MILESTONE MOMENT & MOVING ON TO THE TENN-TOM

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post that we hit a milestone – we have over 1,000 miles under the keel since we left our home port in Sturgeon Bay!  If we had traveled to the same point by land we would have covered only 700 miles.  These rivers don’t seem to run in a straight line for some reason!

Got up at 7 and took off early as we have to go through Pickwick Lock today and the weather is supposed to deteriorate.  As we continued south upriver (yes, south and upriver, seems weird doesn’t it?), the channel narrowed, the depth became shallow and the current picked way up.  That coupled with the strong southerly wind made for a very slow moving Free Bird.  Caught sight of this poor house along the way – bet it has been condemned! 

With weather predicted to come in soon, we were anxious to get past this lock and to our next marina.   We passed the banks of Shiloh National Military Park where we are hoping to go tomorrow to tour by car.  By the time we reached the lock it was 10:30.  We had to wait for 1 tow and barge to go up and then it would our turn to rise 57’.  It took what seemed like forever. We didn’t even enter the lock until after noon and the wind was continually increasing – yuk!  Once through the dam, we were on Pickwick Lake - shallow and windy.  The waves were whipping up just like they had that first day on Kentucky Lake, even worse actually as the winds were 20+MPH.  Poor Molly, I kept looking at her and she didn’t look great but I thought she was faring OK.  The last 15 minutes before we could turn the corner were really rough.  As we were turning onto the Tenn-Tom, we got a double whammy with barge waves hitting us on the beam and we really rocked!

A little bit on the Tenn-Tom Waterway - it connects the Tennessee River at Pickwick Lake with the Tombigbee River at Demopolis, AL.  This waterway is relatively new.  Construction began in 1972 and it was open to river traffic in 1985.  A grand project it was indeed as there was more earth moved to create this waterway than was moved during construction of the entire Panama Canal.  We will lock DOWN 341’ through 10 locks over 450 miles between this point and Mobile, AL!

We had marina fever now and were looking so forward to getting there, out of this wind and getting tied up before the storm hit.  Were very glad to see the sign for Grand Harbor Marina.  Got diesel, pumped the heads, took a slip and within a short time there were tornado warnings and downpours of rain.  That was calling it a bit close.  

Went to check on Molly and she seemed no worse for wear but soon discovered she had gone into her litter box and thrown up in there.  I again did not take her food away that morning and I should have as we knew Pickwick would be a challenge.  What a little sweety, once I gave her some “TREAT” she was back to normal and jumping around like a kitty. 

Most of the Loopers at a Looper Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park about 20 miles farther up the Tennessee River.  We decided to forego that and embrace the peace and quiet for a while.  The rendezvous ends on Thursday and we will have Loopers everywhere after that.  Figured we would take advantage of the fact that there is relatively no one at the marina right now.  For example, normally there is a 2-hour time limit for the courtesy car but since no one else is here they said we could take it for 4 or 5 hours.  Yippee, we are looking forward to a day of shore leave!

JUST MOTORING ALONG…

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 AND SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12

On Saturday, we slept in and didn’t get up until after 8.  About 8:30 we were just about to go up for our cinnamon rolls when Billy shows up with them boatside!  Now that was service!  Actually, he reports that he thinks he grabbed the wrong rolls and is going to bake some more up and told us to come and get them.  Went to have 2 more (each) and said good bye as it was time for us to take leave of Pebble Isle.

Easy navigation made for a nice day winding through some pretty river side country.  Only ran into 1 towboat.  It is so nice not to have to worry about them and just be able to take in the sights.  Anchored at Kelly’s Island.  There was no place to go ashore so dinner and a movie it was.  We did run into this little guy though.  He was a busy one!  

Sunday brought more of the same with not much new.  Saw a dredge that looked like it needed to be rescued itself and not much else that was different or unusual.  We knew we would have some days that were this way.  The farther South we go, the less color we are seeing in the trees.  We are working our way out of Fall altogether it seems. 

Anchored at Diamond Island to get staged for tomorrow's lock.  Strong current through the cut behind the island made for an interesting time getting a good hook down but we got it done.  We were anchored there with Forrest (no, not Gump) in Trident, a gentleman we had met back at Pebble Isle.  Off to bed early as we know we have a big day coming tomorrow.

