Back in Missouri for a few days

I don't recommend cross country trips in Volkswagon Jettas.  Not good for your legs or back.

We left AL in the rain but from TN on had a beautiful drive home in our rented VW Jetta.  John and Kristen are working on patching and painting walls and cleaning his new house in University City.  It is a relief to see John could have a second career as a finish painter--he cuts the lines on the woodwork like a pro!  The house has undergone a mini-transformation and is looking great.

Wednesday, we meet the movers in Louisiana at 7am to unload the storage unit, our house and some things from my mom's basement.  All of this furniture i
s hand me downs from Sally's mom, my aunt, and both of my grandmothers!  He will have a good start toward filling the house with furniture.

Sorting that mail!!!

We will meet a fraternity brother, Tyson Nichols, and his "friend", Caroline Jane Gower, a high school classmate of mine, to ride back to Huntsville, AL with us Friday.  We will head to Chattanooga Saturday, after some provisioning and boat cleaning.  The VW Jetta will be crowded!

DITTO LANDING (Huntsville, AL)

We arrived at Ditto landing just south of Huntsville around 3pm.  The Looper boats are getting more and more frequent around here.  A Looper from Cleveland next to us in an Endeavor power catamaran--two other boats on the transient dock appear to be Loopers too.

Tomorrow, Friday, we will procure a car from Enterprise, and SaSea Sally will stay in this nice harbor for a week while we head home to MO.  We need to get John's furniture to him.  We have accumulated a lot of items he can use from Sally's mom and Aunt Martha--at Susan's in Columbia, in our double storage unit in LAMO, and in our house.  His house won't be bare!

We will get a rental car tomorrow, pack up to leave early Saturday for MO.  Will stop at John's to see the progress he and Kristen have made on his house--may stay the night Saturday as it is a 9 hour drive!

The Eagle Track unit is working to some degree.  It will tell you where I am if you go to the website:  www.eagletrackgps.com , log in using my email, cslogan@sbcglobal.net , and the pass word, malmal1.  It seems to have lost the signal today about 10 miles before I arrived at Ditto Landing Marina.

Sally's New Skill

September 17-19, 2013

After leaving Joe Wheeler State Park Marina, where we will stay for a week in mid-October during the America's Great Loop Cruising Assn. Fall Rendezvous of folks who have completed the Loop, those doing the Loop (like us), and wanna be Loopers, we cruised a leisurely 25 miles to Riverwalk Marina.  Riverwalk is located on a fill island across the TN River from Decatur AL, on a VERY BUSY highway--no way to get to the City of Decatur by foot or bicycle!

We had a great dinner at the "open air" Hard Dock Cafe bar/grill located at the Marina.  You could tell were were getting further South--hush puppies, gumbo, oysters on the half-shell, etc.  I got a half dozen oysters and a fish taco--Sal, a more healthy black beans and rice plus a grilled chicken salad.  The food was very good although Sal did a double-take and reached for the water when she took her first bite of rice covered with black beans and hot sausage chunks.  Fortunately, she had a BIG glass of water.

As we were leaving Riverwalk Marina Wednesday morning, Sally took the trash to a nearby dumpster to deposit it.  As she tossed the bag in using her right hand, her splint got caught and was pulled off into the dumpster.  Sal, with my help, honed her new skill--dumpster diving!  The splint was successfully retrieved with the help of a boat hook with duct tape on the end to pick up the splint...may have been the highlight of the day!

Sally's Dumpster Diving Skills

We went back downriver a couple miles to a sturdy, new, protected bass boat launching area with 3-400 feet of floating docks lining each side which is located in a great park.  This site used to be an Ingalls shipbuilding location and now hosts the Pickwick Belle, a paddlewheel excursion boat.  We chatted at length with the boat's captain and got a tour of the interior.  We then got the bikes, vintage pre-1969, down from the deck, and struck out to explore Decatur.

We hit Bank Street, the location of an historic 1830's state bank, which has a lot of shops.  We ate lunch at TimBuck2, a cute deli.  We continued our bike trek through the historic and arts district, a 2.5+ mile one-way trip.  Sal thought the bikes were OK, but a bit funky!  Clay is re-learning how to ride with fold-up pedals.

Sally and her bike in front of the "Mellow Mushroom" restaurant

We spent a quiet night here and had a great crock pot chuck roast dinner. Thursday, we're off for Ditto Landing Marina in Huntsville, AL.

