A few miles down the lake and I hear a boat named Confetti on the radio talking to Pickwick Lock. The gist of the conversation was that a down bound tow was just leaving the lock and that it would take about 15 minutes to get the water back up to accommodate them (Confetti). Also in the conversation I picked up that there was an up bound tow just a few miles below the lock. Hmmm. I know how these things work. Once the lock lowers Confetti they will wait for the up bound tow even if there is adequate time to raise the water again and get us through resulting in a lot of sitting and waiting for us. Only one thing to do. Push the throttles forward. We needed to run at a higher rpm for awhile anyway and this was a good time to do it. About 3 miles out I called the lock and requested a lockage. Good news. They still were raising the water for Confetti and we would lock down together when the chamber was ready. Sometimes it's nice to have a little extra power.
I had talked to Dick on Confetti the day before about how we travel at a much slower pace than most Sea Rays and joked that Tourist was a Sea Ray Trawler. So while we waited for the gates to open I called Confetti and explained that I took Tourist above trawler speed so that I didn't hold them up at the lock which could have happened if we would have called the lock earlier and maintained our slower speed. The lock would have waited for us before locking them down. He understood but in closing out our conversation he chuckled and said "Trawler my ass!".
Once the water was lowered and the gates opened Dick waved for us to exit first. Even at our slow speed we were out sight of one another within an hour.
Sure enough about 3 miles downstream we met the tow Lexington pushing toward the lock.
A few miles further and we were passing the Shiloh Battlefield and just beyond that the Catfish Hotel Restaurant.
We passed another up bound tow near Clifton, Tn. where Pam & I spent our first Thanksgiving on the boat back in the fall of 2008.
We continued downstream pushing on to an anchorage behind Densons Island. A little farther than I wanted to go but with the forecast for thunderstorms and strong winds for the next day I wanted to get closer to Pebble Isle Marina to shorten the run since we had planned on fueling and overnighting there anyway.
We anchored in 30' of water and tried to cool down since it was very hot (87) and humid.
What a difference a day makes. We awoke to light rain and temps in the low 50's. Coffee made. Anchor up and we were underway.
Intermittent rain followed us for the 30 mile journey to Pebble Isle.
Fortunately there was a gap in the rain as we pulled up to the fuel dock and also while we moved to our overnight location.
Pebble Isle may seem somewhat remote but the facilities are good. The prices on dockage and fuel are good. And the staff is friendly and accommodating. A good stop.
Later that afternoon the predicted rains and wind came making it nice to be plugged in to power and secured to a dock.
We awoke to winds and rain and for awhile contemplated staying another day. Pam made bloody Mary's to help in our decision making and had a small audience watching from outside.
We hung around until around 9:30 when the winds started to die down. There was still a trace of rain in the air but it wasn't heavy and the forecast promised diminishing winds and clearing by noon. With the lines untied the wind pushed us off the dock. No fancy maneuvering required for this exit!
Once onto the main channel the conditions were pretty good. Slight chop on the water. Winds at 10 to 15 mph and occasional rain.
Moving downstream from Pebble Isle the river widens into Kentucky Lake. About at that point the skies began to darken again and it looked like things might get snotty for a few minutes. Fortunately it was just a dark sky and a little more wind.
After that the skies began to lighten and in true Kentucky Lake fashion we were being passed by fishing boats coming from all directions.
The lake is a Mecca for these boats and it never fails when crossing it that you encounter them like a swarm of mosquitos. They're everywhere! And they come from all over the country as evidenced by the registration numbers on their boats. The nice thing is that when they blow by us at 60 mph they leave a wake the same height as our dinghy makes. Certainly not like being passed by a big sport fisherman on the ICW.
We covered the miles on the lake and anchored at Duncan Bay for the night. Of course we weren't alone until dark.
We liked our spot so well that we stayed another night to enjoy the tranquility before heading into Green Turtle Bay.
Saturday we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then began the final leg of our voyage. A little more travel on the lake and then we turned into the man made canal that connects the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers.
A short distance later and we were on the Cumberland and turning into Green Turtle Bay. (www.greenturtlebay.com)
Our first stop was at the fuel dock to top off the fuel tanks, unload the waste tank, and get our slip assignment. Mission accomplished we headed to our home for the summer. Randy, one of the staff members drove over to assist us in getting settled.
Good thing he did. As we approached our slip we noticed it was occupied. Oops! Randy directed us into another slip while he sorted things out. A couple of phone calls and Bill Gary, the marina manager arrived with their push boat. Hooked up to the boat in our slip and off they went. Seemed that the maintenance department had put it there and didn't inform anyone.
Randy returned and made sure all was ok and then gave Pam a ride back to our car which had been parked at the marina for the past month. Of course it takes some time to get the lines just right and everything positioned.
We're in a 60' covered slip that we drive into bow first giving us the ability to launch the dinghy and use it to tool around the marina.
Of course our first night we made our way to the Commodore Yacht Club for libations and dinner to celebrate our arrival.
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