Sunday, April 28,2019 - Cumberland River to Sugar Bay Anchorage, Tennessee River mm 36

We traveled back down the Cumberland today and over to the Tennessee River. We encountered 3 tows and only one was going our direction, which required our passing them. The day was gloomy and grey until after noon when the sun came out.  Then it was still chilly...but at least sunny!

Tomorrow we mosey on up the river towards home...with a stop for fuel at Pebble Isle Marina.  Tomorrow is predicted to be much warmer. ;-) And, we have a phone signal again!!!

And now for a few photos from yesterday and today.  First is a view as we approached our anchorage last night, entrance on the right. The land square on in the photo is the Fort Donelson National Battlefield.

When I describe the difference in the channels of the Tennessee River and the Cumberland, the charts show a clear example.  The Tennessee River is the large white swath across lower left corner.  The Cumberland is the narrow white line with triangle markers along side to the right of Land Between the Lakes.  Clear as mud yet?  ;-)

Looking out from our anchorage tonight to the main channel of the Tennessee River...

And a shot of the back of the Sugar Bay anchorage....  Nice!

Saturday, April 27, 2019 - Kentucky Dam Marina to anchorage at Hickman Creek, Cumberland River mm 88.

Well.  Today was our first day on the Cumberland River since the small piece we covered back in 2008.  We traveled through the Barkley Canal that connects the Tennessee River to the Cumberland and then up to our anchorage.   Total miles covered around 55.  We traveled at speeds averaging 7.6 mph as we were going against the current.  Based on our travel today, we are altering our plans for this trip.

Tomorrow we are turning around and starting the trip home.  We had planned to stop at Clarksville, TN, and had checked out the marina there to know it had very good reviews.  The only reason we picked Clarksville is that we thought we’d visit a city on the Cumberland before heading home.  We know now that we’d rather spend our time on the Tennessee River.   Mission accomplished: we cruised the Cumberland River for 55 miles and got a feel for it.  We’re looking forward to getting back on the Tennessee. 

The Cumberland River has a very narrow channel compared to the Tennessee.  The surrounding land is no prettier, either, by our estimation.  Today we met about 10 tows.  If we see as many tomorrow as we go back down, we may be running at full throttle for the majority of the trip just trying to pass them!  

Meanwhile, our day yesterday at Kentucky Dam Marina ended with our being asked to partake of eats and drinks with the group of friends who assembled on our dock.  They, apparently, meet every weekend on the dock for the pretty months.  They were a fun group of people and we enjoyed spending time with them.  Look forward to seeing some of them up Knoxville way sometime soon.  ;-)

Wednesday - Friday, April 24-26, 2019 - Clifton Marina to Kentucky Dam Marina, mm 23

Well, we've been in a few remote locations since last we communicated!  When we left Clifton early on Wednesday morning we found out pretty quickly that there were a lot of "dead" spots for our cell reception as we made our way "down" the Tennessee.  It was a pleasant day for traveling, a little cloud cover and 70's.  We chose the Richland Creek anchorage that night, mm 89.  Spent a peaceful night on the hook...much due to the fact that we had no cell connection and no TV reception. ;-)  But...the view of the Tennessee River channel from our anchorage was beautiful...

And later in the evening we began to see weather moving in for the next day.

Thursday we woke to more clouds in the sky and all day it seemed to threaten rain and storms...but we missed the wet stuff.  We definitely saw more tows after Pickwick Lock.  We only had to pass one going in our direction.  All the others were headed up the Tennessee and were given passes according to their preference.  One fellow was going to meet us under a bridge.  I called and asked if he wanted me to wait until he'd gotten through...or shift over to the other side of the channel.  Nope, he said just "keep her coming on the ones."  OK...I did, but held my breath until we were both actually under the bridge and clearly wide apart.

We ended up at the Kentucky Dam Marina, mm 23, for two nights.  Last night we spent in an open slip near the marina store, which was very convenient for handling the laundry. 

I did the laundry while Wayne checked out the cooling system trying to find the cause of a squealing noise as we were backing into the slip.  He ended up changing the impeller, even though it didn't look worn.  The sound went away....so.

