Week Thirty-one, October 28, 2013, Continued
Friday, November 1, 2013
We pulled out of Florence at 8:45 AM, heading for Grand Harbor at the beginning of the TennTom Waterway, arriving at 1:20 PM, a 42 mile run.
The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway (popularly known as the Tenn-Tom) is a 234-mile man-made waterway that extends from the Tennessee River to the junction of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee River system near Demopolis, Alabama. The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway links commercial navigation from the nation’s midsection to the Gulf of Mexico. The major features of the waterway are 10 locks and dams, a 175-foot deep cut between the Tombigbee River watershed and the Tennessee River watershed, and 234 miles of navigation channels.The ten locks are 9 feet x 110 feet x 300 feet, the same dimension as the locks on the Mississippi. Under construction for twelve years by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway was completed in December 1984 at a total cost of nearly $2 billion.
The Tenn-Tom encompasses 17 public ports and terminals, 110,000 acres of land, and another 88,000 acres managed by state conservation agencies for wildlife habitat preservation and recreational use.
Although supported by southern Congressmen, the Tenn-Tom Waterway was widely criticized at its creation as an example of exorbitant spending.
Dinner on board tonight
The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway (popularly known as the Tenn-Tom) is a 234-mile man-made waterway that extends from the Tennessee River to the junction of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee River system near Demopolis, Alabama. The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway links commercial navigation from the nation’s midsection to the Gulf of Mexico. The major features of the waterway are 10 locks and dams, a 175-foot deep cut between the Tombigbee River watershed and the Tennessee River watershed, and 234 miles of navigation channels.The ten locks are 9 feet x 110 feet x 300 feet, the same dimension as the locks on the Mississippi. Under construction for twelve years by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway was completed in December 1984 at a total cost of nearly $2 billion.
The Tenn-Tom encompasses 17 public ports and terminals, 110,000 acres of land, and another 88,000 acres managed by state conservation agencies for wildlife habitat preservation and recreational use.
Although supported by southern Congressmen, the Tenn-Tom Waterway was widely criticized at its creation as an example of exorbitant spending.
Dinner on board tonight
Looking at the Beginning of the TennTom from Wilson Lake
Home of the Owner of Grand Harbor Resort
at the Beginning of the TennTom
Grand Harbor Resort and Marina
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Today, the group (Freya, In My Element and Pazza Bella), decided to stay on at Grand Harbor and to take advantage of their courtesy cars. We loaded up at 9:00 AM and headed for the National Military Park at the Shiloh Battlefield. First stop was a 45 minute film giving us an overview of all of the battles, at the visitors center.
U.S. Flag at the Shiloh Visitors Center
Outside of the Visitors Center
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and was
encamped principally at Pittsburg Landing on the west bank of the river. Confederate forces under Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and P. G. T. Beauregard launched a surprise attack on Grant there. The Confederates achieved considerable success on the first day, but were ultimately defeated on the second day.
On the first day of the battle, the Confederates struck with the intention of driving the Union defenders away from the river and into the swamps of Owl Creek
to the west, hoping to defeat Grant's Army of the Tennessee before the anticipated arrival of Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell's Army of the Ohio. The Confederate battle lines became confused during the fierce fighting, and Grant's men instead fell back to the northeast, in the direction of Pittsburg Landing. A position on a slightly sunken road, nicknamed the "Hornet's Nest", defended by the men of Brig. Gens. Benjamin M. Prentiss's and W. H. L. Wallace's divisions, provided critical time for the rest of the Union line to stabilize under the protection of numerous artillery batteries. Gen. Johnston was killed during the first day of
fighting, and Beauregard, his second in command, decided against assaulting the final Union position that night.
Reinforcements from Gen. Buell and from Grant's own army arrived in the evening and turned the tide the next morning, when the Union commanders launched a counterattack along the entire line. The Confederates were forced to retreat from the bloodiest battle in United States history up to that time, ending their hopes that they could block the Union advance into northern Mississippi.
Shiloh’s importance as a Civil War battle, coupled with the lack of widespread agricultural or industrial development in the area where the battle took place after the war ended, led to its development as one of the first five battlefields restored by the federal government in the 1890s. Government involvement eventually proved insufficient to preserve the sprawling canvas upon which the battle took place. While the federal government had saved just over 2,000 acres at Shiloh by 1897 and consolidated those gains by adding another 1,700 acres by 1954, preservation eventually slowed and gains since 1954 account for only 300 additional acres of saved land.
