A week at Green Turtle Bay Marina, KY

July 26, 2014

We’ve really relaxed and enjoyed our stay. With lovely grounds, we get resort member privileges, including the spa & exercise facility, pools, and a very nice yacht club with dinning. Louie even has places to run!

Two courtesy cars are available for sightseeing and grocery runs and the ships store is amazingly complete with supplies, parts and cute gifts. While here, we’re making final plans for the Mississippi River leap, waiting and watching for its water level to fall from the recent flood‑stage highs.

We expect to leave here tomorrow or Wednesday. 

Green Turtles everywhere!!

Large flowers that bloom on the shores.

Louis getting shaved.

Giant "yard art" place near by.

Paducah, Ky main street.

The TN and Ohio rivers coming together.

Mural on flood wall in Paducah depicting history of area.

In Paris. . . . . just for a night!

July 23, 2014

Tuesday was Paris for a night…. in Tennessee!

We left early on Wednesday for a 40 mile run to Green Turtle Bay Marina in Kentucky. The skies were hazy and by noon it looked like we were headed for a big storm. Thunder rumbled in the distance as we dropped a hook in Higgins Bay, about 15 miles from our destination. There are many beautiful little bay anchorages in Kentucky Lake. Light rain dimpled the water surface while we ate our lunch and took a short nap.

As we approached Kentucky Lake Lock in Paducah, many more barges plied the river. One tug had 25 barges rafted together, pushing them up the Tennessee River! How do they do that?

The lock is less than a mile from the canal cut through “The Land Between the Lakes”, that separates Kentucky Lake (formed by the dammed Tennessee River) from Lake Barkley (formed by the dammed Cumberland River). Our destination, Green Turtle Bay Marina, is on the Lake Barkley side. We followed a tug with four barges through the canal then took a quick left into the marina then settled into a slip.

That evening, with sun peeking through the clouds, we enjoyed a lovely spaghetti dinner aboard Fred and Linda’s boat.  

"Floating Island" or a tug with 25 barges?

Louis is very bored.

Mud from Higgen's Bay stuck to our anchor like glue. 

Green Turtle that greeted us as we tied at the dock.

SeaDream on left and Young America on right at Green Turtle Marina.

       

Alabama to Mississippi to Tennessee

July 22, 2014

Entering Zippy Cove, we crossed into Mississippi!

Early Sunday morning we moved a mile deeper into Mississippi, docking at Aqua Harbor Marina, finally joining Fred and Linda. It’s large and well kept with an excellent restaurant, nice pool and grassy Frisbee field for Louie to run. The Mississippians greeted us with charming southern molasses ascents, extending sincere welcomes.

Leaving the dock Monday morning, we were shortly at Pickwick Dam & Lock in Tennessee, along with a huge raft (1150 ft long) of 11 barges pushed by a single huge tug. The lockmaster put the tug and barges in the main lock (110 ft x 1100 ft), requiring two very slow trips, but allowed SeaDream, Young America and a house boat to simultaneously use the auxiliary lock (110 ft x 600 ft). Only one floating bollard still worked so, being the biggest boat, we tied to the bollard then the other two boats tied up (rafted) to us. All went well as the water dropped 55 ft.

Monday’s Tennessee River cruise included passing Shiloh National Military Park, Cherry Mansion in Savannah (General U.S. Grant’s headquarters during the battle), some lovely homes and wondrous river bluffs, water-carved over millions of years. Late Monday evening, we anchored behind Kelley’s Island then Young America rafted to our port side. About 110,000 pounds of boats hung on our single Rocna anchor and chain in the current. The evening was cool as we shared a wonderful fish dinner aboard SeaDream. The anchorage was peaceful and serene, with tree lined shores and sounds of birds and nature.

