Tennessee River

Tennessee River and the Rendezvous

We are staying in Green Turtle Bay Marina, Grand Rivers, KY for a few days. The weather is beautiful and it is a chance to catch up with stuff. Carole with the ever ongoing cleaning project and me doing some minor repair work and installing the Dinghy Davit I bought. The Davits involve gluing pads on the inflatable tube and the glue requires several days drying time, it makes sense to do the gluing while in the marina.

We took the courtesy car to Paducah on a shopping mission with two other couples. It took 2 hours and $200 to get out of the Walmart, but we are pretty well stocked with food now.

Dinner at Patti's again (We ate there twice before). Carole wanted to try the 2” thick Pork Chops. I had the same and along with salad and potatoes – Ugh! I ate too much again. Between the two of we took home enough for another meal.

Thursday, October 14^th

The new 30 amp power plug arrived this morning and Canvas creations delivered our Spray Panels in the afternoon. The spray panels are actually for Annie's safety. They will cover the area at the side of the boat where the steps lead up to the flybridge. There are no coamings there and if Annie were to slip she could slide off the side of the boat. The panels will guard against that.

We all went back to town – more shopping. I had no luck finding the screws I need to install the spray panels, but Carole was successful in finding more stuff to buy.

After shopping the six of went to dinner at Rafferties in Paducah and had some excellent Ribs.

Tomorrow we head up the Tennessee River.

Friday, October 15^th

we left at 9:00 AM after I located the screws I needed at the store here in the Marina. The light wind out of the north is putting a 1 ft. chop on Kentucky Lake. Again these lakes are really part of the river and are named after the dam that creates them. The wind is behind us so we are making decent speed, 7 mph against a slight current.

We anchored out in Cypress Bay (Ft. Heinman Bay) and went for a hike on shore. There were several Cypress Trees with their roots popping up all around them. There was also what appeared to be the start of a development at the top of the hill. It looked as if it died after the first house was built. A couple of pads were started and they were overgrown with brush and a few small saplings. This is a very pretty, sheltered anchorage.

Saturday, October 16^th

A cold night last night, but the boat was quite comfortable. The water is still warm and it helps keep the boat warm. We woke up to heavy fog again and it did not burn off until 9 o'clock when we then got underway. There is no wind and it is a beautiful clear day.

The Tennessee River/Kentucky Lake is wide and mostly deeper than the Cumberland River. There are still the underwater canyons that were the old riverbed.

We Arrived at Pebble Isle Marina in time to join the annual BBQ. Pulled Pork and BBQ Chicken made by the marina with lots of side dishes as Pot Luck and a Country Music Band made for a fun afternoon. There was so much food that we only had a snack at dinnertime.

The marina has dish network at the dock. I tried to hook up our DVR, but since I do not have a current account the box would not work. The marina loaned us a box and we were able to watch the Phillies lose the opened of the LCS. Bummer

Sunday, October 17^th

We went for a walk to Johnsville State Park. Supposed to be a small museum and a Civil War Battlefield here. It is the location of the only defeat of a naval force by the cavalry. We walked all the way in to the park (about ½ mile) where we saw a sign that said: “Museum Open by Appointment”. When we got there and looked through the windows it appeared that it had not been opened in months. Dust and cobwebs everywhere. We did have a nice walk and Annie enjoyed it – lots of squirrels to chase & even (her new love) dead fish to roll in.

Back to the boat and we watched the Eagles win, had a good catfish dinner and then watched the Phillies win.

Pebble Isle Marina Restaurant Wing report: Crispy -5, Taste -5, Heat -2, Meaty -4, Total -16, the best this trip!

A good day overall.

Monday, October 18^th

Slight overcast this morning, cold but no fog. Heading “Up a Lazy River” no Old Mill Stream however.