This morning we moved to a covered slip.  We then got the loaner car and went into Benton, KY, for breakfast at Jo Jo's Diner.  Delish!  Two eggs, bacon, a huge pancake, and "home cut fries" that were basically round potato slabs about 1/4 inch thick.  From there we sought out the IGA grocery for provisions. (No wine or beer in the IGA so we also found a local beverage store).

This afternoon we've napped,

caught up on blogging :-), and walked around the property.  This is a huge marina, part of a state park.  The marina has about 50 boats for rent from a small pontoon to a large houseboat.  This is the week of the big quilting week in Paducha, KY, a short drive from here.  The marina staff said there are several women here staying on one of the rental houseboats and attending the various show venues.  Sounds like fun!!

Tomorrow we'll go through a small canal that connects the Tennessee River to the Cumberland.  We'll head up the Cumberland as far as Clarksville, TN, spend a night or two, and head back home to Knoxville.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019 - Ross Branch anchorage to Clifton City Marina, mm 158.5

We left Ross Branch anchorage today at about 7:45 AM after a peaceful night "on the hook." Pickwick Lock was exciting!  We had a wind coming in from behind the boat that caused us to have to backup and go after the pin a second time before we succeeded.  But the really exciting part came when the lock doors opened onto "turbulent water."  I'll say!!! We had been forewarned by the lock master who said they were "putting through a lot of water.  I'll say!!

Maggie spotted an appealing piece of trash in the lock.  Thank goodness she seems to understand it wouldn't be a good idea to jump out of the boat and into the water.




We had planned to go to Indian Creek anchorage for the night, but were making such good time (10-11 mph) that we couldn't resist going further.  We settled on the Clifton City Marina, Clifton, TN.  We have fond memories of this marina because we celebrated (a bit prematurely) crossing our wake on the first Loop trip with our travel partners then, Ellen and Roy.  Our real crossing of the wake came when we passed the Yellow Creek entrance to the Tenn-Tom on the next day, but Ellen and Roy would be heading back home to Florida down Yellow Creek.

We took on fuel and then tied up for the evening.  Maggie and I got out for a walk on some of the town streets.  We saw some beautiful homes, like the one below...

We don't really have plans for tomorrow's destination except that we want to anchor out for the next couple of nights before we hit the Kentucky Dam Marina for a night or two.

Monday, April 22, 2019 - Riverwalk Marina to Ross Branch anchorage, mm 230

Monday, April 22, 2019 - Riverwalk Marina to Ross Branch anchorage, mm 230

We didn’t really mean to go for 75 miles today…it just happened.

We left Riverwalk Marina in Decatur, AL, at 7:15 AM.  Passage under the Southern Railway Bridge was easy and then we were off for our destination: Florence Harbor, Florence, AL.  Back up plan, in case Wilson Lock was hard to get through, was to anchor for the night above Wilson Lock.

It was a beautiful day for travel…and one of those days that required having several different layers of clothing up on the bridge to allow for the direction of the wind..angle of the sun…you get it.  Wheeler Lake was calm and the trip through Wheeler Lock required zero wait time.  Next on the list was Wilson Lock and it’s often been a challenge for us because of numerous tows or uncooperative lock masters.  The passage through Wilson couldn’t have been easier!.  Breathing a sigh of relief we called Florence Harbor to secure dockage for the night.  It was only about 1 PM so we had plans for laundry, a few groceries, and maybe even a walk through town.  This is when our plans were abruptly changed and we had to create Plan C.

The marina is closed until Tuesday, April 23…tomorrow.  Now, we could have tied up in the harbor and paid the next day for our overnight…but we probably wouldn’t have access to the laundry or courtesy car.  The next possible stop for us was Ross Branch at mm 230.  That was 3.5 or 4 hours down the river: arrival time around 4 or 5.  Ross Branch it was.  We arrived here around 4 and are anchored in a very peaceful setting. 

Speaking of peaceful, we’ve only encountered 3 tows on this trip so far and all have been easily passed with a one whistle pass. 

