11-21-2010 – “You have arrived” part 2

Across the Gulf of Mexico

Buddy’s prediction was for northwest winds with a lot of instability. He predicted that seas would not lay down until closer to dawn on Thursday. A good night’s rest was advised. We should leave between 6:30AM and 7:00AM. Buddy would be at the marina by his usual 6:30. If anything changed he would let us know.

Buddy’s crossing strategy advised heading due east for about 20 miles to just below red marker 26 off of Alligator Point, before taking a southeasterly course toward Clearwater.  “You need to stay away from the middle of Gulf. The full moon will impact high tide and you don’t want to be near the gulfstream while that’s going on. Setting a course directly toward Clearwater from here will take you into very rough water.…..  Then, if it starts to get rough, head east for calmer waters,” Buddy advised. Running closer to shore and pulling into one of the ports in the Big Bend area of the panhandle was also an option. However, once tucked in we might need to stay in for several days. Buddy showed us some lines on the chart that reflected the area were gulfstream waters might be encountered. The trick was to stay outside of these lines, closer to the shore line.  

Buddy’s final advice was consistent with everyone else. Do not enter Tarpon Springs or Clearwater without the assistance of daylight. Buddy told us to anchor just south of Anclote Key when we made it to the other side and to wait for daylight. The course that was plotted based on Buddy’s input should put us to Anclote key by 2:30 AM Friday morning. The strategy was a familiar one that made perfect sense. We would do something very similar on night crossings from Racine to Saugatuck.

About 5:30AM Thursday morning, the sounds of diesel engines and bow thrusters on the Tally-Ho a 78 foot Berger docked across from Sleeping Bear awaken me. This is a much faster boat, with stabilizers, so what’s the rush? After walking Kona, hard boiling a dozen eggs and drinking 2 cups of coffee, we leave the marina at 6:45. We motored slowly through the harbor. There is the sound of roosters crowing in the distance as the sun began peaking over the horizon. As we head through the harbor mouth toward the channel leading to the gulf, Tally-Ho was radioing to Marcia-Marcia-Marcia, a 55 foot Marquis. All that we were able to pick-up from the conversation was the captain of Tally-Ho saying something about rough. As we headed beyond Dog Island and turned into the Gulf on an easterly course, the effects of 2 – 3 foot waves at about 30 degrees off of the bow were felt. It was not an uncomfortable ride yet, but it was far from the flat waters on the rivers, bays and intra coastal waterway.

After making the imaginary weigh-point below alligator point we turn south, 60 degrees. At that point the waves begin hitting the port stern. It was a unique experience. The waves were pushing us, at times to over 10MPH as we surfed off of the larger ones. Gulf waves appeared to be more frequent than any I recall seeing on Lake Michigan.  All of the strata-glass closed provided added windage.  All of this surface area acted like a staysail holding the boat at a steady 5 degree of heal. The occasion larger wave caused rolling to about 15 additional degrees for several seconds; then back to the 5 degrees for several minutes. As wind and waves got rougher, we checked position. Sure enough it was time to head east. At about 7 PM, the wind subsided briefly to less than 10, consistent with the forecast.  I said to Al, if this continues, at 11PM we will alter course and head directly for Tampa Bay. About 15 minutes later the wind popped back up to 15 -20.  Back to the original plan.

At midnight, about 8 miles off of the northern end of Anclote Key, we began to feel the effects of the lee shore, as waves gradually began to diminish.  It was about this time that an internet connection returned to my I-phone.  I laughed a bit reading Tom Conrad’s musings. It simply said that window closed on Wednesday advising staying put until after the week end. At 1:30AM we dropped anchor on the southwest side of Anclote Key. We slept soundly for about 5 hours in a 1 to 2 foot swell.

Friday morning after a cup of coffee, we made our way to Clearwater Channel, turning south toward Tampa Bay. We got Al on a plane, back to his family Saturday.  Sleeping Bear has been retransformed into a floating condo at the Twin Dolphin marina in Bradenton. There are no plans to move her until the middle of December.

The Gulf crossing was similar to some of the many Lake Michigan crossings, on Tardis, Breathless and the other Sleeping Bear’s, only twice as long. The Gulf is shallower than Lake Michigan. The deepest we saw was 60 feet at 24 miles away from the closest shore. Within 10 miles of shore depths were frequently less than 12 feet. Waves were closer together on the Gulf crossing than remembered on Lake Michigan. Sleeping Bear’s 40 feet length, 14 foot beam and 30,000lbs helped make the ride more comfortable.  The spray from the colliding waves created a layer of salt on all but the tops of the sundeck and fly bridge canvas.

We will take a little time off to handle some personal business. Then we will play for the winter, somewhere in Florida. Please let me know when you want to visit. I will let folks know when the extended cruising continues. The search for crew is in high gear!

The plan is to go through pictures and get a slide show posted by the end of the week.

