Day 34 – 11/6/23

Starting location: Grand Harbor Marina, TN

Weather: High 40s am. Mid 70s pm. Rare clouds, mostly sunny.

Ending location: Anchorage in an inlet at Natchez Trace Recreation Area, off the Ten-Tom MM 414, in Mississippi.

Statute miles: Approximately 36

General summary: At this point in our journey, I should probably explain why we are no longer on the Mississippi River. It is true that the Mississippi River flow starts in Chicago out of Lake Michigan, ends just outside of New Orleans, LA as it exits into the Gulf of Mexico, and is navigable all the way. So why not stay on it for the entire trip to the Gulf? What is also true is the part of the Mississippi from where it meets the Ohio River (about 50 miles South of Little Diversion Canal and about 50 miles West of Paducah) to New Orleans is extremely tortuous (and therefore very long compared to a straight line), busy with commercial barge traffic, and has reportedly fewer anchorages and pleasure craft-suitable marinas. As a result, the vast majority of Loopers do what we did. We left the Mississippi at the Ohio, motoring upstream to the Cumberland, then to the Tennessee. The Tennessee eventually goes on (starts, really) in Georgia. So, we veered onto the Tombigbee at the Tennessee-Mississippi Northern border. (nicknamed the Ten-Tom). This is a series of canals connecting lakes that were created by dams. This shortens the trip by a few hundred miles over the Mississippi.

We motored into the Tombigbee River and anchored in 10 feet in a cove at Natchez Trace Recreation Area. Only boat. Quiet night. (And we are now consistently remembering the anchor light.)

Boater information: The inlet to the East at MM 414 goes a few miles in and there are many great spots to anchor. There are old tree stumps at the very ends of some branches, so would not go too close to shore.

Verizon coverage isn’t great in the Ten-Tom so far.