Pickensville to Sweet Water and Mount Vernon, AL

We knocked out a few more locks today, but not as many as yesterday. Our day started at Bevill Lock & Dam. Then at Heflin Lock & Dam, we were flying out of the gate at 10.7 knots thanks to the current. 

At Demopolis Lock & Dam, Ben asked the lockmaster what the water level was compared to normal levels. He told us the water is 15 feet higher than usual. Ben told me that explains all the trees and debris we’ve been dodging. We clocked 10.7 knots through there, still moving strong. 

We averaged 11 to 11.5 knots most of the day, which was a nice change after so many slower days fighting the current. Having the current with us today helped make up some of the time and distance we lost yesterday from all the locks. 

We anchored for the night on the river, off to the side of the channel.

Locks today: 3

Locks of the summer: 41

Locks of the loop: 155

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Coffeeville Lock & Dam was our last lock until the Okeechobee Waterway in Florida!

While we were waiting at Coffeeville (we had to wait for a barge to go down, pleasure craft to come up, and then our turn to go down), Roo spotted the first alligator of this trip right outside the lock. She was so excited to have spied it first! A little further along the route, we spotted another gator. 

We wrapped up the day by anchoring in David Lake off the Mobile River. Tucked inside was a barge marina of sorts. I worried we would have a ton of barge traffic in the middle of the night, but thankfully it was smooth!

Locks today: 1

Locks of the summer: 42

Locks of the loop: 156