11-21-2010 – “You have arrived” part 1

Sleeping Bear made it to Twin Dolphin Marina, Bradenton in the afternoon on Friday 11-19. There has been a list of things to do since arriving. While important, blogging took a lower on the priority list to other items; getting all of the salt off of the outside boat, getting Al flight arrangements and to the airport yesterday, laundry, talk to family, see local family and friends, sleep, etc.  In the interest of brevity and timing, the trip from Apalachicola to Bradenton will be covered in two parts.

It was early Wednesday morning when we bid adieu to Perry.  The wind forecast was for 5 to 10 MPH out of the northeast, light chop in the bays.  The distance to Carrabelle was 30 miles through the protected waters of Apalachicola and St Joseph Bays. Heading south out Apalachicola for the first several miles the wind was stronger than predicted but the waters were still fairly flat. Turning to an easterly heading toward the Bridge between Apalachicola and St. Joseph Bays, winds built to 25 with 2 foot seas on the port bow.  Not since Waukegan, had Sleeping Bear been asked to respond to any wave action. She answered the challenge in normal strong and quite fashion. Shortly after passing under the bridge, winds and waves subsided. It was very smooth sailing the rest of the way to Carrabelle. The sudden change seemed odd, but was welcome; a little more on that a little later.

We had been following both Wunder-ground gulf forecasts and Tom Conrad’s “Musings.” Both indicated that it would not be until the at least the weekend before an adequate weather window would provide the opportunity for a comfortable gulf crossing. The trip to Carrabelle was being made to meet up with the legendary Buddy, for a second opinion. Pre-crossing maintenance included changing oil and filters on both engines, oil in both transmissions and primary fuel filters on both engines. The latter was insurance, though the smaller generator filter needed to be changed last Sunday morning while anchored in the Choctawhatchee Bay. The plan was to get as much as we could done Wednesday afternoon, finishing on Thursday. There should be time to visit the small but interesting town of Carrabelle after maintenance while waiting for the favorable weather hoped for during the weekend. That plan changed.

While fueling, I went into the ship store at the Moorings in Carrabelle. Their weather board was predicting waves of 1-2 for tomorrow. This was different from what we had been hearing elsewhere, but promising. When asked how long we intended to stay. I responded, “Until Buddy says we can go. And, where is Buddy?”  She replied Buddy would be meeting us at the dock, guiding us into our slip.

We moved toward the slip where Buddy was indeed waiting to grab our lines, insure we had power and knew where everything was. As soon as the boat was tied, Buddy informed us, “You will need to leave as early as you can tomorrow, or you will probably be here thru the middle of next week.”  But leaving at first light about 7AM with a 20 hour ride would put us on the western shore at 3 AM. Everyone we had ever talked to had advised against entering an unfamiliar harbor at night. The mix of channel markers and intra coastal markings were confusing enough in daylight. In the dark, they could be a disaster. Waiting until next week would mean that Al would probably not get home to spend Thanksgiving with his family.

Buddy outlined a crossing strategy that will be explained in Part 2. We worked until after dark Wednesday evening to complete the maintenance. After that we walked about a mile to a café where we both had an excellent steak.

 For now it’s time to get back to the” to do” list.

November 15 16 17– Difficult to update the BLOG with Perry on board!!

Would you believe, dolphins swimming at the bow and Blue Angels over head? This was Sleeping Bear in Pensacola Bay! We actually spotted the first dolphin entering the inter-coastal waterway just off of Mobile Bay. The weather continues to be in our favor as we move through Florida’s Panhandle. Today (Tuesday) we will stay in Apalachicola as a cold front passes through, kicking up wind, waves and rain. This is first day that weather was the reason for putting in, or staying in port since Lake Michigan. Not Bad!!

The plan is to make it to Carrabelle, Florida before crossing the Gulf for Clearwater. At present the forecast does not indicate that weather will be favorable for a crossing through at least Friday. We will be ready, but need to be sure that wind and waves are correct for a comfortable crossing. The Gulf is fairly shallow. We expect to be in less than 20 feet of water 30 miles off of shore. The voyage is 180 miles, or about 20 hours at hull speed. Wave heights of up to 4 feet on the bow are no problem for Sleeping Bear. However, much over 2 feet on the beam makes for some uncomfortable yawing.  The idea forecast condition is for waves of less than 2 feet and winds less than 10 knots for at least 24 hours. We will wait.

There are a couple of folks who have spent a lot of time studying the weather patterns in the Gulf. They share their insight freely with anyone who has sense enough to listen. Tom Conrad, posts daily predictions on the AGLCA daily news letter. His “musings” have assisted Loopers across the Gulf for years. The daily updates have a standard disclaimer that is intended to keep the lawyers from doing lazy looping circles over Tom’s head. It reads, “Disclaimer: The preceding information must be taken as only what I would personally do with my own vessel, a 28-foot, open cockpit, sailboat. It must not be a substitute for your own observations and your own research of the situation. Even after considering all available information, including what I offer here, captains must make their own decisions based on the capability of their vessel, the seasoning of their crew and their own abilities as captain, realizing safety must never be compromised.”

The second source is Buddy at the Moorings in Carrabelle. According to a captain that has crossed the Gulf about 90 times, “don’t leave unless Buddy says it will be okay.”So the Moorings at Carrabelle it is!