We’re not sure where we’ll end up tomorrow.  We’ll pass the entrance to the Teen-Tom, for sure, but beyond that, who knows?  We have zero phone signal so no WiFi.  It will be a peaceful evening…and probably an early bedtime.  ;-)  And, oh, this posting will happen tomorrow.  ;-)

Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019 - Goose Pond Colony Marina to Riverwalk Marina, Decatur, AL mm. 305

Backing up to yesterday for a minute, we borrowed the rental car and drove into Scottsboro for lunch at the Liberty Restaurant (meat and 3 type place) and then to a grocery store for a few supplies.  The day was a good one to spend in a slip!  It drizzled most of the day and was chilly.  Finally towards the end of the day Maggie and I were able to get out and take a good walk.








This morning we woke up pretty early (too new to the Central time thing).  The place was covered in a dense fog. 



We were planning to get to Decatur...but wondered when we'd be able to see well enough to do so.  We had already arranged to get fuel when the staff came in at 8, and by then the fog was clearing enough for us to do so.  We pulled out at 8:45 with the fog nearly all gone.



The trip today was easy.  We arrived at Riverwalk Marina around 4:45 PM.  Lots of pleasure boats out today taking in the Easter Sunday sun!  Maggie, as usual, insisted on the birds' eye view....

Friday, April 19, 2019 - Chattanooga to Goose Pond Colony Marina mm. 378

We didn't plan to go 97 miles today...it just worked out that way.

We left Chattanooga at 8:15AM Eastern.  We were thinking we'd probably anchor at Burns Island below Nickajack Lock.  But shortly after leaving Chattanooga we went into Central time and it then looked like we'd be anchoring at 12:30 or so, Central time.  We like to cruise for a full day: 8-4 is ideal.  So we started looking for a stop further down river and realized we could get all the way to Goose Pond before 6PM Central.  As it turns out, we ran at 9 mph or better for all but the last hour of the trip (due to a push from the current) when we'd drop back to 8.8 or 8.9.  Bottom line, we got to Goose Pond before 5 PM Central.

Now, granted, it was a lousy day to travel.  We had rain, mostly light, all day.  Winds picked up towards the end of the trip.  And it was cold.  Nasty stuff!

Looking at the forecast for Saturday we decided last night to stay 2 nights here and leave on Sunday in hopes of seeing sun as we depart. ;-)

We watched the engine and oil levels all day, of course, and had no more problems.

Going through the area below Chattanooga, known as "The Grand Canyon of Tennessee," we watched the depth finder to see how deep it got in the "pan" area as the water flows through the gorge that follows an ancient earthquake fault.  We saw 136 feet!

And this is Baylor School in Chattanooga as seen from the water on a rain, foggy morning....

The greens are even greener when they are wet and backed by the grey sky and water....

Thursday, April 18, 2019 - Island Cove Marina to Erwin Marine Riverfront mm. 464

So, life is truly an adventure...and traveling by boat offers a whole lot of adventure, by Jove.

We had planned to go to Hales Bar Marina for tonight because we wanted to be tied up to a dock during the winds they are predicting.  We left Island Cove by 8 AM heading for a lock through in the Chicamauga Lock.  

Wayne realized, just as we were getting ready to enter the lock, that the engine was overheating.  We decided to go on down to Chattanooga...watching the temp carefully...and we were able to get to the Bluff docks downtown.  

Erwin Marine, the group that manages all the downtown docks, has started using an online service, Dockwa, to make reservations.  I tried to complete the registration on my Android and could get to the  "make this happen" button...but the button wouldn't work.  OK.  I got the iPad out and tried on it.  Still had problems completing the reservation.  No need to worry, really.  If you dock on one of their docks they will see you and send a rep down to check it out.  That's exactly what happened.  Bryan showed up and, with him there, the iPad worked fine.  We had docked near the "safe" exit from the Bluff docks  (the other exit takes you up a dark passage that is often home to the homeless.)  Turns out the door we would need to use was damaged in their flooding earlier this year (18 ft. above normal!) and wasn't usable.  We decided to go down to the dock closer to the Erwin Marine office.

So.  Tied up, we walked Maggie up to the Big River Grille and had a good burger meal before Wayne started tackling the issue of overheated engine.  He needed to take up much of the salon floor to check it out so Maggie and I packed up and headed up to a table and chairs we'd seen on our walk.

