Columbus Marina to Windham Landing Cutoff 10/16/17

We awoke to a much cooler day but clear and sunny again after last nights heavy rain.  I spoke with a dock neighbor this morning and it turns out he is from Bayport Marina in Midland and knows Bill's and Chuck's boats. He is on the loop and had a friend die of a heart attack so they are heading back to Toronto and then Perth ON.  They expect to get in around 2:00 tomorrow morning.  Their boat is called Festivus and their names are Kurt and Leanne Penfold.

We called the lock to see when they could be ready for us and he told me they had a tow coming in and that he would be ready for us in about a half hour.  This suited us fine and when we pulled out the tow was just exiting and we went straight in with another sailboat looper. The sailboat was gracious and let us pass him in the lock so we wouldn't wake him when we passed him after the lock.  Good for both of us! After we left the sailboat we never saw him again and had the rest of the locks today to ourselves.  Many of the Loopers are at the Rendezvous in Rogersville AL and are ahead of us at this point but we will pass them tomorrow or Wednesday.  We have reservations in Mobile for 4 nights in two marinas and are looking forward to taking a break from travelling everyday.  We went to the spring rendezvous in Norfolk two years ago and didn't feel we needed to attend another one for $700.00 plus dockage and incidentals.  Call me cheap but that's an expensive 4 days for a rendezvous.  I would like to see the people but.......

The crew was hard at work again today.  Boating can really wear you out.

Crew hard at work

Assistant crew hard at work

Our anchorage tonight is just off the main waterway and is between trees on a cut-off.  Deep water and enough current to keep us centered in the narrow channel.  We took Abby for a dingy ride over to a cow field on the river and Debbie and Abby climbed up the bank and dodged the cow patties in the field.  I was informed that Debbie would not be returning in the morning and Abby would have to use her mat.  I guess we will see in the morning.  Tonight we are watching Company Men with Ben Afleck and Tommy Lee Jones.  Hope its good.