The trip through the panhandle has been a mix of some obviously man made channels, natural rivers and a couple of large bays and inland lakes. Let’s make no mistake; while there is a lot of ground underwater in Florida, much of it is not very deep.  Channel markers are comingled with inter coastal markers. The markers are numbered but the numbering system, changes between rivers and bays. As we made the turn up the Creek toward the chosen marina in Apalachicola, all three of us missed the very small red/green channel marker. Turning 50 feet too soon resulted in that scary sensation when the bottom of the boat slows as it rubs along a river bed. Years of driving through snowy road conditions kicked in as I kept her going, plowing our way into the channel. Making it through without an embarrassing call to Tow US was far more luck than skill. There was no damage as we made to deeper water. One can only imagine that bottom is pretty soft and that propellers helped clear the way.

We have seen Dolphins, Manatee, Eagle, Vulture, Pelican, Osprey, but no Alligator, yet! The white sandy beaches of the Florida Panhandle are spectacular. Along the way we stopped at a Marina in Pensacola, anchored a night in Choctawhatchee bay, and atayed in marinas in Panama City and again in Apalachicola. Since Fairhope, there have been ample Marinas with nearby shopping and restaurants. This is a change from the Tenn-Tom where the options were limited.  I picked up a set of Florida Charts in Pensacola after having difficulty finding the correct marina. The Cruising Guide, while helpful is not a good navigational aide. Electronic charts are not enough either.

Perry was along for the ride from Fairhope to Apalachicola. In a scenario not unlike “Trains, Planes and Automobiles” there were no rental cars in Apalachicola. There would be none in Carrabelle. He had to hire a limo to take him from Apalachicola to the Panama City Greyhound station. He will ride a bus to Mobile, from which he will take a taxi or shuttle to his car in Fairhope. The Logistics of getting people on and off the boat can be most challenging. We enjoyed Perry’s company. And, he will have a memory or two about this segment of the trip.

This morning’s push into the Apalachicola Bay was met with some unpredicted 20 to 25 MPH winds and 2 foot seas in the bay. We had seen some heavy winds on Monday, but have not seen much of any wave action since the turbulence of the Mississippi. This was a bit of a wake-up call and will help in the preparation for the trip into the Gulf.  We have reservations at the Moorings and hope to meet Buddy later today.

November 11 – Back to the boat!

Ed’s ordeal having turned out about as good as we could have hoped, I am headed for Pensacola. Friend Perry is meeting me there and will join us for the trip across Florida’s Panhandle to Carrabelle, the point from which we plan to cross the Gulf of Mexico.  According to one of the local authorizes on Gulf weather, there was a good crossing window on Tuesday and Wednesday and may be one again on Saturday. Both are a little soon for Sleeping Bear. The trip to Carrabelle should take 4 days. The soonest we will be in a position to take advantage of favorable weather is next Tuesday. With nothing else to talk about, this entry will focus on some of the interesting people that we have met along the way.

The trip so far has been better than I had hoped. This is because of the constant change of scenery as well as the freedom to pick and choose from several different places to stop along the way. Since everyone has a slightly different agenda, boats seem to meet up and travel together for some period of time. Then, they go in different directions. Sometimes they reconnect and sometimes they do not. There is also no official start or finish line to the loop. Just start wherever convenient. Very few people talk about what they did prior to doing the loop. Personal age is seldom discussed. Cruising speed, favorite stops, and boat repairs are discussed.  The spot at which the most information has been learned is the laundry machines at several marinas. None of the women that I have met doing the loop believe that Cruising requires good shopping and long walks on a beach. All of these women share equally in the work and the enjoyment of boating life. This is refreshing.

In Green Turtle bay, Judy from the 53 ft Hatteras started a conversation. She and Dan are from Vermont, have a home in the Carolinas, but bought the boat in Portland Oregon. Their 1000 mile loop thus far began as they brought the boat down the Pacific Coast, sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge and as far south as Costa Rica. For the trip through the Panama Canal Judy recommended hiring an agent as well as line handlers. Dan highly recommend Cuba as a place to stop, but cautioned that everything is very expensive. Americans can visit, but because of the silly embargo it is illegal for an American to spend any money in Cuba. So, “don't use plastic and bring lots of cash.” Dan and Judy got a perspective from the native Cubans that acted as drivers and guides. According to their limited sample, the Cuban people have a pretty good life. It is legal for citizens of virtually every other country to tour Cuba.   We met back up with Dan and Judy at Aberdeen, Mississippi, again in Demopolis, Bobbies Fish Camp and last Sunday at the Fairhope Yacht Club.

We first saw David and Mary on Ganymede a 42ft Grand Banks in Peoria. They are from Houston and upon entering Mobile Bay 2 hours ahead of us last Sunday have just completed their loop. Dave wants to take the boat back to Houston for some repairs and to do some vanishing on his teak transom and cap rails. Mary wants to keep on going. She indicated that they started cruising alternating 4 weeks on the boat and 4 weeks back home. That quickly changed to 5 weeks on and 3 weeks home and soon to 6 and 2, etc. They haven’t been home for months.

