Marine Max - Chattanooga - 10/30/10

This is being written on Sunday morning @ 8 a.m due to a long day yesterday coming from Goose Pond Marina in Scottsboro, AL 85 miles down river, one lock and a time change into EST arriving here at dark thirty (6:45 p.m.). We are at the foot of the stairs leading to the aquarium on a concrete wall with power that belongs to Marine Max but will be moving to floating docks tonight. We celebrated our trip by grilling rib eyes under the light of the boat spotlight. After leaving Goose Pond at 7:15 a.m. we encountered fog and at the main channel and sat until 7;40 to start up river. We went about 45 miles to Nickajack Lock and waited 30 minutes for a tow to lock up then after entering the lock with 4 other boats everyone had had a little trouble securing to the wall because of the wind inside. One small cruiser had a unique tie up to the rear cleat which we thought would give him trouble, but it didn't seem to at all.

Coming on up stream out of the lock there is a series of red channel markers that are in over 50 feet of water that seem to be on a pile of rocks. The weather was in the high 60's and had a chill when the wind blew. The river nearing Chattanooga narrows considerably with high hills on each side. Since the leaves don't seem to have all the normal color this year, it wasn't quite as pretty as it could have been. The last picture is the aquarium boat we encountered several miles down stream on our way loaded with tourists. When we were approaching downtown Chattanooga he appeared again beside us and gave us what appeared to be a slow pass then gunned it when he was barely past us creating the worst waking I have ever experienced. Then as we were coming under the bridge to our assigned dock he did a series of 360's right in the middle of the river in our channel and we had to stop while he played. I suppose he was giving his passengers a thrill but it sure was a stupid act ... both of them.

We are planning on staying here through Monday night then head back to Joe Wheeler. The current on the river was strong coming up so we are contemplating doing a couple 90 mile days and get back a day earlier so we can do some shopping & laundry before the Hanna's take off in our vehicle on Friday.

Goose Pond Marina - Scottsboro, AL - 10/29/10

Since we had a short ride today from Ditto Landing Marina in Huntsville to Goose Pond Marina in Scottsboro of only 45 miles, the captain (a.k.a. chef) fixed a big breakfast this morning for the crew and we didn't leave the marina until after 10 a.m. and about an hour later locked thru Guntersville Lock. We had noticed on many floating bollards coming up the Tennessee River from the Ohio that someone had autographed them with "Monkey Girl" and I was curious to find that girl. Well it turned out to be the name of a boat but did not get close enough to see if it was named after someone.

As we traveled up the river things kept geting prettier. The painted bluff at mm344 is gorgeous as well as many homes and boat houses we passed. Tomorrow is supposed to show us the grand canyon of the river and should be the prettiest part of the upriver trip. Some say it is only second to the Canadian portion. It will be 85 miles to Marine Max in Chattanooga tomorrow where we will be until Tuesday morning when we start back down river to Joe Wheeler State Park by Friday so Bill & Dianne can get back to WV on Saturday. It has really been nice having them aboard even though Dianne still has a broken wheel and is getting around on a cane. Hope others can join us as we continue the adventure. When we leave Joe Wheeler around the 6th or 7th our next scheduled reservation is Dog River Marina in Mobile on 11/16 thru 11/20 then we will cross Mobile Bay and start thru the panhandle of Florida arriving in Port St. Joe sometime the first part of December and coming home to WV around the 7th of December.

When we left on the trip, we still had several minor jobs to do on the boat and we have relaxed so much very few have been accomplished. The other day Ricki asked me what I intended to do that day to which I replied ... nothing. She then stated that is what I had done the day before but I told her I wasn't finished. There is just too much to see to bother with anything else. This trip is a blast!

coordinates today are: N34 820 W 86 04.745

Joe Wheeler - Rogersville, AL - 10/27 & 10/28

Yesterday was the final day of the rendezvous and was just as interesting to us as the previous 3 days. A boat a couple slips from us had 3 kids that were being home schooled for the year they were going to be on the boat and the looper group decided to put on a trick or treat night for them. They got a boat load of stuff from the boats in the marina. The blow up dog in the picture belongs to Fred Myers and has the original name of Vinyl. Later in the evening after dinner the group presents their annual Skipper Bob Award to the individual(s) who have contributed the most to the group. It was originated by our friends from Nashville, Bob & Ann Levine who we met several years ago in Beaufort, SC and then saw them again when we were in Nashville buying our boat. Bob is in the picture with the red shirt. The other photo is of the founders of our group Ron & Eva Stob.

