10/27
Waiting for lock gates to open at Jamie Whitten L & D. The lift on this one is 84’, the highest in the inland waterway system. In this system the water level is being lowered for southbound traffic until reaching sea level at Coffeeville, AL. We locked through 3 locks this day. We are now on the Tenn-Tom Waterway, which parallels the southern Mississippi, but enters the Gulf of Mexico at Mobile Bay. This is the preferred and suggested route for pleasure craft to avoid the debris and commercial traffic of ol’ Miss. One blast by the lockmaster is he signal to leave; those huge gates opening is an awesome sight. The lockmasters have been wonderfully responsive and cooperative. Here you can see the Captain’s and First Mate’s jobs locking through.