Ray and Linda on Summertime a 36 foot Krogen, sold everything and are on their second loop. They are not sure when or where they will stop.

Mark and Susan on Squivot a 43 foot Hatteras M/Y are from Wilmette, even though the boat has a hailing port of Houston. They travel with two dogs, one of whom is too big to get off and on the boat at anchor. Mark went to school with Ed. Ed is partner with Marc on Stitches in racine. It is a small world.

Barb & Skip on Moor $tuff a 35 ft Carver Mariner and Bruce & Chris on Bade Boomer a 40 foot Tiara like to travel and party together. We have met up with them twice along the way. They are very good people to play with.

Don on Double Trouble travelled with his wife for about half of the trip before she threw in the towel. At least she tried. She went home and back to work. Don has been having friends join him for portions of the trip with plans to complete in the spring. The list goes on.

Tomorrow it out to Mobile Bay and Florida panhandle.

November 5 thru 8 – Ready or not Mobile, here we come!

Some say the best plans are no plans at all. Not for me. Plans often change and that is okay; but I always try to start with an end in mind. It’s all about responding, adapting and trying to enjoy the ride.

On Thursday, I received a phone call from my daughter-in-law that has temporarily modified Sleeping Bear’s planned move south. Son Ed was in the hospital. They found a carcinoid tumor in the bronchial tube leading to his left lung. Monday he was transported to University of Chicago where surgery was scheduled for Tuesday November 9. I was on a plane out of Pensacola to Chicago Midway airport at 6AM Monday morning. As a result of the news, the trip down the Tenn-Tom became a 3 consecutive long day delivery to Mobile. Let’s focus on that for now.  

A few miles above Demopolis, the Tenn-Tom connects with the Black Warrior River. Moving south the Tenn-Tom starts to look more like a natural river; most of the earlier manmade appearance disappears as it meandered toward the Gulf of Mexico.  Not until the last 50 miles was there an increase in industry along its banks; and still no housing to speak of. Demopolis Yacht Basin is at mile 213 of the Tenn-Tom. Fairhope, Alabama is on the east side of Mobile Bay 12 miles south east of the end of the Tenn-Tom. There are only a few recommended places to anchor and only one place to tie-up and get fuel along the last 213 miles of the Tenn-Tom. Safe passage on this leg, especially with November’s reduced day light, requires good planning and the ability to respond and adapt.

Friday November 5^th, the revised goal was a stop at Bobbie’s fish camp, an agressive 97 miles and one lock and dam south of Demopolis.  The original plan would have been to travel this over 2 days. Stuff happens. The morning drill at Demopolis had Dan, from the Hatteras, Quest as the communication point with the lock master of the Demopolis lock, 3 miles downriver.  In all there were 12 boats heading for the lock that morning. All had agreed to leave as close to 7AM as possible. There were an additional 3 boats that had been turned away from Demopolis Yacht Basin the night before. There was simply no more space due to the number of boats traveling south after November 1st. These three boats had anchored overnight by the Coast Guard station, a mile from the lock. In all, 15 boats would be locking with 10 bollards or “pins” as the lock master referred to them. Boats would be required to raft. When the first three boats arrived, one of the captains appealed to the lock master to lock them thru ahead of the boats from the marina. Dan responded via VHF radio, letting the lock master know that several of the boats from the marina were already underway. The rest were moving as quickly and as orderly as possible. After that there was a banter that took place between the first captain and Dan before the lock master quickly and professionally took charge of the situation. The lock master not only announced that all would lock down together; he also announced the order in which each boat would leave the lock after opening the gates. There will be a few photos of the boats stacked up during this lock-down in the next round of pictures that are posted. The banter, while entertaining was a reminder that most of the people doing the trip have Type-A personalities. Cruising on the river for the most part is pretty laid back. The scramble to leave anchorages & marinas in the morning along with the positioning at the locks sometimes causes some to momentarily fall back to Type-A behaviors. After a couple of hours underway everyone becomes laidback again.

Bobbies Fish Camp is a 160 foot face dock with gas and diesel fuel pumps along the river. Like Hoppies on the Mississippi, there is no protective break wall.  There is one 30 amp outlet and one garden hose if someone needs water. Bobbies has a restaurant that features catfish, but no other facilities for transient boaters. This was the second marinaside restaurant to boast that they had the "best catfish" on the river. We arrived as it was getting dark.  We were the last of 6 boats that were rafted 2 deep along the short dock. It was a cold night. We had dinner with the people on 4 of the 5 boats on the raft.

Saturday morning there was fog on the river and frost on the deck. Coffeeville Lock and Dam are 2 miles south of Bobbies. As the fog was lifting the lock master readied the lock for the 6 of us. We made it to a lovely anchorage halfway between Bobbies and the marina in Fairhope by 5 PM.  

