Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Day 3 Oct 17, 50 Miles Pickwick Landing State Park Marina, Pickwick Dam TN

Pictures of Clifton Marina with the sun coming up.  Saddi and I were out @6:30 am

 
 

 
Looks like a picture perfect day as we head out at 8 am.  And it was for a few miles but then the wind started to blow and we finished the day with wind and are expecting wind this evening.
 
Lots of houses on the LDB (left descending bank)
 
 

Shiloh National Military Park....is one of the most historically significant sites on the river.  On 4,000 acres are 151 monuments, 217 cannon and more than 450 historic tablets that detail the Civil War's first major battle in the western theater.
Lots to remember but with Miss Claire,  our southern belle, Rik and I, Lee and Judy and Jim and Claire spent one memorable weekend there.  We had Chessi with us and when she heard the first cannon go off she came out of her collar and Rik was running after her.  Needless to say she spent her time in the coach at the most unusual park we have ever stayed at.
 
 
 
 
 




Day 2 Oct 16, 62 miles Clifton Marina, Clifton TN

Interesting early morning walk with Miss Saddi.  We met up with a pup (no tags, no leash, no owner) that wanted to play.....well, as everyone knows Saddi doesn't play....wish Max had been with us....survived but think my feet will be black/blue from her dancing plus wet shoes covered with grass from the heavy dew.  The dew was so heavy it looked like frost.  Capt Rik had to wash the boat before we departed.
No Wi-Fi or TV last night so no notes were posted.  Pebble Isle serves Cinnamon Buns and coffee in the mornings.  Just a nice marina...has our 5 star rating.



On the water by 9am...one of the last to leave...but we were clean.

Really think at mm 110 (Duck River) the fishermen come out in packs, anchor and laugh when the trawlers have to slow down to pass them.  We did see three turkeys on the shore.




MM116...I-40 highway bridge...I don't remember how many times we have gone across the bridge in the motorcoach saying "Someday we will be down there".  You could see swallows nesting up under the bridge...did you know that?




Lady Finger Bluff at mm 130 is a limestone bluff capped with gnarled cedar and hardwoods.  Legend has it that in pioneer days a lady chose to leap to her death from this bluff rather than be caught by attacking Indians.  Also the river is narrower here than at any location since we left Barkley canal.  It is known as "The Narrows".  The water is from 70 to 80 feet deep.

 
 
The Alvin C York Bridge - Highway US 412 is part of Tennessee's 2,300-mile Scenic Parkway System that leads to historical sites, state parks, attractions and unique out-of-the way places.  Did I miss this in the motorcoach?
 
 
 
Houses lined the river and we saw this Lighthouse on a bluff.
 
 


As we neared Clifton Marina we navigated one of the sharpest hairpin turns on the Tennessee.  They say you could leave the river here and return to it by traveling less than two miles across land, a distance that would require about nine miles by water.
 
Clifton Marina may be small but they are friendly and KNOW what they are doing.  Seven Loopers arrived within a short time and Sonya directed docking without a problem.  Gene, the owner was there to greet us and make us welcome.  The Nanseann was on Dock C giving Saddi's ramp plenty of room to get around.  Too boot, we were at the end of the pier so she had a short run to green grass.  We elected to eat our roast beef, catch up on our chores and to work on the blog as we had Wi-Fi but no TV.
Nice day, no barges...just fishermen to slow us down....a 62 mile day.
We are happy "Boat Bums"
 


Day 1 Oct 15, continued

For about the next 40 miles the entire east side of KY Lake is known as the Land Between The Lakes or LBL. This spine of land up to eight miles wide separates Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake and is one of the Nation's largest inland peninsulas.

 
Barkley Dam
 


Beautiful Fall Colors
 
We passed mm 41.9 under the Eggners Ferry Bridge where a downriver barge took out a section of the bridge last year.  Quite a headache for locals traveling between Paducah and Benton.  Quite a legal dispute for the barge company.
 
New Section
 
 
"Lady KK", fellow looper took the lead around the Scott-Fitzhugh Bridge and "The Last Resort" took up the rear.  We were tucked in between the two
 
Lady KK
 
The old L & N Railroad Bridge and abandoned building for shipping grain on the Tennessee before KY Dam was built.  The story goes that the building was built so well that attempts to destroy it failed and officials decided to leave it.  We were in 48 feet of water as we went by ...How Big was it???
 
