We Interupt This Program

Sunday 5/24/09 At anchor in Duncan Bay. We awoke to the sound of rain drops on the deck. A nice gentle rain with very little wind. Rather soothing compared to the storm we ran through on the Tombigbee. After a leisurely start to the day I decided to replace a couple of bilge pumps that have been acting up. The project went surprisingly smooth for a boat project. For once I had all the tools and parts required to complete the job the first time. The only down side to it was the leftover salt residue on the old pumps caused by cleaning the sea strainer on the AC intake which is located directly above the pumps. Sticky and slimy is the best way to describe how it feels. The remainder of the day we did small boat chores, watched the boats leave Duncan Bay one by one, and watched the fishermen fish in the rain which was heavy at times. Are they nuts or what!?!

Monday 5/25/09 Memorial Day! Thanks to all who help keep us safe and free.

The other day I had called Green Turtle Bay Marina where we had stayed on the way through way back when to see about a slip for a couple of weeks. We've been watching the river levels for over a week now and the Mississippi between St. Louis and Cairo, Illinois is still running above flood stage and is in fact closed to pleasure craft at this time. The projection doesn't show it getting back into a reasonable depth for a couple more weeks. Our whole time frame has been directed at being home by June 9 to attend Grandson Drew's 8th grade graduation. Had the river cooperated that wouldn't have been a problem since we have about 8 or 9 days travel from GTB. But that's life on the water. We'll leave the boat at GTB and get a rental car and drive home, attend graduation and then come back to complete the journey home. So that's the plan.

Now that we have a plan in place we pulled anchor and headed in to Green Turtle Bay to top off the fuel tanks and get into our slip. Once we arrived at GTB we found that unlike our November stays we were not alone. Seems that there are about 7 other boats here tied up by the high water on the Ole Miss. I even accused Bill Gary, the harbor master of having some kind of pull with the weather Gods to help his business. A couple of the boats have already been here for 2 weeks! We'll do boat chores and of course laundry before heading up the road on Thursday.

Last night we had dinner at the Commonwealth Yacht Club here at Green Turtle Bay. Very good meal and the interesting fact about this area is that it's dry! Like any law there are ways around it. You simply bring your own bottle, give it to the bartender, and then pay for the set up. There was a friendly group of patrons at the bar that reminded me of our boating friends at home. This became crystal clear when a discussion about pumping out dominated the bar area conversation!

Today we picked up the rental car (PT Cruiser) in Paducah and loaded it with some of the winter clothing that we shouldn't need any longer. Tomorrow morning we'll hit the road back to East Dubuque.

Holiday Week-End

Friday 5/22/09 Our travel continued at 7:20 am this morning with no snakes on the horizon! The only obstruction in our path besides the occasional floating log was the Johnsonville, Tn. RR bridge which at 24' of clearance was just enough for us to slide under without knocking down the antenna or mast light and allowing the bridge tender to keep reading or whatever he's doing up there. Shortly after Johnsonville the river starts to open up into Kentucky Lake. Also at this point the number of fishing boats increases dramatically. These guys are either fearless or just plain stupid. They buzz by us no more than 5' from our sides or cut across only a few feet in front of us, all at 60 mph or better! One knucklehead even played chicken with a 30 barge tow waiting till the last minute before firing his motor and moving out of the tows path. I'm not sure they ever catch anything. I think they just run over the fish at high speed and then go back and pick up the carnage.

We continued cruising down Ky. Lake enjoying the scenery. Knowing this week-end will be a busy time on the water we decided to anchor in Duncan Bay where we had anchored last November and stay out of harms way. Once we arrived there we saw that the location we had been in was occupied so a quick glance of the charts and we turned into a cove on the other side of the bay which actually offered more protection from the elements but still had a nice view of the lake. Duncan Bay is approximately 10 miles from Grand Rivers, Ky. located in the Land Between the Lakes region which is quite an outdoor enthusiasts paradise. While anchored here we saw several herons, ducks, jet skis, (wrong wildlife) and the biggest beaver I've ever seen! This guy was huge. I took a picture but was too far away for it to look like anything but a log.