Private preservation organizations have stepped in to fill this void. The Civil War Trust has been the primary agent of these efforts, preserving 1,154 acres at Shiloh since its inception.
The land already preserved by the Trust at Shiloh includes tracts over which Confederate divisions passed as they brought the fight to Ulysses S. Grant’s men
on the battle’s first day and land over which those same troops retreated during the Union counteroffensive on day two. A 2012 campaign focused in particular on a section of land which was part of the Confederate right flank on day one and on several tracts which were part of the Battle of Fallen Timbers.
encamped principally at Pittsburg Landing on the west bank of the river. Confederate forces under Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and P. G. T. Beauregard launched a surprise attack on Grant there. The Confederates achieved considerable success on the first day, but were ultimately defeated on the second day.
On the first day of the battle, the Confederates struck with the intention of driving the Union defenders away from the river and into the swamps of Owl Creek
to the west, hoping to defeat Grant's Army of the Tennessee before the anticipated arrival of Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell's Army of the Ohio. The Confederate battle lines became confused during the fierce fighting, and Grant's men instead fell back to the northeast, in the direction of Pittsburg Landing. A position on a slightly sunken road, nicknamed the "Hornet's Nest", defended by the men of Brig. Gens. Benjamin M. Prentiss's and W. H. L. Wallace's divisions, provided critical time for the rest of the Union line to stabilize under the protection of numerous artillery batteries. Gen. Johnston was killed during the first day of
fighting, and Beauregard, his second in command, decided against assaulting the final Union position that night.
Reinforcements from Gen. Buell and from Grant's own army arrived in the evening and turned the tide the next morning, when the Union commanders launched a counterattack along the entire line. The Confederates were forced to retreat from the bloodiest battle in United States history up to that time, ending their hopes that they could block the Union advance into northern Mississippi.
Shiloh’s importance as a Civil War battle, coupled with the lack of widespread agricultural or industrial development in the area where the battle took place after the war ended, led to its development as one of the first five battlefields restored by the federal government in the 1890s. Government involvement eventually proved insufficient to preserve the sprawling canvas upon which the battle took place. While the federal government had saved just over 2,000 acres at Shiloh by 1897 and consolidated those gains by adding another 1,700 acres by 1954, preservation eventually slowed and gains since 1954 account for only 300 additional acres of saved land.
Private preservation organizations have stepped in to fill this void. The Civil War Trust has been the primary agent of these efforts, preserving 1,154 acres at Shiloh since its inception.
The land already preserved by the Trust at Shiloh includes tracts over which Confederate divisions passed as they brought the fight to Ulysses S. Grant’s men
on the battle’s first day and land over which those same troops retreated during the Union counteroffensive on day two. A 2012 campaign focused in particular on a section of land which was part of the Confederate right flank on day one and on several tracts which were part of the Battle of Fallen Timbers.
One of the State Monuments at Shiloh
Monument at Shiloh to General W.H.L. Wallace
Monuments to Commanding Officers Killed at Shiloh
are Placed Near Where They Were Wounded or Killed
At the start of the Civil War, Wallace volunteered as a private with the 11th Illinois, which was assembled in Springfield. He was then elected the unit's
colonel. He rose up the ranks and commanded a brigade of Brig. Gen. John A. McClernand's division of Grant's Army of the Tennessee at the Battle
of Fort Donelson in 1862. During the battle much of McClernand's division had been driven back with heavy losses and Wallace's coolness under
fire was especially noted. Brig. Gen. Lew Wallace described the colonel as looking like a "farmer coming from a hard day's plowing". After this first time meeting upon the Fort Donelson battlefield, the two quickly learned each possessed the same surname and had commanded their respective states' 11th regiments, prompting Lew Wallace to muse the coincidence must have caused "great profanity in the army post office".
