By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



Two north Jefferson men recently took a trip of a lifetime.

Marty Hawkins of Mt. Olive and friend Glen Speigel of Kimberly took Hawkins’ pontoon boat from Birmingport to Orange Beach.

Hawkins said he worked for three months in preparation for the trip, outfitting his 24-foot boat with a PVC pipe frame that secured a tarpaulin top and siding to keep the men safe from the elements.

The men departed on their 450-mile trek on July 11. The men arrived in Orange Beach on July 14.

Hawkins said he got the idea to make the trip after doing some research on the Internet.

“I ran across an article about the ‘great loop,’” Hawkins said. He explained that the great loop is a system of waterways that stretches from the Florida Keys and includes the Great Lakes, Ohio and Mississippi rivers. He said on a map, the waterways make a loop.

“In reading about it, it got my interest up, so I started doing some thinking about it,” he said. “I read a couple of things about people who had done it on pontoon boats, and I decided I wanted to do it and I had a boat that could do it.”

Hawkins said he had all the necessary amenities for the trip, including maps that he purchased from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a marine VHF radio so he could communicate with barge captains and lock masters.

He also spent time calculating his gas consumption while driving his boat around the Smith Lake area, where he normally stores it.

Hawkins said his gas tank will hold 23 gallons and he took an additional 40 gallons on the boat.

“That’s one of the biggest concerns is gasoline and finding a place to anchor at night,” he said.

Hawkins said he and Speigel traveled one stretch of 126 miles before refueling. He said the boat rarely got above 20 miles per hour.

The men traveled from daybreak until about 6 p.m. at night when they would anchor and spend the night.

He said he saw many interesting things on the trip, including two alligators. He said one of the alligators was about 20 miles south of Tuscaloosa, and was spotted not too far from where he had seen people tubing in the river.

“That wasn’t real good to see, because that means they’re coming further north,” he said.

He said he also saw every kind of home, from nice homes to what he called “river rat shacks.”

Hawkins said he and Speigel enjoyed good food on the trip, including grilled hamburgers and stir fry meals cooked on a Coleman camp stove at night.

He said he also purchased two car fans that he plugged up to a spare car battery to keep the men cool at night as they slept. Mosquito nets kept the pests away.

Hawkins carried a porta-potty on the boat for the restroom facilities.

Despite the comforts on board the boat, Hawkins said the trip was not without its challenges.

Those challenges included navigating around barges and through locks the men encountered on the way to the Gulf.

However, he said the lock masters and barge captains were accommodating, and he said he made an effort to contact each on his radio.

He said another challenge was navigating through the Mobile River which is the location of several main docks in the Gulf, including the Carnival Cruiselines terminal.

“I was a little bit nervous, not ever having ridden through there in a boat,” he said.

However, Hawkins said it was mostly smooth sailing. He said he thanked God that he and Speigel had good weather, with the exception of encountering a few sprinkles.

“It reaffirmed my belief that God is in control,” he said. “We had a lot of prayer about this trip. He provided us with good weather and provided us with good mechanical ability.”

Hawkins said on top of that, he and Speigel and still friends.

“Sometimes when you do something like that, you come out wanting to shoot each other,” he said. “We got along great and I promoted him to junior captain.”

Once arriving in Orange Beach, Hawkins and his wife Teresa spent time with Speigel and his wife Wendy and their two children, Sarah and Noah.

Hawkins then took his craft back on a trailer, which he had driven down to Orange Beach a few days before his departure.

He said he would encourage anyone to make the trip if they are well-prepared.

“Do a lot of research, know what you’re doing and have a good idea of what to expect,” he said. “I wouldn’t advise anybody to go out on their own without talking to anybody.”

He said he definitely wanted to make the trip again, but he said he may try to get a group together next time. He said more people in more boats can provide more insurance in case someone get ill or runs into mechanical trouble.

Hawkins said anyone interested in making the trip can find information on the Internet or can contact him at martybhawk@charter.net.