The Tennessee is rather quiet. The river has narrowed a lot and the current is slowing us some, from 7 mph to 6.5 mph. That does not seem like a lot, but can add almost an hour to our travel day. The good part is that the narrow river puts us closer to the scenery, not only the rock formations, trees and hills, also the houses, turtles and birds on the riverbanks.

Even with the slowdown, we got to our intended anchorage so early we decided to push on. Our next choice was 3 hours away. We thought it was a bit small and it was deeper than we like so we moved on to our third choice which was a winner. We called ahead to Two Turtles (we knew they were going that far) to see if there was enough room for us. By evening there were five boats there with room for another four or five.

Bald Cypress Trees along the river

Eagles wading

Plenty quiet with a sandy beach where Annie got to jump in the water and roll in the sand for a change. There is nothing like a wet, sandy dog in the dinghy with me! Having a good washdown pump and being in fresh water is really nice. I know I am repeating myself, but I am really enjoying the fresh water boating.

The turtle is bigger than the rock

Tuesday, October 19^th

Cool, calm and clear again. I managed to keep Annie from rolling in the sand so cleanup this morning was fairly easy.

We are seeing more houses on the shoreline now. If this is redneck country they are doing very well! And what a great view they have. Some of the houses are immense with extra buildings for all of their exes and kids.

I watched two Great Blue Herons fighting over a “choice” fishing spot. Usually when one lands near another heron's spot there is some squawking and one of them levees. This time they faced off, held their wings out and leaped at each other. After a couple of these encounters one flew off.

Anchoring tonight behind Wolfe Island near Savanah, Tn. No TV reception so I do not know what is happening to the Phillies – bummer. I will have to check on the internet to see what I can find out.

There is only one other looper and a houseboat in here. There is a bout a ¼ mph current here keeping the boat steady, and another sand beach for Annie to roll on.

I climbed over the levee to see what the land on the other side was like. A big field of soybeans was being harvested.

It looks like we might get the first rain in weeks, and it started just as we started the BBQ – imagine that!

Wednesday, October 20^th

Cool, clear and calm, with a slight haze (sea smoke) on the water this morning.

We started out at 8:30. The current slowed us to 6.2 mph. As we got closer to Pickwick dam the current picked up and slowed us even more. At 2 miles from the dam we were slowed to 4.2 mph. If we keep slowing down we may never get there.






Well we finally did and only waited 15 minutes for the lock to empty. Entering some locks from the bottom sometimes feels like we are entering the “Gates of Hell”. The lock operator was nice to us and she gave us an easy slow ride up. If the water is let in fast it makes the lock very turbulent and the boats are tossed around and bang in to the walls in spite of the fenders.

It was a short trip from the lock to Pickwick State park for fuel. This would be a really nice marina if they would repair the docks. Seems that the transient dock repair has been on the to-do list for several years.

From there we are off and around the corner to Aqua Yacht Harbor. This is a really big marina. We met john from Emory El – a looper we met last year on the Erie Canal and several other places since. He finished the loop and this is his home port . He lives in Memphis and drove up here to Iuka, MS to visit and spend some time on his boat. We had Pizza and beer with him while we watched the Phillies lose again.

Thursday, October21st

Warm and sunny. Annie got to romp with Buster, a one eyed Golden retriever. They had a great time running back and forth along a grass berm. After 15 minutes they both had had it. Buster lost his eye when he jumped in to the water while BP was spreading dispersant early on in the spill. BP settled promptly for $72000 dollars. The owner said that Buster (who does not even seem to notice he is missing an eye) now has every toy imaginable. The owner now has the houseboat that he wanted.

I finished installing the dinghy davits while Carole did some laundry this morning.

John offered to drive us around today. We wanted to go to a museum in Savannah, TN and he had never been there so he went with us. The Tennessee Valley Museum is another well done museum. It documents the area history from prehistoric through the present. The self guided tour walks you through rooms starting with fossils, then Indian artifacts, the Trail of Tears, the first settlers, Civil War gun boats & cavalry, steamboats, mussel harvesting & the pearl button industry, and the current usage of the valley. They did not cover much on Shiloh since the Shiloh Battlefield National Park is only a few miles away. We did not go to Shiloh since Carole had spent time there while in the Park Service. It was a small museum, but we spent almost two hours there.