Northern Alabama

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

We arrived at Joe Wheeler State Park yesterday (Monday) mid-afternoon after departing Florence, AL, our Sunday night 'residence.' We detoured off the TN River on Friday to the TennTom Waterway for a reputable mechanic to look at the diesel engines and some problems that have arisen with them. We overnighted at Aqua Marina then made an early-morning appearance on Saturday at Lee Spry Marine, a mere one mile away. Clay was most impressed with Lee, an easy-going and mild-mannered fella who listened to Clay, then did the diagnostic work. Clay decided to forego the not-time-sensitive work on the engines now in favor of servicing them upon our return to this area in late October. But we stayed the overnight in this remote, industrial area and left Sunday morning, headed to Florence, AL.

We arrived at the Florence City Park Marina to find our frequent companions, the Nina and the Pinta, tied there for a 4-5 day exhibit. Crowds were thick, so the two Columbus ships are obviously a draw. We've encountered them numerous times along our way and see them now, as I'm typing this, entering the Joe Wheeler Marina harbor as we depart. Florence was touted as a very appealing boaters' paradise with a lovely downtown area, a well-maintained park and restrooms, laundromat, and restaurant on the waterfront (actually a floating marina office with these amenities). Having had just recently a poor dining experience at Pickwick State Park, I was leaning toward cooking aboard; but a fellow dockmate highly recommended the floating restaurant called River Bottom Grille. So, after regrouping and a glass of wine/beer, we joined the crowd at the Grille and had not only a wonderful meal, but an absolutely darling waitress.

We overnighted but were mildly disappointed with no evening satellite services (tv) due to the covered dock. Up to see a nice sunrise, Clay and I walked the park and encountered an older couple who could have been Florence ambassadors. They were so warm and welcoming; even their very large great dane Dudley warmed up to us. We left Florence around 11 a.m. which has become our routine of late with only 20 miles to cover but two locks ahead

A 5-star revolving restaurant in Floence, AL???  Been told the food is great!

Locking 101...don't shut down your engines until you know what to expect in locking through! The first chamber was a 93' pool which filled in an amazing 15 minutes. Tied up at the floating bollard with only my line controlling us, Clay had shut down both diesel engines to avoid my breathing fumes. Good idea, but... (why is there almost always a 'but'?) The turbulence created by the lockmaster opening all of the jets for the fill was unmanageable by only the use of my line and the thrusters; we found the thrusters just didn't have the necessary power to correct the bow moving away from the wall. I could have had those diesels going PDQ pronto, but we know Clay doesn't move as fast as Sal! Good learning experience! We made it unscathed, but I was sweating the swim platform! So glad the manufacturer tapered the back of the platform!

WOW!  A 93 ft. lift in Wilson Lock

No Gates on the upstream end--the lock wall goes down into the water 

Joe Wheeler Lock with a 48 ft. lift.

Turbulence in the lock chanber when it is filled.

Joe Wheeler lock's gates before the 48' rise.

The second lock of the day was a 48' pool which again filled in record time, 10 minutes. We handled this one MUCH better. As I said, experience is a great teacher. Clay did a magnificient job in handling the turbulence which was again incredible. I was awfully glad to reach our destination Joe Wheeler!
The Joe Wheeler office gal I contacted was quite vague in where we should overnight. Guess it really didn't matter as we were the only transient boater. Three+ weeks from now will be quite the opposite when Joe Wheeler hosts the Great Loop convention. Many Loopers arrive by car, but probably an equal number will arrive by boat, and the grounds will be a mass of people out to have a good time, to share experiences and expectations. We already have a good collection of stories to share, and we've been on board this experience only slightly over three weeks. I'm guessing our sagas will pale in comparison to others we'll hear.


Pool in sight; Clay sent me off to swim laps. Although the mornings have been quite cool, the day warms up nicely. So the water temp was fine at the 4 p.m.hour; Clay even joined me. Leftovers made dinner a breeze! We obtained a map of the grounds and figured that the map, along with our upcoming morning walk, would acquaint us with the area so as to be better prepared for our return during the convention. I like knowing my way around! Joe Wheeler State Park is another of Alabama's well-maintained state parks. On the expansive grounds are a lodge, marina, restaurant, convention center, golf course, swimming pool, park and playground area, cottages, to name a few. I'm sure it's a good place to host the Loopers! Clay has attended these conventions in the past (two others, I believe), but this will be my first.

Joe Wheeler Lodge and marina

Another beautiful day this Tuesday is. I swam at Clay's insistence...I didn't argue...while he did some trouble-shooting. Hanging over our heads is still the leaking fly bridge canopy (pun intended). I'm sure he has a to-do list; after all, this is a boat! Post swim, we departed Joe Wheeler after pumping out. Amazing how fast those holding tanks fill! No comments, please! A short 30 miles today, we'll be next in Decatur, AL. That brings you up to speed on our whereabouts.

