L'Attitude Changer

Arriving Home to Burnt Store Marina

2008-11-20T05:44:00.000-08:00

Pictures taken by our friends.

The End of the Trip

2008-11-15T06:31:00.000-08:00

Fuzzy’s big adventure is over. He completed The Great Loop with Nana and Papa. Look at the placemats Fuzzy sent you to see where he went on his trip.

Fuzzy really enjoyed traveling and he is glad he got to go along. He saw a lot of new places, met a lot of nice people and learned a lot of new things. Fuzzy will always have many good memories of this trip.

Fuzzy is glad he could share the trip with his cousins and hopes you enjoyed reading about his adventures. Fuzzy hopes you will be able to see many different places. Be sure to say yes if you get the chance to travel.

Sarasota, FL – Burnt Store Marina, FL - November 14, 2008

2008-11-15T06:28:00.000-08:00

We did it! We returned to the port we left 8 months ago, arriving in Burnt Store Marina on Friday, November 14, at 2:00, after traveling 6017 miles and spending 227 days on the boat.

Our friends, Dennis and Judy and Bob and Margaret met us at the dock and helped us celebrate. Champagne for all!

It was a beautiful day for the last day of this trip. We had the anchor up and were underway at 7. The sky was overcast with little wind. It turned partly cloudy around 10 and the wind picked some, but we had a very smooth ride.

This trip enabled us to see parts of the country we probably wouldn’t have seen from a vantage point that many people don’t get to have. We have met many wonderful people, both those living and working in the places we visited and those traveling by boat, as we were.

In retrospect, doing the loop in less than 1 year prevented us from spending as much time in some areas as we would have liked. It also kept us away from family and friends for longer periods of time than we would have liked. Those people who spend several years doing the loop may have a better idea. They go home more frequently and for longer periods of time.

There are parts of our trip we would like to re-visit. We particularly enjoyed the east coast, Canada and the Great Lakes.

Although we are very happy to be back on land for a while and see our families, we look forward to spending some more time on our boat.

Clearwater, FL. – Sarasota, FL - November 13, 2008

2008-11-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

We went to Frenchy’s for dinner last night with Kay and Gene. It was celebratory meal of sorts for having survived the gulf crossing. You wouldn’t think a restaurant by that name would specialize in seafood, but they do. We all had grouper sandwiches that were excellent.

We slept in today. We had been undecided whether to stay in Clearwater another day or continue on towards Burnt Store Marina. But, since we are both anxious to get back, we decided to leave today. However, our start was at a much more reasonable hour, 8:30.

The forecast had been for scattered showers today, but it turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day. We also had a very smooth ride for the first part of the day. We were traveling south, into a southerly wind. A very calm, breezy trip.

We were back out in the gulf for the first part of today rather than taking the ICW. We saved about 15 miles by doing that as well as not having to slow down for the numerous no wake zones. After crossing Tampa Bay we got back into the ICW. The winds picked up just as we were getting out of Tampa Bay. We’re glad we were in more protected waters.

We anchored at 3:30 in Roberts Bay near Sarasota. 56.8 miles today. The picture is of our new burgee, indicating we have completed the loop.

Cedar Key, FL. - Clearwater, FL. - November 12, 2008

2008-11-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

We both slept very well last night. In fact, we slept straight through the night, and that is an extremely rare occurrence. It was probably due to the cumulative effect of the last 2 days rough seas and the fact that we didn’t sleep much the previous night.

The anchor was up and we were underway at 6:45. The day started out pretty cloudy and calm. It was much nicer than the previous 2 days. However, Mother Nature was just playing with us. As soon as we got back in the channel and out of the protection of the islands, the waves and wind picked up. Certainly not as bad as the past 2 days, but again, an uncomfortable ride.

After a couple of hours of this, the wind died and the rest of our day was nice and smooth. Today was also nice and warm. A change from the cold of the past 2 days.

Everything was going well, everything had been going well. Too good to believe, right? Right. So, Beth was driving while also keeping an eye out for crab pots, which are scattered all over the gulf. While avoiding 2 crab pots to port she ran over one dead ahead. The line cutters by the props did cut the line, so the trap was cut loose. But we did have the float and about 25’ of line trailing us. We put the boat in neutral, Beth picked up the line out of the water with a boat hook and Darrell cut it as close to the boat as possible. Luckily, the propeller seems to be just fine. We’ll get the rest of the line when we pull the boat out of the water.

We arrived in Clearwater, FL at 4:20 p.m., after 84.6 miles.

Last year, in 2007, we took our boat on a shakedown cruise from Burnt Store Marina up to Clearwater, FL and back again. So, although we’re not back to Burnt Store Marina where we started our trip, we have completed “The Great Loop”, because we crossed our wake as we entered Clearwater Inlet. We have encircled the eastern portion of the U.S. by water. We are now fully “looped”! We have replaced our AGLCA “In Progress” flag with the gold flag that signifies a “Completed” loop.

We will wait to hold our major celebration for a few days until we return to Burnt Store Marina.

Steinhatchee, Fl – Cedar Key, FL. - November 11, 2008

2008-11-11T12:07:00.001-08:00

Our anchorage last night was about 5 miles offshore in 18 feet of water. Everything was quite smooth and nice until midnight when, with a combination of wind and current, the boat began rocking quite a lot. We were both awake on and off through the rest of the night.

We were up at 6 and raised the anchor at 6:45. Although the wind was forecasted to be subsiding and coming from the east, it didn’t start out that way. The first 5 hours of our day were quite uncomfortable, almost the same as yesterday. The seas were confused with rolling waves.

Around noon the wind subsided and the last 1½ hours of our day were quite nice and calm. There were more dolphins again today, after it became nice.

We anchored at 1:45 this afternoon off of Cedar Key. Not as long a day as yesterday, but almost as tiring.

Carrabelle, FL – Steinhatchee, FL - November 10, 2008

2008-11-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

Because of the weather forecasted for the next few days, if we didn’t leave today, it would be several more days before we could.

With the wind today coming from the NE and changing to E later today and tonight, an overnight crossing directly to Clearwater wouldn’t be a wise thing to do. Darrell & Gene discussed options with a man at the marina who had much local knowledge.

It would be better for us to stay on the upper part of the gulf today and go east to Steinhatchee and spend the night. We would be able to make that crossing during the day and would anchor just off shore. Tomorrow, with the wind coming from the east, we would be able to hug the coastline while going south. That sounded like a good plan and, although it would take 1 or 2 extra days to get to Clearwater, we would be able to leave today.

We got underway at 6:45, just before sunrise. The first 3-4 hours were very uncomfortable. We were getting 3-5’ seas and taking spray on the flybridge.

We made preparations to steer from below, if necessary, but found we felt more secure on the flybridge. Also, we were less prone to get queasy. We just had to be extremely careful when going below. Life jackets were on at all times.

We were traveling slower than we would have liked to in order for Kay & Gene on Sojourn to travel at the speed best suited for them. After a bit we sped up and turned our bow into the quartering seas to make for a more comfortable ride. We ran off on a more northerly course for a while and eventually increased the distance between us and Sojourn. Around noon the wind subsided some and we turned directly toward Steinhatche as the ride became smoother. Many dolphin this afternoon. It was wonderful to watch them.

We anchored in Steinhatchee Harbor at 4:15. Sojourn anchored a short distance away. 78.6 miles. Long day.

Apalachicola, FL – Carrabelle, FL - November 9, 2008

2008-11-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

We had a short run today, only 30 miles, so Darrell did some work in the engine room before leaving at 10:30. He’s still trying to get the autopilot to work consistently. He also transferred fuel from one tank to another.

It was a nice day for traveling. Quite calm, however the wind picked up shortly before we got to Carrabelle at 2:15. We only saw a few dolphins today, but did see some eagles.

Kay and Gene on Sojourn will arrive here later this afternoon. We will look at the latest weather forecast and determine what path to take. The forecast for a direct crossing is iffy and is not expected to improve for quite a while. During November, there are only an estimated 4-5 days that are considered good weather days for a direct crossing. It may be better to head towards Steinhatchee tomorrow while the winds are out of the North/Northeast - and then run close to the coastline as the winds are expected to come out of the east for several days beginning Tuesday.

Fuzzy Sliding Down the Hill

2008-11-09T04:40:00.000-08:00

When Fuzzy was taking a walk with Nana and Papa and Aunt Keely, he saw some kids sliding down a grass hill on a piece of cardboard. He had never heard of that. He thought you needed snow to slide on.

Fuzzy asked the kids why they were sliding on grass and found out that in Tennessee they don’t get much snow. They still like to slide down hills and they found out they can do it on the grass.

Fuzzy thought that really looked like fun and wanted to try it. A little girl named Brooke said she would take Fuzzy for a ride. He had a lot of fun!! Have you ever gone down a grass hill on a piece of cardboard?

Panama City, FL – Apalachicola, FL - November 8, 2008

2008-11-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

We left Panama City a little after 7 this morning and continued our trip in the ICW. Kay and Gene from Sojourn are also leaving today, but will travel in the gulf, outside of the ICW, due to the height of their mast. There are too many low wires and bridges for them to travel in the ICW. They also need a 6’ depth and some of the ICW is more shallow than that. We will meet up with them again tomorrow, at Carrabelle.

Part of our travel today was through Wetappo Creek, a beautiful, winding river. There were many fishermen out today, probably because it was the week-end. We had to slow down quite often to avoid waking them.

We docked at Apalachicola Municipal Marina at 2:30 this afternoon. We got off the boat and walked around town. It’s a nice, small touristy town with old Victorian homes, many converted to bed and breakfasts.

Panama City, FL – November 7, 2008

2008-11-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

We, along with Kay and Gene ate pizza last night on our flybridge. It was nice to visit with friends and hear about their adventures. There was also a view of a beautiful sunset.

This morning they had us over to their boat for breakfast, which included Bloody Mary’s. Larry Rathbun, piloting a Nordic Tug, joined us. He has been traveling with Kay and Gene since the Mississippi River. They met when they were stuck together at a marina during the flood waters and they have pretty much been staying together since then.

The rest of the day was spent doing small chores and relaxing. Darrell washed the boat while Beth walked to the grocery store to pick up a few items. F18 jets were flying over us all day long. We are close to the Navy base in Pensacola and there must have been training going on.

Panama City, FL – November 6, 2008

2008-11-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

Today was spent doing chores and maintenance on the boat. Darrell changed oil in the starboard engine, replaced zincs in the engines and oil coolers, changed the primary fuel filters and worked on fixing an autopilot problem. The autopilot will work for a while, then suddenly stop. After talking to the company that made it, Darrell checked a number of items and burnished the contacts on a power relay. We are hoping that fixes the problem.

While Darrell did all that, Beth walked to a marine supply store to buy some parts for the boat. Then she walked around downtown Panama City. There were a couple of nice shops.

Kay and Gene Jurrens pulled into the marina around 3 this afternoon. We had talked to them yesterday and knew they would be here. They are docked right next to us. We are planning to have dinner together, we think we’ll order pizza.

Fort Walton Beach, FL – Panama City, FL - November 5, 2008

2008-11-05T14:38:00.000-08:00

Shortly after we left the dock at 7:30 we passed under a bridge and into Choctawatchee Bay. That is a large body of water but we had a nice, easy crossing.

We saw many dolphins. They came very close to the boat and were surfing next to us and also just ahead of us at the bow. The dolphins would often turn on their sides and look up at Beth and the boat. Beth spent much time shooting many, many pictures, just hoping to get a couple to turn out.

After crossing the bay we entered into a 20 mile canal that has been dubbed Florida’s “Grand Canyon”. Parts of it reminded us of the Badlands in the Black Hills. In this area we saw eagles soaring and an eagle nest. We also saw an airboat, probably taking a group of people on a tour. Through the canal we had the current with us. We were consistently running 9.8 or 9.9 mph.

Out of the canal and into St. Andrews Bay where we saw more dolphins. There was a pod of about 10 of them swimming behind us for a little while. It was an awesome sight.

We arrived at Panama City Marina at 3:00.

English Navy Cove, FL. – Fort Walton Beach, FL - November 4, 2008

2008-11-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

We didn’t have a long way to go today, so we didn’t leave until 8:15. It was overcast this morning and a little chilly. About late morning the sun came out and it warmed up considerably.

One of the barrier islands we passed was marked restricted on the charts, was undeveloped and had nothing but several radar domes and a tall observation tower. The water on the gulf side of the island is a training area for US Navy pilots to drop ordinance so we figured the radar and tower was support for the training. We saw a C130 military plane flying around and Darrell saw a couple of fighter aircraft.

We had our first dolphin sighting since we’ve been back in salt water. Several of them were playing in the waterway. Beth didn’t get pictures of them.

We docked at Fort Walton Beach at 1:00. Fort Walton offers free overnight docking. There is no electricity, but it is a very nice pier with fingers and is within walking distance to town. We walked about a mile to West Marine and Napa and stopped at Publix for groceries on our way back to the boat. The waterfront area is anice park and the main street, just a block away, has a number of bar/restaurants, and neat shops
- a nice place.

Fairhope, AL – English Navy Cove, FL. - November 3, 2008

2008-11-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

Now that it becomes dark earlier in the afternoon, we need to get an early start if we want to travel any distance during the day. We were up at 6:15 and on our way at 7.

The marina we stayed at the past 2 nights had been about midway down Mobile Bay and today we went 25 miles further before joining the ICW. On Mobile Bay we started plotting our course again and following it on the GPS – Darrell is happy! . On the Tenn-Tom Waterway all you do is keep it between the banks of the river and the red and green buoys.

We passed by Lulu’s Restaurant. Lulu, the owner, is Jimmy Buffett’s sister. It’s a popular stop because occasionally Jimmy will drop in.
Until we reach Carrabelle, FL, will be on the ICW. It’s nice to be back in salt water with barrier islands protecting us from big water. It’s also good to see sand again. There were beautiful beaches with dunes. It’s probably obvious we’re happy to be back in Florida.

We also passed Pensacola, FL. Pensacola is a large navy town, with the Pensacola Naval Air Station located there. That is the home of the Blue Angels. A couple of jets flew overhead as we passed by.

We dropped our anchor at 3:00. 65.7 miles and 8 hours.