For his service at Fort Donelson Colonel Wallace was appointed a brigadier general of volunteers. During the expedition to Savannah, Tennessee Maj. Gen. Charles Ferguson Smith injured his leg and was forced to turn over command of his division to General Wallace. At the Battle of Shiloh, Wallace was a new division commander, yet he managed to withstand six hours of assaults by the Confederates, directly next to the famous Hornet's Nest, or Sunken Road. When his division was finally surrounded, he ordered a withdrawal and many escaped, but he was mortally wounded and only later found barely alive on the battlefield by his troops. They carried him to his wife, who helped tend to him on the way back to General Grant's headquarters in the Cherry Mansion in Savannah, Tennessee. He died three days later in his wife's arms; his last words were "We meet in heaven." He is buried in LaSalle County, Illinois, in Ottawa. His war horse, Prince, is buried next to the General he carried into battle at Shiloh.
colonel. He rose up the ranks and commanded a brigade of Brig. Gen. John A. McClernand's division of Grant's Army of the Tennessee at the Battle
of Fort Donelson in 1862. During the battle much of McClernand's division had been driven back with heavy losses and Wallace's coolness under
fire was especially noted. Brig. Gen. Lew Wallace described the colonel as looking like a "farmer coming from a hard day's plowing". After this first time meeting upon the Fort Donelson battlefield, the two quickly learned each possessed the same surname and had commanded their respective states' 11th regiments, prompting Lew Wallace to muse the coincidence must have caused "great profanity in the army post office".
For his service at Fort Donelson Colonel Wallace was appointed a brigadier general of volunteers. During the expedition to Savannah, Tennessee Maj. Gen. Charles Ferguson Smith injured his leg and was forced to turn over command of his division to General Wallace. At the Battle of Shiloh, Wallace was a new division commander, yet he managed to withstand six hours of assaults by the Confederates, directly next to the famous Hornet's Nest, or Sunken Road. When his division was finally surrounded, he ordered a withdrawal and many escaped, but he was mortally wounded and only later found barely alive on the battlefield by his troops. They carried him to his wife, who helped tend to him on the way back to General Grant's headquarters in the Cherry Mansion in Savannah, Tennessee. He died three days later in his wife's arms; his last words were "We meet in heaven." He is buried in LaSalle County, Illinois, in Ottawa. His war horse, Prince, is buried next to the General he carried into battle at Shiloh.
Eleven Batteries of Artillery Overlooking "The Hornet's Nest"
Plaque at Ruggles' Batteries
Monument to Illinois Dead at Shiloh
Original Shiloh Church Where the Battle Began
Monument to Minnesota Dead at Shiloh
Sunday, November 3, 2013
So, after a heart wrenching day touring the Shiloh Battlefield, we got off the dock at 9:30 AM, travelling to Bay Springs Marina, at the end of Bay Springs Lake, in New Site, Mississippi, arriving at 1:40 PM after a 39 mile run. Another beautiful day to be on the water. Our strategy of staying in port when the weather is nasty is really the way to go. No stress.
We met a group of locals who were living on their boats and had a very nice afternoon docktail party. Great Marina. Only problem is that the transient docks are a mile from the showers and restrooms.
Sunrise at Bay Springs Marina
Week Thirty-two, November 4, 2013
Monday, November 4, 2013
Up and out on the water by 8:30 AM, on the way to Midway Marina on the TennTom Waterway in Fulton, Mississippi. We arrived at 12:15 PM, after a 21 mile run, going thru 3 locks, and we were immediately assaulted by barrages of little black midges. Our boats were literally black with the things. But, only on the shady side of the boat. We got out the bottle of Ortho Home Defense bug spray and sprayed down our boat, Freya and In My Element. Boy, does that stuff work.
Midway is not much to look at, but the Captains Lounge/Rest Room/Laundry was one of the nicest we have seen on the loop. It may not seem like a big deal, but after seven months on the water, little things like that mean a lot. We have picked up a few more loopers, and now we are six.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Off the dock this morning at 7:25 AM, heading for Aberdeen Marina, traveling with KaJen, Freya, In My Element, Quimby, Sun Gypsy and Blue Moon. We arrived at Aberdeen, in Aberdeen, Mississippi, at 2:10 PM, after a 37 mile run through three locks, and found an on site liquor store and a convenience store. Wow, talk about the lap of luxury!! Well, not that great, actually. The convenience store did have some great hot wings, but the liquor store did not have much of a wine selection. The only thing we found, and I don't know why they had it, was four bottles of 7 Deadly Zins, a 2007 vintage. Really good!!
Since there were so many of us, and not really anywhere to go, we convened a huge docktail party and pot luck dinner right at the dock, and made a short night of it. We have all taken to 8 or 9 o'clock bedtimes and up before the dawn. There are always things that have to be done before we leave, and up at first light is the answer.
