To Key West for Christmas

After Thanksgiving, we left Mobile on Sunday for a short trip to Gulf Shores, AL. On the way we crossed our wake at bouy 125 of the Gulf Itracoastal Waterway, joining the course we used bringing ODYSSEE home from New Orleans. In Gulf Shores we had lunch at Lulu's with Al and Marilyn Smith aboard "Siris" who left Mobile with us and Dick and Mary Ellen Pugh from "Knot Home" who joined us by car. Lulu Buffet is Jimmy's sister. After lunch the Pugh's said their good bys, they were going home for two months in Idaho before the finish the "Loop" in Ft. Myers where they purchsed their boat.

Monday we moved further east to Ft. Walton Beach where we spent the night at their town dock. Tuesday we had Lunch at Destin and then anchored in Hogtown Bayou for the night. Wednesday we ended up anchored behind the gulf beach in St. Andrews sound, south of Panama City at 2:00. We launched the dingy and went ashore to walk the white sand beach. Today, Thursday 11/29, we stopped in Panama City to drop off the Willows at Jaci's cousins home, and then moved to the east to anchor in Laird Bayou. Tomorrow we will end up in Port St. Joe where Chuck will adjust the lines on an AirBerth boat lift on Saturday.

Actually got to Port St. Joe shortly after noon on Friday and was able to get most of the work done on the AirBerth Friday afternoon. Our next big task is to get accross the gulf in the short days of December. We really don't want to run at night. So at noon on Saturday we started looking for weather windows to cross to Crystal River, a 162 mile run from Apalachicola or a 150 mile run from Carrabelle. Low and behold their was going to be a promising day on Sunday, before the next cold front arrived. So we quickly got ready to leave for Apalachicola so we could leave at first light on Sunday. Well Sunday arrived with a forcast of 1 to 2' waves from the SE, so we left a 6:30 AM with "Siris" to do the crossing. When we got out to the gulf the waves were 3 to 5' and when the second one broke over our bow we turned around and headed for Carrabelle. By Sunday afternoon we had 16 "loopers" here. Tonight, Monday December 3 we got everybody together and roasted 60 pounds of oysters, boiled 10 pounds of scrimp, and baked 8 pounds of fresh fish. Everybody brought a dish to pass and the party was great. Tomorrow we are all planning to leave, four of us to Crystal River, and the rest to Steinhatchee. We'll see if the weather cooperates this time!

Well, we got up early on Tuesday, ready to cross the gulf. We looked at the flag at the marina and it was standing straight out, at 6:00 in the morning. Not a good sign. Next we looked at the data for a weather bouy out in the gulf, waves were 7.9 ft, not a good condition. Then we checked the marine forcast, and it indicated the wind would continue to blow 10-15 until mid afternoon. So, wait at least another day. The wind did die at about noon and the waves were decreasing and by mid afternoon were reported to be 3.9 ft. We reorganized for a Wednesday morning departure. The forcast was for the wind to pick up again on Wednesday afternoon.

We left at 4:30 this morning and made a 153 mile crossing to Crystal River. To bed early tonight!

Dolphins play in our wake as we cross the Gulf.

Crystal River was a delight, a community of residents who kayak through the manatees or fish the rivers. Absent were high rise condominiums typical of the west coast of Florida. We joined the locals visiting with the manatees at the protected preserve. Fasinating to watch some 50 manatees swim amongst our dingys.

Mother manatee with young calf.

From Crystal River we made a 71 mile run to Tarpon Springs. The marinas were all full of other "loopers" so we anchored just inside the entrance of the Anclote River. As it turned out this was actually better than being in town in the middle of their active waterfront. It was nice and quite at our anchorage. We dingied into town on Saturday, December 8, and saw everything we wanted to see.

We left again on Sunday for the Municipal Marina at Clearwater Beach. We got in before noon so were able to spend the afternoon on the beach.

Monday we proceed south through Tampa Bay and pulled into Weir's dock at about 2:00 PM. That evening we were treated to dinner at Pete and Nancy Weir's with Dick and Sally York joining us. A Minnetonka reunion!