Saturday 5/23/09 The forecast called for occasional T-storms with temps in the low 80's so we had a lazy morning on the hook. While sitting there I couldn't believe my eyes. I saw what I thought was a dog swimming across the cove right behind the boat. Wrong! When he got out of the water and shook I could see it was a wolf! How cool! I called for Pam to come look too but by the time I got the camera he had taken off into the woods. It was in Duncan Bay in November that we thought we had heard a wolf howl during the night. I guess we did. Continuing on the wildlife theme we decided to launch the dinghy and head up to the quarry. Ky Lakes version of Party Cove. The amount of traffic on the lake made it a slow bumpy ride. Boats of all sizes going in every direction. I've never liked lake boating just because there is no traffic pattern. Only an owl could keep the 360 degree lookout required to avoid collisions. Anyway we survived the ride and joined in the steady stream of boats entering the cove. All shapes and sizes were on display (boats that is!) once we got into the main area. One large houseboat was tied to the trees along the bank and had the stereo set up on top of it and blasting. Remember this is a quarry with rock walls most of the way around it causing the music to bounce in all directions. Kids were jumping off the walls and the southern belles were soaking up the sun. We got there a little too early for the alcohol to kick in which was just fine. The entrance is narrow and the muscle boats were out with their immature drivers streaming into and out of the cove. An accident waiting to happen. I must be getting old! We continued exploring other areas on our way back to Tourist checking out the beaches and coves along the way. Wherever we went the water was churning with fisherman, skiers, tubers, jet skis, etc. It was a welcome relief to get back to our cove with only our boat and a couple of fishing boats in it. Besides, as Pam informed me it was cocktail hour!

Happy Birthday Angela

Wednesday 5/20/09 It's now 12 days since we left Legacy Harbor. Starting to seem like a dream that we were ever there in the first place except for the memories of great people, good weather and no snow to shovel. We decided to take a day off from travel and enjoy the area and facilities at Grand Harbor. Grand Harbor is another marina that has a crackerjack staff that goes out of their way to make you feel welcome, in addition to being right at the junction of the Tenn-Tom and the Tennessee Rivers. Great for boat watching! The slips bordering the waterway are covered and each has it's own little patio area. Nice for escaping the sun or drizzle. Additionally, Chip Lucas the manager has made 115 trips up or down the Tombigbee and is a wealth of knowledge to draw on when making the trip.

We decided to launch the dinghy and go exploring. This is the first time the dink has been in fresh water since last October. We rode back into an area called Yellow Creek which is bordered by beautiful homes as well as being the home to Aqua Yacht Harbor, a huge full service marina that I've heard about for years. From there we checked out some of the coves in the area before returning to Tourist for afternoon libations. One of the perks at Grand Harbor is cable TV. We were able to watch the finals of both Dancing With the Stars and American Idol. What a treat! Neither Pam or myself has really missed TV but it seems like when you have it it you get glued to it. I must say it's been nice and peaceful without it.

Thursday 5/21/09 Happy Birthday Angela! My baby girl turned __ today! We left Grand Harbor and turned onto the Tennessee River headed South which is confusing because we are actually travelling North. The Tennessee flows out of the mountains beyond Knoxville,Tn. and empties into the Ohio River at Paducah, Ky. which in turn flows to the Mississippi at Cairo, Il. then on to the Gulf of Mexico. However if you look at a map you can see that the Tennessee runs North from Grand Harbor. Confusing! The good news is that we are travelling with the current. Shortly after leaving Grand Harbor we entered the Pickwick Landing Lock and dropped 50'. We cruised past Shiloh Battlefield and the Catfish Hotel Restaurant, both places that we explored back in November. We did trawler speed most of the day since we had the advantage of the current and due to some debris in the water. The scenery along the way was spectacular with high bluffs and not much traffic. Also we found that no longer should we be looking for dolphins, we should now be watching for snakes which we saw two of today! Why is it that I could never get a good picture of a dolphin but had no trouble snapping a shot of a snake? We continued on and anchored behind Densons Island (mm 125.5) in 30' of water after travelling 88.7 miles.