Since there were so many of us, and not really anywhere to go, we convened a huge docktail party and pot luck dinner right at the dock, and made a short night of it. We have all taken to 8 or 9 o'clock bedtimes and up before the dawn. There are always things that have to be done before we leave, and up at first light is the answer.
Freya Entering the narrow channel to Aberdeen Marina
Sunset at Aberdeen Marina
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
The convenience store at Aberdeen told us that they opened at 6 AM for breakfast, so before we left the dock, bacon egg and cheese biscuits!!
On to Columbus Marina! Departed at 8:35 AM and arrived at 12:20 PM. Interesting trip! 25 miles and 1 lock, but 10 miles from the marina, we started encountering water hyacinths all over the waterway and in the locks. We had to be very careful not to suck them into our engines or wrap them around props. At the lock, we had to wait about 10 minutes for the lock to open, and I drifted into a huge patch before I knew it. I slowly drove out of the patch, but could not throttle up because of the stuff wrapped around the props, shafts and rudders. We had to get into the middle of the waterway and back down hard to clear everything. But, that did the trick, and off we went.
While we were in Midway, we all got talking about southern food, and the group talked me into making a Low Country Boil. So, I visited the local Super WalMart for supplies, and we had our boil at Columbus. Man, was that good!!! Shrimp, sausage, corn, onions, etc etc. Well worth the effort. They had a great venue set up for us under the marina office. Picnic tables, concrete floor, lights. All the comforts of home. We were all happy to have it tonight, because the weather did not look good for tomorrow.
On to Columbus Marina! Departed at 8:35 AM and arrived at 12:20 PM. Interesting trip! 25 miles and 1 lock, but 10 miles from the marina, we started encountering water hyacinths all over the waterway and in the locks. We had to be very careful not to suck them into our engines or wrap them around props. At the lock, we had to wait about 10 minutes for the lock to open, and I drifted into a huge patch before I knew it. I slowly drove out of the patch, but could not throttle up because of the stuff wrapped around the props, shafts and rudders. We had to get into the middle of the waterway and back down hard to clear everything. But, that did the trick, and off we went.
While we were in Midway, we all got talking about southern food, and the group talked me into making a Low Country Boil. So, I visited the local Super WalMart for supplies, and we had our boil at Columbus. Man, was that good!!! Shrimp, sausage, corn, onions, etc etc. Well worth the effort. They had a great venue set up for us under the marina office. Picnic tables, concrete floor, lights. All the comforts of home. We were all happy to have it tonight, because the weather did not look good for tomorrow.
Water Hyacinths in John Stennis lock near Columbus
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Weather day today!! The forecast called for rain and high winds, so we all laid over and enjoyed the day. Blue Moon and Sun Gypsy were waiting for a mechanic to come buy. Blue Moon had lost her upper station controls on the way in, and Sun Gypsy was having some oil leak problems.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Out of Columbus Marina at 8:45 AM on the way to Pirates Marina Cove, arriving at 12:45 pm, after going thru one more lock and some 29 miles. Along the way, we raced a momma deer with her fawn for about a quarter mile. They were running along the bank right next to us, but by the time we could get to the camera, they had fallen way behind. Something was probably chasing them.
More water hyacinths!! Incredible how much of that stuff is around.
Pirates Marina Cove is in Pickinsville Alabama, about 7 miles from Aliceville Alabama. They did have a courtesy car, so we had dinner that night at the Down Yonder Restaurant. Neat little place, and the special that night was a 10 oz. ribeye steak. Really tasty.
Getting back to the boat, I got on the internet and found out that there had been a train derailment only a few miles from us in Aliceville, and that there were still 11 tanker cars of oil on fire!! Three miles from the river!! Well, I called the next lock, and they told me that it was not going to affect us tomorrow. Whew!!
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Well, we are at the point where there just are not any marinas to stay at. On leaving Prates Marina Cove at 8:05 AM, our destination is a State Park called the Sumter Recreation Area in Gainsville Alabama. Yup, we crossed back into Alabama!! But, still on Central Time.
After a 37 mile run, thru one more lock, we got there at 1:30 PM and found a beautiful, secluded anchorage that would hold the four of us who were traveling together with no problem. Because it is such a small anchorage with no current to hold us straight, we had to be a little inventive in our technique. In My Element anchored first, then Freya placed her anchor 180 degrees and about 100 feet away and backed up until they were even, bow to stern and stern to bow, and then they lashed both boats together. This assured them that neither boat was going to drift. At that point Pazza Bella rafted off of In My Element, and KaJen rafted off of Freya. Really worked great, and the boats never moved.
