Escape from Demopolis

We are back under way — three weeks and $4,000 later!!

The engine guys did put on a burst of speed once they knew what the problem was and we got back on the river yesterday. It was one of those “Well, as long as we’re…” projects. “To be safe we’d better replace the cylinder head, and as long as we’ve got it torn down, the bearings had some strain on them, so let’s do those, and pistons are cheaper in sets, so…” And of course there was a part that had to be airfreighted overnight from Japan for $200.

But at Alabama labor rates I didn’t say no to anything, so the guts of the engine are practically new and it seems to be running great. The same job in Connecticut would have been close to $10,000. John and I did a ton of work, too, and the boat is totally painted top and bottom, the keel faired better than it has ever been, and the varnish touched up.

They are letting the river run to lower the pools behind the dams, and we had a fast trip to our anchorage last night and now down to the famous Bobby’s Fish Camp. Famous because it is the only place to stop for 216 miles — a fuel dock, a catfish restaurant and some trailers — but everybody stops at Bobby’s, where the people are really nice.

There is an awful lot of trash in the river from recent rain and letting the river run and John got to go swimming on December 18 to unwrap a vine from the prop. Cold, but he survived, and the river is looking pretty clear right now.

Sparta is not too sure about a boat that actually moves through the water rather than up on nice, solid land, and the engine noise scares her. So she sleeps all day in a little cubby hole where she can stay nice and warm. On deck last night at our anchorage she saw fish jumping all over. We could tell she really, really wanted to go in after one, so it’s off the to pet store for a harness in Mobile, where we will be for Christmas.

All in all, Demopolis was not a bad experience, and being a small town Southerner for a month was an interesting, although unanticipated, part of the trip.