Grand to Grand

Tuesday 5/19/09 Well we've completed the 541 miles of waterway between Grand Mariner Marina in Mobile and the Grand Harbor Marina in Counce, Tn. at the Jct. of the Tenn-Tom Waterway and the Tennessee River. Five days of travel, 12 locks that raised us 348', and countless times of slowing to a no wake speed so we didn't uproot a dock or flip a fishing boat over. The last leg from Columbus to Grand Harbor covered 115 miles and we did 7 of the 12 locks in one day. The last was the best, the Jamie Whitten Lock at Dennis, Ms. which lifted us 85'! All in 20 minutes from the time we pulled in until we passed the upper gates on the way out. For years I've read and been told that the locks were very persnickety on the Tenn-Tom and it wasn't a pleasurable experience. We've found that to be just the opposite. They don't put up with any nonsense but almost all thanked us for traveling the waterway, notified the next lock that we're coming and in a couple of cases notified a marina that we were planning on stopping. Try getting that out of one of the locks on the Upper Miss! Additionally the floating bollard type of lock is Pam's favorite kind. One rope tied off to the pin and she has time to do her nails on the ride up. The last leg of the waterway is the man made section that actually connects the Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers. Pretty much a rock lined canal cutting through the hills. Periodically you come to a spillway on the side of the canal that looks like those big concrete anti tank blocks that were used in WW ll. Kind of interesting and attractive at the same time.

Since the Mississippi is running above flood stage between St. Louis and Cairo, Il. we've decided to slow down a bit and enjoy this area for another day and then slowly make our way down the Tenneessee to Green Turtle Bay Marina. Kentucky Lake should be crazy over the holiday weekend so we'll probably try to find a cove or two to anchor in and watch the part time boaters go nuts before heading in to Green Turtle.

Sunday 5/17/09 Hooray! We stayed in one place all night. Had a restful nights sleep. Quite different from January. Our travel today was wet. Rain most of the day which made for some pretty sights of the mist raising from the trees along the bank. Fortunately no lightning today and not much traffic. Got passed while trawlering by Seven J's, a 110' Lazzarra yacht. This is the same guy we heard getting yelled at by the lock master at Coffeeville because he gave the lock master some guff. It wasn't long and the Alabama Marine Police came on the radio also and told him they had received several complaints about his wake. Unfortunately for him if he's moving he's throwing a wake. Any way we let him go and about an hour later we picked up our speed and motored up to Demopolis, Al. Not many floaters today but still plenty of current to contend with. Demopolis is the first marina north of Mobile so it's a popular spot. We took on fuel and off loaded waste. A good trade in any book!

Monday 5/18/09 47 degrees this morning! I think we should head back South but Pam says we're going home. At least it was dry and calm. Three locks and 117 miles later we arrived in Columbus, Ms. where we had left Tourist for the Christmas/New Years holiday. Once we got secured I walked across the marina grounds to check on Broulee which we had last seen as we left Ft. Myers for the Bahamas. All looked well. Even the bikes were still in place on the top deck!Seems that when Broulee left Legacy Harbor they were minus their bikes and had to return to pick them up. Bummer!

Since we left Columbus back in January we have travelled 3318 miles in Tourist. Just a few more to go before we get back to Midtown.

Up The Lazy River

Friday 5/15/09 8 am hits and we pull out of Grand Mariner Marina and head out into Mobile Bay. An easy run up the bay to downtown Mobile where we picked up the Mobile River. Just as we knew the river is anything but lazy. The current is running at us pretty good with some debris as expected but overall not too bad. We slowed to trawler speed and settled back for the next 54 miles. Our goal is Bates Lake. An anchorage off the channel that we discovered on the way down in January. Very little current and plenty of water. When we arrived we found two other boats already there. A sailboat and a 50' cruiser. After we got settled the guy from the sailboat comes by in his dinghy with his 3 small dogs. He visited for a bit and entertained us with the dogs by throwing a tennis ball out in the water and having the dogs go after it. It was funny watching them run on the tubes of his dinghy and then leap into the water. Guess we're easily entertained!