The spot Maggie and I landed in was totally deserted when we got there.  I spread out some paints, sketches...tied Maggie up to a table leg...and started relaxing into some art.  This is how the area looked:

 

A couple of minutes later a bus dropped off a group of 2nd and 3rd grade kids from Huntsville, AL!

The kids were really well behaved and many had a turn petting Maggie...or, better yet, says Maggie...letting her lick the food smell from their hands after lunch!

Maggie and I stayed to see the group off...and then I worked on a small painting of a dish Willa made, asparagus with red bud blooms sprinkled atop:

Finally Maggie and I walked back to the boat to see what was going on with Wayne.  He was just wrapping up and putting down the floor when we arrived.  He'd checked all the possibles and came up with one small pebble in the water line....also made sure there were no air bubbles.  Plans are to leave tomorrow morning and go as far as we want to before (probably) anchoring for the night.  

Wednesday, April 17, 2019 - Sale Creek to Island Cove Marina, mm 477

Today was a really easy day.  We took our time leaving Sale Creek and motored down to Island Cove Marina before noon.  We haven't done much at all this afternoon.  It's pleasantly warm with a breeze...perfect weather for sitting on the back deck or taking a short nap (or both at once!)  Maggie is thrilled to be near land again.  We've already had 2 walks and another will be forthcoming.  

Here are a couple of pictures Wayne took over the past couple of days:

Here we are going down in the Watts Bar Lock

And this shot was taken as we left our anchorage at Little Paint Rock Creek yesterday morning....   Yes, you will see lots more water/sky pics because I can't get enough!

Tuesday, April 15, 2019 - Little Paint Rock Creek to Sale Creek, mm 495

It was chilly when we woke up this morning and stayed that way for several hours.  Maggie had options!

The day warmed up nicely, though, and we had no trouble passing through Watts Bar Lock and getting to Sale Creek anchorage by 5: 74 miles.  Tomorrow we have a short day to Island Cove Marina.  Maggie and I will hit the ground moving!! ;-)

The greens are unbelievable as we go.  This shot shows something of the variation...

Spring 2019 Trip to Clarksville, TN

Monday, April 15, 2019 - Fort Loudon Marina to Anchorage at Little Paint Rock Creek, mm 576

Well, this has taken some time…but we’re finally on our way for a little cruise this spring.  We started out with the idea of going back down to the Panhandle.  Those plans were dashed when we realized that the Tenn-Tom Waterway (which runs from the Tennessee River to the Mobile Bay) is silted over in a spot and the waterway is closed to all traffic right now.  The Army Corps of Engineers anticipated starting to clear a 150 foot passage on April 1 and thought it would take at least 3 weeks.  THEN we pictured all the barges/towboats that were lined up to go through and decided to opt out of that mess.
After much talk and scanning of charts we decided to go to Clarksville, TN, instead.  We’ll go down the Tennessee River to a “cut through” near the Kentucky Dam, and that will take us to the Cumberland River.  Upstream on the Cumberland about 125 miles we’ll come to Clarksville, TN, and visit for a day or two.
We’d planned to leave, then, on April 6 or 7.  That was before Wayne realized we needed to replace all the batteries in the boat.  That done, we set the departure date for today, April 15.
But wait!  There’s more!  We got down to the boat on Sunday the 14th so we could be ready first thing Monday morning to lock through the Fort  Loudon Lock.  Wayne was running through his check list and tested the bow thrusters…which weren’t working!  After roaming around in the engine “room” (can’t really call it a room since there’s no chance of standing upright in it) for a while he uncovered the problem: we needed a new bus bar.  Don’t even ask what that’s for…I do well to remember the name of the thing.  All I know is…we won’t be leaving without it.
This morning Wayne went to West Marine and bought a new one…and installed it.  By noon we were in the lock and headed downstream.  It was a little chilly this morning, like in the 40’s with a pretty bold wind.  We made good time, though, due to going downstream, and anchored at about 4 PM.
The wind has died down and it’s very pleasant at 5:30.  We’ve had the river to ourselves today…only the occasional small, fast boat.  Tomorrow we’ll get in a full day of cruising.

Maggie and Wayne taking in the afternoon sun....