Day 164 Sumpter Anchorage

We are now in Alabama. The books say we zig zag in and out of Alabama and Mississippi for the next 3 miles of the river. John found his next boat, but it looks like a bit of a fixer-upper. Jack and Duncan came to an understanding this morning. I guess they'll tolerate each other for the rest of the trip.  Left the wilds of Pirate Marina at 9am and locked through the dam. Three boats that traveled at 20 knots locked with us but sped off as soon as the gates opened. The rest of us chugged leisurely along the muddy river at 8 mph. Scenery is taking on a more swamp-like appearance on one side of the river and high dirt cliffs on the other. Looks like they are man cut since this is the straightened portion of the TomBigbee. The foliage is becoming much more varied. The temps were getting a little high today at about 85 degrees, but there was a strong breeze. A small front moves through Tuesday and Wednesday knocking the temperatures back down. After 37 miles, El Nido and us pulled into a remote, quiet anchorage just off the river by a park. No data service - there's a shock - so this will get published when we near civilization again.