Saturday 5/16/09 The forecast is calling for T-storms after lunch but the morning is pretty nice. Once again slow going. Sometime around lunch we caught up to the 50' cruiser, Lorelei, headed north. Passing at slow speed is like being Jesse Owens in a gunnysack race. We got it done but what a struggle. For the rest of the day we stayed in contact with Lorelei pointing out low riding logs and channel markers just breaking the surface of the water. At one point we saw a calf that had fallen over the river bank and was trying to get back up. It tried several times in different spots and then when we were just about out of sight he made it. I don't think Pam would have slept not knowing if he made it or not.

Just as forecast the T-storms rolled in after lunch. Wicked! I hate the South for the severity of their storms. You could see it on the radar but we had no where to go. At one point the rain was coming down so hard we could barely see past the bow of the boat. Where was this stuff when we wanted a boat wash in the Bahamas? The lightning was popping all around us and I'm not sure we didn't get hit because some of the electronics started acting up. Time will tell. We locked through Coffeeville lock and raised 5'. This is the first of many locks we will go through before we get home. Notice the picture of the deck hand in her foulies. She hasn't lost her touch of lassoing the bollard on the first try! Also of note. The reappearance of Piglet & Shiny Nose the two trusty fenders that specialize in locking through! Our anchorage for the night (we hope) is Okatuppa Creek, just up river from Turkey Creek where we had the night from hell back in January. Not much wider but big enough for 2 or 3 boats. We share it tonight with Lorelei.

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

Tuesday 5/12/09 Left St. Andrews Marina at 7:40 am. At least that's what time we think it was. Seems we're right on the border between Eastern & Central time zones and our clocks still registered on eastern time but our cell phones were on central time. After about 15 minutes debating which time we would use for the "official Log" we decided on using central time since we would definitely end the day in that zone. Whew!

Again we travelled the GICW past the commercial docks in Panama City, across Choctawahatchie Bay, through a couple of narrow streams and ended up anchored in Ingram Bayou which is west of Pensacola. The Panhandle area of Florida is rich in military installations. Several times today we had military fighters fly over us. At first Pam thought we did something wrong but I assured her they flew over because she was laying out in her bikini! At one point we passed a black inflatable filled with military personnel doing some sort of exercise. As soon as we went by they pulled into the channel behind us and fell over the side of the raft. Maybe they were just hot. Also today we met our first barges since January! We also went past Fort Pickens which was built between 1829 & 1834 to defend the entrance to Pensacola Bay and the Navy yard there. Seems the fort was used into the 1940's. Somehow we both missed this on the way through in January. Go figure! Total for the day 123.2 miles made possible by light traffic on the intracoastal.

Wednesday 5/13/09 Morning broke over Ingram Bayou with a hint of rain in the air. The last rain we saw was at Samson Cay in the Bahamas. In fact we've seen little rain during our entire stay in the South. Before we pulled anchor we got to see a couple of Dolphins fishing around Tourist. No matter how many times you see them it's always a rush when they appear. Pam is like a kid at Christmas every time and is always on the lookout as we travel. Unfortunately our sightings will come to an end once we start up the river system. Speaking of rivers, it seems that every one that we need to travel on is currently at or above flood stage. Guess we'll go from looking for dolphins to watching for logs. We are currently at Grand Mariner Marina on the Dog River just south of Mobile, Al. The picture of their fuel dock shows how high the water is. When we stopped here in January there was almost four feet of space under it. We'll pull out Friday morning and head up stream leaving the blue water and dolphins in our wake but today is Walmart day! Sure wish our stimulus check would come in so we could buy some Cheetos, chips and cigarettes while we're there. Seriously though, for a boater with limited access to transportation Wally World is a one stop shopping facility.

Sunday 5/10/09 & Monday 5/11/09 Happy Mothers Day! We pulled out of Clearwater at 7:18 am. Not a happy start to Mothers Day fro Pam. Too early! After sliding out Clearwater Pass we turned toward the Florida Panhandle. About the only boat we saw once away from shore was a shrimper. Seas were good with only a 1' to 2' chop out of the N-West. Pretty much on the nose. We had a pretty uneventful crossing until the last 30 miles when the seas kicked up to 3' with an occasional 4' thrown in and came at us directly broadside. Not a big deal, just not the most comfortable ride. About that same time we passed a 100' Air Force tower out in the middle of nowhere. There are several of these in this area of the Gulf. I'm not sure what their purpose is but you can see them for several miles. At 5:38 pm we dropped anchor behind Dog Island, 171.6 miles from Clearwater. Time for a shower!