Bill & Dianne were supposed to land around 3 p.m. on Wednesday and to make a long story short after all the storms on the east coast and plane changes, they finally landed at 1 a.m. this morning and then we had the 45 minute drive back to the boat. Today we left early for Chattanooga and are in Huntsville tonight at Ditto Landing , a very nice marina. On the way we began seeing very nice houses and passed under a railroad bridge that had to be raised for us.

coordinates are N 34 34.588 W 86.33.594

check out looper locator and see us on google earth @

http://greatloop.org/mod/aglcalocator/membermap.php?id=1213

Joe Wheeler - Rogersville, AL 10/26/10

Another day of classes which were very interesting. They covered the trip we will be doing from Tarpon Springs to Key West along with discussions with the men and women in separate rooms for items they wanted to discuss. Of course the guys talked about motors etc. and the girls talked about how to mess with their men!

In the evening we went on a organized tour of Rogersville which was sponsored by the local chamber of commerce and then to a bed and breakfast for a concert outside. This was a blast and the talent was awesome. They had a a smores roast, a cigar tent and a massage tent for the enjoyment of those attending. The first group that entertained was a father and his twin 10 year old girls and the program was unbelievable. Next was a young lady that had enough talent to be on tour. Her husband backed her up with guitar and vocals as well as played drums for the main group. We really didn't know if all this would come off since we were under a tournado warning most of the day with terrible storms. Tomorrow is the last day of the rendezvous and later in the afternoon I will go to Huntsville to meet Bill & Dianne Hanna at the airport who will be with us for the trip to Chattanooga.

Rogersville, AL - 2/25/10

Another full day of interesting seminar topics which included a presentation by our friend Fred Meyers on the Tenn-Tom Waterway and all the interesting things to see and do. Although we have been up and down this part of the trip a couple times, each time we were in a "delivery mode" with time restraints which made us run from daylight to dark each day and see nothing but water. This time we are going to marina hop down it and take 10 or 11 days to go the 450 miles to Mobile where we have reservations beginning 11/16 thru 11/20 at Dog River Marina.

This afternoon we covered the panhandle of Florida with the rest of it to the Bahamas tomorrow. This will be new water to us and should be very interesting.

Tonight we had a speaker from the Tennesse River Authority who gave some interesting facts on the condition of the locks and dams and the lack of sufficient funds to repair them along with the impact on the local economy. The bottom photo was taken as we left the lodge tonight. Our boat is backed into its slip on the back right corner of the pool.

Oh, by the way I won the door prize this morning of a FREE month stay at Port St. Joe in the Florida Panhandle. We had planned to spend close to a month in the panhandle in Carrabelle so we could come home to see family, but now it looks like it will be Port St. Joe instead which is only about 50 miles different.

A couple days ago I mentioned that our salon A/C was acting up ... well here's the update. We needed to move the boat over to the fuel dock for a pumpout and when we returned I put on old clothes and headed into the engine department to tear the pump down. When I hit the switch to see which of the 3 pumps was suspect, the darn thing worked like a charm. Apparently sitting here in the slip we attracted something that covered the thru hull water pickup and it must have washed off on the trip to the pumpout. Problem solved.

Rogersville, AL - 10/23/10

Today was a day of chores. While I took the laundry into town to wash, Ricki prepared the map table on the helm for a new finish. Shortly after lunch we were entertained by a wedding on the pool patio right in front of our boat. The couple looked

so young, but I suppose we all did at

one time.

The ceremony was a little long but when they released a flock of birds at the end it was pretty awesome.

Later that evening all the loopers on boats got together for a shrimp boil.

Must have at least a hundred folks and everyone brought a side dish so there was quite a selection of things to eat. Our slip mates, Fred & Joan Meyers are pictured here. They have a lovely American Tug that they have used to research some of his books he has written on the rivers.

