Still in Nashville

Tuesday, September 9

Well it looks like we may get out of Nashville yet. The lock is reopening today and we have only a couple of loose ends to clean up and we should be ready to go.

One of the projects while we waited was to take the old MO registration numbers off the dinghy and put on our new MN numbers. This got completed yesterday. After it was done I decided to take a short ride around the harbor and found that the shift link on the outboard was loose or broken. The marina mechanics are looking at it and if they can get need parts next day delivery we will wait for the repair, otherwise we will leave without the motor and pick it up when we pick up the car, either way it maybe Thursday before we leave.

Sunday we went for a drive down river to the closed lock. It is a scenic drive and there is a nice park along the river at the lock. The repair crew was busy working even on Sunday. On the way back we stopped at Ashland City at the new Braxton Condo and Harpeth Shoal Marina complex. We spent a night in the marina on the way up river in June. See pictures in an earlier post. The marina is 143 slips while the condos are 136 units in two ten story towers. They are about 75% sold and the first buyers are starting to move in. We toured several of the units. It sure sounds nice to be in a warmer climate with the boat within walking distance. We both still have so many family and friends in Minnesota I don’t think we are ready to move. See www.BraxtonCondos.com if you are interested in more info on the project.

We have encountered a new phenomenon here at the Rock Harbor Marina. When the boat sits for a period of time in the warm nutrient rich water, it develops a growth on the bottom of the boat. The local carp find this the best food around, so instead of feeding on the river bottom, they scrap the growth off the bottom of the boat. It is loud, something like someone tapping on the boat with a tool. During the day it is distracting, at 2:00 A.M. it is downright annoying.

Rock Harbor Marina gets its name from the fact that it is in an old quarry, with just a small opening to the river. Diana got this picture from the dock after a heavy rain. The wall is about 40 feet high and only about 60 to 70 feet from the slips on the other side of our dock.