The Adventure, Week 1

After a summer full of boat projects and fun with our friends at Green Turtle Bay Jill and I set off on the Great Loop Tuesday, October 6th. Monday night we had our last night at the "club" and finally got our boat name hung up in the bar. Who knows, it may be down by now...

We got underway about 10:00 on Tuesday morning with everything we own strapped on board looking a bit like the Clampetts heading up river.

The first few days were easy runs to Paris Landing, TN, Cuba Landing, TN and then Clifton, TN. We were one of the few loop boats at Paris and the only one in Cuba but things started to get busier once we hit Clifton. Clifton is the last good marina on the Tennessee before Pickwick Lock and the current above Clifton makes for a longer day. After Paris you pass an old grain terminal that was flooded when they made the lake. It's in every looper blog I have seen so I have to include it here. I think I've posted it before but this is a "new" picture.

Being the only transient boat at Cuba they just put us on the fuel dock for the night. Very peaceful spot or the calm before the storm....

Got to Cuba sooner than expected!

The trip has been very scenic so far. We passed under a lift bridge that looked like something out of Star Wars.

We have been passing many Monarch butterfly's making their way south and Jill has made it her mission to get a photo of one...not an easy task. The third day she finally got an acceptable entry.

 When we got to Clifton there was a pretty good crowd of boats and they decided to put us in a covered slip. Only problem was they couldn't tell us how high the roof was. You'd think a marina would know this stuff....

Just less than 20' 6" is my guess.

The next day we had our first lock so, of course, we had sprinkles and a bit of thunder as we approached. We got through pretty easy with a few other boats and the storms held off until we were docking at Pickwick State Park, TN. The wind was really blowing as we pulled into a slip shared by a sailboat but the staff was there to help and we made it in with no issues.

Saturday we made it to Florence, AL to take a few days off before heading to Joe Wheeler State Park for the Great Loop Rendezvous. Seems every boat headed up was taking a few days off in Florence but the staff did a great job getting everyone in.

The picture below shows our sister ship in the foreground with us to the right, next to the restaurant. I think we could have gotten carry-out from the deck.

Seems that wherever there are a few Loopers gathered there is the evening tradition of "docktails". Florence was no exception.

Yesterday we made a short 20 mile run from Florence to Joe Wheeler...it took 7 hours! I know it's only been a week but yesterday was a rough travel day. The winds were blowing hard all day and right into both locks we had to transit which really makes us move around as we're trying to get secured. It was made more difficult as we were traveling with a flotilla of 11 boats all trying to get to the same place. Some fellow boaters on this stretch have less patience than I would have expected.

Wilson Lock. Almost 100' lift.

The Flotilla.

Jill has been a bit worried about going through the locks since this is the first time we've done it without our "crew". She has done an incredible job every time in some pretty tough conditions. We have worked out a few kinks and I think each time will only get easier. I know we'll still have rough conditions sometime but our confidence is better with every bit we learn.

We are now tied up at Joe Wheeler for the next few days. There are seminars through Saturday to educate us on the route from here to the Chesapeake where there is another Rendezvous next spring. Some boats are heading up river to Chattanooga from here and others will hang out here before heading south. Hopefully the traveling gets easier as the group spreads out. Our direction has yet to be determined....