10 days at Turner Marine on Dog River Mobile Bay!

We aren't in Minnesota any more!

Marina life!

This might be the last post until a week from Friday.  Monday evening after getting settled in I cracked open a bottle of 18 year old Scotch and Brigitte and I  and enjoyed a toast to our successful voyage down the rivers to Mobile Bay.  One of the locals gave me a tip that the shrimp boat comes into the Marina and for about 15 minutes he will sell shrimp off the boat!  Wednesday we saw him coming in so we ran over and bought 6 pounds of shrimp at $4 per pound! Our friend JB was I town so he joined us with Shrimp on the Barbecue amazing!  Brigitte flew home today so Cody and I are on our own until next Thursday night!
Putz'n Around

Cruising into the Salty Sea!

Mobile here we come!

After 26 days and 1603 miles we made it to Turner Marine on Mobile Bay.  We pulled anchor about 8:15 and headed out of the bayou and down the Mobile River for 16 miles, the scenery was spectacular,  a river running through miles and miles of swamp.  We came around a  bend in the river and on the horizon were  the high rise buildings of downtown Mobile.  With a couple of more turns we were in the middle of one of the busiest sea ports in America! The winds kicked up to about 20-25 knots.  We past the port and headed out into the bay with 2 ft plus wind chop on our nose, spray was coming up and almost into the Flybridge! Putz'n Around is now a salt water boat!
We cruised 7 miles out into the bay before turning west into the channel running to Dog River and our Marina. As we entered the cut the winds where kicking up to 25 knots and hitting on the beam.  we rolled around a bit but made 4 miles back to the protected harbor in Dog River!
Wow, what a trip of a life time!  I will hold up here for 10 days as Brigitte heads home Thursday for 8 days.  When she comes back we will head for part two of our adventure and Florida!

Big Bayou Canot

Sunday we again ran hard to get within striking distance of Mobile by Noon on Monday. (106 miles)  The water is getting brackish and saw our first alligator at mile mark 99.  We also started seeing lots of hanging moss in the trees and   small palm trees along the bank. By the time we pulled back a 1/4 mile back in the bayou and dropped bow and stern anchors it was getting  dark.  Poor Cody by now he has not been off the boat in 12 hours and no way am I taking the Dog to shore in the swamp.  The anchorage guide warned us to be wary of gators and pets!  We tried everything including spraying the pee pad with scent, but do go still.  By now I am getting  eaten up by the mosquito squad.  So I spray down  with bug repellant and start walking the dog around and around the deck,  finally Cody feels better. As I put stuff away on the deck I realize I did not use the bug repellant but I had sprayed myself liberally with dog scent!!   The last two  days I have had every dog in the marina following me around and I keep ,looking at fire hydrants!  

Cheers.

October 12th anchorage and the alligator gar at bobby's