Rain, Rain Go Away

Friday, June 12, 2009 We're back at Green Turtle Bay after a couple weeks at home. The highlight of our trip home was Grandson Drew's' 8th grade graduation. During the ceremony he played guitar and sang. He even wrote a verse of the song. He sounded great and never missed a cord. (takes after me. Ha!) The picture shows Pam, Drew, grandson Luke, & yours truly.

We got back to the boat Wednesday afternoon and found it pretty much as we left it. Just dirtier. Thursday was cleanup day with the thought of leaving today. Mother Nature however has other plans. Thunderstorms with flash flooding rolled through the area last night as they have been doing over the area of our travels for the past few days. A look at the weather map shows no let up for the next several days. St. Louis is predicted to get near 5 inches over the next 4 days and the river is rising again. It's predicted to be up 3 feet by Sunday which translates to more current and debris to fight. The worst part is that between here and Alton, Illinois there are no islands to hide behind to get out of the current. Only small tributaries which are subject to flash flooding when it rains hard. I think we'll sit tight for a few more days and watch the geese behind Tourist.

A check of the Coast Guard Navigation Notices shows a warning to be on the look out for heavy debris in the waters below St. Louis and barges transiting the area should have a pilot on board who has high water experience. Could we make it? Certainly but why? It's called pleasure boating after all!

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.