After Cuba Landing, the river becomes much more narrow and is no longer the wide expanse of the Kentucky Lake. We followed the course of the Tennessee River down to mile 208 and turned off into the mouth of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. The Pickwick Lock raised us up 55 feet to Pickwick Lake, which is pretty much the highest point of the Tenn-Tom at 414 feet above sea level. After a short wait the lock let us through and we proceeded about 8 miles to the Aqua Yacht Harbor where we were hoping to get some routine maintenance and oil/fluid changes done.

The Tenn-Tom is a relatively recent waterway - completed in 1984 - connecting the Tennessee River with the Tombigbee River in Alabama at the confluence with the Black Warrior River. It completes plans that were contemplated since colonial times, but has been controversial. Variously attacked a pure pork-barrel spending and unnecessary when it was being built, it actually vindicated itself when parts of the Mississippi became unnavigable in the 1988 drought. Most of the commerce is in coal and timber - and we have seen seen plenty of barges with both of these on the waterway.