Navigating America

From Sault Ste Marie to Punta Gorda Florida

I absolutely do not recommend The Misissippi to anyone. It is a dirty commercial waterway and not tourism friendly. I was navigating through the night and I reached a point where waterways merge and I thought I was dead for sure. I think it is where the Tennesse joins up or it could be the Ohio. The water was choppy and extremely fast , I thought I was going to hit rapids. I pulled into a private boat yard around three AM and a tug boat chased me out by pulling onside me and reving the engine. Did you see the movie Duelling Banjo ? That was my next episode around 4AM. I had to stop could not go on ,so I found a spot along the bank, I could see shadows running in the woods up the embankment. I tied up locked my door and put my flare gun onside my pillow ...goodnght. The stand your own waterway policy law may or may not have been in effect at the time, Thank God noone boarded. Getting fuel was a problem and I had to walk to service stations a couple of times to fill up gas tanks. I  fished with aunt Jemima and her friends in the middle of one night on the Tom Bigby ,, they were looking for the Big Reds. Apart from meeting a lawyer from Chicago and his wife ( I presume) with a 45 ft Searay and declinng to be adopted ,there is not much to talk about. The barges are out of this world as far as size go. I was out of fuel and I learnt the get out of the way paddle technique come hell or low water. As I was ariving in Mobile Alibama my GPS Died at the most inopporune time. I had to connect it to the main battery. To aggrevate maters My bilge was full of oil. Electrolosis had chewed through the dip stick at the base of the engine.I forgot navigation rules and cut accross unmarked waters in a direct line to a port entrance I could see off in a distance. My engine had to be removed and I was held up for several days in shitland.Looking back that I was still alive was sort of uplifting