This was followed by a late afternoon dingy ride to the Whitten Lock where tomorrow, we will drop down 84 feet.  Returning from the lock, we stopped to chat with Darryl and Sue from Present Moment, fellow Loopers who we met in Florence.  They joined us later in the evening to share a bottle of Cliff Leeds 2005 Cabernet Savignon, which had been allowed to breath for an hour.  It was delicious.  Again, we enjoy meeting fellow Loopers and swapping stories.  It really is a delightful part of the Great Loop culture.

Written by Les