Tuesday afternoon, at high tide, we moved the boat to the Fish Shack Marina, a short 8 miles away. Pete, Nancy, and Sally joined us for the short ride and Dick caught up with us at the Marina. Al and Marilyn Smith, "looper" friends from Canada joined us and the eight of us enjoyed dinner together.

Wednesday, "Siris", Smith's boat, and "Odyssee" left for a short 13 mile trip to Sarasota. We arrived just before lunch, anchored in their harbor, and rode the city bus to the Ringling Circus Musium. We returned to the boats as the sun was setting and spent a quiet evening aboard.

Thursday the two boats proceeded south on the Gulf ICW to Boca Grande, one of our favorite stops on the Florida west coast. We anchored behind the Gasperilli Inn Golf Course, anchoring the bow of the boat and tying the stern to the mangroves. Friday morning the four of us rented a golf cart and spent two hours touring the island. We topped off the morning with lunch at the Pink Elephant.

Today, Friday afternoon, December 14, we moved the boats to an anchorage at Cayo Costa with the hopes of going ashore at the State Park here and walking the beach, but the weather didn't cooperate, it rained all afternoon.

On Saturday, we moved to the Ft. Myers area, docking in Ft. Myers Beach at Fish Tale Marina. We reconnected with the Willows who have a condo close to the marina, and had dinner with two fraternity brothers and their wives. While here we have done our Christmas shopping and sent the gifts off to family in the north.

We had a weather window to move the boat to Naples, which we have to do out in the Gulf of Mexico, on, Thursday, December 20. Daughter Mary and family arrived from Michigan on Saturday. With all aboard, we headed south to Marco Island on Christmas Eve day. Found a Presbyterian Church accross the street from our marina on Marco and enjoyed their Christmas Eve service. In our endeavour to get to Key West, we left Marco on Christmas Day and went to Dismal Key Pass to anchor for the night. We were having very low tides every morning and we needed to find an anchorage that was deep enough to get out of at low tide, - 1.1 ft. Diusmal Key Pass worked and we were able to leave for Key West at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, December 26, on a calm Gulf, to make our 89 mile run. We arrived in Key West shortly after 3:00 PM. Two days on the beach, one day looking around town, daytime temperatures in the 80's, and we were ready to move on.

Here we are in "Yurtel the turtel" on our way home from the beach. In the back, Pete, Anya and Elisabeth. Mary is with me in the front seat.

On, Friday, December 28, we moved to an anchorage at Bahia Honda State Park, and spent the last hour of the day at the beach. Again on Saturday morning we were at the beach. After noon we moved to Marathon for fuel and food.

The weather had been summer like the entire time Mary's family was with us, and it was another nice day on Sunday. We used the nice day to motor up to Everglades City, where Mary and her family would leave from on News Year day for their trip back to Michigan. As we came off the Gulf into Indian Key Pass we picked up about 4 dalphins who were playing in our bow wave and wake, so much so that the National Park tour boat came up and traveled along side so all the passengers could see the show.

Dalphin jumping from our stern wake.

Once in the town, we tied up to the wall at the historic Rod and Gun Club, once owned by Collier, from whence Collier County got it's name. Over the years this lodge has hosted several presidents and their huntung and fishing buddies. Lots of history here. The lodge has a pool and community playground across the street so the kids had a great time.

On New Years day the airport limosene picked up Mary's family at about noon, their vacation over, time to go back to the snow and cold of Detroit.

South to the Gulf of Mexico

The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (Tenn-Tom) is fed from the water of Pickwick Lake on the Tennessee River. The first part that leaves the Tennessee is Yellow Creek, 450 miles from Mobile, AL. Yellow Creek empties into the Divide Cut section, which at it's widest point is 175' deep and 1300' feet wide. The waterway is flat for the first 38 miles. The first lock lowered us 85 feet, and then six more locks within the next 77 miles lower us from an elevation of 414 feet to 163 feet. At mile 366, 84 miles from the Tennessee River headwaters the canal joins the Tombigbee river and then basicall follows the riverbed toward the Gulf. Because the top part of the canal is fed by the waters of the Tennessee, the dams are fixed with only a lock through them. The rest of the Tennessee River water flows down through the TVA dam system where hydro power plants and flood control dams are used as the Tennessee flows to the Ohio, it's natural course.

