Left Columbus this morning at 8:00 am on mile marker 335. Lockmaster was ready for us upon getting out of the Columbus Lake area but the lock was completely full of water hyacinths. We really had to push our way thru them, back up and take another run while Marilyn pushed them away from the front of the boat with the boat hook. At one point they stopped us till Curt backed the boat up and Marilyn pushed them aside to a tighter clump. They were caught around the motor and rudder upon leaving the lock. We stopped after getting out of the lock to free our boat from the clasps of this water monster. After stopping later again to get them off around the motor and rudder we were finally freed and now going 6.9 kts sometimes 7.1. Saw three boats the whole day and 1 Bald Eagle, no barges. Anchored at Windham Landing Cut-off at 4:30. Nice flow of water down stream into the Tombigbee River. We swung on the hook all night but was so smooth couldn't tell, just had the moon shining in our eyes off and on, off and on as well as the stars. Had a tow boat with barges come by sometime during the night which lit up the darkness around us. Don't remember rocking from it's wake, Curt barely remembers me saying "there is a barge going by with the lights from the Tow boat shining on us!" Clear and cold night, think it got down to 24 degrees, no heater on all night tonight. Watched a movie on the computer since we were running the generator to warm things up anyway before we went to bed. We kept warm under our blankets more than the night before (when I felt cold to the bone, till I got up and put the heater closer to our bed), think the wool army blanket on top did the trick tonight.
Frost on the bow of Castaway 8:00am
Curt, awake ready to go south to warmer weather
unbelievable blockage from the hyacinths going into and in the lock
Our path into the lock
our path out of the lock in the foamy water
Curt's journaling and on watch
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