Monday we pulled out of Dog Island and headed into Carabelle, Fl. to take on fuel at C-Quarters Marina. Not a huge marina. More of a pier with a pump but the friendly dock attendants were ready to take our lines as we came in. (Pelicans) After filling up we headed back out into the GICW which starts in this area and heads west behind the protection of the barrier islands. We passed the oyster farmers in Apalachicola Bay. Past the shrimper fleet in Apalachicola and on through the GICW to Panama City. A scenic ride with some wide spots and some barely wide enough to meet another boat. We arrived at St. Andrews Marina around 4 pm. Fueled and washed the salt off of Tourist. Dinner was at the Captains Table about 2 blocks away where we had a dozen Cajun baked oysters on the half shell (delicious) and other sea food delights. A great place that doesn't look like much from the outside but packed with people on the inside!

Tuesday 5/5/09 thru Saturday 5/9/09 Tuesday thru Friday we did a host of boat chores. Tourist got 2 new batteries, a new flag, washed, oil changed, oil & fuel filters changed, strainers cleaned and to top it off we made a trip to the flea market! It was nice to get back to Legacy and visit with the few remaining boaters who were still there. Some went home for the summer, others start travelling in their boats this time of year since the winds usually die down making for a more comfortable ride. For us our chores are done and it's time to start heading home.

Saturday we pulled out of Legacy at 7:52 am and headed down the Caloosahatchie. It was a nice ride since not too many of the weekenders were out yet. We picked up the GICW and headed north past Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Once we got to Charlotte Harbor we turned to the Gulf and headed out Boca Grande Pass. About 2 thirds of the way out a boat hailed us on the VHF and said there was a whale ahead of us. Sure enough, right in the middle of the channel. We tried to take pictures of him but not very successfully. He was about 30' long and was just lazily swimming in the channel. Every once in awhile he would exhale and shoot water into the air. Pretty cool!

The seas were calm and we cruised offshore up to Clearwater avoiding the traffic of the GICW. The vhf was humming with reports of boats on fire and people in the water. The Coast Guard was busy. When we came into Clearwater we spotted our first pirates of the whole trip. We had to wait for them to pass and hoped that they wouldn't fire on us. We made it safely into Clearwater Municipal Marina. Fueled up and tucked Tourist into a slip for the night.

Sunday 5/3/09 & Monday 5/4/09 Sunday arrived under bright sunny skies at our anchorage in Biscayne Bay. After morning coffee we got ready to pull anchor when I spotted a rope right beside the boat. Not wanting to wrap it around a prop I got the boat hook out and fished it out of the water. Hmmm. There's something on the other end. I started getting excited thinking maybe it was an anchor or something I could use. Wrong! A crab pot without the usual marker float. Not wanting to leave all that rope floating for someone else to get tangled in and unable to get the pot onto our boat we did the next best thing. Pam got me the trusty hunting knife located just inside the back door for special occasions like this and we sent the pot to the bottom and stuffed the rope in a garbage can for later disposal. After this excitement we backtracked a couple miles to Crandon Park Marina and took on fuel before heading into the Keys. Sunday is a busy day anywhere on the water and it was no exception here. Every idiot that had a boat was out. Not bad on Biscayne Bay but once into the narrow ICW channel in the Keys stupidity reigns supreme. We think the bass boats cruise too close at home. Try a squadron of cruisers ranging in size from 30' on up weaving and cutting in and out of the slower boats. Apparently they only slow down when they run out of fuel. All of this in 5' of water or less. I miss the Bahamas already! One of the pics shows the sand being churned up by Tourist in the shallow areas.

We ended the day anchored off Upper Matecumbe Key. The same place where we drug anchor on the way to the Bahamas. Since we didn't get into the Lorelei restaurant on the way over we thought we'd give it another try. All I can say is fantastic! Jerk pork & chicken and cool soothing rumrunners followed by a beautiful sunset. The boat even stayed put making it a great ending to a hectic day.