Today, Friday November 9 was our first day on the Tenn-Tom. We are anchored just off the channel near Fulton, MS just above Fulton Lock. In the three locks we passed through today, we were lowered 144' closer to sea level.

Saturday we traveled to Columbus, MS and spent the next two nights at Weaverly Marina. What an experience that was! Upon arriving Clint, the owner suggested if we wanted to see Weaverly Manson we should go right now, it might not be open on Sunday. "Take the van and go." The van was an old Dodge Caravan with 192,000 miles on the odeometer. It got us there. Weaverly Manson has an interesting history and the second owner, now 82 still lives there. When the first owner died, none of the heires were interested in the house and property so it was left vacated for many years with little vandelism. Finally, an antique dealer bought the house for a song 40 years ago and put substantial money into restoring it. It was probably in pretty good shape 20 years ago but now is quite run down. We assume the state will buy the house when the present owned dies and restore it again. It is a beautiful site and antibellum home that needs lots of TLC. When we got back, the Saturday afternoon neighborhood party was well under way, with kareoke singing and the Mississippi football game going on the TV. Hamburgers and fries was the menu. A real experience in small town Mississippi social life! Sunday we used the van again to go to Columbus to look at their historic district and do some grocery shopping.

As the Tenn-Tom Waterway became more of the Tombigbee River and less of an excavated canal and we crossed the state line into Alabama, we started seeing "White Bluffs", high banks of lime rock. There are large deposites lime in this part of Alabama and a cement plant in Demopolis.

The "White Cliffs of Epes"

On Monday afternoon we arrived in Demopolis, AL. On Tuesday we deployed our bikes and spent the day visiting the historic sites and visit to the grocery store.

Wednesday morning we started our four day run to Mobile. We arrived at our selected anchorage at about 3:00 PM, and we weren't happy with exposure we had to the river so we traveled another 15 miles down the river to Bashi Creek. "Time Out" another looper was already here but we found a secure place in the creek itself. Thursday morning was cold and we had frost on the decks and the river was fogged in. By 8:00 AM the fog was lifting so we started down the river with "Time Out" for Coffeeville Lock. The lock was free when we got there so went went right through. For us it was our 129th and last lock, at the bottom of the drop we were back in tidal, salt water again. We spent the night anchored at mile 67 with "Time Out", about 30 miles further down the river than our original plan. Friday morning was again cool and the river again fogged in. Again by 8:00 AM the fog was lifting, so we proceeded down the river towards Mobile with a plan to get to an anchorage at mile 12. The tide here has one cycle every24 hours and it was low at 4:00 PM so we got a nice push all day. We arrived at mile 12 at 3:30 PM and found two other Loopers already anchored there. So four of us enjoyed the anchorge. Today, Sunday November 18, we pulled into Eastern Shore Marina in Fairhope, AL at about noon.

On Wednesday we are going back accross Mobile Bay to Grand Mariner Marina for our Thanksgiving cebration with other boaters. the Grand Mariner closes their restauraunt, prepairs the turkey, ham, and potatoes and the boaters bring all the other side dishes.

The Majestic Tennessee

On Friday, October 5, we left Buzzard Rock Marina on the Cumberland, passed from Barkley Lake of the Cumberland formed by Barkley Dam, through Barkley Canal into Kentucky Lake of the Tennessee River, formed by Kentucky Dam. Kentucky Lake is magnificent, 184 miles long and has 2,400 miles of shoreline. Between Barkley Lake and Kentucky Lake is a National Park known as the Land Between the Lakes. The park was created in 1963 by President Kennedy as a recreational and environmental education area. On Friday night we anchored in Cypress Creek, just north of the Kentucky/Tennessee border.

