Columbus to Pirates Cove Marina

Columbus to Pirates Cove Marina

We woke up to a cold cold morning for Alabama. Fortunately the boat warms up in about five minutes once you turn the heater on. By mid-afternoon we were back in short sleeved shirts and enjoying the sunny day.   In the morning I took a courtesy van to town and got some items for a creative sewing project to keep my hands busy while Dennis scrubs the boat and does other difficult and dirty work.   He claims that is alright with him – he wouldn’t really trust me in the engine room anyway.

Scenic peaceful river

Then we made a quick decision to head down river in the afternoon and cut 30 miles off tomorrow’s long trip.   We stopped for the night at a little marina, way out in the country called “Pirates Cove”.  I guess you could call it homey.  Or you could say decrepit, but it seems safe and the cove is a very pretty spot.  We went for a quick field trip to the nearby Tom Bevill visitors center, which is the administrative center for all the locks in the TVA.  It is housed in an antebellum mansion along the river, and I enjoyed seeing the beautiful house.

Tom Bevill Visitors Center

Also located at the Bevill visitors center is a retired “snagboat” which was used to pull trees, trunks and obstacles out of the waterway making it safe for boat traffic.  That’s what is needed when you flood millions of acres of woodland.  I would like to say the boat retired when all the logs and debris were removed, but that is not the case.  One must still watch carefully and stay in the channel to avoid “deadmen” which is the name given floating logs.

Tonight Al and Charli invited us to supper and made a terrific clam chowder that we enjoyed very much.  After supper, their grandson, Eli, showed us constellations from the flybridge of the boat.  One thing about a marina way out in the country is that it is dark enough here for star-gazing.

Steam paddle wheel work boat