Monday we got under way at 7:30 am and travelled at trawler speed till noon due to the shallowness of the water in the yacht channel which leads from the Keys to deeper water off the SW coast of Florida. Shortly after leaving we passed a flock of birds sitting on sticks just outside the channel in the shallows. Once in deeper water we inched the throttles forward and headed to Ft. Myers and Legacy Harbor. Gone was the Gin clear water of the Bahamas and the deep blue of the Atlantic. We are now in the murky waters of Florida Bay. We arrived at Legacy just as the staff was closing for the day. They saw us coming and stayed around to help with lines etc. It felt like home as we were greeted by some of the folks who we had gotten to know during the winter.

437 miles in three days. Not bad. Sometimes it's nice to have speed available although trawler speed is much more relaxing. Next up......boat chores to get ready to head home.

Back in the USSA

Friday 5/1/09 & Saturday 5/2/09 Friday morning we woke up to find the cockpit floor had been used for target practice by the birds. Poop everywhere! While cleaning it up I came across the culprit. It wasn't a whole flock. Just one scared bird who had gotten himself in a corner and didn't know how to get out. I scooped him up with a towel and set him on the swim platform where he proceeded to take a couple of hops and flop into the water! Don't fret. He flapped his wings and after a couple of botched attempts made it into the air and flew away.

After the bird episode we pulled anchor and headed to Nassau to take our chances on finding a slip. We wanted to get to Nassau to stage for the better weather that was to come on Saturday and Sunday for crossing back to the states. When we got near I radioed the marina and much to our delight was told they had an opening. Next I called Harbor Control and didn't need an interpreter this time. We were granted permission to enter the harbor and proceed to the marina. The nice thing about this marina is that there is a shopping center directly across the street from it with a City Market grocery store and a KFC! we stocked up on needed items and later had cocktails on Jeanine, a 44' Gozzard sailboat with BJ and Karl from Marco Island, Fl. who we had met earlier in the trip at Highborne.

Saturday we were up early to check out and get underway. Our original plan was to head to Lucaya, overnight, then cross to Stuart, Fl. and from there cross Lake Okechobee to Ft. Myers. Those plans got dashed when I saw that the lake had fallen 5" overnight from 5'8" to 5'3" of navigable water depth. Tourist draws 4'. To make matters worse the lake bottom is rock not sand or mud. One bump and we got trouble! We decided to head back to Miami and retrace our path through the Keys and up the West coast of Florida.

On our way out of Nassau we met a Carnival cruise ship coming into port. We made it just in time. Several boats who called Harbor Control after us were told to wait until the ship got docked. Our trip from Nassau to Miami was 196 miles. We left at 8:10 am and arrived at Key Biscayne at 6:42 pm. A nice run topped off by a Cuban Cohiba after clearing in with Customs over the phone. On the way into Miami we played chicken with another Carnival ship on it's way out. Guess who won?

Stuck in Paradise

Monday 4/27/09 thru Thursday 4/30/09 Anchor up at 11:07 am and off to Highborne Cay where we spent some time on the way into the Exumas. The wind was still whipping at around 25 knots which again made for a lumpy ride. To soften the ride I employed an old sailboat tactic of tacking so that we were hitting the waves at an angle instead of them hitting us broadside. Much better! Again we enjoyed a meal catered by Cool Runner at Highborne. This time ribs for me and a lobster salad for Pam. Both very good but I must add that the ribs don't compare to the ribs from chef Moose back home! While at Highborne we tried to reserve dockage at the Nassau Harbor Club in Nassau only to be told each day that we tried that nothing was available. Seems no one was leaving due to the winds and rough seas. After 3 nights at Highborne we decided to slide up to Allens Cay and check out the Iguanas on the island. We anchored off the west side of the island close to a Bahamian Defence boat and dinghied in to the beach. At first it looked like any other beach until we got close. From out of the brush they came as if we had tripped a sensor on the way in. It looked like a scene from Jurrasic Park. Pam had cut up some veggies to feed them and they fought each other as we threw them onto the beach. Of course Pam stayed in the dinghy! From there we went to SW Allens Cay to a beach thinking we could sit there and have a couple of Kaliks. Wrong! Same scene all over again. Out of the brush they came! Back in the dinghy and back to the boat. We dug out the State Farm koozies and enjoyed the drinks without worry of attack.