There was fog and frost on the deck again Sunday morning. We heard a tow on the radio reported that it was 3 miles south of our anchorage. It was beginning to move upriver as the fog was thinning out.  The tow was visible through the low lying fog about 30 minutes later. Sleeping Bear left the anchorage after the tow passed riding for the first 20 minutes through a gradually diminishing low lying fog. Commercial traffic increased during this final leg. While entering Mobile Bay, the familiar river tugs and barges were replaced by huge container ships. Sleeping Bear passed two incoming container ships before turning east for the final leg to Fairhope.

It is Tuesday morning. I spent last night in a chair next to my son’s hospital bed on the southeast side of Chicago. He was in good spirits, but understandably nervous. Because he was sharing a room with another gentleman, his wife was not permitted to stay with him overnight. My staying with him was technically against hospital rules as well. His roommate was okay with me staying and I could not bear the thought of his being alone.

Thankfully he slept better than I did. He is in surgery now. More later……….

November 4 – 2 more days on the Tenn-Tom – resting in Demopolis

We left Columbus early Tuesday morning, proceeding with 6 other boats to the Stennis Lock and Dam, which is next to the marina. Even though the lock master had assured us that the lock was ready; there was a half hour wait before we were allowed into the lock. Once in the lock, the lock master questioned each captain for Registration, home port and destination. Conjecture is that the recent thwarted terrorist missions had increased security levels. Home Land Security has tightened restrictions around these lock and dams in general. Any form of attack would be costly on many levels.

Tuesday’s goal was an anchorage half way between Columbus and Demopolis. Out of the Lock, the faster boats pushed ahead. Sleeping Bear and a Mainship 400, “Seamoore” brought up the rear. This was Kerri’s first travel day and Sleeping Bear’s first rainy travel day since Peoria. The fly bridge enclosure has been appreciated in all types of weather, but is especially nice when it is rainy and cold.  While there was a marina across the river from the anchorage, the anchorage was chosen because it was an ideal spot. It is adjacent to a recreational area that was built by the Corps of Engineers. The entrance to the anchorage, while shallow at 6 feet was well marked. Inside, the water was about 10 feet, perfect for anchoring. Three boats had rafted together on one side of the anchorage, while a 4^th; “Elegant lady” was anchored alone on the other side. This left plenty of room in between, directly in front of a boat launch and small dock. This was all very easy for Kona and me. There were a few rain showers overnight with some variable winds. Sleeping Bear swung happily around her anchor all night long.

On Wednesday morning, after starting the generator to activate the coffee pot, Kona and I slipped to shore for morning business. We had returned and packed up the dinghy before Al came up on deck. After a brief conversation with the lock master, we attempted to call each of the other 4 boats to let them know that the lock was currently open. However, a down-bound tow was a little north of our location. Waiting at the anchorage for too long would put the Tug in front of the pleasure boats, causing an hour delay in getting thru the lock. Elegant Lady was the only boat who responded. They started their engines when we did and began to raise their anchor when we did. Our anchor and chain was muddy from sitting on the bottom.  Rinsing it is easy using the deck was pump, but can be a slow process.

Just as our Anchor was about to come onto the boat, Elegant Lady radioed to Sleeping Bear. Their anchor was snagged. They did not have a dinghy and needed assistance. Without hesitation or much conversation, Al dropped the anchor as I began to work on getting the dinghy off of the davits. We put the motor back on the inflatable boat and went over to assist.  The chain had wrapped around the anchor. Tthru trail and error we determined that best way to free it was to lower the muddy mess into the dinghy, taking pressure off of the chain. After this was completed, we threw the anchor overboard and returned to Sleeping Bear. The Captain and First mate aboard Elegant Lady, thanked us. As we were tethering the dinghy and preparing to remove the outboard motor, the crew on Elegant Lady was yelling over to us.  Thanking us, again? No, the anchor was fouled again. This required a second trip to their assistance.

By the time we got back to Sleeping Bear, put the dinghy away, and raised the anchor, Elegant Lady as well as Seamoore had left the anchorage. In the river, Seamoore radioed that there was a tow behind him. I could see Seamoore to starboard as we approached the river and called to Seamoore to learn the location of the tug and barges. Before he could respond, I saw the tow lumbering down the Tenn- Tom, about 300 yards above the entrance heading  toward our port bow. Pushing the throttles forward, Sleeping Bear responded quickly. Soon we were a much safer distance in front of the tow.  I recalled while studying for my Captain’s License that it can take these tugs and tow several miles to stop. Always stay clear of the tows, Boss!

Wednesday was another rainy day and we ran the boat a little faster than we had been during nicer weather.  We took advantage of the weather to see how she performed at Hull speed, the speed at which she will run across the Gulf. In Demopolis, the yacht basin is full. Fellow boaters where rafted off of the fuel dock last night. We are rafted on a working boat. Several other larger boats have been turned away as more and more boats are beginning the dash to Mobile.

