Boy, does it feel good to be back in saltwater! There is an unexplainable feeling of accomplishment now that we are through the inland river system and back to somewhat familiar waters. 

Last week, we left you after we completed the last lock of our Loop. That brought us down the rest of the Tombigbee River, where we anchored for two nights off of Briar Creek. This was our first time anchoring in tidal waters since New York, but luckily, the tide only rose about a foot and a half, so it wasn’t too much to worry about. We enjoyed some long dinghy rides soaking in the bayou, and Ripley was able to get a lot of zoomies out on a nearby beach. 

After those two nights on anchor, the wind calmed down to where you could barely see a ripple in the water. We pulled anchor and made our way down to Mobile Bay, which can be choppy if you don’t plan your weather window correctly. We, on the other hand, could not have asked for a more perfect day. Besides a handful of commercial tows and ships, the water was absolute glass. We joked that if you were to Google what a perfect day on Mobile Bay looked like, a photo of our boats cruising down the channel would pop up.

We hoped to see a few dolphins before turning into Dog River, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers, and we already had a beautifully calm day. Just over 6 miles from downtown Mobile, Alabama, we made a sharp starboard (right) turn, where we pulled into Turner Marine for several days. Turner Marine has been a third-generation family-owned and operated marina for 60 years, with over 100 wet slips and a maintenance yard. For over a decade, it has been the top America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association (AGLCA) sailboat members’ choice for mast shipments, storing and stepping, which is exactly where our friends Josh and Haley on S/V Slacker are having their mast put back up. 

Northern Attitude was securely docked in Turner Marine for the weekend while we took our own side trip over to New Orleans for a few days! Neither Evan nor I had been to New Orleans, so we figured, while we were only a two-hour drive away, we might as well check out the vibrant city. We had ourselves a wonderful weekend of too much incredible food, lots of walking, and just a few tasty beverages. We could have taken our own boat, and a handful of Loopers do so, but we decided to take the quicker route by car. 

Now that we’re back on the boat with a rental car, we plan to stock up on any and all provisions before we make our way into the Florida panhandle. We have no plans for a marina in the foreseeable future, so topping off our water and fuel tanks, emptying our holding tank, and filling our pantries will be key before we drop the lines at Turner Marine. 

Cheers to continuing the adventure!