Fairhope, AL – November 2, 2008

2008-11-03T06:07:00.000-08:00

Fairhope is a beautiful town of around 12,000 that began over a hundred years ago when an adventurous group of people sought their personal utopia. It is located on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay and they boast nearly a 0 crime rate. There are many boutiques and art galleries featuring local artists located in their downtown area.

While Darrell worked on the boat, Beth took the courtesy car to downtown Fairhope. Unfortunately, because it was Sunday, nearly every store was closed. She found only 4 open stores; a bookstore, 2 boutiques and the Fairhope Street Artists. Fairhope Street Artists is a gallery showing the works of many local artists. Each artist has their own wall and one of them was outside painting when she walked by. The pictures are of downtown Fairhope and inside one of the art galleries.

Darrell has been working on the autopilot, trying to get it working correctly. Beth cleaned the bumpers. Now that we are through with the locks, we hope to keep the bumpers cleaner.

Fuzzy and the Butterflies

2008-11-02T07:46:00.000-08:00

Fuzzy really likes butterflies. He thinks they are so pretty and come in so many different colors. Fuzzy had seen many butterflies around the boat and Nana got some pictures of them. Then Fuzzy got to go the Butterfly House when he went to the aquarium with Nana, Papa and Aunt Keely. A Butterfly House is like an indoor garden. The butterflies get to fly around, but they can’t fly away. We get to walk in the house and see the butterflies up close. One butterfly came and sat on Auntie Keely’s camera and another one landed on Nana’s hand!!!

Fuzzy found out that butterflies have four wings and six legs and they taste with their feet! They also have two antennae and they use their antennae to smell. WOW!

Fuzzy likes butterflies so much that when he saw a butterfly chair he had to sit on it and have his picture taken.

Big Bayou Canot, AL – Fairhope, AL, - November 1, 2008

2008-11-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

We pulled our anchor at 8:30 and very soon we were back into the waterway on our way to Mobile. Almost immediately we passed 1 tow and met 2 others. Both of the northbound tows were hauling coal.

Very soon we saw the Mobile skyline. YES!!! As we got closer to Mobile Bay the river traffic really picked up. There were many tows and also many barges tied to shore waiting for a tug. The number of tows indicated how close we were getting to a major commercial center.

The scenery had been slowly changing for the past few days. We have been seeing cypress trees, tall grasses and more marshy looking areas.

As we cruised through Mobile’s harbor, we passed what Darrell believes was a Prototype of a Navy stealth ship. It was a catamaran and did not appear to be commissioned since the hull number was painted over. We found a picture of it (on the web) of it being launched. Rumored to be commissioned the USS Indianapolis.

We passed the cruise ship terminal where Norwegian cruise ship “Spirit” was docked. Beth mentioned she would be up for a cruise and would like to be “pampered” for a while. We passed a working dredge and an old Coast Guard ship that was aground and abandoned.

We got to downtown Mobile, mile 0 of the Tenn-Tom waterway. We are glad to be out of the river system. We were now in Mobile Bay. On our way to our marina on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay we saw fishermen dragging nets to catch fish. The gulls were all over the boat, hoping for some food.

We arrived at our marina at 11:30, put on 128 gallons of diesel and docked. We took the courtesy car and went into town. It was good to get off the boat for a time.

We came back to the boat for a while, then took the car again and went to dinner. After driving around checking out places to eat we decided on the Fly Creek Café, just across the creek by boat, but about 3 miles away by car. It’s a boaters hangout with lots of character and local color. Local artwork (Fairhope is a artists community) hangs on the walls along with retro posters and black & white photos. It has a resident cat, pool table, Pac-man and great early 60’s music playing in the background.

The wine choices were chardonnay, merlot and white zinfandel. Beth ordered chardonnay and it was delivered in a small bottle with a plastic glass. When we asked what food they are known for our server told us it was the hamburgers and their fish, shrimp, and clam poor-boys. Darrell had a Fly Burger (regular, plain hamburger) and Beth ordered a Surge Burger. That was a Fly Burger with BBQ sauce, grilled pineapple, bacon and cheese. They were the largest hamburgers we had every seen and they were both extremely good. We were very happy with our choice of restaurants.

Upper Sunflower Bend Cutoff, AL – Big Bayou Canot, AL - October 31, 2008

2008-11-02T05:33:00.000-08:00

There was fog again this morning. This is one of the boats we’re traveling with. Can you see him? He is anchored only 150’ feet from us. The fog lifted quickly and we were underway at 8:30.

We found there was a very large northbound tow in the midst of moving through a very narrow serpentine part of the river. He was 3 barges wide and took up nearly the entire channel while maneuvering from turn to turn. In this area we could not meet while both of us were moving. The tow said he would pull over to the side and let us pass.

We were now in ‘gator country and the first one we saw was dead, floating in the river. It wasn’t long until we found one sunning on the bank.

Suddenly, after rounding a bend we saw the S/V Sojourn anchored in a small inlet. Sojourn is a sailboat owned by our friends Gene and Kay Jurrens. They left Lake City, Minnesota in August and have cruised down the river systems on their way to Burnt Store Marina, which is also our destination. They also have a blog and we thought they were about 1 day ahead of us. We were surprised to overtake them.

When they didn’t answer their radio on 16, we decided to sneak up on them. They were down below and didn’t see us until we were quite close and Darrell blew the foghorn to get their

attention. We rafted up with them, and had a nice visit before leaving for our intended anchorage.

We anchored at Big Bayou Canot at 4:30.

Bashi Creek, AL – Upper Sunflower Bend Cutoff, AL - October 30, 2008

2008-11-02T05:27:00.000-08:00

We were up at 7 and were hoping to get an early start, but we were fogged in. It was very cold and Darrell started the generator so we could get some heat.

We had anchored in a very narrow creek off the river and by 8 we could see the river and across to the other side. It seemed as though the fog was lifting and the 2 boats rafted to us left at 8. It was 10 minutes later, after raising both bow and stern anchors, that we followed. We were surprised when getting to the main channel the boats had stopped and were waiting for us. The

reason was extremely heavy fog. We found that the fog had burned off only in the areas the sun was hitting. There was still fog in the shaded areas. We had radar and crept ahead of them so we could lead. It was rough going for about 15 minutes. The pictures are when the fog had almost lifted.

Here is another example of how this river twists and turns. After we had been traveling 1 hour 15 minutes we had gone 9 river miles. It was 1.4 air miles.

We arrived at out last lock (the Coffeeville Lock &

Dam) a little before noon and were fortunate again that we didn’t have to wait for any commercial traffic. We were out of our last lock at 12:20. That’s a grand total of 107 locks.

After this lock we were only 4’ above sea level. The tide can now start to affect us.

We have met and passed many tows on this trip. Because all pleasure boats can maneuver easier than a tow in tight quarters, you always call the tow and ask them what side they want you pass on. For example, when meeting, they will let you know whether to pass on the 1 whistle (port to port) or the 2 whistle (starboard to starboard). They know the river much better than any pleasure boater and you do what they say. Generally when passing on a turn they have you pass on the inside of the tow.

We got to our anchorage at 4:30. It has finally started to warm up. It was absolutely beautiful this afternoon.

1 lock – total 107

Demopolis, AL – Bashi Creek, AL - October 29, 2008

2008-10-31T15:09:00.000-07:00

The boat we were rafted to last night (Decision) planned to leave at 7:30 this morning, so we set our alarm for 7 to be ready to move for them. Our plan was to re-dock, use the marina’s courtesy car to do a little re-provisioning and then leave after that. Decision delayed their departure due to fog and then relayed to us that the lock was expecting heavy commercial traffic but would lock down one group of RV’s (recreational vehicles) first.

After hearing that we shelved our plan of using the courtesy car and got ready to leave immediately. We certainly didn’t want to wait several hours to go through the lock, especially since we needed to go 71 miles today for an anchorage. There was an “iffy” anchorage in 47 miles, but it was recommended it not be used unless it was an emergency.

There were 2 more boats tied up near us at the marina. There was a 90’ power catamaran and a 70’ motor yacht rafted to the cat. They were huge, beautiful boats. They were also in the lock with us, along with 3 other boats. They soon passed us, they go much faster than we do.

The first six miles south of the lock are very scenic. The banks of the waterway are smooth rock walls, rounded, shaped and carved by water. Moss grows on the rocks and hangs form the trees.

We passed the remains of the old Rooster Bridge. On April 19, 1979 a powerful current turned the tugboat Cahaba sideways, then pushed it down and under the Rooster Bridge. The river was at a record level of 24 feet above flood stage and had come to within a few feet of the steel drawbridge.

The captain was following accepted procedures, but was unable to buck the current and back away from the bridge. That’s when it happened. Eyewitnesses saw the tug disappear into the water and heard it being banged and scraped along the underside of the bridge. But, because the tug had a lot of cement ballast, it popped up on the other side. Badly battered and with water pouring out of its pilothouse, the tug still had one of its two engines running. Three crewmembers, although badly shaken, weren’t seriously injured.

In early 2002, hundred of thousands of internet users and magazine readers were able to see photographs of this event. Google Cahaba Tug to read the story and see the pictures.

We are no longer on the straight canals of the waterway. We are now on the Black Warrior River in this lower part of the Tenn-Tom. This is a photo of one page of the chart book. It is 144 miles by road from Demopolis (where we stayed last night) to Mobile. It is 216 miles by river. The river twists and turns all the way down.

At about 2 this afternoon, Darrell mentioned that we hadn’t seen any tows today. Immediately after he said that we met 3 of them. Beth has discouraged him from saying anything about the last lock we need to go through.

We anchored in Bashi Creek at 5 p.m. 70.3 miles. This was a very narrow creek and we needed both bow and stern anchors. Two boats that were following us rafted to us for the night, one on each side.

Tonight is supposed to be quite cold. 31 degrees. No heat.

1 lock – total 106

Carrollton, AL – Demopolis, AL - October 28, 2008

2008-10-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

It was 91 miles and 2 locks to the next marina (in Demopolis) and we, along with Ebb Tide discussed getting a very early start in hopes of getting there today rather than anchoring. We don’t mind anchoring, but it was going to be quite cold tonight and, if we don’t have shore power, we don’t have heat.

We set the alarm at 6 and hoped the lock ¼ mile away was available. When we called the lock we found they had just locked up a northbound tow and had a southbound waiting to go. There went our chance of reaching the marina today.

However, a little later we found out that the northbound encountered some problems and was crossways in the channel. The southbound tow couldn’t get to the lock until the northbound got straightened out.

We had our radios on and when the lockmaster called to say we could lockdown now, we immediately left the marina. We were through the lock at 7:20. Not as early as we had hoped, but not as late as it could have been.

It was very cold and, for the first time this trip we were going to pilot from the salon, which was warmer than the flybridge. It is unusually cold here, about 20 degrees below normal. Beth has been wearing her scarf!

About 10 we went back up to the flybridge. It actually became warmer up there with the sun shining through the clear plastic of our enclosure.

We called the 2nd lock when we were about ½ hour away to check on availability. They had just locked down, but would turn it around and it would be ready for us when we got there. YES! We got out of the lock at 12:05, with 50 miles to go. We were now committed to getting to the marina, because there was no other place to spend the night, not even an anchorage.

We passed the halfway point between the Tennessee River and downtown Mobile. The rest of the trip should go more quickly because we have already gone through 10 of the 12 locks.

This is Ebb Tide, the boat we had been traveling with for a couple of days. A 25’, very small.

We passed the white cliffs of Epes. They are very pretty.

We arrived at Demopolis Marina at 5:45. There were no slips available, so we had to raft up to another boat, but we are here. A long day, 89.4 miles in 11 hours.

The final 216 miles of the Tenn-Tom have no marinas and we will be anchoring out every night. It is unlikely we will be able to post to our blog until we reach Mobile.

2 locks – total 105

Aberdeen, MS – Carrollton, AL - October 27, 2008

2008-10-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

The marina where we stayed last night was only ½ mile from our next lock. We got up at 6:30 to check for lock availability and fog. The lock was ready with no waiting and there was no fog (due to the wind we were experiencing). We left the marina at 7 with Ebb Tide, one of the 6 boats we were traveling with yesterday. Ebb Tide had stayed at the same marina. The rest of the boats continued on.

Ebb Tide is a 25’ Ranger Tug. It is a very cute boat, but it is small. We think it would be hard for us to travel in that small of a boat. Phil and June, along with their dog, started the loop in Hilton Head, NC. We used the courtesy car the marina offered and went to dinner with them.

In the morning the Tenn-Tom Waterway was narrow and straight. We occasionally saw the original Tombigbee river as it wound in and out of the canal. The original river was very narrow here. This afternoon we traveled more on the original Tombigbee river as it grew wider. There were more curves and higher banks.

We traveled by Columbus Air Force Base whose runways were only a few miles east of us. During World War II, more than 8,000 students came to this base for pilot training. In 1951 it provided training for pilots during the Korean War. Four years later it became the base for the Strategic Air Command (SAC). In 1969 it resumed its training mission and now trains a third of all new U.S. Air Force pilots.

Surprisingly, the number of landings and takeoffs at the base not only makes this the Nation’s busiest Air Force base but also ranks it right up there with Chicago’s O’Hare and Atlanta’s Hartsfield, the two busiest commercial airports.

We saw many T-37 jet trainers. The T-37 has a distinctive whistle, is nicknamed the “Tweety Bird” and is the first trainer Air Force pilots climb into. The other trainer used here is the T-38 or “Talon” that introduces pilots to supersonic and high altitude flight and is used by NASA for chasing the space shuttle during landings.

We got to our second (and last) lock of the day. It was very windy and Ebb Tide had much difficulty getting tied to the bollard. They were finally able to catch the bollard and we locked down.

Today was our daughter Keely’s birthday. We called her this morning to wish her Happy Birthday. We will be seeing everyone in less than 1 month!

We got to Pirates Cove Marina at 2:30. We are now in Alabama and will be for the rest of the trip on the Tenn-Tom Waterway. It is supposed to get quite cold tonight, 29 degrees. We are glad we are in a marina and can use shore power to heat the boat.

2 locks – total 103

Fulton, MS – Aberdeen, MS - October 26, 2008

2008-10-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

Last night was another very cold night. It was hard to get out of our warm bed. We did get up about 7:15 and called the next lock to check on availability. We were anchored about ½ mile from the lock and he said he’d have everything ready in about 20 minutes. There were 6 boats staying at a marina about 2 miles from the lock and when one of them heard our radio conversation, called to ask if the lockmaster would hold the lock so they could lock down with us. That was fine with us, if you miss a lock opening it’s a minimum 1 hour wait to get in.

