Decatur to Bay Springs Lake

Thursday, March 22, 2018-

We huddled down in Decatur, AL, at the Riverwalk Marina for two nights.  Winds on Wednesday were even worse than on Tuesday...30 mph gusts.  The temperature reached in the lower 50's...but it sure didn't feel like it!  Maggie and I got out for two brief walks and she loved it.  Me?  I was ready to come back in the moment we stepped out!

So this morning we woke up to a chilly 30-something...but no wind.  We pulled out of the marina, short wait for the Southern Railway Bridge as a train came through, then off down the Tennessee River.  We had about an hour wait at Joe Wheeler Lock as a tow was being moved through so we tied up to the auxiliary lock wall at the suggestion of the lockmaster. 

We tried hailing Wilson Lock when we were about 1/2 mile out...no answer.  Kept trying when we got close, still no response on 16, 13, 14 or phone.  Two towboats ahead of us seemed to have as little info as us as one called us to say, "we're as much in the dark as you are."

There were also two tows below the lock and absolutely no action in the lock.  We had one call from the lock and they said they would put us on the list.  We anchored at the closest cove on the RDB for the wait.  Around 5 PM we decided we wouldn't be able to get through before sunset and went back up the lake a little ways to a good anchorage for the night.

Friday, March 23, 2019 -

Hailed Wilson Lock when we were ready to pull anchor around 7 AM.  No answer.  After several tries we decided we needed to be "in their face" and left the cove to go down to the arrival point where we called again.  Finally a response...and "come on down to the long wall and wait for the green light."  An hour and 15 minutes later...after the lock had been emptied and a PC brought in for the upward ride... we got a signal to enter the lock. 

This was THE WORST experience we've ever had at a lock and it was totally because of the lack of communication.  We understand priorities in tows, etc.....but when they won't tell you what's happening, that's not right.

We traveled, finally free of Wilson, from there to around mile 417 on Bay Springs Lake and are anchored in the first deep cove on the right.