May 23, 2017 – Pontoon Loopers

Pickwick Dam, TN to Columbus, MS. 120 miles.

I woke up early and entered the Tennessee-TomBigbee waterway. The Tenn-Tom was constructed by the Tennessee Valley Authority for commercial traffic. It connects two rivers to provide a waterway from the Ohio river to Mobile, Alabama; providing an alternate route from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. When boating the Tennessee-Tom today, I passed about 10 barges and about 10 fishing boats. There are marinas on this route and it is the preferred route by most long-distance recreational boaters. Traversed 7 locks today!

Tenn-Tom Waterway

In the early afternoon, Carol texted me with a weather update. It showed severe weather approaching Columbus at 5 p.m. I was able to avoid the storm by making it to the Columbus marina about 30 minutes early. They gave me a great covered slip and I spent a couple of hours visiting with them while it rained. Now, I am at a hotel washing clothes, updating the blog and getting ready for tomorrow.

Columbus, MS marina.

During some posts, I may discuss modifications I’ve made on the Tritoon to make it better for the trip. Below, you can see two ATL fuel bladders ; each hold 50 gallons of gas. These tanks plus the 55 gallon main tank allow me to put 155 gallons of fuel on the boat. Since a gallon of gas weighs 6 pounds, it’s like sitting two 300 pound guys in the center of the boat. Whether they are full or not, I get about the same 28 mph. These fuel tanks give me a range of about 300 miles.