A DAY IN THE COUNTRY WITH A COUPLE OF KIWIS!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10

We got up in the morning , had our wonderful, fresh-baked cinnamon rolls and took the courtesy van into town.  Every courtesy van we have gotten has the check engine light on, it seems to be a requirement but this one also had the added aroma of radiator steam.  We did not know where to get propane filled.  There were many places with exchange tanks but ours is a 4-lb. tank so we needed a fill.  After 3 gas station stops we went to a farm supply who sent us to the Co-Op and we scored!  Then to the store for groceries, we never pass up a grocery stop if we have a vehicle, even if we don’t need much.  I was hungry so $169 later we were out the door.  Getting back to the marina it was time to decide if we go or stay.  Rain was threatening and it was almost noon.  We decided to stay and moved to another slip in an effort to improve our tv and internet possibilities.  We moved in front of Untide, a boat with a couple from New Zealand, Monica and Warren. 

They helped us tie up and told us they were taking the van for a drive and wondered if we wanted to go along.  Well, it was about to rain so why not?  Had no idea where they had in mind to go but we were off with Monica driving and Warren in the navigator’s seat.  Come to find out they are heading for the Loretta Lynn Ranch!  Well, there is not much for entertainment in these parts so across the back roads of TN we go with Monica stopping every ¼ mile to take a picture, usually of pretty much nothing.  When we got to Loretta’s place it was a bigger deal than we thought, however we declined the $25 tour.  Just walked around and took in the sights and smells of Fall.  

The 4 hours we spent with the Kiwis were fun, we laughed and laughed.  It was interesting to see what they thought of the area and hear their stories of looping.  These folks came here, bought a boat just to do the Loop and started their journey from Houston, TX 15 months ago.  Another story to add to the Looper books!

Our last stop on our TN tour was the Johnsonville State Historical Park which was adjacent to the marina.  We would have stayed longer but we could tell that the Kiwis only had so much interest in our Civil War history.  We will be going to Shiloh which was a huge fort and encampment in the next few days.

 

We have been kind of thin on wildlife sightings but got one nice treat right there on one of the park signs.  So nice to see this little guy!  

LOCATION UPDATE - We found a different map that shows the whole trek from Chicago to Mobile and have updated it showing our progress.  We will be leaving the Tennessee River soon and be heading into the Tenn-Tom Waterway with LOTS OF LOCKS.  Has been nice not having to deal with them but onward we must go!

NOW WE BE IN TENNESSEE!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9

It's so pretty here we kind of hate to leave but we know we need to make some way before the rains come.  Went to make coffee this morning and discovered that there was a reason we got that wonderful FREE propane at Kentucky Dam Marina, it doesn’t exist! Don’t know where the guy thought the propane he dispensed was going but it was not into our tank.  We do have a back-up plan in that we have an adapter that he can screw in and attach a small canister that we use for our grill.  It is a pain to get out but he got it done. 

It’s official, we are definitely in Tennessee.  We passed underwater towns that had been inundated when they put dams in here.  Here is one remnant that was above the water line.  

After another day of smooth water and an occasional sun shower we found ourselves pulling into Pebble Isle Marina.

We had heard good things about the place from cruisers who came before us.  Actually our expectations were perhaps a little high.  Thought we would head to a marina so we could get the big propane tank refilled and go out to dinner.  Unfortunately the restaurant was closed on Thursdays, the cable they claimed to have did not work and the internet connection was so weak we could not do anything, even look at the radar to see what was on the horizon.  Bummer - went up to take a shower to find that this is a marina/campground and the shower facilities left a little to be desired too.  At least we got in before the big soaking rains came.  It poured so we just stayed in and ate some leftovers.  We were just glad to be dry and out of the weather.   One plus was that the "E" staff (Billy, Randy, Tammy) was as nice as could be, a bit hard to understand at times with their Southern drawl but super.  They told us there would be fresh baked cinnamon rolls and coffee available in the morning at 8AM and then we could take the courtesy van to town.  

A HIKE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8

We did wake up at 5:10 AM and caught a glimpse of the lunar eclipse.  They are always kind of cool to see but getting pictures of it is almost impossible.