On Saturday we motored south up the Tennessee 34 miles to Johnsonville, TN and Pebble Isle Marina. Today Johnsonville is an industrial area with a DuPont plant and large TVA coal fired power plant. All along this section of the Tennessee we will see historical parks commerating battles of the Civil War. At Johnsonville a major river port was here where Union supplies were loaded from rail to boats. On November 4, 1864, Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest and his cavalry attacked and destroyed the river port depot of Johnson. The historic park was 1/2 mile from the marina and an easy bike ride away.

Sunday brought us behind Densome Island. It had been a hot day so soon after dropping the anchore we were in the river swimming. Monday was another hot day, we anchored behind Swallow Bluff Island, another delightful swim.

Today, Tuesday October 9, we anchored ODYSSEE near Shiloh National Military Park, took the dingy and bikes into a landing at Catfish Hotel, a restraunant next to the National Park, had some lunch and then spent the afternoon touring the park by bike. Tonight we are anchored behind Diamond Island.

Tomorrow we pass through Pickwick Lock, a 55' lift up to Pickwick Lake with plans to get to Florence, AL for the next couple of days.

We did spend Wednesday and Thursday nights at Florence. On Friday, October 12 we went through both Willson and Wheeler Locks and are currently at Joe Wheeler State Park for the AGLCA fall rendovouis. We will leave on Friday, October 19 to go up river to Decatur, our first planned stop as we cruise up to Knoxville.

Looking up to the top of Wilson Lock as we start our 93' lift.

We are back on the river, moving up river towards Knoxville. We did stop a Decatur on Friday, October 19. On Saturday night we were invited to spend the night at the Lake Guntersville Yacht Club. Not only did we have an enjoyable night, the imprompto party was great fun. On Sunday night we anchored above Nickajack Lock and today, Monday, October 22 we arrived at the new waterfront in Chattanooga and are tied to the wall just ahead of the Delta Queen.

Tennessee River just above Nickajack Dam, we anchored to the left of this point.

On Tuesday we continued up the river towards Knoxville, anchoring out on Tuesday night at the mouth of the Hiwassee River. Wednesday we motored up the river another 68 miles and anchored in Little Paint Rock Creek. On Thursday, October 25 we made it to Knoxville and moored at the Volunteer Landing Marina. Friday we did maintenance chores on the boat.

ODYSSEE anchored behind Fort Loudoun

On Saturday sailing friends from Lake James, Indiana joined us. Sunday we started back down the river to the junction with the Little Tennessee River, turned east and went up the LTR 20 miles to Fort Loudoun. We dingied into the fort, toured the reconstructed fort and grounds and then returned to the boat for the night. Monday we went up the LTR to the 29 mile mark, the end of the bouyed channel. The view to the east of the Smokey Mountains was spectacular. At this point, our GPS told us we were only 291 miles from home as the crow flies, but it will take us 3,000 miles in the boat to get there! We turned around and went back down to rejoin the Tennessee at Fort Loudoun Lock. The lock was putting a tow load through and we had a five hour wait to get locked down. We exited the lock at 6:00 PM and continued in the dark to Little Paint Rock Creek where we anchored for the night. Tuesday we woke up to thick fog, so couldn't leave our anchorage until 10:00 AM. We got down to Spring City and spent the night at the Spring City Marina. Today, Wednesday October 31, we have arrived in Chattanooga again and plan to spend a couple of days seeing the sights.

The Smokey Mountains off to the east.

We were able to see all the sites in Chattanooga using their bus system. They have a free downtown "loop" electric trolley that connects to all of the outgoing busses, neat. Were able to ride the Incline, see Lookout Mountain, visit Chattanooga Cho Cho, and visit both Aquariums, rivers and oceans. As we left they were setting up the waterfront for their annual rowing regatta, 1500 boats competing from virtually every college and rowing club. Impressive organization!

As we continued back down the river we stopped at Gunterville, Huntsville, and Wheeler State park, all in Alabama. As we turned the corned onto the Tenn-Tom Waterway and into NE Mississippi, we had put 5,807 miles under our keel. About 3,000 miles left back to South Carolina.