After a quick shopping trip we headed to the “Catfish Hotel”, a restaurant that Carole found online and John confirmed it was one of his favorites. The restaurant is near Shiloh, but way out in the woods along the Tennessee River. We expected a small low key shack type place when we were driving there. We ere really surprised to find an upscale building. The restaurant was full and it was a Thursday!

We sat down and while we were ordering the waitress looked up and casually said: “The helicopter is landing.” We looked up and an Army Blackhawk helicopter landed on the front lawn to everyone's (except the staff's) surprise. John said that he had seen it before. Four Army men got out and sat down for dinner next to us. They did let the kids that were there take pictures with them at the helicopter first.

The food was really superb. Onion rings that were freshly made for an appetizer. We all had fried whole catfish for dinner. It was all you can eat and was served family style. We could have gotten fillets, but we all opted for the whole fish. Salad, potatoes, and hush puppies were included in the meal. Along with a pitcher of beer the bill for the three of us was $58.00. We were very pleasantly surprised. This was the best catfish we have had.

We got back to the boat in time to watch the Phillies beat the Giants.

All in all a very good day

Friday, October 22^nd

Cool this morning. We pumped out and got underway by 9:00. The wind was in our face as we headed up Pickwick Lake which held our speed down a little. The first anchorage we had chosen came up too soon so we went on to our next choice. It was too shallow so we decided to move on to the marina in Florence, AL.

Good choice, the marina could not be friendlier. We had an easy evening & night. We grilled steaks for dinner.

The plan is to use the courtesy car to go to the art museum and visit a Frank Lloyd Wright house/museum in the morning and then head off to an anchorage .

Saturday, October 23^rd

Carole had a swollen painful toe for the last several days and we decided to have it looked at. The courtesy car was not available, so Eva the marina owner offered to drive us. Instead of the hospital we went to a clinic. It was going to be a while, so she loaned us her car. It turned out that there was something in her toe (maybe an insect stinger) and there was a slight infection. It was removed and an antibiotic should fix it up in a few days. It was really nice of Eva to go out of her way to help us.

We still made our reservation of the courtesy car and went to the Frank Lloyd Wright/Rosenbaum house/ museum. It is unique in that it is the only Wright house in Alabama and only one family lived in it from the time it was built in 1940 until the city of Florence bought it in 1999. They then restored it as it had deteriorated even though Mildred Rosenbaum was living in it. Like all of his flat roofed houses the roofs leaked. After it was restored she donated all of furniture, nicknacks and decorations to the museum. The furniture was also designed by Wright. The shows as though it were being lived in.

The art museum show was declared as only "so so" by Carole and we did not spend much time there.

We finished up too late to leave for an anchorage.

Dining area at the Wright/Rosenbloom house

We went to Rosie's, a Mexican Restaurant, and it was a hit! And I get to watch the Phillies game tonight.

On to Joe Wheeler through two locks tomorrow.

Sunday October 24^th

The Phillies season is over – it was an exciting game but they lost.

The view as we enter

The view before the doors close

It's mild and sunny this morning. Annie and I returned from our walk and I checked Wilson lock to see what the traffic looked like. The lock is only 3 miles from the marina, so if we need to wait for tows to clear we may as well stay at the dock. The lock operator told me that if we hurry we can make the lock. If we miss it there will be a 3 hour wait. We quickly unplugged, took off our lines and hustled out. We ere doing 9.2 mph to get to the lock in the 15 minutes he gave us to get there. We made it and 4 boats locked up a 93 ft. deep lock. It felt like we were driving in to a box canyon. The lift proved to be easy. We tied up at the front of the lock at the operators advice. The middle was quite turbulent. The upper gate of this lock lowers down in to the water instead of swinging open.

