November 4, 2012
 

Chaos! Where do we put it all?

I’m sorry for the long delay in postings and vow to sharply decrease the time between postings. For a trip that is supposed to be done at a relaxed pace, it seems like we have been running at breakneck speed since we left Acworth.

We came to Chattanooga and Island Cove Marina where Waci 3 had been since September 11. They had done extensive work including new bottom paint, new zincs, routine maintenance on the engines and generator, and the installation of a 2000 watt pure sine wave Inverter driven by 4 golf cart batteries. This device makes AC power from DC batteries allowing us to run most of the electrical load of the boat without running the generator. We also added an Autopilot and AIS transceiver.


The AIS transceiver allows me to see other boats that have one installed and turned on. It integrates with our chartplotter. All commercial boats are required to have this equipment. It basically works like a transponder on an aircraft giving air traffic control their position, speed, and heading.  Many pleasure boats are now installing this important addition to their electronics package to help them see other boats position, heading, and speed long before seeing them visually or on radar. This is particularly important on the rivers with all the twists and turns with many narrow places to pass safely. I made the decision to add AIS after talking with several other Loopers.

David Gray bleeding steering system for Autopilot

The autopilot has been a wonderful addition as it makes cruising much less stressful with its ability to faithfully follow a course. I am still learning to use it to its full potential. Another last minute addition to the autopilot was a remote control (similar to your TV remote control) that allows me to make course corrections, and engage or disengage the pilot from anywhere on board Waci 3.

We attended the AGLCA (Americas Great Loop Cruisers Association) Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville AL in the Hummer instead of Waci 3 due to some delays in getting the electronics installed and fully functioning, plus my last minute decision to add the remote.We thoroughly enjoyed the AGLCA Rendezvous and returned to Chattanooga to start the Loop.  

Looper Boats at Joe Wheeler State Park

Beautiful Fall Colors at Joe Wheeler





When we found we would be delayed for another day, we made a quick trip home to get a prescription filled for Nan Ellen’s mother – Ethel Sutton. We blew some leaves and cleaned up our e-mail boxes before we returned to Chattanooga the same day. Sometimes, delays are a blessing in disguise. The day before we started, our toaster oven quit working, so a quick trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond in Chattanooga was required to secure a replacement. This is an appliance you really don’t want to leave port without! 





Leaving Island Cove for the start of a trip of a lifetime

We finally got started on Saturday, October 27 with our first stop at the Shellmound Recreation Area just upstream of the Nickajack Dam. There, we met up with our terrific friends and fellow Auxiliarists, Larry Cook and his wife Donna Saunders. Also accompanying Larry and Donna was brother- in-law Wayne. They were returning to Chattanooga from the Rendezvous on their 29 foot trawler, Endeavor. Larry and Donna are occupying our slip at Allatoona Landing Marina while we are gone. I hope we can talk them into giving the slip back to us when we return to Lake Allatoona!



Chickamauga Lock

Tennessee Aquarium
 



We had to travel at planning speed in order to be at Shellmound by dark due to leaving Island Cove at noon, so we burned a lot of fuel. We stopped in at Hales Bar Marina about 5 miles before Shellmound, and it was there that we had our first grounding of the trip. They had a big storm through there a few days before and it moved their channel markers marking the entrance to the fuel dock. It was a very slow and soft grounding, but they did have to bring out a pontoon boat to pull us off.  Nothing damaged except my ego. I am glad we got our first grounding out of the way early as I expect it will NOT be the last one we will experience! 

Hales Bar

 

Pontoon boat pulling us off...

    

Traveling through the gorge.

Birds on rocks near the I-24 Bridge.

Endeavor at Shellmound.




Tip Sie Waci III at Shellmound. Sharing dock with Looper boats - Maia and Jackets II.

 

Sunday, October 28 found us at a much slower and economical speed of 8 MPH and our destination was Guntersville Marina. Recall that Hurricane Sandy was impacting the east coast of the US, but our only effects came from a massive Canadian cold front from the northwest bringing strong winds and very cold temperatures. The winds were picking up all day but the trip was uneventful. Monday, October 29 had us leaving Guntersville early for our trip to Joe Wheeler State Park, the site of the AGLCA Rendezvous the previous week. This day was exceptionally windy and we were into it bow-on all day long. Once we reached Decatur AL and the Railroad lift bridge, things got interesting. Winds were probably 30 to 40 MPH with waves 3 to 5 feet. The last time we experienced waves like these were on the Atlantic Ocean on our Bahamas trip in 2006. Yes, it is possible to get these big waves on the rivers if you have the wind from the right direction and there is a long stretch of river for the fetch to build. Wave periods were about 2 to 3 seconds which means a slamming type wave, not the gently rolling ones you get on the oceans. As a result, our bicycles came loose twice on the bow and I had to turn the boat around twice to make it safe enough to go out on deck to secure them. We have had Waci 3 in much higher seas and she handles them well, but this was both unexpected and uncomfortable for the Tennessee River. We finally arrived at Joe Wheeler and about 10 other Loopers came down to help catch our lines and get us into the slip. A lesson learned – when the wind is forecast for 30 mph, stay in port!