Up the Cumberland River

Thirty miles up the river we came to the Barkley Lock. This is a newer, single chamber lock with a lift of 57'. When we arrived at the lock the lockmaster told us to anchor to the left side of the channel and expect an hour and half wait, he was just starting a lock down of a split barge load. The barge load is to long for a single lockage. The tug pushes the first nine barges in, three wide and three deep, unhooks those barges, backs out and parks the remaining barges at the top of the lock, unhitches and comes back into the lock. The lock lowers the load, opens at the bottom and the tug pushes the first 9 barges out at the bottom and ties up the barges. Then the tug backs back into the lock and is raised back up to the top where he backs out and reconnects to the remaining barges at the top. He now pushes these barges into the lock chamber and the lock is lowered to the bottom. The lock gate opens, the tug pushes the barges out and recouples them to the first load that came down, and then pushes the entire tow out of the lock. In this case it was 15 barges, 3 wide and 5 deep. After that process was done, we were directed into the chamber and given our lift up into Barkley Lake. We proceeded an additional 9 miles up river to Buzzard Rock Marina in Kuttawa, KY. We spent two nights and used Thursday to fuel up, pump out, buy groceries, and take off, repair a bent blade, and reinstall the starboard prop which was damaged when we entered the Kaskaskie River off of the Mississippi and an outcoming 35' cigar boat waked us good and we bounced the starboard prop off the sand bottom. I was able to get the boat into relatively shallow water and get under it easily with my third lung diving system.

On Friday, September 28, we motored up the river 34 miles through one of several wildlife refuge areas along the Cumberland, and spent the night anchored in Dry Creek.

Migrating White Pelicans along the Cumberland River.

Today we came up another 59 miles to Clarksville, TN and are spending the night at Clarksville Boat Club.

View over the bow looking up the Cumberland just north of Clarksville.

On Sunday we continued up the river to the Riverview Restaurant at Ashland City for a cat fish dinner. After dinner we turned around and went 5 miles down river to Harpeth River where we found an anchorage for the night.

On Monday morning, October 1, we took a dingy ride up the Harpeth to view a high rock wall before we pulled anchor with ODYSSEE and stasrted back down the river. Before pulling the anchor we called Cheatham Dam and learned he was locking a double tow and it would be at least two hours before we could lock through. So we left the anchor inplace and relaxed for an hour and a half before leaving the Harpeth. When we got to the lock another tow had arrived and it would be at least two more hours before they could lock through pleasure craft, so we dropped the anchor again just upstream of the lock. Finally at 2:00 PM we entered the lock for our 23' drop. We finished the day at Clarksville, at the town dock, which is free and has power to plug into.

On Tuesday morning we went to the post office and looked around the town at their historic districk, and left shortly after noon heading again down the river. We spent the night at anchor in Saline Creek.

River bank just downstream from Clarksville. Sunset over Saline Creek on Tuesday night.

Today, Wednesday, October 3, we arrived back at Buzzard Rock Marina where will spend two nights, reprovision, do some laundry, and change the oil in the generator. Plans are to leave on Friday and head south on the Tennessee River.

Up the Ohio

We spent a day and a half getting from the Mississippi to the Cumberland. We turned the corner early on Tuesday, September 25. Weather was overcast with threatening rain. Our first lock, lock 53 has two chambers. We were able to get through with little delay. As we got to the top a thunderstorm moved in, with winds of 35 MPH, a driving rain, and visibilty of less than 1/4 mile. We had our radar on and we left the lock moving causiously upstream amongst all the commercial traffic. As things cleared up we increased our speed. When we got to lock 53 we were told we could expect a delay of an hour and a half. This lock also has two chambers, but the large chamber was down for maintenance so all the commercial traffic was backed up. In actuallity, we waited about half an hour, and they locked us up with two other pleasure boats. Both of these locks are being replaced by one larger lock under construction just below 53, so little maintenance money is being spent on the existing locks, and they show it. One of the boats we caught at 53 was "Another Compromise", a couple from Canada doing their second "great Loop" trip, who we first met a Little Current, Ontario. We ended up spending the night with them at the town dock at Paducah, KY. On Wednesday we completed the last 8 miles to the entrance to the Cumberland River.