 
 
We stayed at Pebble Isle Marina....73 mile day.  Saddi had her legs crossed and we were ready to call it a day.  Randy met us at the fuel dock and then docked us in front of the Katy Leigh.  Owners Bob and Mavis Duthie had conducted a seminar on "The Loop" last fall at the Baltimore Trawler Fest which we were on the front row.  Ramp was put together and Saddi was off and headed to green grass.  She was SO GOOD today.
 
We were met by fellow "loopers" and taken under their wings as this was Day One for us and months for them.
Docktails at 5:30 we were told...dinner at the floating restaurant...Old-School shrimp, chicken and sausage Jambalaya.....and stories to be told.  Saddi stayed on the bridge until bedtime...she was taking it all in....very little chatter from her by the way.
 
What a day...the Tennessee River with fall colors was beautiful....no river traffic....no wakes...Pebble Isle sets back in a picturesque cove with folks that go out of their way to make you feel at home.
 
Day One for the "Boat Bums" was good.
 

Pebble Isle






Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Day 1 Oct 15, 73 miles Pebble Isle Marina, New Johnsonville TN

Departure Day
We are leaving Green Turtle Bay on a beautiful sunny morning
We are now "Boat Bums" according to Julie

Lloyd and Patty....Tim and Janice are up early to see us off...Such neat boat friends. You know boating friends are like coach friends...they are there!!!!







Kurt and Sandy's new home


OK...now for our day
We followed a barge thru Barkley canal which connects Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River and Lake Barley on the Cumberland River.  The barge turned starboard and we turned port.

Day 0 Oct 14, Storm Delays

Due to storms arriving from the Midwest delaying college football games on Saturday the Nanseann stayed in port and watched the wind howl and rain blow.
Oh well...laundry done...Rik had outside chores and Saddie practiced using her new ramp getting on/off the aft deck.


Miss Saddie also visited with her friends Riley and Max


Dave and Wendy took the truck back to Marion, put it to bed in the Coach House.  Good FRIENDS!

Tim and Janice took us out for a Mexican dinner.  Two more Good FRIENDS

In fact the four of them presented us with a AO Cooler for our trip.  Now we have ice that lasts several days.

Mike and Vicki, next door pier neighbors gave us "The Castle on the Cumberland".  We had been wanting to read it.  By the way it is about the KY State prison that looks like a Castle on the River...
will let you know


Riley and Max

 
 


Friday, October 12, 2012

Green Turtle Bay


Map used with permission, Raven Cove Publishing


The boat has been at Green Turtle Bay since May 2010.  Many improvements have been made and the term BOAT (Break Out Another Thousand) seems to fit. 

Rik became a US Merchant Marine Officer.  We have studied charts, taken Coast Guard classes, Power Squadon classes, read every guide book we could find and became members of AGLCA.  We have had the opportunity to meet many Loopers and listen to their experiences.

OK what is this Great American Loop that so many boaters are so intent to do; not one time but two or more trips.  Many Loopers sell their homes and "stuff" and move to the boat.  This becomes their life with trips home to visit.
The Loop is a 5000 plus mile trip through 16 states and Canada.  Many add side trips to the Bahamas, St. John River, Washington DC, St. Lawrence Seaway and even the lower Mississippi River.You meet Loopers from all over the world and all walks of life.  Each year over 200 boats make or continue on this trip.  You may find a group you travel with or you may just meet each other every now and then.

We have moved out of our house and put our "stuff" in storage.  We are on the boat and will leave out home port come October 14th.  We invite you to follow us on our adventure and let us know what's going on in your lives.  Yes we have the same cell phones and e-mail addresses.





Thursday, October 11, 2012

Jacksonville

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  • Jacksonville Purchase Day
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  • Present
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  • The boat was bought in Jacksonville FL in 2010 with the intent to cruise the Great American Loop.  Rik hired a captain to help him bring the boat to Pensacola FL and to educate him.  The boat traveled down the East coast to Stuart, the Okeechobee Waterway to Ft. Myers and the Gulf to Pensacola.  In Pensacola the captain returned home and good friend Don joined Rik for the trip on the Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway to Mobile Bay.  They then traveled the Tenn-Tom Canal, Tennessee River, Barkley Canal, Lake Barkley to Green Turtle Bay Marina.
  • This took Rik @ three weeks and he actually made it to the river systems as the BP Oil Spill was making headlines and spring floods were approaching the river system.