Early Tuesday, morning mist hung quietly over the river. We hauled anchor about 8:00 A.M., heading for Paris Landing, near the Kentucky border. The 68 miles down river would be a good day’s run. As the river widened into the Kentucky Lakes, we followed the marked channel, careful to avoid the enormous expanses of inviting, but very shallow, water. Boat traffic was light but we did see interesting dredges, tugs and shore side remnants of life before the river was dammed at Paducah.

Tuesday was also very hot, with temps reaching 93 outside and nearly that inside SeaDream. Thank goodness we were at least shaded. We surprised ourselves by docking at Paris Landing State Park about 5:00 P.M. and…. what a rustic spot! Louie had a good walk and run in the park then we joined Linda and Fred at the Inn for an all-you-can-eat “Crazy Chicken” night for just $8.75 each. What a dinner bargain! All in all, another great day on our lovely Tennessee River.

Misty morning before we left Zippy Cove.

Young America headed toward Pickwick Lock.

All three boats rafted in Pickwick Lock.

Cherry Mansion in Savannah, TN.

A Day of Dam Locks!

July 19,2014

Misty rain filled the gray morning as we topped off our water tank, emptied the trash and walked Louie a last time.

Two large locks were the challenge of the day, with our lock skills feeling a little rusty… today we’d face the “dam locks.” Wheeler and Wilson Dams coming up! Wheeler was only three miles away so I readied SeaDream’s lines and fenders. A single line ties her to one of the lock wall’s floating bollards. The bollard moves vertically with us as the water level changes. Today we were going down.  A TVA work tug with two barges, a small runabout were in the lock with us as the entrance doors closed, the water level fell slowly about 40 feet and the exit doors finally opened to let us out. No problem, but the entire event required over 90 minutes.

Wilson Dam and Lock were a few miles further down the river so we readied again. Only SeaDream and FantaSea , a fast party boat, were locked together this time. I hitched us to the bollard after Mike glided SeaDream gently to the lock wall. The water slowly dropped, this time 93 feet. The walls of the lock were so tall we felt like crickets in a shoebox but, when the exit doors open, out we went, feeling mighty fine.

The rest of the trip to Zippy Cove at the mouth of the Tenn-Tom was a pleasure in the cool weather. We dropped anchor about 6:15 pm in 28 feet of water and watch “Rebel Without a Cause” and had a healthy dinner aboard.

Zippy Cove is cool and very quiet and forested right to the shoreline.

Wheeler lock with barges and TVA tug.

Tied to floating bollard.

Very tall walls of Wilson dam. Doors are just opening after we dropped 93'. We started out at the top of the wall.

One screen at the helm showing depth, speed, engine temp, rudder position, etc. 

Boats position and course on 2nd screen.

Staycation Day

July 17 & 18, 2014

Just wanted to stay and play Thursday. The weather is so wonderful and cool, the spot is so peaceful and the time available.

Enjoyed a long hike through the many trails at Joe Wheeler State Park. Toured the antique boat show in the marina and had sunset dinner in the lodge. Did I say we had a nap too? What a joy to have nothing pressing.

Woke up this morning (Friday) with full-day thunderstorms imminent so we’ll stay yet another day in this peaceful place. I promise we’ll leave early tomorrow (Saturday) morning for a long, one-day trip to Pickwick to meet Linda and Fred.

It’s rained heavily all day. I read Mark Twain, washed clothes and peeled and froze peaches that ripened all at once. Mike worked on the helm computer, studying the navigation program.

Hearing a nearby motor sound, I looked up to see a small sea plane land only 150 feet from SeaDream! After landing it berthed next to us, almost touching SeaDream with its wing tip but I grabbed the wing, on the pilot’s instruction, and guided him into his slip. SeaDream and a Cessna 180 #N9990K make strange slip mates at the dock!

Antique boat show.

Hike at Joe Wheeler Park.

SeaDream and dock neighbor.