We were out of the lock at 8:30, along with the other 6 boats. The next lock was in 11 miles but we found out there was a northbound and a southbound tow that would need to go through the second lock before we could. So, we slowed way down and got to the lock as the upbound tow was coming out. We still had to wait for the southbound tow to go through and we had passed them about a mile before the lock. That was where he waited until the northbound tow had passed him.

It was quite frustrating to wait, because by the time the southbound tow got in the lock, we could have been locked down and the chamber refilled and ready for the tow. So, while waiting, we dropped the anchor and had lunch.
We came across the identical situation at the third lock. This time, however, the lockmaster asked the tow captain if he should let the pleasure boats go first. The tow operator said yes. We were very appreciative.

Fortunately we were planning to go only 36 miles today, but with the 3 locks plus the wait, we didn’t get to the marina until 3:30. It took us 8 hours to go 36.7 miles.

There was a lot of debris in the water today. We had to keep an eye out so we didn’t hit any logs or anything that will hurt the propeller. It turned nice and warm by mid-afternoon. A welcome change after the past few days.

3 locks – total 101

Fuzzy at the Rocket Center

2008-10-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

Fuzzy got to go to the Space and Rocket Center with Nana and Papa. The Space and Rocket Center is a place that’s all about astronauts and outer space. Fuzzy didn’t know what an astronaut was. Papa told him an astronaut is a person who travels into space.

Fuzzy saw a movie about 3 Flies hitch-hiking a ride to the moon with the astronauts. It was really good.

Fuzzy got to see the rockets that take astronauts into space and to the moon. He saw the Space Shuttle and the Lunar Rover. He learned about the equipment astronaut’s use and saw the spacesuit that astronauts wear. He and Nana were in an Apollo Command Module Simulator.

There was also a rock climbing wall and Fuzzy got to go on that. The instructor helped him a lot. Fuzzy found out that he liked rock climbing.

Fuzzy found out that there is a Space Camp for kids. After going through the museum and learning all about space and astronauts, Fuzzy wants to go to Space Camp. Then he will study hard in school because now he wants to be an astronaut when he grows up and astronauts have to know a lot, especially about science and math.

Fuzzy is bringing you some astronaut food. He found an ice cream sandwich that is just like astronauts take into space.

Zippy Branch, TN, - Fulton, MS - October 25, 2008

2008-10-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

When we got up this morning there was a beautiful blue sky, but heavy fog down near the water. We weren’t able to leave until 8:45, after some of the fog had burned off.

After a few miles on Yellow Creek, we started our 450 mile trip down the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. This is known as the Tenn-Tom for short and, in reality, is only the 234 miles between the Tennessee River and Demopolis Alabama. The 217 miles between Demopolis and Mobile is the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway however, when boaters refer to the Tenn-Tom they generally are talking about the entire 450 miles.

Construction began on the Tenn-Tom project in 1972 and it opened January of 1985. There are 12 locks and dams on the system. It was a huge project and more dirt was moved to build the Tenn-Tom than was moved to build the Panama Canal. Until we reach Columbus, Mississippi there are only long sections of canals between the lakes that were formed due to the locks and dams that were built. We are told that if we pay attention and just look, there is much beauty in this section of our trip. After Columbus we head southeast into Alabama and that is when we are on many of the small rivers, with twists and hairpin turns.

We met our first (of many) tows on the Tenn-Tom. When on one of the straight stretches of the canal this isn’t a problem. But if you happen to meet a tow on one of the sharp turns you must go to the side they direct you to (usually the inside of the turn). If you don’t you could be forced into shore as the tow swings wide to make the turn.

Our first three locks on the Tenn-Tom were within 13 miles of each other. The first had a drop of 85 feet and is the start of a total drop of 414 feet to the Gulf of Mexico.

We arrived at our first lock about 1:30. There were two boats about 2 miles ahead of us that waited in the lock until we arrived. Then we waited about ½ hour longer for another boat to arrive that had been about 5 miles behind us. The locks like to get as many boats in as possible and prefer to wait to lock rather than locking several times. Once we got through the first lock the rest are supposed to go rather quickly. The lockmasters talk with each other and let them know how many boats are on the way. We did have to wait at the third lock for a tow that was coming out.

“Line up the boat ramp at starboard with the red buoy and the Ford sign on land. Turn to port slightly downstream of the red buoy.” How’s that for anchoring instructions? It was a long day. We didn’t get anchored until 6 p.m.

3 locks – total 98

Rogersville, AL – Zippy Branch, TN, October 24, 2008

2008-10-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

Just as forecasted, there was rain this morning when we got up. It was also cold. We could see our breath when outside. However, after calling the lock and finding it was open, we left the harbor at 7. According to the forecast of last night, we should be running out of the rain sometime late morning or early afternoon. Beth wore long underwear, jeans, turtleneck, jacket and full raingear.

We arrived at our first lock at 7:30 and waited for 2 other boats that had also left today. They arrived about ½ hour after us and we got through the lock about 8:30.

When locking, we have usually been able to tie up on the starboard side. The door to the salon is there and, since you must always attend your line when you are locking, if there is bad weather you can just slip inside, stay dry and still watch the line. Today the lockmaster said to tie up to port so, not only did Beth have to move all the bumpers and lines in the rain, she had to stand outside all the while. Even in full rain gear she got drenched. She is sure the lockmaster took his time and lowered the water slower than usual. It must be noted that Darrell volunteered to stand in the rain while locking through but Beth insisted on handling the lock line.

The three boats stayed together and reached the 2nd lock about 10. This was a drop of nearly 100 feet. We also tied on port but fortunately it stopped raining while we were locking. It started up again just as we left. Since there were only 2 locks today, there was no need to travel together after the 2nd lock. One boat passed us and traveled faster than us and one boat wanted to run slower and fell behind.

The rain stopped around 11, just as was forecast. It eventually cleared and became a beautiful day.

We reached the mouth of the Tenn-Tom Waterway at 3:30. We had decided to anchor tonight, about 1 mile in. We were in and set for the night at 3:45.

2 locks – total 95

Rogersville, AL – October 23, 2008

2008-10-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of the Fall Rendezvous. This morning Darrell listened to a speaker about the Abacos area of the Bahamas. We are considering whether to go there this winter.

This afternoon we attended separate men’s & women’s sessions. These sessions are geared towards answering the questions of people who have not yet started the loop. It is also helpful for those people currently on the loop. There are always new things to learn.
There was a discussion about the challenges of living 24/7 in very close quarters with your spouse/partner. Sometimes discussions can get heated and non-verbal ways of letting off steam are needed. Beth shared Barbara I.’s “full bouquet” spousal communication technique.

We are planning to leave tomorrow but have found out just recently that the Wheeler lock, which is 5 miles away and the first lock we need to go through, is closed due to high wind. There are also several tows waiting to go through when the lock opens again. We are hoping that the lock re-opens tonight and will be available for us tomorrow. There is also rain forecast for tonight & tomorrow – up to 2”. We are hoping we don’t get delayed right when we’re planning to start.

Tonight is our last reception and group dinner. No speaker tonight, but an award banquet
and many drawings for prizes.

Rogersville, AL – October 22, 2008

2008-10-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

Another day of information and visiting with people. We found that there are 2200 memberships in the AGLCA. Most of the memberships are comprised of 2 people so there are approximately 4400 members. Of the 2200 membership, 360 have already completed the Loop, 220 are in the process of doing the Loop and 1620 want to do the Loop.

There is a complete e-mail listing of all the members and everyone uses it to offer information, ask questions and give opinions. That’s a lot of people sharing knowledge.

The lodge at Joe Wheeler Park offered a shuttle into town every afternoon this week. This afternoon Beth took advantage of it and went in to pick up a few more items. The driver Ed, retired to Rogersville from California about 4 years ago. He volunteers at Joe Wheeler Park 40 hours a week. He was very helpful and took us every place we wanted to go.

The dinghy race was held late this afternoon. Each dinghy held 2 people, the helmsman and the navigator. All they had to do was go out 100 yards, round a mark and return. The fastest team won. Sounds simple, right? The driver was blindfolded and the dinghy was driven backwards! A lot of fun to watch! The third place boat used oars rather than an engine.

Tonight, another reception and dinner. There will be a speaker talking about Weather and Weather Radio.

Rogersville, AL – October 21, 2008

2008-10-21T15:15:00.001-07:00

Registration for America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association (AGLCA) Fall Rendezvous & Reunion started at 1 p.m. yesterday. There are 55 boats here for the Rendezvous and 187 people. Many of the attendees arrived by car and are staying at the lodge.

The AGLCA is a wonderful organization. The people who belong are those who have completed the Great Loop, in the midst of doing the Great Loop or those who plan on doing the Great Loop. Everyone is very helpful and share their knowledge with others.

Today we listened to speakers talking about the next 2 segments of our trip. The Tenn-Tom to Mobile, Al. and then Mobile to Carrabelle, FL. There was a “Looper Crawl” where people gave tours of their boats. There was also a Kayak race.
Each evening there is a reception followed by dinner and a speaker.

Rogersville, AL – October 20, 2008

2008-10-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we spent most of the day at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. Huntsville had once been a small and quiet county seat town and has become a busy and thriving city. It is Alabama’s third largest city and aerospace is the reason for its growth.

It all started with Dr. Wernher von Braun who led a team of German scientists in developing Germany’s famous V-2 rocket. Hitler used the rocket to bomb London during the latter days of WWII. When von Braun realized the war was ending and that Russians would soon occupy their test site, he and he team bluffed their way through German checkpoints and surrendered to American forces. In late 1945, more than 100 members of the von Braun team agreed to come to the United States to work under U.S. Army supervision. They were originally assigned to Ft. Bliss, Texas, site of the Army’s expanding rocket program.

In 1950 the Army moved the team to the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. Here, von Braun and his team were responsible for the creation of the Saturn V rocket. This was the vehicle used for orbital space flights and the Apollo missions. Following this were the successes of Skylab and the shuttle programs that continue today.

The Space & Rocket Center is the world’s largest space museum and has the Nation’s largest and finest collection of NASA rockets and army missiles.

There are dozens of hands-on exhibits, flight simulations, an IMAX theater and an extensive outdoor exhibit. There are military rockets, the 354-foot Saturn V moon rocket, a 98-ton full size model of the Space Shuttle, a U.S. Air Force SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, and many artifacts from the Mercury and Apollo space missions. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

This afternoon is the start of the Fall Loopers Rendezvous event. We have already re-connected with several people we met earlier in our trip.

Rogersville, AL – October 19, 2008

2008-10-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

Last night was even colder than the previous night. Neither one of us wanted to get out of our warm bed. We have been showering on the boat because the marina shower is quite a distance away. Today we had to use our space heater when we got out of the shower. Beth even used her heating pad to warm her clothes before she put them on. If this keeps up we won’t need to chill the champagne we have on board to celebrate our completion of the loop.

We went to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center today. More about that tomorrow.

Fuzzy in the Cotton Field

2008-10-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

Fuzzy was riding in the car when he saw a cotton field. Did you know the cotton clothes you wear are made from cotton plants? Fuzzy didn’t know that.

Cotton starts as a seed that grows into a plant. Flowers grow on the plant, then fall off and leave a small seed pot called a boll. The boll keeps growing and finally splits open. This is the cotton. The cotton is picked and the seeds taken out. Then the cotton is spun to make it into thread which is woven into cloth. It is a long process to change this small piece of cotton into a shirt or dress.

This picture is of Fuzzy by cotton plants where the boll has opened. Do you see all the white things? That’s the cotton and it feels like the cotton balls you have at your house. Ask your mom or dad to let you feel a cotton ball.

Fuzzy got a piece of cotton from the field. You can feel it when he gets back home.

Rogersville, AL – October 18, 2008

2008-10-18T16:21:00.001-07:00

It got quite cold last night. We added blankets to the bed and Beth wore her winter pj’s. When we woke this morning we turned on the space heater. It was supposed to warm up to 68 degrees today, but we don’t think it made it there.

We got our rental car around 9:30 this morning and drove into Huntsville. We did a lot of shopping, hoping to get most of what we need for the rest of our trip.

A movie was on the agenda and, after checking out what was available, we decided to go to Eagle Eye. It is a techno-thriller, non-stop action, great special affects and an impossible plotline. (At least we hope it’s impossible). We both enjoyed it.

Driving back to the boat through Joe Wheeler Park we saw around 20 deer, from young fawns to adult does. Tomorrow we’ll go to the Space Center.

Rogersville, AL – October 17, 2008

2008-10-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

Today was spent doing chores around the boat. Darrell was in the engine room all morning and part of the afternoon. Beth was cleaning and defrosting the freezer (yet again). Many Loopers are here already with more coming in the next few days so we want to get everything finished so we are free to visit and trade stories.

The Huntsville excursion that we signed up to attend next Friday was cancelled due to lack of participation. We were to go to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the Botanical Gardens and Burritt on the Mountain. So, we are renting a car for tomorrow and Sunday and will visit some of these attractions ourselves. We will also provision for the last leg of our trip.

It is quite cool today, a cold front passed through last night. It does certainly feel like fall.

Huntsville AL – Rogersville, AL. - October 16, 2008

2008-10-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

Considering we needed to go 56 miles today, we got a rather late start. It was 7:45 before we got underway, however we had no locks we needed to go through.

It was overcast and cool today. It was calm, no wind and water like glass. A little after noon the wind picked up a little and we had sprinkles. Around 2 it started raining.

There was one railway bridge we needed to open for us. It is 9’8” when down and when we approached it there was a train crossing. We had to wait until the train was off the bridge and a certain distance away before the bridge could raise.

Darrell spent some of today working to get our autopilot and GPS working together. If he can do that he can plot a course on the GPS, engage the autopilot and the boat will steer to the plotted GPS course, not just the autopilots internal compass which is sometimes erratic. It would come in handy for the one night crossing of the Gulf we need to do.

We arrived at Joe Wheeler Park and were tied up at 3 p.m. We will remain here for another week. The fall Great Loop rendezvous starts on Monday.

Scottsboro, AL – Huntsville, AL. - October 15, 2008

2008-10-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

We had planned to be underway this morning at 7, but when we got up there was very heavy fog. This is the first time in our trip that fog caused a delay for us. We finally left at 9, with our radar on. There was about 100 yards visibility. By 10 the sun had burned through the fog and it turned into a beautiful day.