Thursday’s weather is cooler, but sunny with the welcome return of clear skies. The plan is to rest here today, starting early tomorrow on the 4 day, 210 mile run to Mobile. Only two more locks to go, but only one place to tie up between here and Mobile. We have run more than 300 miles since fueling at Joe Wheeler. The fuel gages both still register well above half way.  Calculations based on past usage indicate that we should have enough fuel to make it to Mobile…………………

October 31 – Halloween in Mississippi

It was two weeks ago when the subject of morning fog was explained in the BLOG. Would you believe that since that morning, the atmosphere has been so dry, the dew point so low, that morning fog has been a non issue? That is, until yesterday. More on the fog later; let’s start with some history/geography about the inland waterway that was built to provide an alternative route to the Gulf of Mexico.

First are some facts from Fred Myers’ book and lectures.  According to Fred, more dirt was moved building the Tenn-Tom than was moved for the Panama Canal. The Tenn-Tom actually connects, straightens, and gradually levels the Tombigbee and Black Warrior Rivers through Eastern Mississippi and Western Alabama en route to Mobile. Notable features are the 24 mile “Divide Cut”. This is a man made ditch that spans from mile 443.7 (Mississippi Highway 25) to Bay Spring Lake, just south of Miss. Highway 30, close to New Site, Mississippi.

Dams and locks have been strategically placed along the route to gradually lower the water from a normal elevation of 414 feet at Lake Pickwick down to sea level. The downstream locks and dams thus far have each reduced the water level in increments of between 24 to 30 feet. Unlike the locks and dams on the Tennessee, Tenn-Tom dams are all single purpose dams. That is their only function is to control water level for navigation. They do not generate power, nor do they control water levels to prevent downstream flooding.  There is little turbulence in each lock with lockdowns taking a short 10 minutes from the time the gates are closed until they are reopened.  Several of the locks have been within a few miles of one another. The lock masters are all friendly and do a great job of communicating with boaters and one another. We have generally stayed within a few miles of a lock at night. In the morning, the boats that are leaving coordinate departure times. Sometimes there is more than one starting time based on the number of boats leaving and the preference of the individual crews. In each group of boats, one captain takes responsibility for contacting the lock master prior to the planned departure time. In most cases the remaining locks have been waiting for us upon our arrival for the rest of the day.

Sleeping Bear left from the rendezvous at Joe Wheeler state park on Wednesday, 10/27 stopping at Aqua Marina, in Luka, Mississippi. This was a 65 mile day back down the Tennessee River, and a good place to stay for a night. Aqua Marina is about 1 mile south of Grand Harbor Marina on the Tenn-Tom, but the facilities are 20 years behind. Kona developed a case of Montezuma’s revenge on Thursday morning that have required several emergency after midnight walks. On the first night at Aqua, we saw a night watchman making his rounds. He pointed to a bush. He explained to me that he thought it was someone prowling the grounds. I am still not sure what that was all about.

On Thursday, we pushed forward through the divide cut and onto Midway Marine, in Fulton, Mississippi. We stayed an extra day to do some light maintenance and to re-provision.  We shopped at a Wal-Mart in Fulton. Looking at the quality and price of the meats and produce in that store versus what we have seen at other independent grocery stores along the way, it easy to see why Wal-Mart does so well in these areas. On the way back we stopped at a little no name BBQ restaurant. This was some of the best BBQ either of us had ever experienced.

Leaving on Saturday morning brings us back to the subject of morning fog. Three of the 4 boats on the transient dock at Midway had agreed the night before to leave together, sometime around 8AM. During my 2 AM stroll with Kona, it was obvious that there would be a fog delay. By 9 AM the fog at the marina had lifted nicely. We could see a fog bank toward the lock ahead, but the lock master said that it was clear downstream. The consensus on the dock was that the fog bank would probably lift before we arrived. It was further rationalized that we all had radar and could safely follow each other in a tight formation. Well, the fog bank did not lift. Furthermore, within the first few hundred yards, visibility had dropped to a few feet in front of the boat. The Californian Motor yacht ahead radioed back to Sleeping Bear. He thought he had drifted out of the channel. Looking at the 5 foot water depth, we agreed. It took both sets of eyes as well as radar and chart plotter to make our way through the fog bank, back into the channel and on to the lock. This was 15 minutes of stress in what has been a very relaxing trip down river thus far.

We are in Columbus, Mississippi. Al’s wife Kerri has a 3 connection flight from Wausau to Columbus. The courtesy car has been reserved for this evening to pick her up at the airport. For now, the only comment about the Tenn-Tom so far is, like every other River along the way, it is different. Like much of the Calumet and Illinois Rivers, there are sections with an unmistakable manmade characteristic to it. There have been very few homes and little industry thus far. There are still a lot of green as well as autumn colors to see so it has not been a boring ride. The narrower waterway requires a less day dreaming while at the helm as well. Marinas have been isolated from towns that have been small and fairly sleepy. Fulton had an architectural tour that featured several interesting, but rundown homes and other buildings.  Each of the 3 marinas has boaters who stopped during their travels and decided to stay. Other than a cheap slip, $172 per month plus tax and electric at Midway, reasons for staying do not seem readily apparent.  

Every day is an adventure. Let’s see what lies ahead. And for Halloween, we dressed up as boaters.

Sorry that I have not updated the loop locator. For some reason it is not allowing me to put in Tenn-Tom mileage markers as a waypoint.