    

Boat Sparkles but We Feel Rusty

July 16, 2013

Unusually cool weather and low humidity made a near perfect first cruising day.  Mike was up early applying conditioner to the rub rail and washing the deck one last time before leaving so SeaDream had showboat sparkle when finally let go of the dock, hoping to hide our very rusty skills. After a fuel dock stop for dinghy non-ethanol gasoline and a holding tank flush, we let loose again at 11:15 AM for our 40-plus mile trip to Wheeler State Park Marina. What a beautiful day! Mid 70’s, no humidity and a very fresh breeze.

Arrived at 5:30PM and, somewhat “artfully”, docked and tied, only to realize the slip had a hard to see “occupied” sign. So… hoping for a repeat performance, we untied and moved over a slip. All went smoothly and a little of our confidence returned!

Mike called old friends, Fred and Joan Myers, authors of the famous (among river cruisers and loopers) and definitive guidebooks to the Tenn-Tom and Cumberland Rivers, and they came to visit for the evening. They live nearby in Florence, AL. What stories they have of their many years of river adventuring! We all thoroughly enjoyed dinner at the lodge, then visiting aboard until midnight!

It’s so nice here we’ll stay another day! We’ll next meet Fred and Linda at Pickwick on Saturday. 

Tug boat "Jerry McNeil" and 4 barges.

Meow Mix factory. One of the many factories on the river.

RR lift bridge. We had to wait for a long train to pass before it lifted.

Relaxing and enjoying the cruise.

  
   

How To Prepare for a Long Voyage Up the Mississippi?

July 15, 2014

Whew! Preparing for this voyage takes many days. Our “to do” list goes on forever. Groceries are almost overwhelming, with every cabinet full and the fridge stuffed. Who knows when we can shop again?

Mike has made several systems updates. We now have an AIS (Automated Identification System) transponder to transmit our location and course data to other boats while we receive their AIS signals on our chart plotters before meeting around river bends. Commercial vessels have AIS but only a few pleasure boats do. He installed a new helm computer and fresh charts. The portable water conditioner found a perfect new home installed upright on the davit post….much more convenient and works better, too!

We scrubbed all decks, dinghy, and living quarters…. Louie got a good bath, too.

It’s time at last to haul the lines and leave the dock!

Plans for our trip are just that . . . plans! All boat trip plans are written in sand, so we go with the flow, mindful of the unforeseeable.

From Huntsville we’ll cruise the Tennessee River westward to Pickwick Landing (2 days), meet Fred and Linda Mangelsdorf aboard “Young America”, then travel together north on the Tennessee River, through Kentucky Lakes to the Ohio River flowing west to the Mississippi. At the Ohio and Mississippi junction at Cairo we’ll turn north up the Mississippi to the Illinois River junction and meet Joe and Punk Pica on “Carolyn Ann.” Together, the three sister ships will cruise to St. Paul, MN, where the “Great River” originates. Fred and Linda made this trip last year and highly recommended it.

We’re carefully watching reports on the rain-swollen Mississippi, presently closed to pleasure boats. The Kentucky Lakes are a great place to wait while it drops to a safe level.

The Saint Paul voyage should take a month as we stop to check out little river towns and historic sights. Total miles to St. Paul, MN, is roughly 1050 miles. Our goal is to be home by October.

Mississippi River facts:

·      It is the longest river in the world, considering the Missouri its main branch, at 4,300 miles.

·      It’s perhaps the most crooked river, one part being 1,300 miles yet only 675 as the crow flies.

·      It discharges 3 times as much water as the St. Lawrence, 25 times as much as the Rhine and 338 times as much as the Thames.

·      No other river has so vast a drainage-basin; it draws water from 28 states; from Delaware on the Atlantic seaboard, and all the country between Idaho on the Pacific slope, a spread of 45 degrees of longitude. 

Pile of completed lists!

New water filter installation.

Mike wiring AIS antenna.

Louis still waiting to play! (New fish rug)

Had to add picture of little granddaughter Ella.