As we retraced our route we passed the bat cave again. This time we got a little closer and took a picture. It’s a little hard to see, but is just above the waterline and is protected by a wire fence.

When we arrived at Guntersville Lock they were just getting ready to open to lock down another boat. We were fortunate and were able to lock down with them. After the lock we were back into Wheeler Lake.

From Guntersville Lock it is 72 miles to Joe Wheeler Park. We stopped at Ditto Landing Marina again for the night. Tomorrow we will travel the 56 miles to Joe Wheeler.

1 lock – total 93

TN. Anchorage – Scottsboro, AL. - October 14, 2008

2008-10-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

The anchor was up and we were underway by 7. We were at the lock at 7:10 and got in after only a 10 minute wait.

There are many of these railway lift span bridges along the way. Most of them have enough vertical clearance so we don’t need to have them opened. They are all manned 24 hours a day to be able to raise the span on request. The bridge operator sits in the little box on top of the center left bridge.

We passed Widows Creek power plant. It is the third largest of TVA’s 12 coal fired plants.

This is the biggest pleasure boat (ship) we have seen on the Tennessee river. Darrell thinks it is at least 100’ long.

There were a few things Darrell wanted to pick up at Home Depot. We knew there was one at Scottsboro and, since the marina there also had a courtesy car, we decided to stay there tonight. We were tied up by 1:30.

1 lock – total 92

Guild, TN - Anchorage, October 13, 2008

2008-10-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

Beth and Keely took a trip this morning to Rock City near the top of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga. Rock City began in the late 1920’s when Garnet and Frieda Carter began to develop a large walk-through garden on their private estate. In 1930, Frieda marked the original path which was constructed and is now maintained by master craftsmen from this area.

On May 21, 1932, during the Depression, the Carters opened their “Rock City Gardens” to the public. There are huge rocks and boulders throughout this garden, with several trails and very interesting areas. We walked along the Grand Corridor, Swing-Along Bridge, Goblin’s Underpass, Fat Man’s Squeeze and Needle’s Eye. We saw Mushroom Rock, Shelter Rock, Tortoise Shell Rock, Deer Park and 1,000 Ton Balanced Rock. We walked to Lover’s Leap from which we were able to see seven states, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. On a clear day (today) we were also able to see the Smokey Mountains. We also saw Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village.

Keely left for the airport at 1:45 this afternoon. We were very happy that she was able to come for a visit. Our son Greg had come earlier in our trip. We wish our son-in-law Tom and daughter-in-law Heidi had also been able to visit.

We left the marina around 2 this afternoon and traveled only 5 miles to our anchorage. We only had a few choices today, stay in the marina, travel 5 miles to anchor or travel 55 miles to a marina/anchorage. We choose to anchor just above Nickajack Lock. We will start early tomorrow and hope we can get right through the lock.

Chattanooga, TN – Guild, TN – October 12, 2008

2008-10-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

There are some attractions in Chattanooga we wanted to see where a car, bus or taxi was needed. Guild, TN., where Keely met us with a rental car, was 33.5 miles and 4 hours away from Chattanooga by boat, yet only 20 miles and 15 minutes by car. Since we needed to back to Guild anyway so Keely could pick up the car and drive to the airport Monday afternoon, we changed our plans and left Chattanooga early this morning. We docked at the marina, picked up the car, and drove back to Chattanooga.
Even though we are now retracing our steps, and will be until we start going south on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, we are seeing new things. We passed the TVA’s (Tennessee Valley Authority) Raccoon Mountain pumped storage project. A 520-acre lake was created on top of 1,100 foot Raccoon Mountain into which water is pumped from the river during times of slack power use. Then when there are peak demands for electric power, water is allowed to flow down the mountain through giant tubes and turbines to generate electricity.

We arrived back at Hales Marina at 11 a.m., docked, had lunch and were back in Chattanooga by 1 p.m. The first thing we did was drive to the top of Lookout Mountain, where we took a ride on the Incline Railway. The Incline Railway is the steepest passenger railway in the world, with a 72.7% grade. The railway was originally built in 1895 to avoid the 4 hour road trip (about 20 minutes today) necessary to get to the top of the mountain. The views are really spectacular. We found that Lookout Mountain is the southern most mountain in the Appalachian Chain.

After our trip on the Incline Railway, we went to the Ruby Falls cave. Ruby Falls was discovered over 75 years ago when a group of men were trying to find the original site of the Lookout Mountain Cave. Ruby Falls is a 125’ high waterfall and is the largest underground waterfall open to the public in the United States. In order to see it we took an elevator 260’ down and walked 1125’ into the center of the mountain. The tour took 1 hour and we walked 1 mile.

It was very beautiful in the cave. There were stalactites and stalagmites and columns (when stalactites and stalagmites meet). There were many unique formations as well as an earthquake fault line. We took many pictures but, again, the pictures don’t represent the beauty we saw.

Fuzzy and Aunt Keely

2008-10-12T05:34:00.000-07:00

When Fuzzy found out Aunt Keely was coming to visit he was very excited. He hadn’t seen Aunt Keely in awhile and was looking forward to playing with her.

Aunt Keely didn’t get here until after Fuzzy was asleep, but he saw her first thing in the morning. She was also happy to be here with Fuzzy, Nana and Papa.

Fuzzy got to go to the aquarium. There were all sorts of things to see and do. He got to touch a stingray and a shark! Their skin was very smooth.

He especially liked the penguins.

He saw a butterfly land on Aunt Keely's camera!

And he saw some fish like Nemo!

As Fuzzy was leaving the aquarium he saw some of his friends and had his picture taken with them. Can you find Fuzzy?

Chattanooga, TN – October 11, 2008

2008-10-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

The fall 2008 sculling head races were taking place here today. They finished just to the right of our boat. It was fascinating to watch all the people complete in this sport. All ages were represented. There were youth up to men and women looking to be in their
30–40’s. There were also several categories, from 1 person up to 8 person skulls plus coxswain.
A head race is a time trial rowing typically held in the fall or early spring. In this form of racing, competitors race against the clock and the crew with the fastest time is deemed to be the winner. Racing usually takes place in different categories of boat class and abilities. The length of these races is usually between 3 km and 6 km. Boats are started at 10 to 15 second intervals. To minimize collisions, Boats are usually seeded so that the fastest start first.
After watching the races for awhile, we got on the free trolley and rode it to the Chattanooga Choo Choo. The Chattanooga Choo Choo is a Holiday Inn Hotel that started out in 1909 as a Railroad Terminal Station. It closed in 1970 and in 1989 was converted into a vacation complex. The old terminal is now the lobby of the hotel. In addition to regular rooms, you can also stay in converted railroad cars. This is also the site of the Model Railroad Museum.

We had lunch, then decided to see a movie. We picked Body of Lies with Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. We enjoyed the movie.

Keely and Beth walked around the art district for a while and visited an art gallery. We are all impressed with how beautifully the Chattanooga waterfront has been developed. It’s the center of tourism for the city with the aquarium and all the waterfront events that are planned. Restaurants are all over and there is ample parking. There are many other attractions here, some of which we will see Sunday and Monday. Chattanooga would be a wonderful family vacation spot.

Keely enjoying her vacation.

Guild, TN – Chattanooga, TN- October 10, 2008

2008-10-10T16:09:00.000-07:00

Our daughter Keely arrived last night around 11. She flew into Nashville, then rented a car and drove about 90 miles to the marina.

We left about 9:45 this morning, with a sunny and beautiful blue sky. This stretch of water from here to Chattanooga is known as the “Grand Canyon of the Tennessee”. The scenery was indeed beautiful, with mountains dropping steeply into the river that, in places, is barely 700 feet wide. The river makes dozens of turns as it twists through the mountains. Everyone has told us that in a couple of weeks the fall colors will peak and the views will be spectacular. Although we won’t be here then, we are beginning to see the start of the colors.

We were passed by many raceboats, all going very fast. We found out later that there are races this week-end on the other side of the next dam. Wonder what their fuel bill was!!

We rounded a bend and saw Lookout Mountain, one of America’s most famous landmarks. The mountain is more than 2,000 above the river and extends for nearly 100 miles into Georgia and Alabama. The last battle of the American Revolution was fought here. And it was here in November of 1863 that Union and Confederate forces fought in the “Battle Above the Clouds”, one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War where more than 34,000 were killed.

We arrived in Chattanooga and were tied up by 1 p.m. We stayed at Marine Max, just a few blocks from the Tennessee Aquarium. We had heard many good things about the aquarium so that’s the first thing we did.

All of us enjoyed the aquarium. We took a self-guided tour through both an ocean and river journey. There were sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, turtles of all kinds, penguins, alligators, otters, a live interactive butterfly exhibit, seawater and freshwater fish, macaws and frogs, just to mention a few. There was also an exhibit on seahorses. It was surprising to find the many kinds of seahorses and to actually see them. Some were really strange. It is interesting to know that the male seahorse gives birth to the young. It was all very interesting. (Some of the pictures didn’t turn out very well, going through glass)

Back to the boat late afternoon – dinner and bed. We were all tired.

Scottsboro, AL – Guild, TN October 9, 2008

2008-10-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

It was a little overcast and hazy when we left this morning at 7. There were a few lone fishermen out in their boats.

We had a 1-1½ mph push from the current at the start of today …and we were going upriver. It was almost as if we had turned the wrong direction coming out of the marina….until Darrell realized that all the rain yesterday probably accounted for it. All the streams and creeks feeding into the lake were raising the water level and pushing water upriver from the dam.

We only had about 43 miles to go today, including one lock, but because we stayed an extra day in Scottsboro we must get to our next stop today. There is always the worry that there will be a tow going through the lock and that it will cause a major delay.

The Tennessee River meanders and wanders. We have been on the Tennessee River in Alabama since September 23, but today re-entered Tennessee.

We passed the southern end of Sequatchie Valley. This is one of the world’s two rift valleys. The other is the Great Victoria Valley in Africa. Both were created by the earth’s surface literally splitting apart. Sequatchie Valley is more than 125 miles long, but never more than five miles wide. Because the cliffs provide ideal conditions for hang gliding enthusiasts, the valley is known as the “Hang Gliding Capital of the East.”

We got into the Nickajack Lock with no wait. While locking up we discovered several “smart” blue herons. As the lock filled with water small fish rose to the surface. The herons were perched on the railing and swooped down to the water to eat the fish. They found an easy way to catch fish.

After the lock we entered Nickajack Lake. Only 5 more miles until we reached our marina. We arrived at Hales Bar Marina and Resort at 2 p.m. In addition to the marina, there are floating cabins available to rent.

1 lock – total 92

Scottsboro, AL – October 8, 2008

2008-10-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

When we woke this morning it was pouring outside. It continued to rain all morning. We could have left and run in the rain, but since we had an extra day before we needed to meet our daughter, we decided to wait and see what happened.

The rain stopped early afternoon, but it was too late for us to leave and make our planned anchorage. There weren’t any other anchorages for us to consider, so we decided to remain here another day.

We used the marina’s courtesy car again and drove around Scottsboro. There is a super Wal-Mart here along with quite a few other stores. Unfortunately there isn’t a theater. Today would have been an excellent day for a movie.

Scottsboro, AL – October 7, 2008

2008-10-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

Since we don’t need to be in Chattanooga until Thursday we decided to stay here another day. Goose Pond Marina is a small part of Goose Pond Colony. It is a 360 acre recreation complex owned and operated by the city of Scottsboro. Besides the marina, it features an 18-hole, 6,900-yard, par 72 golf course. There are also many cottages available for rent, as well as campsites, swim pool and outdoor amphitheater.

Today was overcast and quite windy with some periods of rain. We haven’t seen rain for several weeks. We’ve been quite fortunate with the weather.

We hung around the boat most of the day. We did take a walk in between showers. There is a restaurant here that is supposed to be very good. We went there for supper. We enjoyed our meal.

Huntsville, AL – Scottsboro, AL, October 6, 2008

2008-10-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

We got underway again this morning at 7:30. We cruised 16 more miles on Wheeler Lake until we came to Guntersville Lock & Dam. We called ahead to check status and the gates were open for us when we arrived.

Prior to getting to the dam we ran into a fog bank and turned on the radar. Luckily there wasn’t much traffic on the lake. Seeing the fog rise off the lake with mountains in the background was very beautiful. The pictures don’t show how pretty it was.

We went by a cave that is a sanctuary for federally endangered gray bats. At dusk, thousands of bats fly from the cave to feed on insects. The number of bats living in the cave fluctuates annually but ranges from 20,000 – 45,000 between April and September. The cave is warmer than most and is used as a bat nursery. In September all the bats migrate to a cooler cave in the hills a few miles north of the river. There are 11 more caves in the Tennessee Valley having a significant gray bat population.

We arrived at Goose Pond Marina and were tied up at 1:45. This is one of the few marinas having a courtesy car. We are really appreciative of courtesy cars. Most marinas are not located in towns and are not close to shopping. Having a car to use lets us re-stock and occasionally do some sightseeing.

1 lock - total 89

Rogersville, AL – Huntsville, AL – October 5, 2008

2008-10-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

We were underway this morning by 7:30. It was good to be on the move again. Our day was spent on Wheeler Lake (on the Tennessee River). There were no locks for us to go through and only one railroad bridge to open for us today. There was no wait, we called and the bridge tender opened it just as we approached.

We passed Decatur, AL, then 15 miles of the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. On both sides of the river, it is 34,500 acres of wildlife and recreational interests. It is the southernmost wintering ground of Canadian geese. Thousands of geese and ducks spend the winter here.

The scenery was beautiful along the way. As we neared our marina in Huntsville, we could see mountains in the distance. We have been told that between here and Chattanooga are some of the most beautiful views on the Tennessee River.

Huntsville is located on the Cumberland Plateau of the Appalachian Mountains. There are several mountains around Huntsville. The largest is Monte Sano. There is also Huntville Mountain, Green Mountain, Wade Mountain and Berry Mountain, to name a few.

We arrived and were tied up at 3:00 p.m. There is a campsite next to the marina. It is very pretty and there is a large stone open air pavilion with a huge fireplace. The bathrooms and showers are in another part of the building. We took a long walk around the park.

