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.