This was the scene as we left the bay.  This is supposed to be the last nice day weather-wise for awhile so while we could put on a lot of miles we decided to just go the next nice anchorage.  Poked our nose out of the bay and who do we see but 2 Looper boats, Rodalee and Andiamo.  They had a head start so we will probably end up somewhere behind them come day’s end.  On to Ginger Bay which promises to be another pretty spot where we can get out and hike.  There are so many days where we cannot get off the boat either because it is foreboding coastline and there is no access or it is all private land.  We really make an effort to get off and get in either a bike ride or a hike whenever we can.  It is indeed a beautiful day, low waves, just a nice gentle breeze. 

We have gotten word that several Loopers have been held up due to mechanical issues.  This is a lot of motoring and most of the boats we see doing the Loop are not brand new.  Between aging boats and people hitting debris causing bow thruster, prop, engine or rudder problems, we count ourselves lucky every day.  We have not heard of anyone getting hurt, just delayed waiting for parts or trying to find options for repair and in some cases haul out.

Passing bay after bay of potential anchorages.  Seems like there are limitless opportunities to anchor here.  This time when we anchored, we were the only boats there, except for the bass boys of course. 

At least they go away at night!  Time for another hike while we are still in the LBL.  Looks like there are quite a few State Parks yet to come but we will be getting into more private areas of the lake soon.  Enjoyed yet another “almost” full moon rise and called it a day.  

TIME TO GET OUT OF DODGE!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7

We have found that there are 2 things we always feel about any given marina…by the time we get there we can’t wait to get in and when we leave, we are always anxious to get out on the hook again.  That was definitely true in this case.

Just as we were leaving, the already brisk winds picked up even more.  Kentucky Lake is known for its waves, not necessarily big waves, but lots of them close together for a CHOP, CHOP, CHOPPY ride.  We wanted to get to a nice, well-protected bay and anchor out of this wind.  Pisgah Bay was the destination based on the recommendation of another Looper and the fact that it was close, like less than 7  miles!  Nasty 1-1/2 hour ride but we all fared fine, even Molly!  

We turned in, saw 2 houseboats anchored and dropped hook in our own little part of the bay. 

Ate a little lunch and it was time for a ride in Marley.  There was a nice landing that led into a campground so we pulled up and went for a hike.  Nice topography and colors make this one of our best anchorages so far. 

Our only nemesis is all these darn bass boats!  Our friend Cathie Allie warned us about them and she was right.  They zoom by at about 80 MPH and there are a ton of the little varmints.  While they don’t put out a lot of wake, they are loud and just kind of a nuisance.  Hope they lessen as we continue on.

We were lucky enough to have the full moon rise right over the trees astern of us.  Sat and watched the big ball rise on a crystal clear night. 

Better enjoy it while we can, the weather forecast has rain, potentially lots of rain coming toward the end of the week.  Off to bed as we are going to try to get up to catch the lunar eclipse in the wee hours too if we can.

TIME FOR SOME DOWNTIME!

First of all, my captain informs me that I have been remiss in giving credit where credit is due.  A big shout out to Jimmy Gustafson who was with us over the weekend for lending his hand in helping get our refrigerator back up and running.  His assistance was invaluable as John had to climb down into our starboard locker to work on the controller board.  There were several times he needed additional tools and Jimmy not only successfully procured what was needed from the marina staff, but made it so that John didn’t to climb in and out of that vault multiple times.  He always comes out with a few more bruises than when he goes in.  Thanks again Jimmy!

Woke up to another nice but windy day.  In addition to continuing the laundry, it was time to do some heavy duty cleaning of the boat, inside and out.   John took care of the "out" and I took care of the "in".  We got the courtesy van from the marina and went to pick up Karen from Sundowner and made a liquor store/grocery run.  We were in a dry county so had to drive about 11 miles to get beer and wine.  We are anticipating anchoring out several days in a row after today so need to resupply. 

Dropped Karen back at Green Turtle Bay, said hi to a few Loopers and went “home” to finish our chores.  John took a nice bike ride across the TN Dam and I stretched and made a pot of soup.  Sometimes just nesting feels good!  

We took a walk out the rental dock here at this marina.  They rent 80’, yes I said 80’ houseboats.  6 bedrooms, hot tub, the works!  They are massive units.  Looks like fun to me!

Took Molly out to the end of the dock on her leash and she walked all the way back to the boat.  Trying to get her used to the marina life at least a little.  Of course, there was absolutely no one around but at least she seemed fairly comfortable walking on the docks.   They also had great pontoon rentals with slides!