Fuzzy goes Fishing

2008-10-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

Fuzzy remembered when Papa went fishing in Canada and when he saw more people fishing at our marina he wanted to try it.

So, Papa got the fishing pole all ready for Fuzzy and let him fish off the bow of our boat. Fuzzy tried really hard but he didn’t catch any fish. He guessed the fish weren’t hungry, but he’s going to try again.

Jackson, do you remember when Papa took you fishing at the marina in Lake City? You caught some big fish. Papa is looking forward to taking you fishing again. Hayden and Emma, would you like to go fishing too? Do you think Halle would like it?

Rogersville, AL – October 4, 2008

2008-10-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

We spent some of today getting the boat ready to leave tomorrow. We plan to make our way to Hales Bar Marina, Tennessee by Thursday when our daughter Keely will arrive for a visit.

We also took a nice, long walk around the park. This is a beautiful park, with marina, golf course, lodge, campsites and many acres of woodlands.

Today is our wedding anniversary. 39 years – we ate at the restaurant in the lodge, a seafood buffet……we should have eaten on the boat.

Rogersville, AL – October 3, 2008

2008-10-04T06:24:00.000-07:00

Darrell spent some of the day touching up paint around the boat. He also washed the hull. It was very dirty down by the waterline.

It is very frustrating to not have cell phone coverage. We can occasionally get a signal if we walk around and happen on the right spot. Unfortunately the right spot changes constantly.

Rogersville, AL – October 2, 2008

2008-10-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

Darrell returned the rental car this morning. We spent the rest of the day puttering around the boat.

Many of the boaters who were on our dock have used this time before the Fall Rendezvous to take trips home. There are still several boats on the dock, but not very many people.

The leaves are just starting to change color. The next few weeks should be beautiful.

Rogersvile, AL – October 1, 2008

2008-10-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

We spent a lot of time on the road today and were able to see a lot of the Alabama and Tennessee countryside. There were cornfields, cotton fields, soybean fields, cattle farms, horse farms, steep hills and valleys, creeks … lots of beautiful scenery, and also a Polo Club.

Beth got to see Coon Dog Cemetery. This is the only cemetery of its kind in the world and began in 1937 with the burial of Troop, a legendary coonhound. Since then, other hunters started doing the same thing when their favorite coon dogs died. Today there are more than 185 coon dogs from all across the United States buried here.

There are headstones, some crafted of wood, some of sheet metal. There are also others having granite headstones like those found in a “normal cemetery”. The names, however are different. Patches, Preacher, Smoky, Bean Blossom, Bomma and Night Ranger are some of the names. Burials are still allowed in this cemetery, however the dog must be an authentic coon dog and there must be a witness to verify this.

Beth was, however, disappointed in the cemetery. She felt that because it had been advertised as tourist stop it should have been well kept up and well tended. In reality it was overgrown with grass and weeds. Darrell was happy to leave Coon Dog Cemetery. Beth thinks he did enjoy the roller coaster drive of the twisting, winding road getting there.

Our next stop was to a much more serious place, the Shiloh National Military Park. This park is the actual site of the April 6th & 7th 1862 battle between the Union and Confederate soldiers. 23,000 men were killed or wounded. We took a car tour after watching a 25 minute video. It was very moving to be on the actual grounds where such a horrific battle took place.

It was interesting to find out that there were 2 battalions from Iowa (our home state) involved in this battle. There were also men from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio involved in the fighting. Some of these men ended up at an area called the Hornets Nest where they repelled seven attacks of the Confederate Army. They were finally overrun and captured when the Confederates assembled all available artillery to bombard their position. However, their heroic efforts enabled General Grant to set up defensive positions for his remaining force as well as allowing time for reinforcements to arrive. This enabled his forces to defeat the Confederate forces the following day.

We also stopped at the Tennessee river Museum in Savanah Tennessee. It chronicles the history of the Tennessee river, the animals and the people that lived in and on it’s banks from pre-historic times to the early 1900’s.

Rogersville, AL – September 30, 2008

2008-09-30T17:09:00.001-07:00

We got our rental car this morning and drove to Huntsville. Our first stop was the Visitors Center. 2 very nice ladies were there and offered their suggestions. The major draws here, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the Botanical Gardens and Burritt on the Mountain, are what we will be seeing on our group tour the day after our Fall Rendezvous concludes, so they came up with other things to see.

Another of the attractions here is Harrison Brothers Hardware and we went there. Harrison Brothers Hardware is the oldest operating hardware store in Alabama. It was founded in 1879 and was moved to its present location in 1897. When ownership of the store passed from father to son, the store was maintained in turn-of-the century condition. In 1983 when the last son and owner died, the Huntsville Foundation purchased the property to preserve the store.

It is indeed a popular tourist attraction. The wood displays, tiny drawers, hand operated rope elevator, pot-bellied stove and cash register are among a few of the wonderful things to see. It has been re-stocked with many items to be purchased. We bought a Tiddledy Winks game (remember those) to have at home for the grandkids.

We then drove around the historic section of Huntsville. There were many old, beautiful homes with beautiful gardens and grounds. Most were very well maintained and some were in the process of being renovated.

It had been quite awhile since we had seen a movie, so our next stop was a theater. We decided to see a move entitled “Burn after Reading”. We didn’t know anything about it, but George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand and John Malkovich (big name stars) were in it. We nearly left during the movie, and afterwards we felt we should “Burn the Movie”. At the end credits we discovered it was directed by Ethan and Joel Coen. They have made some good movies but also a number of really “off the wall” films.

Part of Joe Wheeler Park is a habitat center. On the way back to the boat, we stopped for four fawns on the side of the road. They were quite unafraid of our car. Tomorrow, more sight seeing.

Rogersville, AL September 29, 2008

2008-09-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to stay at Joe Wheeler Marina for a few more days. We will be taking a trip further up the Tennessee River into Chattanooga, but since we will be back here towards the end of October for the Looper Fall Rendezvous, we found it would benefit us to convert to a monthly rate.

Tomorrow we are renting a car and will do some exploring. We may backtrack and go visit the Shiloh battlefield. There is some more work we want to do on the boat so we will also be doing some shopping and picking up some supplies.

There are 4 other looper boats here and we got together for cocktails. It’s always fun to visit with other loopers to hear about their travels.

Rogersville, AL – September 28, 2008

2008-09-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

Today was spent doing (still) more jobs around the boat. There is always something to do. We do have internet here, but unfortunately our cell phone coverage is very spotty here. We have weak signal for a few minutes and then it’s gone for an hour or so.

There are also a couple other looper boats here. One couple has been doing the loop for 9 years, and they haven’t yet completed it. They keep finding areas they really like and spend a lot of time exploring them. They will eventually finish the loop and will have been able to see everything.

We found that there are many boats that had planned to spend several weeks or a month here at Joe Wheeler Marina. They have had to postpone their arrival because they’ve been delayed due to the flooding on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.

Fuzzy and the Swan

2008-09-28T05:59:00.000-07:00

One time when we were anchored Fuzzy saw a swan swim up by our boat. It was so pretty and graceful and Fuzzy wanted to know more about it.

Swans are birds and are in the same family as ducks and geese. There are many kinds of swans and this one is called a Trumpeter Swan.

A boy swan is a cob, a girl is a pen, and babies are called cygnets. A swan can have 25,000 feathers!! That’s a lot of feathers!!!!

Fuzzy got to throw some bread to the swan. The swan liked to eat the bread and stayed by the boat to get more. Then he drank some water.

Florence, AL – Rogersville, AL – September 27, 2008

2008-09-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

After getting up early to call the next lock to check on availability, we were underway at 7. We traveled again with Footloose, who also left today.

Wilson Lock has a lift of 93 feet and, other than the pan lifts on the Trent-Severn in Canada, is the largest of our trip. Wilson Dam is named after Woodrow Wilson, is 137 feet high and 4,541 feet long and when it was completed in 1925, was the worlds largest. The arches forming the spillways are patterned after construction skills dating back to the Roman Empire and, in 1966 the dam was designated as a National Historic Landmark.

We crossed Wilson Lake to Wheeler Dam. Footloose called ahead to the dam and found it was locking through a tow and that it would be 2 hours until they could take us. We slowed down considerably, but still arrived at the dam 45 minutes before we could get in. This dam is only 72 feet high and the

lowest of all the dams on the Tennessee River. However, with a length of 6,342 feet, it is the third longest.

We arrived at Joe Wheeler State Park Marina at 11:30. This is a very pretty marina, with well-kept facilities. The boat rates are among the most reasonable we have found on our trip, $0.75/ft. per night. We have paid more at many places having much less in the way of amenities. Joe Wheeler State Park also offers camping, along with cabins, cottages and lodge with rooms.

There are hiking trails and a golf course. There is a restaurant here offering everything from snacks to full meals. This is where our “Loopers” fall rendezvous is being held so we are getting a preview.

2 locks – total 90

Florence, AL – September 26, 2008

2008-09-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Last night we ate at an Italian restaurant recommended by the marina. It was a very popular place and we were lucky to get right in. The food was good.

Today was spent completing projects around the boat. Darrell also washed the boat while Beth took the courtesy car to get a much needed haircut.

The weather has been very nice these past few weeks. It has been warm and sunny during the day and cools down at night for really good sleeping weather.

Florence, AL – September 25, 2008

2008-09-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

The area where we are staying is referred to as the Muscle Shoals area. It consists of four cities, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia on the south side of the river and Florence on the north side. This is the third largest urban area along the Tennessee River, population approximately 75,000.

Along with Jim and Sandy of Footloose we rented a car for the day. First on our list of places to visit was the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Showcased here are the best known Alabamians who have influenced the course of music history. Some of the singers from Alabama who had exhibits are Tammy Wynette, Hank Williams and Hank Williams Jr., The Commodores, Bobby Goldsboro, Lionel Richie, Nat King Cole, and Alabama. There were many others who were not familiar to us.

After this we drove to Helen Keller’s birthplace and home. Ivy Green was built in 1820, by the grandparents of Helen Keller. In 1954 Ivy Green was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Helen was born in the small cottage next to the main house. The picture of the well-pump is the actual pump where Helen’s breakthrough occurred and is located between the main house and her birthplace cottage. There are huge trees in the yard of the home, including a 150 year old English box-wood.

Ross Branch, AL –Florence, AL, September 24, 2008

2008-09-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

We pulled anchor at 9:15 this morning. We were going just a short way so we didn’t feel the need to get up early. Darrell did some fiber glassing while we were underway. A door jamb had a crack in it and we didn’t want it to get any worse.

This part of Pickwick Lake reminds us a lot of the upper Mississippi River south of Lake Pepin. There are little islands scattered all over, some of them having sand beaches. We arrived at Florence Harbor Marina and were tied up by 1 p.m. after traveling 27 miles.

We had asked to be added to the “River Rats” copy list so we could follow what was happening with the boats stuck up in the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. We know many of the people there who have been unable to move for the last 2 weeks. The latest word is that parts of the river have been re-opened to pleasure craft and some boats left this morning. It will probably take 7-10 days for all the boats to get underway.

Such a surprise! We had been in the marina only an hour when Footloose came in and docked. We shared the courtesy car, so we could have it longer. We drove around Florence to check out the lay of the land. Tomorrow we will go in together on a rental car.

We got back to the marina and ate dinner at the marina restaurant. Jim and Sandy from Footloose and Ron and Teana from Driftwood joined us.

Diamond Island, TN – Ross Branch, AL, September 23, 2008

2008-09-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Our anchorage last night was within 2 miles of Shiloh National Military Park and one of our books said they had a dinghy dock. So, this morning we went over in the dinghy – and found no dock. The shoreline was steep and comprised of rock, so there was no way we could stop.

We were sorry we couldn’t stop because this is said to be one of the most historically significant sites on the river. The battle of Shiloh was fought here April 6-7, 1862, the Civil War’s first major battle in the western theater. There were more than 103,000 Union and Confederate soldiers plus the Union gunboats Tyler and Lexington. By the time the battle had ended, 23,000 men were dead and dying.

We got through Pickwick Lock, a 55’ rise, and entered Pickwick Lake (still part of the Tennessee River). Shortly after the lock and dam is the entrance to the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. We will eventually return here to go south to Mobile, Alabama. But first we are first taking a side trip and will continue on the Tennessee River up to Chattanooga.

We think Pickwick Lake is prettier than Kentucky Lake. The landscape is hillier with more bluffs. We passed a beautiful cove and went in to just look. There was a small waterfall among all the trees and a sand/rock beach curving out into the water. There were several boats pulled right up to shore. The water must be quite deep all the way in.

We left Tennessee and went through the very northeast corner of Mississippi. Our anchorage is located in Alabama. Anchored in Ross Branch at 3:30.

1 lock – total 88

(no phone or internet coverage at our anchorage)

Clifton, TN – Diamond Island, TN, September 22, 2008

2008-09-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

We walked into Clifton this morning. At one time Clifton was a major port and was the home of writer T.S. Stribling. His book “The Store” won a Pulitzer prize in 1933. Clifton is now quite small, population about 800. The business district is 2 blocks long and there are several empty storefronts and many businesses with a ‘for sale’ sign in their window.

We were back to the boat by 10:30 and decided not to stay another day. There wasn’t anything to do in Clifton and it was quite hot in the shelter of the marina. It’s much better to be on the water with a nice cool breeze. We were underway at 11:15.

There are a lot of new homes on the banks of the Tennessee River, many still under construction. All the newer homes are on stilts, to allow for the occasional flooding. Tennessee does not have state income tax and we’ve heard of many retirement communities springing up here.

We also saw many homes being threatened by erosion. For many the river bluff has eroded well into their yards. Some have lost fences and the river bank was within 10 ft of the home. Most are using rock to limit erosion. Some homeowners have resorted to reinforcing the ground with steel pipes and plates.

We saw one example of very aggressive vegetation being used to stabilize the bank.

This two-story house with the square wooden columns is Cherry Mansion, located close to Savannah, TN. Cherry Mansion was constructed by David Robinson in 1830 on top of one of 14 mounds which had been built along the river thousands of years ago. The house was given to his daughter as a wedding gift when she married W.H. Cherry.

General Ulysses S. Grant was eating breakfast here on April 6, 1862, when he heard artillery fire as Confederate forces attached his army at nearby Shiloh. The house served as Grant’s headquarters during the two-day battle. It also served as a field hospital and hospital boats were moored below the house.

We anchored at Diamond Island at 4:15.