Debbi, on In My Element, had been cooking New England Clam Chowder all day. Maryanne on Freya had been cooking Chili, and I had been doing a Beef Stew in the crock pot all day. So, since we were all together, we all took our pots to In My Element and had a group pot lock. Good food, good company, and a spectacular setting.
Phone Booth along the TennTom Waterway
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Left Sumter Recreation area this morning at 7:50 AM, heading for Demopolis, Alabama, 53 miles away, with one lock to go through.
White Cliffs at Epes, Alabama
These white cliffs are located on the Tombigbee River at Epes AL. They are part of the Selma Chalk formations which were deposited at about the same time
as England’s famous white cliffs of Dover. The cliffs at Epes are stunning in their own way as illustrated by the picture. Between Sumter and Demopolis.
On arriving at Demopolis, we found Quimby, who we last saw at Columbus.
The marina is off the river, and quite cozy, and they have a facility right on the dock, for tenants and transients, that has a large lounge with a big flat panel display. well, it is Sunday, so we are having Domino's pizza and wings delivered to the lounge so we can all catch up on some football and have a quiet evening aboard.
Week Thirty-three, November 11, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
Veterans Day. When we celebrate the guys and gals who put the "Free" in our Freedom.
We are trying to plan our arrival in Mobile Alabama on a day when the bay is conducive to travelling, so we decided to lay up a day here and wait for the bay to subside. I spent most of the day trying to bring this record up to date, but not quite doing it. Late in the morning, we discovered that the weather report had changed, and that we were looking at high winds and very cold weather for a few days, so, after a lengthy Skippers meeting, we decided to shove off at first light in the morning to make the 97 miles and one lock that would take us to Bobby's Fish Camp, the only marina between Demopolis and Mobile, where we would be at least poised to make the two day/one anchorage trek to Mobile. KaJen would leave later in the morning (she does not travel as fast as the rest of us) and would opt for an anchorage in the river below a bridge abutment. Quimby would leave with us, but also could not make the whole run before dark, and would opt for an anchorage further south in a creek. Both would catch up to us at Bobby's. No dinner out tonight, and off to bed early for me, since I got elected to contact the nearby lock at 4:30 AM to see if we could make passage at first light.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Very Interesting Day. I got up at 4 AM and checked the lock through records on the internet, checked the AIS system to see what tows were in the area, and contacted the nearby lockmaster. Everything good for a first light departure.
Rebecca, who was on the dock with us, had also elected to leave, and left in the dark, a little before us. We left at 5:50, and immediately passed an upbound tow that had just cleared the lock. He warned us about the fog down river.
We arrived at the lock at 6:15, and found Rebecca inside waiting for us. The lockmaster knew we were coming, and would not lock him down alone.
On exiting the lock, we were indeed faced with a wall of fog. And, a tow a mile away heading in our direction. Well, all made it through, and the end of the day found KaJen anchored at mile marker 168, Quimby at anchor in Bashi Creek (MM 145) and Pazza Bella, Freya and In My Element, along with Rebecca, tied up at Bobby's Fish Camp.
Bobby's has a great little restaurant, famous all over the area for its Catfish, but is only open Weds thru Sun. When I called earlier in the day and told them we had four boats coming and wasn't it too bad that the restaurant was closed, they offered to open the restaurant for us if we had eight or more people. Well, how often do you get the restaurant all to yourselves? Everybody opted in and the food was phenomenal. The reputation is well deserved!!
On a side note, after 107 locks, 2 hydraulic lift locks, 1 marine railway and god only knows how many lift bridges, we only have one lock to go, and that is three miles away from Bobby's. After we pass that lock, we are in tidal waters and will not have to go through another lock between here and Charleston.
WooHoo!! And that is a heart felt WooHoo!!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
And, here we are at Bobby's for the day. Still trying to get a good weather window for the long trip to Mobile. Rebecca, intending to leave at first light, did not get off until 8:30 ish, due to some wiring problems. Things were also more interesting with ice on the docks and the decks. We had to be very careful not to wind up in the water.
Quimby and Kajen showed up in the mid afternoon, and we all had dinner at Bobby's Restaurant again. What great folks. All indications are for an early morning departure, striking out for an anchorage at the Tensas River intersection. Once again, Quimby and Kajen, our slower brethren, will have to anchor before we do.
