It was a crisp 40 degrees when we departed the dock, but the sun was shining and the winds had subsided. Beginning this leg of the journey on our own, we hoped to soon cross paths with other boaters. The Barkley Canal converged with the Tennessee River and we were soon battling the current once again. Weary after a long day, we decided to tie up at Paris Landing Marina. Being late in the day by the time we arrived, in addition to the unseasonably cold weather and recent tornado which swept through the area, the marina was deserted. We figured we would catch up with the Harbormaster in the morning. Duane proceeded to complete the set of fleece sheets he started back in Kentucky, which now seemed a dire necessity, as I whipped together a batch of chili. By the end of the evening we were both toasty warm inside and out.
Settling up in the morning and filling the tank with gas, we left the channel for points South as the boat was covered with a layer of frost overnight. The Old Louisville-Nashville Railroad Bridge was soon on the horizon and not too far after, we cruised onto the Kentucky Lake. The channel into Pebble Isle Marina was extremely narrow as we traversed the waters, but the scenery was spectacular as the sun hung low in the sky. We were awake and back on the water again by 6:30 the next morning in order to make it to Clifton by dark. The engine sandwiches were sufficiently toasted halfway through our journey so we enjoyed a nice hot meal cruising passed the limestone formations of Denison Island and counted the numerous uprooted trees- casualties of the tornado. Though I wished we had been further along in our journey, we were very fortunate to have not been traveling through these waters, as other boaters had been, when the storm decimated the area a few weeks ago.
There were finally signs of life when we arrived at the Clifton Marina so we tied up and hopped off the boat. The restaurant/bar/store/boater’s lounge was a quaint and welcoming establishment and we grabbed a drink, paid for our slip and placed our dinner order for that evening— home cooked lasagna was on the menu. To our surprise and delight, Harold and Deb strolled in to greet us. While we were elated to see them, we were dejected that they were sidelined by engine issues and not sure when they would be moving on. Catching up that evening and hearing about their engine woes, we were introduced to a lovely couple, Mark and Lana, and their daughter, Analise, aboard Nex T’ See docked across from us who would also be leaving the harbor in the morning.
After a lovely evening with old and new friends, we awoke in the early morning hours to prepare the boat for the travel day ahead in addition to catching a quick shower in the marina bathroom/laundry room. We are always intrigued by the layouts of the various marinas we visit and the amenities offered to boaters. Peculiar indeed was this particular setup as the one unisex shower was located in the same room as the washer and dryer with a separate entrance directly into the marina store/restaurant. As I was not aware of the second door, the owner strolled in to do a load of clothes while I was shaving my legs. And so it goes in the day in the life of a transient boater.
As I emerged from the shower, fog had enveloped the entire area so there was time to order breakfast sandwiches as we waited for the visibility to improve. 45 minutes later, with two of the heaviest bagel sandwiches in tow, we were on our way to begin a pleasantly calm day on the river system. You know you are in the South when your hearty breakfast sandwich consists of sausage, bacon, egg, Swiss AND American cheese with cream cheese AND butter all crammed on a bagel. Before the last bite was even in his stomach, the Captain looked at me with his droopy eyes pleading for a nap. It was a calm day, and not many logs or barges had encroached on our path thus far, so I complied with the plea as long as he kept the radio handy in case I was in need of assistance.
The day crept by and we were soon anchored behind Diamond Island positioned for another amazing sunset. The rain came in with a vengeance that evening and, if I have not mentioned it previously, a 30 cent resolution has made a real difference in a pleasant night’s sleep as opposed to being woken up rudely to cold water dripping on my head. That’s all it took…a quarter and a nickel wedged under the latch to stop the water from seeping in and ruining my pleasant dreams. With all the recent rain and overcast skies, the batteries needed a jump in the morning to coax them to motor on as the solar panels were barely able to charge them.
Once the engines kicked into gear, we pulled anchor and off we went toward the Pickwick Lock and Dam. There were ten locks on the stretch of the river system beyond Green Turtle Bay and, once we exited at Pickwick, we were traveling with the current again and getting a good push at that. At roughly 34.9956 degrees N and 80.20 degrees W in the vicinity of Yellow Creek Falls, we converged on the precise spot where Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi met. It was one of those excitable moments only understood after days of monotonous travel at 7.5 mph when the world passes by in slow motion, so I requested we make a U-turn and relive the experience one more time. Once we had sufficiently satisfied ourselves and, before anyone would think we were in distress for going around in circles aimlessly, we made our way to Grand Harbor Marina where Nex T’ See had already arrived.
The Harbormaster was full of information and, as another example of southern hospitality at it’s finest, lent us his car for the rest of the afternoon. After loading up on much needed groceries at the Pickwick Supermarket and sweets to avoid a “hangry” Captain, we made our way to The Outpost for lunch. The food was outstanding and the setting right out of the Wild Wild West. After Duane ordered an additional two sandwiches for us to consume on tomorrow’s travel day, I noted that some extra trips up and down the fly bridge steps were in order to counteract some of the calories consumed today.
Leaving the marina at sunrise, we were navigating toward the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway which was a 25 mile man-made passage about 11 feet in depth which allowed us to travel further south to Mobile, AL. The waters were extremely calm and easy to maneuver, so I took over at the helm for a few hours. Needless to say, the photographer on call dropped the ball and missed our photo op of a deer crossing in front of the boat while I was assuming the driving duties. But, to his defense, he did capture one of the man-made dams which we remarked looked more like the Plinko game from the Price is Right.
After a delay at the Jamie Whitten Lock and Dam, we were able to make it through the Montgomery Lock before it started getting dark about an hour later. As I pushed the boat away from the wall and we exited passed the dam, Duane, trying to always be the comedian and lighten up the mood, yelled to take a “dam” picture, which, I could haven taken literally or figuratively in the given situation. After snapping a few shots, I gave him the thumbs up and acknowledged his witty pun which only egged him on further. As the sun began to set, we decided to anchor right outside the Fulton Lock and be in a prime position to continue on in the morning.