New Johnsonville, TN – Clifton, TN - September 21, 2008

2008-09-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

We had dinner last night with 3 other couples, all Loopers. Two of the couples had already completed their first loop and were doing their second. It was nice to visit with them, to get their opinions and to hear of places they liked and would return to as well as places to avoid.

The food was good, but nothing special. There was a lot of food for a very reasonable price. They were out of their special chocolate chip cookie dessert. It’s a warm cookie smothered in ice cream, caramel, and chocolate sauce, big enough to serve 2-4. There had been a run on that dessert yesterday afternoon. No one wanted to try the fried twinkie with ice cream. So we are unable to give a dessert rating.

We’ve found out there are 40 boats waiting for the Mississippi and Illinois rivers to subside and clear of debris. They have named themselves the “River Rats” and will be coordinating their departure time. As of now, everyone is still waiting.

We were underway this morning at 7 a.m. The scenery is becoming very beautiful. We went through landscapes formed between 150-350 million years ago. There are limestone bluffs with layers of limestone jutting out at different levels. Homes are built into rock ledges with scattered rock as their lawn.

We went through one of the sharpest hairpin turns on the Tennessee River today. You could leave the river here and return to it by traveling less than 2 miles over land. By water you will travel 9 miles to that same point.

We arrived at Clifton Marina at 3:30 and are planning to stay here 2 nights.

Fuzzy and the Bridges

2008-09-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Papa and Nana’s boat had to go under many bridges on their trip. There were a lot of bridges that were too low for them to get under. These bridges had to move so the boat could get through. Fuzzy didn’t know there were so many kinds of bridges that could open and that they had different names.

This one is called a lift bridge. Part of the bridge, called a span, rises straight up so the boat can get under.

This is a bascule bridge. Bascule is a French word for seesaw and balance. A bascule bridge lifts up on one side to make an opening for the boat to go through.

This is a picture of a double leaf bascule bridge. Each half of the bridge lifts up.

This is a swing bridge. The movable part of the bridge pivots in the center, and turns horizontally making an opening for the boat to get through.

Ask your Mom or Dad to explain the word pivot to you. Hunter, ask Aunt Heidi or Uncle Greg.

Fuzzy never thought he would learn so much on a trip!

Cypress Creek, TN – New Johnsonville, TN - September 20, 2008

2008-09-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

We had a quiet night at our anchorage. We did notice it was pitch black at about 8 last night. The days are certainly getting shorter.

We pulled anchor at 8:15 and were back on Kentucky Lake. We passed many fishermen and several fishermen passed us as they were going to different spots to try their luck. They all went much, much faster than us.

We passed a partially dismantled railroad bridge, then an abandoned building in the middle of the water which was called an ‘abandoned dock’ on

the charts. The abandoned dock would have been on shore prior to the dam being built and the creation of Kentucky Lake.

We arrived at Pebble Isle Marina at 12:45. Nice, short day. Darrell had time to replace the threshold for one of our sliding doors. He finished just as it started to rain.

As we were traveling this morning we received a radio call from Footloose. They were about ½ mile ahead of us. It seems they had changed their mind yesterday and decided to have a short day like us. They stayed at a marina about 2 miles further up the lake than our anchorage. They were also going to Pebble Isle Marina, so we met up with them again.

There is a restaurant here, the “Grey Heron Grill”. We have heard many reports of excellent food here. The restaurant is more the size of a small café and is located in the same building as the marina office. There is a wide array of food offered with this small kitchen. Our friends on Footloose had lunch there and said it was very good. We are all planning to eat supper there.

One of their desserts is a fried twinkie with ice cream and another is called cookie delight. That is a large chocolate chip cookie taken directly from the oven and topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Food review tomorrow.

Grand Rivers, KY – Cypress Creek, TN – September 19, 2008

2008-09-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

After a week of R&R we started traveling again. Footloose and another couple of boats also took off today, but they were going much further than we wanted to, so left much earlier. We only planned on going a short way, so we slept in and left Green Turtle Bay Marina about 10.

A little history here. Barkley Lake is on the east side of the ‘Land Between the Lakes’ and was formed from the Cumberland River when the Cumberland Lock & Dam was built. Kentucky Lake is on the west side of the ‘Land Between the Lakes’ and was formed from the Tennessee River when the Tennessee Lock & Dam was built. The one mile Barkley Canal connects the 2 lakes.

We entered the Barkley Canal from Barkley Lake about 1 mile after leaving the marina, then traveled in Kentucky Lake about 40 miles until anchoring in a little cove called Cypress Creek. There were many little bays along the way and we see how people could spend much time exploring the area.

The cove is very pretty. There were some fishermen trying their luck when we entered, but they soon left.

We took the dinghy out for a spin. Beth was dinghy captain for a while, then Darrell took it out alone.

Grand Rivers, KY – September 18, 2008

2008-09-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

Our meal last night at Patti’s was very good. We were there with Sandy and Jim, from Footloose. One thing Patti’s is known for is their 2” pork chop, seasoned with their special mix and charbroiled until it practically falls apart. That’s what Darrell had and he said it was very good. Beth had a pasta dish that was good, and her dinner salad was fresh spinach with a hot bacon dressing. It was delicious! The bread served with dinner is flowerpot bread, which is bread actually baked in a flowerpot.

They are also known for their desserts. The menu has 17 to choose from, with additional specialties told us by the server. The menu also tells the stories behind such desserts as Sawdust Pie, Chess Pie and Boo Boo Pie.

Beth and Sandy took the van this morning for a last trip into Paducah for groceries and other odds and ends. Jim stayed to wax his boat and Darrell replaced a second port. He had the same difficulties as yesterday, however it went easier since he got a few pointers from the first one.

There are about 6 other Looper boats here and we all got together at 5 for snacks and talk. Besides us there was Footloose, Our Way, Twins, Our Turn and 2 more, one of them a very cute little tugboat. It is always nice meeting other boaters and share stories.

Grand Rivers, KY – September 17, 2008

2008-09-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

We continue to realize how lucky we are that we got out of the river system before all of the rain from Hurricane Ike. We know of at least 19 boats that are in marinas at Alton, IL and Grafton IL. There are more north of there, in the Illinois River and also 4 boats tied up at the Kaskaskia Lock. Everyone will need to stay where they are until the river recedes and they can be sure most of the debris is gone. Then, they need to coordinate their departure because there aren’t enough marinas or anchorages to accommodate them if all the boats leave at the same time.

From Grafton IL. you go 212 miles on the Mississippi to where you enter the Ohio River. There is only one marina and 2 anchorages available on that entire stretch of water and the marina can only accommodate 6-8 boats. It will be quite some time before everyone can get through.

Darrell spent much of today replacing a port (window). Whoever installed it used 3M 5200, which is an extremely strong adhesive. This made it very difficult to remove. He actually had to cut it out.
Along with Sandy and Jim from Passport, we are going to Patti’s tonight for dinner. Electricity is back in Grand Rivers and we’ve been told the Patti’s is good place to eat.

Grand Rivers, KY – September 16, 2008

2008-09-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

We went to Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart yesterday afternoon and re-provisioned. We don’t know when we will have another opportunity to find these stores, so we really stocked up. We had dinner at Olive Garden.

While driving in Paducah we saw some of the problems caused there by the heavy winds of yesterday. There were many downed trees, also a lot of debris in yards and some downed signs.

It was 10 o’clock before we got back and the electricity was still out. Fortunately there was a full moon that gave some light. Shortly after we got everything unloaded from the car and into the boat the electricity came back on.

Beth rode her bike into town to mail the paperwork for our absentee ballots. The town still has no electricity and we heard that the IGA grocery store there lost much of their frozen/cold foods. They had a generator, but it wasn’t big enough to handle all of their stock.

Grand Rivers, KY - September 15, 2008

2008-09-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

The cold front came through during the night. It felt good to wake up during the night and need more covers. Today is overcast, but no rain. Darrell washed the boat and did some more maintenance. Beth worked inside the boat.

The electricity is still out both here in the marina and in town. There is no definite word yet as to when it will be fixed. Some hear today sometime and others have heard it will be 2-3 days.

We are very fortunate that we are off the river systems. The heavy rain from Hurricane Ike is causing problems and severe flooding in many of the areas we traveled last week. There are many looper boats behind us and we hear via e-mail that they will be staying where they are for several more days.

Along with Sandy and Jim from Passport we are getting the courtesy van late afternoon. We will be going into Paducah to do some shopping. We will also find a nice place to eat.

Grand Rivers, KY – September 14, 2008

2008-09-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

The show last night was wonderful. The entertainers were talented and versatile. There was music from every genre. Swing, Motown, Oldies, Country and Gospel, just to name some. There was also a tribute to Hee Haw and Ed Sullivan. We both thoroughly enjoyed it and were glad we went.

The past couple of days have been very hot and humid. It is supposed to cool off later today or tomorrow. We will be glad when that happens, it’s hard to work when it’s so hot.

This morning the wind picked up a lot. We got wind gusts up to 45 mph. This is courtesy of Hurricane Ike. There was very little rain, just the high wind that lasted until mid afternoon. The marina, and the city, lost power mid-morning and it is not expected to be restored until tomorrow. We also lost cellphone coverage. We heard there was a downed tower.

Our plans for tonight have been postponed. We were going to go out to dinner to Patti’s, a “must go to” place but with no power they are not open.

Fuzzy and the Inukshuk

2008-09-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

When we were in Georgian Bay in Canada Fuzzy kept seeing stacked rocks and wondered what they were. Papa told him they were called Inukshuk, pronounced in-ook-shook and are stone monuments built to look like a man.

They are landmarks that were made in Canada where there were no trees or way to mark a path. Many of them were built a long time ago as road signs, to tell other travelers that someone had been here before and that they were on the right path.

Fuzzy thought that was pretty interesting. Can you see how they look kind of like a man? Can you take your blocks and make an Inukshuk?

Grand Rivers, KY – September 13, 2008

2008-09-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to dinner at the Commonwealth Yacht Club with Sandy and Jim of Footloose. Transient boaters are given a temporary membership card so we can dine in the yacht club. We were all happy to get off the boat and eat some food prepared by someone else. This is a dry county and we brought our wine to drink. The yacht club had a wall of beautiful wooden lockers. Each member has their own locker and this is where the members keep their bottles of liquor. This way they don’t have to bring in something every time they dine.

Green Turtle Bay Resort and Marina is very large. In addition to the marina they offer condominium and houseboat rentals. It is located about 1 mile from Grand Rapids and is in an area called The Land Between the Lakes. There is a large piece of land located between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. This area is quite a popular place to go for vacations.

There is also a summer playhouse in Grand Rapids. It offers various plays and variety shows throughout the year. Tonight we are going to see “Variety! Music, Memories & More”, a Branson-style family show featuring professional singers, dancers and musicians.

Metropolis, IL – Grand Rivers, KY – September 12, 2008

2008-09-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

We were up early this morning to check with the lock about availability for us to go through. We were told they could take us in 45 minutes. We went in the lock at 7:00 and were out at 7:30.

We went 50 miles today. 18 miles on the Ohio River, then 32 miles on the Cumberland River, going upstream all day. We cruised in all directions today, north, south, east and west. The river winds all over, making it a much longer trip than if you could go by air.

The Cumberland River was considerably narrower than the Mississippi and Ohio. There were also more hills and it was more scenic. We passed some rock on the side of the hill on the river. You can see the high water mark on the rock.

We were extremely lucky at the Barclay Lock. There is no auxiliary chamber there, so there was only one available for northbound and southbound traffic. We arrived just as a southbound tow was coming out. We were able to get the next lock up. This was a 57’ raise, the biggest in a long time.

We are at Green Turtle Bay Resort/Marina on Lake Barkley, Kentucky. We were docked at 1:45 and are planning to stay here 1 week. We need a little down time since being on the go almost everyday since we left Chicago.

2 locks - total 87

Cape Girardeau, MO – Metropolis, Il, September 11, 2008

2008-09-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening 3-4 fishing boats went past us to get to a fishing ground. Beth was looking out and saw an Asian Carp jump out of the water and into one of the boats. It was flopping all over inside the boat. Beth didn’t have a camera ready.
Our anchors were up and we were underway at 6:30 this morning. We were in the lead today. We traveled 50 miles in 4 hours, then turned into the Ohio River. We were finished with the Mississippi. Unfortunately, we go upstream on the Ohio, so we lost the current which had increased our speed. We dropped from going 12-13 mph to a measly 7-7.5 mph.

The left channel is the Mississippi River and the right is the Ohio River.

The first few miles of the Ohio River is a very big parking lot for barges and towboats. We now had Illinois on our left and Kentucky on our right.

We passed a lock under construction. It has been under construction at least since 2001 and we don’t know when it will be completed. One of the locks it is replacing was 1 mile later. It is a very old lock with wooden wickets. When the river is high the wickets are lowered and the boats drive right over them. When the river is low the wickets are raised to create a dam. A steam powered crane is used to raise the wickets and it takes a full day to raise the wickets.

When the wickets are up boats need to lock through using the chambers. The lock was in the process of setting up the wickets. We were able to get through before all of the wickets were up and in place.

There was much discussion today on the radio about where to anchor. Just like the Mississippi River, there are very few anchorages on the Ohio River, and no marinas.

At 4 p.m. we arrived at Lock 52 where we were told there would be about a 1 hour wait for us. While the others waited (nowhere to tie up, just going in circles), we took our boat over to check out a possible overnight anchorage. Darrell sounded the area between an underwater sandbar and land. It proved to be a little too shallow for an anchorage. So we continued to wait for the lock.

At 5 p.m. we checked with the Lockmaster and were told he had to lock through a northbound tow, a southbound tow and then he could lock our pleasure boats. It would be another 1 – 1 ½ hour. Since it took the last south bound tow a good 45 minutes to exit the lock (it was stuck in the lock because the water was so low) we didn’t have a lot of faith in the lockmasters prediction of when we could lock through. 4 of the 5 boats decided to anchor and spend the night just off channel of the river below the lock & dam. This wasn’t the place Darrell checked. The water was deeper and we had enough swing room to let out adequate anchor rode. The 5th boat (Passport) was going to wait to lock through and would continue in the dark. They were almost home and were anxious to get there.

We dropped anchor at 5:30. 94 miles in 11 hours. Remember yesterday? 109 miles in 9 ½ hours.

