Tuesday, September 16
It was a cool crisp autumn morning, with temps in the low 50s. We got going about 8:30 with
heavy mist on the water, another couple of degrees and it would have been heavy fog. The sun was out bright and the mist soon cleared and it was a beautiful day to be on the water.
On the low lying shores and islands there are many trees
but the cypress have an ability with their large root structure to grow where the others can’t.
On the other shores we are seeing many high stone banks. These fascinate Diana and she takes many pictures of the different formations.
If you look carefully (enlarge the picture) the house in the middle looks like a lighthouse.
It was a cool crisp autumn morning, with temps in the low 50s. We got going about 8:30 with
heavy mist on the water, another couple of degrees and it would have been heavy fog. The sun was out bright and the mist soon cleared and it was a beautiful day to be on the water.On the low lying shores and islands there are many trees
but the cypress have an ability with their large root structure to grow where the others can’t.
On the other shores we are seeing many high stone banks. These fascinate Diana and she takes many pictures of the different formations.If you look carefully (enlarge the picture) the house in the middle looks like a lighthouse.
We had a good day of running to a small marina in C
lifton, TN. We had been told on Sunday by the captain of Passport that Clifton had the cheapest diesel on the Tennessee. We pulled into the harbor with two other boats that we had met the previous evening in Pebble Isle. We got tied up to the fuel dock, then they got tied up, then we fueled.
lifton, TN. We had been told on Sunday by the captain of Passport that Clifton had the cheapest diesel on the Tennessee. We pulled into the harbor with two other boats that we had met the previous evening in Pebble Isle. We got tied up to the fuel dock, then they got tied up, then we fueled.This fueling was not the good news of earlier fills. We took 102 gallons which gave us a MPG of only 2.9. I believe there are a series of reasons for this: 1) We got a short fill last time (part of the reason we got 4.25, 2) we ran wide open a few times for more than a few minutes, 3) in 45 miles of bucking high winds on Saturday, we ran harder than normal to maintain near normal cruising speed, 4) while the boat sat in Nashville for two months it built a growth on the bottom that is causing extra drag. The good news is that with our Boat US discount it was $3.89 a gallon.
After the fueling we went around the dock to get pumped out then to our overnight position. Clifton is a small marina but the service was excellent and the people friendly and helpful.
Wednesday, September 17,
We were again up and way a little after 8:00 on another cool morning. The sun was out and it warmed quickly to a perfect day on the water.
We were again up and way a little after 8:00 on another cool morning. The sun was out and it warmed quickly to a perfect day on the water.
After a couple of hours we came to the Cherry Mansion (named for owner) an 1830s home that was General Sherman’s headquarters during the battle of Shiloh. It is only a few miles from the actual battlefield. The grounds of the home were used for a medical aid station (for troops from both sides). Further up river is the battlefield which is now the Shiloh National Military Park. It is several square miles with a mile of river front. Unfortunately there is no place to stop and tie up. We hope to have time on the return trip to spent a day and rent a car to see it.
About 2:30 we came to the Pickwick Lock, our
first on the Tennessee. We got in to the lock and had a bit of a problem getting to the wall with a swirling wind that kept trying to blow us off the wall. We finally made it and watched the two boats that had been at Clifton with us the previous night have similar problems. Then a lovely 44 foot power catamaran pulled in and the four of us locked up 57 feet.
After locking up we exited in to beautiful Pickwick Lake. We had called earlier in the day for transient docking at Pickwick Landing State Park Marina just one mile after the lock, only to be told they were rebuilding the marina and not open. We then called Aqua Yacht H
arbor where we knew the other two boats were going and were told they had lots of room.
Aqua is off the Tennessee on yellow creek which leads to the Ten-Tom canal and on down to the Gulf of Mexico at Mobile, AL. We proceeded another eight miles up Pickwick Lake and turned into Yellow Creek (remember the buoys just went from red on the right to red on the left.) Right inside Yellow Creek is Grand Harbor, and it looked grand including big yachts and nice condos. A mile further is Aqua also very nice. Diana got the picture of these lovely homes just
across the bay from the marina but then had to be deckhand and didn’t get a picture of the marina. (Maybe in the morning).
The gentleman on the Manta catamaran got a courtesy van and six of us went for a fine dinner at Jon’s Pier.
About 2:30 we came to the Pickwick Lock, our
first on the Tennessee. We got in to the lock and had a bit of a problem getting to the wall with a swirling wind that kept trying to blow us off the wall. We finally made it and watched the two boats that had been at Clifton with us the previous night have similar problems. Then a lovely 44 foot power catamaran pulled in and the four of us locked up 57 feet.
After locking up we exited in to beautiful Pickwick Lake. We had called earlier in the day for transient docking at Pickwick Landing State Park Marina just one mile after the lock, only to be told they were rebuilding the marina and not open. We then called Aqua Yacht H
arbor where we knew the other two boats were going and were told they had lots of room.Aqua is off the Tennessee on yellow creek which leads to the Ten-Tom canal and on down to the Gulf of Mexico at Mobile, AL. We proceeded another eight miles up Pickwick Lake and turned into Yellow Creek (remember the buoys just went from red on the right to red on the left.) Right inside Yellow Creek is Grand Harbor, and it looked grand including big yachts and nice condos. A mile further is Aqua also very nice. Diana got the picture of these lovely homes just
across the bay from the marina but then had to be deckhand and didn’t get a picture of the marina. (Maybe in the morning).The gentleman on the Manta catamaran got a courtesy van and six of us went for a fine dinner at Jon’s Pier.
No comments:
Post a Comment