October 30 – In Fulton, Tennessee

We left Joe Wheeler and the AGLCA (Looper’s) rendezvous a day early to avoid what could have been a pack of boats vying for lock and dock space on the way down. Sleeping Bear has two hard dates to meet. First, we need to be at or near Columbus, Mississippi to pick-up Kerri on 11/1. The second is that we need to be in Mobile on November 10, in time to get Kerri to the airport to catch her flight back to Wisconsin. The distance from Columbus is only 335 miles downriver, in 8 days, with only 4 locks; how difficult can it be? Well, there are stretches with no marinas and no recommended anchorages. Also, for a river that is supposed to be flowing toward the Gulf, in the first hundred miles there has been little to no help from the current. Presumably this is because of the lack of rain all summer in the region. Hopefully, the current will begin to help as we move further south.

A couple of comments on the Rendezvous and the trip back down the Tennessee for now. As you know, the Great Circle trip or Great loop travels the interior of the country through the Great Lakes, the inland waterway system and inter coastal waterway for most of Florida and the east coast of the US. The inland waterway system interconnects the rivers and lakes through government sponsored engineering efforts to build and maintain locks and dams. This makes navigation possible. It has created huge economic benefit to the US, both for commercial and for recreational use. This waterway system also provides a means whereby large quantities of storm water can be managed to minimize the damage that would otherwise be caused by flooding. When one looks at a map, the course we are taking is over a 5,000 mile course that encircles the eastern United States. In this context consider the following:

·         When commissioned back in the 1960’s, the project to connect the Tennessee River to the Tombigbee had a very small commercial payback of around 3%. What was underestimated in the initial calculation was the impact that recreational boating would have on these rural areas. The impact on tourism has been huge. Everywhere boaters go, they are welcomed and appreciated.

·         Those of us who embark upon this journey are referred to as Loopers.  This is because we are traveling on this circle route or loop. It is not as one woman at the rendezvous suggested because "boaters like their cocktail hour(s) and get “looped” most nights."

·         Many of the Loopers were not heading south because of strange and varied boat Insurance restrictions. One person reported that their insurance was invalid if they were below the 35^th parallel (about the start of the Tenn-Tom) before November 1. Many others claim that they are prohibited by their Insurance companies from entering the Gulf of Mexico until November 15.

·         After experiencing this fine waterway system and reflecting further on the government invention of an interstate highway system, it is hard to believe that government could do any worse with the health care system than the insurance companies are currently doing with it. By the way the many Canadians who do this trip need to carry some form of US health insurance. However, they all say that they scramble back to Canada at the first hint a problem.

·         Finally, the trip back down the 96 foot Wilson Lock on Wednesday paled in comparison to the ride up. As such, the pictures of the trip down are probably not worth posting. Like most things in life, the ride up is more enjoyable than the ride down.

October 25 – Looper’s Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park - Slideshow Link!!

We learned a new term at this morning’s session. Please refer to Kona and me as extended cruisers, not live-a-boards. In Florida, live-a-boards are charged more, taxed more and even fined more often. It might even make sense to register the boat in Florida so that it blends in once we get there.

This is another beautiful spot located 5 miles from Rogersville, AL, and about 15 miles from the Quad Cities; Florence, Mussel Shoals, Tuscumbia, Huntsville.  Joe Wheeler was a famous General in the CSA during the War Between the States. If you have never been to Alabama, or the Shiloh civil war memorial, you have probably never heard of Joe Wheeler until now, either.

The state park grounds are alive with the fall colors. The property has a state run hotel with restaurant, pool and meeting facilities. There are cabins for rent as well as some camps sites. There is also a nice sized marina that has been capable of accommodating, I am guessing at least 50 transient boats that have come for the information and fellowship the rendezvous is providing. While there was a lot of confusion regarding the number of slips that were reserved, I am not aware of anyone who arrived without a reservation, such as Sleeping Bear that was turned away. Furthermore, there appears to be at least 10 open slips and/or side ties that could be utilized if more folks show up.

The trip here on Sunday was only 21 miles. However, there were 2 locks and due to a delay at the second lock, it took 7 hours to reach the fuel dock at Joe Wheeler. Locks yesterday included the Wilson Lock, a lift of 96 feet and Wheeler lock, which was a lift of only 46 feet. I will try to describe the lift at Wilson and promise to follow-up with a slide show. Both will attempt to describe what not only the largest lift of the trip, but also the most spectacular.

Let’s roll the clock back to 6:30Am, Sunday morning. There was knock on the outside of the boat that awakened the sleeping crew of Sleeping Bear. It was Daryl, captain of Present Moments, the Holland based, 50ft Ocean Alexander, docked behind us in Florence. As he had promised, Daryl was up before the crack of dawn to contact the lock master. There were tows moving in both directions on Sunday. If we got to the lock by 7:30AM, the lock master said he would lock us ahead of the tows. Faced with leaving now, or waiting until noon or later, the decision for a quick departure became an easy choice. The brew button on the coffee pot was pushed as Kona was rushed to shore for her morning business. Sleeping Bear pushed away from the dock a little before 7 AM, making the 2 mile run up to the lock in 20 minutes.  By 7:30 Present Moments and Sleeping Bear were waiting in position at the base of the lock.  Just before we arrived two other boats apparently hearing of the pending delay at the lock until noon, called the lock master to ask if he would hold up locking us thru for the 20 minutes it would take for them to catch us at the lock. The lock master agreed.