Kimmswick, MO. – Cape Girardeau, MO. September 10, 2008

2008-09-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

Everyone wants to get off the Mississippi River as soon as possible. As mentioned yesterday, marinas are practically nonexistent along here and anchorages are few and far between. There is so much tow traffic and debris in the water we spend a lot of time trying to avoid hitting something. After our meeting with Fern yesterday where we found our choices for today. We could go 40 miles or 110 miles. There were no marinas and those were the next 2 anchorage opportunities. We all agreed to go the 110 miles.

We cast off this morning at 6:30. L’Attitude Changer, Footloose, Passport, Cruising Buff and Our Way, who had arrived at Hoppies Marina ahead of us yesterday. Our Way is doing their 2nd loop. We are now wondering why anyone would want to do the river section twice!

We met several tows, but saw no pleasure boats. Apparently Loopers are the only people who are smart enough (?) to travel this part of the Mississippi. We passed very few towns and none of the towns had any docks.
Our anchorage is called Little Diversion Canal and is a well protected strip of water off of the river. It is about 250’ wide with trees on both sides. There is about 1500’ maximum usable area and all 5 boats fit in here nicely. We were anchored at 4 p.m. after traveling 109 miles. A record. We averaged 11½ mph.

The 4 boats ahead of us anchored in the canal.

Grafton, IL – Kimmswick, MO, September 9, 2008

2008-09-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

We got up early this morning knowing that it could be a very long day. There aren’t many marinas or anchorages along this stretch of the Mississippi, and we needed to go 59 miles and through 2 locks to reach Hoppies. Hoppies is a ‘must do’ for every Looper. Fern and her husband own this place and live on site. For every group of people stopping by she gives a little class on what to expect for the rest of the river trip.

We picked up another boat to add to our growing fleet. Cruising Buff joined us (with Passport and Footloose) for this stretch of the river. We met Cruising Buff in the Trent-Severn and it was good to see them again.

The topography is starting to change from flatlands to hill country, bluffs with beautiful curved rock, eroded and sculpted by nature. There are also many duck blinds on the river. Yesterday we saw some people constructing one. We aren’t sure when duck hunting season starts, but we wouldn’t like to be on the river then.

Both locks today had auxiliary chambers. We were able to get in the first lock very quickly. We had to wait about 30 minutes for the second lock. This area of the river has a lot of barge traffic.

We went through St. Louis. We got pictures of the arch and of several casinos on water. There were many barges and tows in the St. Louis area. We met several and passed a couple. The slide show pictures are those of all the scenery down and through St. Louis, including Our Lady of The River Shrine Light.

We really made good time today. With the current we hit 12.7 mph once and arrived at Kimmswick, MO. At 2 p.m. We had our meeting with Fern. She advised us of problem spots on the Mississippi, places to anchor and reminded us to have enough water on board since we won’t have a marina, diesel, water, restaurant or any other comforts for 270 miles!!!

2 locks – total 85

Grafton, IL – September 8, 2008

2008-09-08T14:46:00.000-07:00

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We are staying in Grafton another day. We need to take a break from our long days of cruising and just relax a little. Darrell did some small jobs around the boat and Beth went to a small grocery store (Jimbo’s Grocery and Hardware) and did some sightseeing in town.

Grafton is a small town. There are some small boutiques here, but also many empty storefronts. They depend a lot on the tourists and boaters. The Grafton Harbor Marina is a very nice marina. It looks to be rather new and has all the amenities. They also have a very nice store.

Grafton is like many towns on the river, subject to flooding. When the big rains came in June, the entire town was inundated and is now recovering. To top this off, there is a 3 week road closure from Alton to Grafton, which is further affecting the tourist traffic.

Illinois has higher fuel prices due to tax, so we took the boat over to St. Charles, Missouri, only 5.5 miles away by boat where we were able to buy fuel at .50 a gallon cheaper. When you add 188 gallons of fuel, that adds up.

This is a picture of where the Illinois River joins the Mississippi. The Illinois is on the right and the Mississippi on the left.

Beardstown, IL – Grafton, IL, September 7, 2008

2008-09-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

Our last lock of the Illinois River was about 5 miles south of our anchorage. We got up early this morning to call the lock to check on tows. The lock was clear, so we pulled our anchor at 7 and were through the lock by 8. There was only a 6’ drop at this lock. Only 80 more miles until we get to the Mississippi River.

The day started out overcast and quite chilly. It was a long day with not much to see. There were barges on the side of the river, waiting for towboats. There were occasional homes right on the bank of the river, built on stilts to protect them from high water. We were pretty much in the middle of nowhere, with no phone coverage for most of the day. We also saw many duck blinds along the way. Duck hunting must be big around here.

We ran across some buoys that had obviously been moved – we don’t think we could get between these.

Tied up at the dock at Grafton at 4:15. 9 hr 15 minutes of travel and 85.6 miles today, a long day. Passport and Footloose are staying here also and we are all going out for dinner together.

1 lock – total 83

Fuzzy and the Rides

2008-09-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

Fuzzy was with Nana and Papa in Mackinaw Island when he saw a small Ferris wheel. It was just his size and many of his cousins were having a ride. Fuzzy wanted to go on it too. Of course, Nana and Papa let him have a ride. He liked it so much. It was so much fun. Have you ever ridden on a Ferris wheel

Then he went with Nana and Papa to Navy Pier in Chicago. They have a HUGE Ferris wheel there and Nana wanted to go on that. So Fuzzy got to go also. It went way high up in the air and he could see so far.

Fuzzy saw a ride that he wanted to go on. There were swings that went round and round and up and down. He really wanted to go on the ride, but he wasn’t tall enough. You have to be 48” tall to go on it. Fuzzy was very sad. He had really wanted to go on the ride. Then Nana said she would go with him and hold him. Fuzzy had such a good time. The ride went so fast and Fuzzy got so dizzy, but he was happy Nana took him

Peoria Heights, IL – Beardstown, IL, September 6, 2008

2008-09-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

Last night we ate dinner at the Ivy Yacht Club. It is a club that has been around for a long time. Last year was its centennial year. We went in to have a drink at the bar and ended up eating there off the bar menu rather than go into the dining room. The food was very good and we were able to visit with many people. All were very nice and friendly and interested in our trip. One man bought us an after dinner drink.

This morning we were up and underway at 7:45. We caught up with Passport and Footloose while they were waiting for a railroad bridge to open. As we all waited, the trawlers Kiwi and Brown-Eyed Girl arrived. We had seen them a day or two ago. We all went under the bridge together and on to the next lock.

After all the waits at the previous locks, we felt very fortunate indeed to be able to get right in to this lock. Footloose had called and the lock was open and just waiting for us to cruise in. This was a very short drop, only 6’. Now we go 75 miles until there’s another lock.

We arrived in Beardstown and had planned to stay at their municipal dock. However, as we went in to dock, we discovered it was very shallow. In fact we touched bottom as we were maneuvering. So, we went to plan B. We went downriver a couple more miles and anchored.

After we dropped the anchor Darrell backed down the engine. As he did that, there must have been 12-15 carp that jumped out of the water at the same time. They are Asian Carp that become stimulated by an engine’s vibration and leap out of the water. If you stay in the channel, they are generally not a problem. Close to shore, or in more shallow water is where you find them. They have jumped into boats and caused injuries to boaters. If the boat is traveling fast the injuries can be severe - you can imagine getting hit in the face by a 10-20# fish at 30mph.

We found that there is a Redneck Fishing Tournament which is held in Bath, Illinois and the winner is the boat with the most Asian Carp in the boat at the end of the three hour contest. In 2006, 78 boats brought in 1,840 fish. The only gear allowed are hand-held dip nets. Protective gear like football helmets, baseball bats and rain gear for slime protection are optional.

You can also hunt them with a bow. We saw one boat maneuvering in a circle close to shore. Carp were jumping all around them. Two “fishermen” were standing at the rear of the boat “hunting” Asian carp with bow & arrow with retrieval line attached.

1 lock – total 82

Ottawa, IL – Peoria Heights, IL, September 5, 2008

2008-09-05T16:50:00.000-07:00

We woke today to cloudy skies but no rain. We decided to continue our trip and hope the rain stayed away. We got underway at 9:15 and got to the first lock about 10:00. We just missed an opening, however when we called, found there wouldn’t have been room for us. 4 pleasure boats were able to lock through with the last half of a tow.

Apparently pleasure boats are referred to as “Weekend Warriors” by the locks and tows. We heard the Lockmaster today tell a tow that he was going to fill up the lock and get another Weekend Warrior (us) through the lock before taking the northbound tow.

After about a 90 minute wait we were able to lock through. We were the only boat in the lock. Fortunately, it is now 74 miles before there is another lock.

The down river current certainly helps our speed. We were able to average 10 mph today and after exiting the lock, a combination of river current and current from the dam got us to an amazing 11.7 mph for a couple minutes.

We’ve heard some tows on the radio talking about how the heavy rain we have had has raised the river 3 ½’. We really have to keep an eye out for debris.

We went under several high clearance bridges. Most bridges with clearances less than 30 ft. have gauges with markings that show the clearance. You just read the depth indicated where the gauge enters the water and that indicates the bridge clearance. This bridge had a 65 ft clearance today. We hope the water level never gets to where it would have only a 20ft clearance.

We had some excitement here yesterday. After we docked, Darrell went to plug in shore power. Beth was in the salon and heard strange (bad) noises, along with a smell and a smoky haze in the aft cabin. We worried for a while that the inverter had burned up. Further investigation by Darrell found that the source of the problem was a cooked diode in a power strip.

Tonight we’re staying at the Ivy Yacht Club in Peoria Heights, IL. We were tied up by 6:15 p.m. A long day.

1 lock – total 81

Dresden Island Lock, IL – Ottawa, IL, September 4, 2008

2008-09-04T15:17:00.000-07:00

We were up at 6 this morning hoping to get underway and go through the lock at 7 but found out there was a long tow just starting to lock down. It was going to be 2-3 hours before we could go. It is very frustrating having to wait for the locks and going such short distances each day.

We entered the lock at 10 and were out of it at 10:30. It had been raining all morning, but it let up a little while we were locking. The rain is supposed to continue today and tomorrow. It is the remnants of Hurricane Gustaf.

We continued downriver and got to our second lock of the day. We didn’t have to wait very long for this one. Including us there were 6 boats that locked through. A few miles south of the lock was Ottawa. Ottawa has a 100’ free dock, enough room for 2 boats. There was only one boat there so we were fortunate to be able to tie up. We are within 4 blocks of groceries and restaurants and plan to eat out tonight. If it continues to rain, we may stay here another day.

The two boats we have been traveled with the last two days, Passport and Footloose had reservations in a marina tonight. We will probably run into with them again.

2 locks – total 80

Joliet, IL – Dresden Island Lock, September 3, 2008

2008-09-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after we reached Joliet Darrell put the mast back up. We had gone under the very low bridges. He had just finished when we got a thunderstorm. It rained very hard for a couple of hours.

Although it is very nice to be in the river system and off the big water, you trade one set of problems for another. The wait at the locks can be quite long. Tows take priority to pleasure craft in locking through and some of the tows are so long that they have to separate and go through in 2 lockings.

Our first lock of the day was just a few miles from Joliet. There had been a southbound tow go past us early this morning and Passport called the lock to find out how long it would take that tow to get through the lock. We would plan our departure based on that. We found out that there was also a northbound tow and that would tie up the lock much longer. While we were waiting, another southbound tow went past us. Luckily, the Lockmaster said we could lock through after the northbound and before the southbound that had just gone by us.

We cast off at 9:30, got to the lock and waited about 45 minutes and were able to lock through. We got out of the lock at 11. Half the day already done and we had gone 2 miles!

We saw these little floating houses at a marina. Vacation rentals?

We got to the second lock at 12:45. We found two tows waiting to go south and one tow in the lock going north. The Lockmaster had us tie up on the cement wall and told us he’d get us into the lock in about 2 hours. In further discussions it was discovered that the marina Footloose and Passport expected to stay in tonight had low water and they probably couldn’t get into a slip. There was also heavy rain expected to start any time today and over the course of the next 2 days there was supposed to be 5” of rain.

The Lockmaster had told us we could stay overnight tied to the wall and, after considering everything, we all decided to stay here. Footloose and Passport are tied to the wall and we are rafted to Passport. We have a wonderful view of the tows locking through. We saw the towboat James L. Oberstar. We assume it was named after our Minnesota Congressman who chairs the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

So, our travel day today ended at 1 p.m. at the Dresden Island lock. We traveled 15.6 miles.

1 lock today – total of 78 locks

Chicago, IL – Joliet, IL, September 2, 2008

2008-09-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

We are now in the river system. There is no need to worry too much about high winds and rough seas. It is very nice to be traveling flat, with no rolling or fighting waves.

Our first lock was 5 minutes into our day, at the start of the Chicago River. It only lowered us about 2 feet and, as locks go, was one of the easiest ever. Cruising through downtown Chicago was very nice. The view was beautiful, there were riverside walks on either side of us, tall buildings, small parks and restaurants. It was very clean and very scenic.

We went under many bridges and only needed one in Chicago to open for us. That was a 10’ Amtrack bridge. We were fortunate that we only waited about 5 minutes for it to open.

After the excitement of going through downtown Chicago, the trip became a little boring and definitely not beautiful any longer. We went through a very heavy industrial area then into a narrow canal area with nothing to see except trees lining each side.

After we had been underway a few hours we caught up with 2 other boats. Passport and Footloose were both Loopers and we had remembered seeing the boats in other places. We traveled together the rest of the day.

Soon we met our first tow, several barges pushed by a towboat. Shortly after that we entered an apparent loading and unloading zone for barges. They were 2-3 deep along he side of the river, with towboats interspersed.

At our second lock of the day we had to wait about ½ hour. There was a tow, five barges long by two wide just finishing locking up and we had to wait until he got going again. It took another ½ hour for us to get locked down.

There is a free dock in downtown Joliet where all of us tied up. We got there at 3:15 p.m.

2 locks today - total of 77

Chicago, IL – September 1, 2008

2008-09-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

Even though we are at a slip in a protected harbor, we have really been rolling a lot. Especially today. One could almost imagine we were at a mooring, in heavy winds.

This morning we took our bikes and went back to Navy Pier. Beth wanted to ride the Ferris wheel and we hoped to get in line before the crowds arrived. The Ferris wheel is 150 feet tall. The ride is 7 minutes long and goes around once, slowly. The view was amazing. All the pictures here are those taken from the ride.