Tomorrow is the official registration for the rendezvous. The marina is really starting to fill up and we are hearing horror stories about the wait to get through Wilson & Wheeler dams. Some are as long as 7 hours. Guess we were lucky to practically have the doors open and waiting.

Rogersville, AL - 10/22/10

This morning we drove to Athens, AL to begin the process at Lowes to order window blinds for the boat. We passed several cotton fields on the way and I have included pictures of Ricki "pickin' cotton" except it was along the highway. Lowes will send someone to the boat next week to measure so they can be ordered and sent to us in Mobile since it will take at least 2 weeks to get them made. When we were driving to our next destination (Walmart) Cracker Barrel got in our way and we just had to stop and eat.

When we got back to Joe Wheeler we noticed that the air conditioner in the salon wasn't acting right and determined it wasn't getting any water to the unit. About that time a mournful sound came out of the holy place and it appears the pump is either dry or crapped itself. I cleaned the strainers but that didn't help so tomorrow I will remove the pump and see if it can be saved.

Later in the evening we were invited to a cook out along with another couple from Michigan on Jim & Cathy's boat "Merried With Her". They are from New Matamoras and started their loop from Lake Erie but plan to take their boat back home via the Ohio River. Chances are we will see them several times during our travels. After dinner we toured each others boats which was very interesting seeing how others handle all the stuff we think we need on the trip. The couple from Michigan are traveling in a 42 ft Grand Banks with 2 dogs and Jim & Cathy are traveling on a 38 Carver.

The couple in the next slip, Art & Sandy are from CT. They discovered a propane leak in their stove and will take our car tomorrow to find a replacent hose. The car has been very handy both for us and others as well. Looks like tomorrow is going to be a work day for several of us.

Joe Wheeler - 10/21/10

Today we cleaned the boat and tried
to stow all the stuff be thought we needed from home. Looks like I am going to have to move the boot stripe up again.

Lots of loopers are starting to show up. We spent a good portion of tonight with a couple from New Matamoras that had bought a Carver in Lake Erie and began their loop from there. We will be joining them plus another couple they have traveled with for dinner tomorrow night.

When we were working on the boat today we noticed one of our passengers trying to imitate a pole dance that my sister had performed when we were loading the dingy before we started the adventure. I thought the Cravens had more rhythm than that and that it would pass down to their children. This guy has been pretty quiet up to now but it looks like he is coming out of his shell.

I have included several pictures of the marina here so you can get an idea of how big it really is. There must be several hundred boats here plus all the transits that show up. The lodge and restaurant is great and the food is fantastic so we probably won't be eating on the boat very often.

Tomorrow we will be making a run into town to find a laundry and pick up a few things at the grocery store and go to Lowes. We have decided to order new blinds for the boat and hopefully get them delivered to meet us in Mobile next month. Our friend from New Mat has to return his rental car so since we have our vehicle here we can help him get back to the marina.

Just for the record ... life is very good and this trip is fantastic. The folks you meet are probably the best part of the adventure however the trip ain't bad either. If you are reading this and have a boat ... better start planning your adventure.

Joe Wheeler - Rogersville, AL - 10/20/10

We're Back .....



Something just seems strange.... we drove 10 hours today just over 600 miles on 2 tanks of fuel. It took us 23 days and just under 700 gallons of fuel by boat to get to the same place. Boy are we having fun!



Tomorrow we will spend the day cleaning all the spider crap off the boat and spiff it up a bit so it will be presentable for the looper crawl and any guests that happen by. The rendezvous actually starts Sunday and the days will be full of information on things to come on the loop trip. We brought our vehicle back with us so we could bring the few items we forgot and some how we ended up with the back seats down in the SUV and it was crammed (sp) full! Some how it all got on the boat but the boot stripe is again under water.



We should be able to get some photos tomorrow of things around here so we can keep everyone amused. Until then ...over and out.

Rogersville, AL - 10/11/10

We left Florence Marina this morning at 8:45 after calling the Wilson lock and was told to be there in 1/2 hour and we could get

through. Anyone who has ever gone thru both Wilson & Wheeler locks know that a 2 or 3 hour wait at each is not unusual.

Wilson Lock is one of the biggest lifts at 93 feet. You can see from the pictures inside the lock the massive cave you enter. The left photo is looking up from the floating pin.

