In October of 2022, we left the lakes and entered into the lock and river systems. We entered our very first lock in Chicago, Illinois. We exited our last lock just before Mobile Bay, Alabama in November of 2024.
From Chicago to Lake Barkley, we went through about 10 locks. Traveling from Lake Barkley last year, we went through about 5 more locks as we headed to Chattanooga and then back to Ditto Landing. Traveling from Ditto to Goose Pond, we went through the Guntersville Lock and the Wilson Lock multiple times.
After spending time in Huntsville, Alabama this past year, we headed back on the Tennessee River towards the infamous Aqua Yacht Harbor Marina where we had spent a week last Fall due to someone’s butt accidentally dislodging a necessary lever for the Port Engine/Frick. Once you leave Aqua Yacht and start South, you leave the Tennessee River system and begin traveling down the Tenn- Tom Waterway. Once we started down the Tenn-Tom, we went through 12 more locks
Our initial introduction to the lock system was quite stressful – well most of the locks were quite stressful really. The process for going through the locks is this: You tend to enter the locks with other loopers. One person in the flotilla is in charge of calling the Lockmaster to determine when we can all enter. Commercial traffic} Barges and Tows have first and higher priority. Once we are given a time to come to the lock, we all slowly approach towards the entrance of the lock walls. Outside the lock wall there is a light like a stoplight. We wait for the Red Light to turn to Green and for the doors to open so that we can enter. You enter into the lock and approach an opening where you will find a Bollard to which you need to tie up. Pete drives the boat into the lock and I am guiding him via our Marriage Savers towards the opening where we’ll find the Bollard. Once we are near the Bollard, I toss the line down and around the Bollard. Keeping in mind that wind is always a factor when trying to enter the lock and connect with the bollard! Between the wind and trying to lasso the Bollard, we have had some stressful discussions! Last year Pete learned an easier way for us to attach our line to the Bollard. We purchased a hard plastic vinyl tubing and inserted the lines into the middle. This made a sturdier loop for me to toss over the Bollard. Once the line is secured, we call the Lockmaster to let him know that we are secure. Typically you also shut down the engines. Once everyone is secure, the doors will close and the siren will go off to warn anyone who might be near the outside of the lock. Going up in the lock, water enters into the chamber and tends to create a good deal of turbulence and the boat gets buffeted quite a bit. Going down with the water slowly being let out, tends to be way calmer. Once you have gone up or down, the doors on the opposite of your entrance will open and the horn will go off to let you know you may exit the chamber. Cheri typically drives the boat out of the lock at a slow speed as to cause no wake. There have been times we have had to idle around outside the lock for a couple of hours waiting for the tows and barges to pass through so that we could enter. Once we called the Lockmaster via telephone and the VHF and were unable to connect with him until we were right near the lock. He told us he was unable to let us pass for a few hours
The Tenn-Tom Waterway was a man made project connecting the Tennessee River and the Tombigbee River. This waterway slowly drops you down ~340 feet through the series of 12 locks over a distance of 450 miles.
It was quite exciting as we left familiar territory to head south and head towards Mobile. There were a few marinas as we headed south, but then it began to become very rural. There were days towards the end of the trip that it was mostly wilderness along the way. Every aspect of the Great Loop is unique and the rivers were no different. There were days we would go through 3 locks and then one day we went through 4 locks. With the time change and the days getting dark earlier, meant that we needed to get up before the sun rise so that we could arrive at the lock at the break of light. Mornings are not Cheri’s cup of tea! 4:30 and 5:00am come way too early, but with less daylight and the possibility of waiting for a lock, it was a necessary evil. Beautiful scenery played a great part in the journey and was helpful too. Lots of water birds and we even spotted an eagle! For the most part we enjoyed the rivers and we certainly became more proficient with the locks, but towards the end the constant early mornings and long days started taking its toll.
This video is a time lapse of the boats leaving the lock. Watch for Spring Fling!