At 7:50 the gates to the lock opened. The sun was up, but the height of the lock and the canal walls shaded us. It was as if the sun was taking its dear sweet time to rise that morning, in typical laid back southern style. The lock master advised us and the other two boats when they arrived 10 minutes later, to position ourselves at either end of the lock. He commented, “it can get pretty rough in the middle of the lock!”

We chose a floating bollard on the starboard lock wall at the entry end of the lock while Present Moment took position at the upstream starboard end. The two later boats positioned across from each of us on the port wall. After the gates closed, the lock began to fill.  The water in the center of the section of the lock began to bubble and spin. It looked like water boiling in a kettle on a stove. About halfway up, the churning water tricked the depth sounder. The water was moving with such force that sensor believed that there were less than2 feet of water beneath it. The ride up was fairly quick considering the distance. As the water filled into the lock it began to get brighter and warmer as the boat approached the level of Wilson lock above.  It was truly the most spectacular locking of the trip thus far. The slide show reflects pictures of some osprey that watched the event, and flew off as soon as the show was over.

On Wednesday our trip back down the Tennessee River toward the Ten-Tom will include Sleeping Bear’s locking down at Wilson. I can’t wait for the ride back down!

The link to a slide show is below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/101302984374327122553/WilsonLockGoingUp?authkey=Gv1sRgCJinw8aHmNrPUg&feat=directlink

ANOTHER LINK TO PICTURES -Tennessee River

http://picasaweb.google.com/101302984374327122553/Tennessee02?authkey=Gv1sRgCMC-vd3zsveH-QE&feat=directlink

10-20-2010 – A little downtime in Florence, Alabama!

One of the brochures at the marina reported that Florence was named by an Italian guy who founded it. Since there are no canals or gondolas in Florence, Alabama, we thought that the Italian guy was probably just homesick.

A quick trip into town for some hardware and vegetables Wednesday morning took us across the majestic buildings that are the campus of Northern Alabama University.  The homes around the campus are older, neat, and stately. These beautiful homes are on                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              quiet tree lined streets. Driving by, the neighborhood around the college looked just like Evanston, Elmhurst, or any of dozens of college towns.

Earlier on Wednesday, there was a nice couple from Put-in-Bay, Ohio who arrived into the marina on their 50 foot Defever, named Seadog. The couple had just spent several days in Chattanooga. They told us that they had heard that there was an excellent Italian Restaurant in Florence and invited is to join them for dinner. We would have gladly accepted their invitation but had already started a pot roast in a small crock pot on the boat before they arrived. We planned to try the Italian restaurant soon as long as there is a favorable report from the couple on the restaurant tomorrow. It is always good to have someone run interference for you. In the meantime, everyone passing by on the dock today commented that the aroma, (cooking pot roast) from Sleeping Bear. It smelled good. It tasted excellent as well!

For the next few days, Sleeping Bear is tied up in the municipal marina in Florence.  This is about 20 river miles (probably only 15 miles “as the crow flies”) from Joe Wheeler State Park. The park is the site of the AGLCA rendezvous which starts this coming Sunday and runs thru Wednesday. The river trip to Joe Wheeler includes two locks that lift more than 120 feet combined.  However, because of the dams, bridges and windy roads, Joe Wheeler is every bit of 45 minutes by car from Florence. According to people at the marina, there are no more slips available at Joe Wheeler Sate Park.  Unless something changes at the last minute, Sleeping Bear will need to anchor using the dinghy to attend the sessions next week. For now, we are killing time at the Florence marina, doing a few boat projects and chilling a bit. Under the circumstances, there is no reason to leave the civilization of Florence for Joe Wheeler until absolutely necessary. There is a daily influx of boats stopping to spend the night on their way to Joe Wheeler. We enjoy meeting all of the folks and hearing stories of their adventures.

Sleeping Bear has served its crew well so far on the trip south. Al, who has had a lot of experience with boat restoration, started tackling a few projects over the last couple of days that are greatly improving the exterior bright work that is an on-going effort with a boat of this vintage.  Al is proving to be a Rembrandt when it comes to sanding surfaces and applying even coats of varnish. After almost 1,000 miles, the boat looks better than when she left Racine. Sleeping Bear, Kona and I are lucky to have found such knowledgeable, helpful and energetic crew.

After the Rendezvous, next week, Sleeping Bear will head west and then south, back down the Tennessee River and into the Tombigbee. Al’s wife Kerri will meet us in Columbus, Mississippi and will travel with us to Mobile.  We are looking forward to Kerri’s arrival and her participation in the adventure.

I promise to find some time between boat projects to sort through and post some pictures and/or some comments on the site seeing during the slowdown in southerly movement.