Clifton to Pickwick State Park TN

Thursday, September 12, 2013

7:20 a.m. Thursday...What a fun night we had. This boat has a lot of weird sounds...buzzes, thumps, whistles, etc. And, I don't know what most of them are! Can only guess. Awakened at 1:14 a.m. to 3 beeps, a pause, 3 beeps, a pause, et cetera, which continued. Thought I heard maybe a voice or other noise during the pause, but can't remember that part. I nudged Clay to go check. NOTE: Clay does not wake up well nor quickly. He circled the boat interior, proclaimed that he could find nothing amiss, and came back to bed. Well, hello! Something was wrong!

So, in nightgown and barefoot, I circled interior and exterior, finding myself on the fly bridge with the 3 beeps and a voice saying, "Smoke in basement. Evacuate!" 3 beeps, "Smoke in basement. Evacuate!"  Clay had followed me up to the fly bridge, so he grabbed the wireless smoke alarm which continued repeatedly to scream, "Smoke in basement. Evacuate" and headed to the engine room ('basement') where a companion alarm resided, silent. Nothing amiss but my rapidly beating heart and adrenaline rush. I obviously had trouble going back to sleep!

End of saga, but the experience made me think about what I would grab on the way out (a no-no in the real world, but this isn't the real world!). Think I'll keep a bag packed by the exit door from now on!  (If anchored out, I imagine a life vest will be the selection of choice!)  P.S. Also got reacquainted with fish feeding off the bottom of the boat around 4:30 a.m. or so! Introduced to that loud pecking noise in Kimmswick, MO, it still keeps me awake. Nap anyone? And it's only 7:30 am.
 

An update at the end of the day...We departed Clifton, TN by 10 a.m. and clicked off 45 miles and a lock at Pickwick Dam before reaching Pickwick State Park, TN.  The lock chamber had a 55' rise which filled in 13 minutes with us tied to the floating bollard. I find this incredible! Clay was impressed by the turbulence of water discharging from the lock chamber as we approached.

Along the waterway, we found sights of interest for Clay to photograph. Rock formations and stately homes are predictable by now, but the sight of men fishing under the patio/beach umbrellas was a novelty.

Layered geologic formations along riverbank

Staying cool on a hot day!

Stately homes along the river

Leatherwood Marina to Clifton, TN

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

As we cruise the TN River toward mm158.5 RDB and Clifton Marina located there, Clay is grabbing his camera and taking pictures of stilted or built-on-the-hill cabins to allow for 25' river rise from the current level. We bid our friends Jim and Sanci a fond farewell at an early 5:15 am this morn at Cuba Landing Marina, mm 115.5 where they had parked their car for their 5-night, 4-day stay aboard. Easy and compatible folks to have around, they were truly a nice intro to guests joining us. I must admit I was hesitant to share small square footage with another couple.

Leaving Leatherwood Marina yesterday morning, our Captain and crew found the evolving day to be an eye opener! Our cruise was accompanied by intense rain and reduced visibility, requiring radar as a much-needed and appreciated first mate along with a very helpful Jim who, along with Sanci and Clay, witnessed first-hand the leaking fly bridge canopy.

Poor visibility during heavy rain

Old dock (before dam) in rain

Although the tarp material was waterproof and high quality, the seams weren't. Clay's estimation was approximately 3 gallons bailed and/or mopped up by Jim and Sanci while I was in the salon strategically placing buckets to catch the drips; after all, it is a 2002 Mainship. The orange chamois-like 'rags' they used are a must, and we plan to add to our collection from our home stash. Too, Clay was online after tying up for the night, researching seam sealers and waterproofing compounds.

Industrial plants

Being without internet and cell coverage much of the day Tuesday and the previous evening, I retrieved 5 missed calls to realize you can't escape reality. First call was from a neighbor alerting us to suspicious people in our home backyard. Second missed call was credit card company alerting me to a merchant with whom I'd recently charged having been hacked; my info among the many threatened...closed account; opened new; card to be delivered at home within 10-14 days. Now how will that work? Third call was from son John's moving company needing asap the list of furniture to be moved. Oh joy! Other 2 missed calls must have been non-threatening as I didn't write them down. Thanks to sister Susan who found an over-sized date book and encouraged me to get it, saying you never know what you need to write down or record. She specified contact info of Loopers we meet along the way. Yeah, but also stuff like this. Life!