You can see the gates on top of the concrete sill and the strange thing is that the upstream gate goes down and you just drive over it. The sonar indicated it was 12 feet under the boat when we went over. It only took 15 minutes to go up the 93 feet but the turbulance was something else. A Nordic tug that we shared the lock with had bow and stern thrusters and still couldn't stay off the wall. After the Wilson, the Wheeler lock was a piece of cake and someone on the boat was happy both were behind us.

We are now at Joe Wheeler State Park where we have a slip rented for the month. We are leaving for WV tomorrow via a stopover in Tennessee and will return on 10/21 to attend the Great Looper Rendezvous. After the meeting we are taking a side trip up the TN to Chattanooga then back to Joe Wheeler the first week of November before starting further south.

I have had to go to the lodge to get wifi so I don't have the cordinates for this stop handy. Cell phone coverage and air cards are very scarce here.

Statistics - 10/10/10

For those wondering how we are doing with the numbers, here goes:

1. We have been away from WV for 23 days - 18 in marinas, 2 on the hook and 3 stay over days in a marina (2 @ Green Turtle & 1 @ Grand Harbor)
2. Traveled 1,056 statute miles (14% of the total trip)
3. Used 668 gallons of fuel = 1.6 MPG with an average cost of $3.23 per gallon
4. Marina dock fees to date - $674 (avg $0.94 per ft/ per night)

We pushed pretty hard to get off the Ohio River in 11 days (740.5 miles) which consumed more fuel than normal which brought our average down to 1.2 MPG. This should improve even more when we finish the upstream portion of the Tenn. River in Chattanooga and start down hill. The Tn River has had some parts with very strong current especially several miles before Pickwick Dam. Our normal cruise speed of 8.5 MPH was dropped to just over 7 MPH at the same RPM.

Florence Harbor, Florence, AL - 10/10/10

We left Grand Harbor Marina this morning about 9 a.m. and to Florence Harbor Marina arriving at 2:15 this afternoon. The ride was pretty uneventful until we passed the park right before the marina. This area is known as Muscle Shoals and it is pretty important to stay between the channel markers because there is rocks and mud outside them. Florence Harbor is very well designed and the daughter of the designer now runs the place. She caught our lines at the fuel dock/pump out and while this was going on she managed to receive and park 3 other boats. Our spot tonight is right beside the office so we can leave tomorrow for Joe Wheeler State Park where we have a long term rental for 30 days so we will have a spot to land after going upriver to Chattanooga for a week.

We will be going home for a week or so after we get to Joe Wheeler so the blog will be taking a rest until we get back on 10/21.

Our position tonight is N 34 47.204 W 87 40.419.

Grand HarborMarina - 10/9/10 (second Day)

As you can tell from the title we just couldn't leave this place today. This is absolutely one of the nicest places we have stayed so far. Staying a second day gave us the opportunity to do our laundry and tour the Shiloh National Park & Battlefield. Watching the movie at the visitors center about the battle and the young lives lost was very sobering. During our trip out the first mate had to get a shopping fix so we visited a couple stores looking for stuff to decorate the boat. I think we are running out of wall space pretty quickly.

Tomorrow we plan to leave early for the 40 plus miles to Florence, AL which will make the 6th state we have been into on this trip. This is where our friend Fred Myers lives and he has told us not to miss a visit to the Helen Keller birthplace. I can really understand how after making this adventure, some folks just keep on going again. The scenery along the way is nothing short of awesome. The few pictures we are able to post cannot do justice. Then of course as we have said before, the people you meet both on the rivers and in the marinas are fantastic. It doesn't matter if you are sharing a slip with a 80 footer (as we are here) or a 16 footer, everyone is equal as a boater. The guy next to us was on the dock to catch our ropes when we pulled in and in the course of meeting him, found out he just bought the boat in the Chesapeake last summer, went up thru the Great Lakes and is now on his way to California via the Panama Canal. Just another boater!

Speaking of posting, the wifi in the marina has to be rented by the week for almost $25 so we are relying on our Verizon air card for service and the transfer rate is very slooow.

After our day on "terra firma" we stopped for a burger on the way back to the marina and was treated to the awesome sunset show in the last picture.