Two hours later we were at Wheeler Lock. This one is only 46' deep. However there were two tugs, one going up and one coming down. It made for a 1 ¾ hour wait. There were 5 boats waiting now. The last boat is Dragonfly. A Narrowboat that is solar and diesel powered. It goes 4 mph on electric and 6 on diesel. I guess we have lost the “slowest boat on the loop” title!

Joe Wheeler State Park and the Rendezvous are around the corner.

Monday – Wednesday, October 25, 26 and 27^th

Some of the entourage
L-R  Brenda, Jay, Tom, & Linda

Sunday was the Rendezvous opening night. The tone was set with a wine and cheese reception. Rodgersville Al is in a dry county, so they can not sell alcohol, but they can serve it if it is given away. The AGLCA gets sponsors to pay for the reception evenings and we miss at not having Social Hours is more than made up for by the free wine (and beer if you were so inclined).

Joe Wheeler Marina in the Morning

The rendezvous consists of seminars covering the route we will be taking from here to Norfolk, VA the site of the spring rendezvous. For those who are still thinking and planning there are sessions covering electronics, saftey, buying the right boat, etc. Lots of information to absorb. I hope that I can remember, or find, or remember where I put, the important stuff when we need it. We started at 8:00 with breakfast and finished dinner at 9:00 at night. One afternoon I participated in a Kayak race. It was a timed race and I think I was next to last. I tried to get them to handicap it according to age, but I lost that argument.

Now we have to get ready to head out tomorrow.

Thursday, October 28^th

Used the morning to prep for the trip downriver after a 4 day layover. We planned to leave at noon until we got the word that if we waited until noon we would be waiting for another 3 hours at the lock until the tows cleared. Carole was doing laundry we really hustled to get going.... the information was wrong. The lock would not be available until 12:00 or 12:30 so we sat and waited for an hour for the lock. We then had to pour on the coals to beat the tow to the next lock so that we could lock down in front of him.  The last lock is Wilson lock and at 93' is one of the largest we will see. (I know I said this before) We made the trip down with Dragonfly (the Narrowboat). The videos will give you some idea of what it looks like inside.

Dragonfly exiting the Wilson Lock

We made it in time and pulled in to Florence Marina with 5 other loopers. A short “social hour” and 7 of us went to Dales for dinner. A pricey steakhouse with so so steaks. The catfish was good however.

Friday, October 29^th

The last 40 Bass Boats

We were awakened this morning at 6:15 with voices we thought were on the dock. I looked out the back stateroom window and and saw 20-30 bass boats sitting out there in the cold (34 degree) weather. Must be a bass tournament. I got up, went to the salon and looked out – there were boats all around us. 145 I was told. The one we heard was hanging on to our swim platform. It turns out that this is the last wildcard tournament of the season.

We headed downriver and with the current we were making 8 mph. An hour and a half later Carole discovered that we had left our folding cart and laundry bag in the laundry room at the marina. I made a call to the marina and then to a looper (to be) who had not left yet. They will be on their way shortly and will catch up to us this afternoon. We may do an “at sea” exchange. We shall see how it goes.

Along the way we passed a large Paddle wheel excursion boat that had run aground. They were unloading passengers and a passing tug with 9 barges was going to try to pull it off. We do not know what happened, but the paddlewheeler was definitely not in the channel.

With the cold and trying to meet up with Satisfaction for the exchange (and I wanted catfish for dinner) we decided to go to Aqua Harbor Marina again. I used the courtesy car to run over to Grand Harbor Marina where Satisfaction was docking to pick up the laundry cart and bag. We then joined up with Windsong and Q's End to go to the Catfish Hotel for another super dinner. Turns out that they make excellent ribs also as reported by Tom. On the way we stopped at The Pickwick Catfish Farm to buy some smoked catfish. We will report on it later.

Tomorrow we are on to the Ten-Tom Waterway