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.