Down the Mississippi

We spent Friday, September 20, and Friday night in Alton. Once you leave Alton there is only one marina for the next 218 miles down the Mississippi, Hoppies, 43 miles down the river, so everybody stops there. Hoppies is four barges tied end to end. The outside of the barges is available for transients while the inside is available for seasonal customers. We arrived with several other "Loopers" late on Saturday afternoon. We had dinner with two other couples. For the rest of the trip to the Ohio, it is necessary to anchor out. On Sunday we got to the Kaskaskie River, 61 miles down the river. The Kaskaskie River flows from Carlyl Lake is is navigatable by barge up to Fayetteville, IL. A mile up the river there is a large lock and dam that provides the river depth necessary for barges and tugs to get up the river. We took the river 10 miles up to Evansville. It was a hot day, and all the locals were out enjoying a bonus summer Sunday, with boats and jet skis everywhere. We spent the night at the lower lock wall with three other boats. Today, Monday, September 24, we traveled 111 miles down the river to an anchorage just north of the Interstate 57 bridge, 7 miles from the junction with the Ohio River. We had the engines running at 1200 RPM which pushes us through the water at 8 MPH, but with the push of the river, we averaged 11.4 MPH, and taveled at 2.92 miles per gallon. Pretty amazing for the "Old Hat". Tomorrow we will join the Ohio and travel upstream to where the Cumberland River joins the Ohio. We have two large locks to traverse, hopefully we can get through both of them without major delay.

Down the Illinois Waterway

We left Chicago Yacht Club this morning, Thursday, Sept. 13. Went through the Lake Michigan Lock and right through downtown Chicago. All those people rushing around as we gracefully glided down the Chicago River at 6 MPH. Only had to open one bridge, the Amtrak RR Bridge. Arrived at the bridge where three other boats were waiting, and had been for about 30 minutes. As we arrived, the bridge opened and we fell into line as the fourth boat. As we arrived at the lock at Lockport, we caught up with three more boats who had been waiting for awhile. Again as we arrived, the lock opened up. The lockmaster brought in the two longest boats first, put them next to the left wall, and then brought in the next four largest boats to raft up to the first two. The two shortest boats were left, ourselves at 43' and a 39' trawler. He sent us to the front of the lock chamber on the right side and had the 39' trawler load in behind us. He requested we leave first. Not bad, last in, first out.
We took this picture of the other seven boats, all "Loopers", that followed out of the Lockport Lock.

As we proceeded down the river we were the only boat who could get under the 16' bridges without an opening, so we kept rolling along while the other 7 boats waited for bridges to open. We had a very efficient day! We made it to Joliet and are tied up to the town wall where they have free dockage with power, great deal!

On Friday we proceeded further down the river, got to Ottawa, IL and another free town dock with power. Before leaving Saturday morning we walked around town. Ottawa was a neat little town and on Saturday morning they set up a farmers market at the town square. Bought some goodies and then headed back to the boat and on down the river. Had planned to spend the night at the Chillicothe, IL town dock but learned from another "Looper" that the local police were asking boaters spending the night to leave, so we went a little further to Hamm's Holiday Marina for the night. We had 11 "Loopers " there for the night. Found a little Lutheran Church in town so biked to their Sunday morning service. Later in the day Randall Peters sister and father came to visit the boat, they wanted to see first hand the results of all the work Randall and I had put into the boat. We had a nice visit and lunch.

On Monday, September 17, we again headed south on the river with the intention of getting to Tall Timbers Marina in Havana, IL. Called ahead and found they were full. Stopped at the city dock in Peoria and learned that after Labor Day the dock is free and available for overnight dockage, complete with power. We joined four other boats we have been traveling with for the afternoon and night. Took a nice afternoon bike ride around town.

Today, Tuesday September 18, we have made it to Tall Timber Marina. Will leave here tomorow and spend two nights on the hook before arriving at the Mississippi River.

Like so frequently happens, our plans change with the situation. We did anchor out on Thursday night behind Bar Island, 94 miles up the Illinois River. We got a early start on Friday, September 20, and with the nice day and the push of the river, we traveled 101 miles to Alton, IL.