After walking around some and having lunch we got back on our bikes for some more sight seeing. We rode to Millennium Park, sat on a bench and people watched for awhile. After more riding we came back to the boat.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in preparation of leaving tomorrow morning. Darrell lowered the mast. He also spent some time looking at our charts planning the next few days. Beth defrosted the freezer and cleaned and straightened up the boat.
Starting tomorrow we will be on the river systems. Back to more locks with added excitement of tows.

Chicago, IL – August 31, 2008

2008-08-31T16:51:00.000-07:00

This morning we took our bikes and rode to Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum. It was founded in 1930 and was America’s first Planetarium. There were a series of exhibits, including the Gemeni/Apollo missions to the moon, Big Bang Theory, History of Astronomy from the flat earth theories to modern day astrophysics and more. We saw the planetarium presentation of the summer sky, given by the resident astronomer. We also saw the movie “Cosmic Collisions” shown on a 360 degree overhead screen. We ate a surprisingly good lunch in the Planetarium Cafeteria and spent most of the day at the Planetarium.

We saw many groups of people driving segways. There are many places you can rent them and some places offer group tours on segways.

When we left the planetarium we biked around Chicago. We went several miles. We certainly got our exercise.

Fuzzy and the Loons

2008-08-31T06:06:00.000-07:00

Fuzzy was in the boat with Nana and Papa when he saw 2 baby birds swimming with their mom and dad. Papa told him they were Loons and that baby loons are called chicks. The chicks in this picture are pretty big. They are much smaller when they are younger.

Loons love the water and they are excellent swimmers. Both the mom and dad loon build their nest close to the water and they take turns sitting on the eggs until they hatch. There are 1 or 2 eggs and it usually takes 26-31 days for an egg to hatch.

Fuzzy found out that loon chicks are able to swim as soon as they hatch, but often ride on their parents' back. This lets the chicks rest, stay warm and avoid predators. After 2 days they don’t go back to their nest. The chicks are fed by their mom and dad for about 8 weeks and then the chicks start getting some of their own food. By the time the chicks are 11 or 12 weeks old they get almost all of their own food.

Loons fly, but there is only 1 kind of loon that can take off from land. All of the rest have to be in the water and swim into the wind before they can take off and start flying.

Fuzzy thought that was very interesting. Imagine the chicks climbing on the back of their parent and getting a fun ride! Ask your mom or dad to find a better picture of a loon so you can see how pretty they are. Hunter, ask Uncle Greg or Aunt Heidi.

Chicago, IL – August 30, 2008

2008-08-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

Late yesterday afternoon we walked to Navy Pier. Navy Pier was originally designed as a shipping and entertainment area. Construction started on the Municipal Pier in 1914 and it opened to the public in 1916. At the time it was the world’s longest pier, 3000 feet long. In its first 10 years the pier was successful in attracting both visitors and ships.

By the end of the 1920’s the Municipal Pier’s success started to decline. In 1927 the pier was renamed Navy Pier, in honor of World War I veterans. Navy Pier served as a naval training facility during the second World War.

In 1992 renovation of the Navy Pier began and was completed in 1994. Navy Pier is now a very successful recreational center next to Chicago’s downtown area. There are many attractions and 50 acres of parks and gardens. Among the attractions are a 148 ft high Ferris Wheel, a 44 ft high musical carousel with hand-painted animals, ice skating rink (in winter), the Children’s Museum, the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, Shakespeare theater complex, Cirque Shanghai, miniature golf course, funhouse maze and many others.

We ate dinner outside at Be Bop Café. The food was delicious and they had a great 5 piece jazz band with an amazing sax player. We walked back to the boat under the stars. The nightlights of Chicago are very pretty.

There is a large ship tied up in the harbor. It is a 372 foot former Canadian icebreaker from Nova Scotia. It is now the home of the Columbia Yacht Club, originally founded in 1892.

Although we can see Navy Pier from our marina, it was quite a walk, so this morning we took our bikes. There is a wonderful walking path and bicycle/running lane right next to the marina and to the bridge over the Chicago River. At Navy Pier we took the free trolley and rode around seeing the city of Chicago. We got off and did some walking and shopping. We stopped at Ed Debevic’s for lunch. It had been recommended by a friend of ours. This restaurant is an upbeat 50’s diner known for home-style cooking and sassy service. The restaurant is decorated in the 50’s style and staff dresses outrageously. Darrell had a hamburger and Beth had 6-way Chili. That’s chili, cheddar cheese, macaroni, onions, kidney beans and sour cream. (The 3-way chili was chili, cheddar cheese and macaroni, there is also a 4-way and a 5-way). The food was good, but the experience is what you go for.

We went back to Navy Pier and walked around inside some of the buildings. We were entertained by 4 pirates fighting and dancing to see who got the Pirate Booty. It was very funny and very good. We walked to the Beer Garden and listened to an all girl band. They were pretty good. Back to our bikes and back to the boat.

It was a beautiful day.

Racine, WI – Chicago, IL, August 29, 2008

2008-08-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

We left Racine at 6:45 a.m. We had a very nice, smooth run to Chicago. It was really appreciated after the last 2 trips on Lake Michigan. We had a following sea on our stern quarter. It was a relaxing day - “Otto” did all the work - It would have been hard to hand steer all day.

We saw the Chicago skyline several hours before we arrived in the harbor. It was similar to arriving in New York City. We passed Navy Pier. We also saw the 150 foot traditional four masted gaff topsail schooner, Windy, taking tourists out for a sail.

We were tied up at the Chicago Yacht Club dock by 2 p.m. and considered ourselves very lucky. There are few transient slips in downtown Chicago, most transient space offered is moorings. Chicago Yacht Club has 10 transient slips but do not take reservations. It is first come, first serve if you belong to a yacht club with reciprocity. Luckily we do and we got the last slip available.

This is a beautiful facility with a very nice restaurant. We look forward to dining there. The location is ideal, right on the waterfront, just south of Navy Pier.

Racine, WI – August 28, 2008

2008-08-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today started out overcast and windy. We had decided to stay another day and our first order of business was to get moved to another slip. When we arrived last night the marina office was closed and the night guard has us tie up to an un-occupied dock. This morning we discovered the entire dock was covered with bird droppings. We were able to move to another dock, one that was occupied, much cleaner and also closer to facilities.

Our TV hadn’t been working well and we wanted to get another. We checked into bus schedules and found we could get a bus from downtown Racine to close to a Best Buy. We walked to the bus stop, then had to wait 50 minutes for the bus. It seems that during mid-day they cut 1 of the 3 buses traveling on that route. The bus finally came and we got to see some of Racine. There are some beautiful, old houses here. We got off at a very large shopping center then had to walk several blocks to Best Buy.

After doing our shopping we were trying to find a closer bus stop and asked a woman who was nearby. She offered to drive us back to the marina. We accepted and on the way back found that her husband helped to design the marina we are staying in. She also has a grandson named Jackson. If we had been able to visit longer we may have found other coincidences. The sky had cleared up and it was starting to get hot. We were very grateful for the ride.

Racine is larger than we thought. There is quite a bit of industry here and the downtown has started to come back since the marina was built. Racine has a zoo that, until last year, had been free to see. Racine is also the home of kringle, an oval-shaped Danish pastry. It is 32 layers of flaky, buttery dough filled with a variety of fruit and nuts and topped with icing. It also takes 3 days to make. There are several bakeries here that still make this delicious treat.

The 6th annual Public Art Event was taking place while we were here. Past events have featured decorated dogs, cats, fish, birdbaths and lighthouses. This year large globes have been decorated by local artists and displayed throughout the downtown.

Sheboygan, WI – Racine, WI, August 27, 2008

2008-08-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

We were up at 6 a.m. to check the weather. The wind was from the east and blowing harder than when we ducked into the marina yesterday. We waited and around 9 the wind had subsided, just as was forecast. We left Sheboygan and were planning to stop at Milwaukee.

As the wind continued to subside and we heard the weather for the next few days wasn’t expected to be very good, we decided to go as far as we could today. We continued past Milwaukee and got to Racine about 6 p.m. We decided if we had to stay an extra day we would rather be in Racine than Milwaukee.

Manitowoc, WI - Sheboygan, WI - August 26, 2008

2008-08-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

We got underway early again this morning, 6:40 a.m. Today wasn’t as pleasant a day as yesterday. Although it was clear and sunny, the wind was blowing from the east and there were 3-5’ seas. We were really rolling. The wind was higher than forecasted and wasn’t expected to subside until tomorrow. We decided to follow the first rule of cruising - if isn’t fun get off the water - so we stopped at Sheboygan instead of continuing on to Port Washington. This wasn’t as bad as our Albermarle Sound crossing but it probably earned second place. We arrived a little after 10 and were quite happy to be inside the breakwater at a marina.

This beautiful sailboat is on the same dock we are. Look at the stained glass hatchboard.

Sturgeon Bay, WI – Manitowoc, WI – August 25, 2008

2008-08-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

We were up early this morning and left the dock at 6:30. It was a cool morning and sunrise was noticeably later than it had been earlier in our trip. All signs that fall is approaching and we need to be heading south.

We cruised south, about 1 mile off the western shore of Lake Michigan, using both engines. This is the first time we’ve been able to run on both engines since Peterborough, Ontario. We had following seas with swells of 2-4’. Our speed fluctuated between 7.5 to slightly over 10, depending on whether we were climbing up or surfing down the waves.

On our way into the marina we met the carferry Badger, based in Ludington, Michigan. The Badger is the last remaining coal-fired ferry operating on the Great Lakes.

We docked at Manitowoc Marina at 1:45. Manitowoc is proud of its boating heritage and built more than 100 vessels during World War II, including 28 submarines. That was the only time in history submarines have been constructed in an inland port. The submarines were longer than the locks (at that time) on the St. Lawrence Seaway, so they were transported to Louisiana on floating drydocks via the Illinois and Mississippi River.

We went to visit the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, located close to the marina. The museum also houses the USS Cobia, a Navy Submarine memorial established to honor those who served on and built submarines in Manitowoc and throughout the nation. Among our small group touring the submarine was a navy sailor, currently serving on a sub. He added a lot of information to the tour about how newer submarines have changed and improved.

Notice the swimsuit picture of Betty Grable posted in the mess hall. There is also a sample menu shown. Submariners ate better than anyone else in the Navy.

Sturgeon Bay, WI – August 24, 2008

2008-08-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

A cold front came through last night. It got quite cool and today the high is only 70. It is overcast and tonight the low is supposed to be 51. Has fall arrived!?!?!?!?

Darrell finished with the radar mast. When we get to Chicago it will be very easy to lower the mast. The boat was cleaned, both inside and out and we are ready to go. We topped off the fuel, pumped out and are hoping to get an early start tomorrow morning.

Margaret and Bob were over for dinner and we had some final games of 500. Bob and Darrell won 2 games. Let us just say that table talking and cheating were involved!

Fuzzy Visiting his Cousins

2008-08-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

Fuzzy was so happy that he got to go home with Nana and Papa. He had missed his cousins so much and wanted to see them and play with them. Jackson had his birthday party when Fuzzy was home so Fuzzy got to go to that. He had so much fun.

All his cousins were happy to see Fuzzy and they had their pictures taken with him.

Emma, Halle, Fuzzy, Hunter (Heidi's nephew), Jackson, Hayden

Sturgeon Bay, WI – August 23, 2008

2008-08-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

Darrell’s glasses broke yesterday. Bob and Margaret lent us their car so he could get them fixed. Since we had wheels we also stopped at the grocery store and picked up a few more items.

Darrell spent the afternoon working on the radar mast so we can easily lower it when we go under the 17’ fixed bridge in Chicago. That is the lowest fixed bridge on The Great Loop and it stops many people from going through downtown Chicago. Those who can’t get their height below 17’ may take the Calumet River as an alternate route, however bridge clearance is limited to 19.1’ on this route. If you can’t get under this one you must turn back.

Bob and Margaret had us over to Bellissimo for dinner. We had an enjoyable time, as always. We will miss them, but they will be in Burnt Store Marina this fall when we finish our trip.

The tasks which needed to be done today took longer than anticipated, so we have postponed our departure until Monday. That will give us time to finish everything without rushing.

Sturgeon Bay, WI – August 22, 2008

2008-08-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

Beth’s sister Hope left this morning. She drove our car back and will leave it at our sons house in Lake City. We are glad Hope was able to visit and wished her husband Phil had been able to join her. There is a story Beth would like to tell, but Hope threatened retaliation if she did.

Darrell took the boat out today to check the alignment and it seems to be fine. He then changed the oil in that engine.

We are completing odd jobs around the boat in hopes of leaving Sunday morning. The forecast right now seems to be good and we hope it remains that way.

Bob and Margaret of Bellissimo arrived yesterday and are spending some time on their boat, offloading and getting it ready to sell. They joined us for dinner last night. After all the time we have spent together it will seem odd traveling without them.

We met 2 couples at the marina who plan to start the Great Loop in 1 or 2 years and who were interested in hearing some of our experiences. Clark and Kathy invited us and Bob and Margaret to their boat for hor‘derves. Their friends Dennis and Marie were also there. We had a very nice evening, ending up with dinner at Stage Road Inn, a very nice place with good food and reasonable prices.

Sturgeon Bay, WI – August 21, 2008

2008-08-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

Today was overcast and a little cooler. Beth and Hope explored the eastern side of Door County, driving through Jacksonport and Bailey’s Harbor before going back to the west side and checking out Sister Bay and Ephraim. We lunched at Harbor Fish Market & Grille in Bailey’s Harbor. This brought back memories for Beth of a ladies only week-end several years ago with Nancy, Barb I. and Barb Gernes. We had eaten lunch at the same place and had a very fun couple of days.

The Harbor Fish Market & Grille had a very unique aquarium. There was an old console TV with the insides removed and replaced with an aquarium. Toy furniture was placed in the aquarium making it look like a small apartment. It was very fascinating to watch.

The boat had been extremely dirty when we returned from our 2 weeks away. We had heard that the spider population was up this year and we can certainly attest to that. There were cobwebs all over the outside of the boat. Darrell spent some time cleaning the boat.

A new transmission/shaft coupling was installed and aligned while we were gone. We are hoping that takes care of the problems we had.