Having had good, home-cooked meals both Monday and Tuesday nights, Sanci and I knew we could manufacture a good meal the last night of their stay with little to no effort. Again, hooray for leftovers and for husbands who aren't picky about what they eat! What's to complain about....the meal was tasty!

We watched the President's address on Syria then retired for the evening, me to read, Clay to investigate water proofing sealants, and Jim and Sanci in prep for an early departure today, Wednesday. I did address some of the cell missed-call concerns, being grateful for cell and internet coverage now.

101st Airborne in Action!

As we dock at Leatherwood Marina on the TN River, I realize it's time for an update. Friends Jim and Sanci joined us Friday afternoon at Green Turtle Bay where we welcomed them aboard, gave them a quick intro to boating on the SaSea Sally, and then let them settle in. Dinner at the Commonwealth Yacht Club allowed us to get reacquainted. Experiences from Clay and Jim's Westminster days became the primary dinner topic.

Lots of sailboats on Lake Barkely and KY Lake

Saturday morning we departed GTB with a hesitant farewell...GTB is a fabulous facility. As the store clerk commented, "What's not to like about it?" She was so right. We took full advantage of the amenities before our departure--morning walk, swim, breakfast and a shower. It was a pretty, warm and sunny day for us all to enjoy. Captain Clay set his sights on Kuttawah Marina for overnight lodging on Lake Barkley and Hu-B's restaurant which offered basket food, a covered slip and a live band. The restaurant/ship's store had the what-we've-come-to-expect offerings (imprint tee shirts, koozies, tote bags, candy bars, misc toiletries and marine parts).

Sunday morning I awakened to a 'meteor shower' of car and trailer red taillights on the shore opposite the dock.  Awakening Clay because I was sure this was possibly the highlight of the day, I encouraged him to hop up and take pix of the fishing tourney launch; he has a new high-zoom camera which he might as well use. We left Hu-B's mid-morning, cruised Lake Barkley, then retraced our path to the Crossover near GTB to the TN River. Tonight's mooring was Kenlake Marina in Kenlake State Park. Sanci took a 2-mile round trip walk up the road to the Y where the left turn curves to the State Lodge; her path gave some definition to the walk we would enjoy the next morning.

Jim and Sanci were chefs for the night, and Jim showed off his extremely good culinary talents, grilling ribeyes, asparagus (fabulous!), and sweet potatoes. Yum! And Sanci has been cleaning up, respectful of my oh-such-a-nuisance injured right index finger. I laughingly told them the next morning (today) that my idea of a 'long-term cruise' was having a chef, trainer, and maid aboard. Hmmm, two out of three ain't bad. Space is the defining factor; this is no Holland America. Jim and Sanci set the pace on our morning walks where Clay struggles to keep up. Status quo, though, for him.

Jim Canella, Sally, and Sanci visiting

This particular evening I cleaned up while my three boating companions headed out dock hopping. Jim had encountered two boaters docked for the night.  During some small talk he discovered that one, John Flake (true name), was a relative by marriage, with Joey's Bar in Muscatine, IA, as the clue and key to a newfound acquaintance. Small world! And, they also chatted with that boat owner, Michael J Riggan, a truckline owner piloting a Boston Whaler with two big Merc's on the back.  His trucking company, TanTara Transportation, hauls the Iowa Halwkey's football van.  Rhonda from "Help Me Rhonda", a Looper boat which was also at GTB with us joined the dock conversation.

Colorful roofs on homes lining KY Lake

This morning, we walked the roads surrounding Kenlake Marina, then launched downriver for a new port of call, Leatherwood Marina. We were greeted by a very friendly and accommodating dockmaster who appologized for the bad economy stifling operations. Pool closed Labor Day, and restaurant is open only Friday thru Sunday. Hooray for Plan B. (I was pleased that I had swam the pool at Kenlake Lodge this morning as I'm assuming my swim days are numbered now.)

As we approached the new US79 bridge a few miles before we docked for the evening we noticed a number of small boats on the water and two Blackhawk helicopters dashing about--also noticed the TN River chart showed a US Coast Guard base at that location.  We kept watching and noticed things falling out of the helicopter, then parachutes opening up.  The two Blackhawks were dropping sticks of six servicemen into Kentucky Lake, probably a welcome task on a 90+ degree day, while the small boats were picking them up and taking them to shore.  The marina operator said it was Army troops from Ft Campbell on a training exercise.

Airborne exercise-paratroopers and pick-up boats on the TN

Airborne paratroopers jumping into the TN River

Time for me to stoke up the oven and fix dinner for us. I hope you are well and once again entertained by my documenting our trip.