1st Barge we saw near I-65 Bridge

Mile Marker 326 - Mid point on the Tennessee River

 

 

 

Decatur, AL - Home of Meow Mix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once at Joe Wheeler for the second time in a week, we had an opportunity for a brief break while we waited for the weather to improve. Our little portable heater finally quit in a puff of smoke, necessitating a replacement, and quickly. While the cabin has both heat and air conditioning, the cockpit has neither and the past several days called for a heater to help keep us warm while piloting the boat. Our friends, Tom and Patsy Conrad, graciously invited us to a home cooked spaghetti dinner cooked by Patsy on board their gorgeous trawler “True North”. Earlier in the day, Patsy had taken us to Lowes (new portable heater) and Publix in Athens AL in their vehicle. One thing that is greatly appreciated is a ride to the store for fresh produce and perishables. We stayed at Joe Wheeler for a couple of days doing laundry and other chores.



Dave on Tip Sie Waci at Joe Wheeler Marina

 

Joe Wheeler State Park - Rogersville, AL

Finally, the weather improved enough by Thursday, November 1 to move down river to Florence AL. Although the run was short, we had two locks to go through. We found it much easier to tie up in the locks without the wind being a factor and it is far more enjoyable being able to talk to the lockmasters face to face.



Wheeler Lock

We arrived early in the day at Florence Harbor Marina and found Eva, the dockmaster, to be very friendly and most helpful in planning our stay. She gave us a premium spot to tie up that was steps from the shower and restrooms. No cable TV here, but our TV antenna was able to pick up 4 local stations. We were very impressed with Florence as it is a very vibrant town. We used the marina courtesy car to go to Lowes and WalMart on Thursday.



Makin'-bacon on the dock Friday morning at Florence Harbor Marina

 On Friday, we became tourists and drove by the Rosenbaum House, the only Frank Lloyd Wright home in Alabama, but did not go inside. We visited the WC Handy museum (father of the blues) and had a personal tour by the docent. Next, we visited Popes Tavern, an old stagecoach stop and instrumental in the Civil War. Next was Ivy Green, the birthplace and home of Helen Keller. Of our three destinations, Nan Ellen and I agree that our favorite was the WC Handy Museum.

 

W.C. Handy - Father of the Blues



W.C. Handy Home

 

Jam session?

 

Handy's Trumpet

 



Pope's Tavern

 

Ivy Green - Birthplace of Helen Keller - Tuscumbia, AL

Keller Family Home



Well - "W-A-T-E-R"

The best part of the day came after sunset when we went downtown for “First Friday” – a local street celebration and craft fair held the first Friday of the month. Local bands, individual musicians, lots of arts and crafts, some guys raising money for breast cancer research selling opportunities to throw eggs at them, and local food purveyors were on hand. Nan Ellen bought some coasters with local landmarks on them. We also bought cinnamon rolls and jalapeno cornbread (now in the freezer). We ate dinner at Rosie’s, a local favorite Mexican restaurant. If you are ever in Florence AL on a first Friday of the month, we highly recommend you attend "First Friday".

Florence, AL



Dave and the Green Haired Ladies

Saturday, November 3 finds us at Grand Harbor Marina in Counce, TN at the top of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Locals refer to the area as "Tennalasippii for the tri state area of Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. We just turned off the Tennessee River about 1 mile ago and are now on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. This is where we head south and for the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile, AL about 450 miles and 12 locks away. So far, we have traveled 263 miles and transited 5 locks.

Natchez Trace Bridge

Grand Harbor Marina

Condos and Marina at Grand Harbor

Glider on the dock

Shiloh Visitor Center

On Sunday, November 4, we used one of the three NEW marina vehicles to go to the Shiloh National Battlefield where we watched a sobering movie that told the story of how 23,746 men were killed, wounded, or missing in only two days of battle early in the Civil War. According to the film, that is more casualties than America had suffered in all previous wars. On the first day, the Southern forces led by General Johnstone had the upper hand, but by the second day, General Grant had reinforcements, and the Southern forces were soundly defeated. 

 

Tennessee River's importance to the battle

We have a great deal of Civil War history around Atlanta, but the Shiloh National Military Park is far more sobering that anything else we have ever seen. This is a huge park that reminds us of the Chickamauga Battlefield and Memorials near Chattanooga. We visited Chickamauga earlier this year while on the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia.

 

 



Gun Boat Cannons on the Tennessee River
 

 

Even though we are a week behind where we wanted to be as per the original plan, we are on track to make it to the Panhandle of Florida by Thanksgiving. We are still unsure of precisely where we will suspend our trip for the holidays. We hope to make it as far as Panama City, but only time will tell. Stay tuned for more updates, and I promise they will be more frequent!