Quimby and Kajen showed up in the mid afternoon, and we all had dinner at Bobby's Restaurant again. What great folks. All indications are for an early morning departure, striking out for an anchorage at the Tensas River intersection. Once again, Quimby and Kajen, our slower brethren, will have to anchor before we do.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Once again, we are delayed leaving by heavy fog. Once it started to clear, we left the dock at about 8:15 am, getting to Coffeeville Lock in time to beat out several tugs and tows that were approaching. This AIS receiver sure is great. I can see the tugs and tows on the chart plotter and plan on when we need to get somewhere to be ahead of them. Good stuff!!
We arrived at the Tensas River intersection just before dark, and once again anchored and rafted stern to stern. This time, In My Element and Pazza Bella anchored, and Freya rafted off us. We had another pot luck, this time with brats and things on the grill. Freya had a generator problem and had to run on batteries all night, but not a big deal.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Friday morning, and Freya still could not fire up her Genset, so we brought them a carafe of coffee at first light. In My Element followed suit, and Ozell commented that with the generator broken, he had more hot coffee quicker than when it was working.
We left the anchorage around 9:00 am, and had a windy rainy trip down to Turner Marine, on the Dog River just south of Mobile, AL. Before heading into Turner, we stopped across the river at the Grand Mariner Marina for a pumpout and to fill the fuel tanks. As soon as we hit the dock and started fueling, the sky opened up and it poured. This is where I found out that my fancy West Marine rain jacket leaked like a sieve! We finished up the fueling and left the dock, once again in heavy fog, for the 1/4 mile trip to Turner.By the time we got settled in, Kajen and Quimby showed up, and we all celebrated In My Elements crossing her wake. Bob and Debi had completed their loop. On top of that, Ozell and Maryann on Freya would leave in the morning for the 20 mile trip to the bottom of Mobile Bay where they would complete their loop. Our follower travelers were dropping like flies!
Dinner tonight down the street at the Mobile Yacht Club, where they graciously open their doors to Loopers, regardless of weather or not we have another Yacht Club affiliation.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Sad day today. Freya left to complete her loop, and then they will be at Fairhope, AL, where they are putting her up for sale and returning to home in Texas. We will be staying here at Turner for about a week to have some repairs completed. We will finally get the intercoolers on the engines serviced, and will have some other repairs completed. Otherwise just hanging around. Not much else going on here. We did, however, find several loopers here we had travelled with before. Tom and Melissa on Journey, Rick and Leila on Sun Gypsy, Clay and Sally on SaSea Sally, and Chris and Lynn from Toronto on Let's Drift.
Ordered in Pizza for dinner tonight.
New Gold Loopers
Debi & Bob Smith (In My Element) - Maryanne & Ozel Cox (Freya)
Debi & Bob - Flying the New Burgee
Sunday, November 17, 2013
It's a lazy Sunday today. Just catching up with everyone. The Yacht Club folks had invited us back for their Sunday Brunch, so the whole crew went over around noontime. Then, we all spent the rest of the day making decisions about our next steps, who is traveling with whom and where we all are bound. We are getting closer to the big overnight Gulf Crossing, and there was much discussion about how that would go.
Week Thirty-four, November 18, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Many things happening today. Met with Roger Turner about our work. We are scheduled to have a diver here Wednesday to inspect the running gear for damage and clean the bottom. Tuesday, the Diesel mechanic will start on the Intercoolers. Friday, the welder will repair the broken weld on the helm chair. Meanwhile, Roger and I will work on rewiring the AIS and the Data Ports 2 and 4 on the Chart Plotter.
Arch on Kajen is leaving today heading south. Turners could not promise him a time to complete his work, so he is not getting it done. Journey is leaving tomorrow, as is Let's Drift. We are just waiting for the mechanics.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Roger and I spent three hours on the electronics. For some reason, the GPS is not sending information to the chart plotter, so the auto pilot is not getting the info it needs to hold a course. We are still working on it.
The diesel mechanic was here. He has removed the intercooler cores and cleaned and pressure tested them. The starboard side unit is cracked and is beyond reasonable repair. I have ordered a new core from American Diesel. It will be here Thursday pm. The port side unit is leaking and needs to be acid bathed and re-soldered. It has gone to the shop and will be ready Friday morning.
And so it goes.
The diesel mechanic was here. He has removed the intercooler cores and cleaned and pressure tested them. The starboard side unit is cracked and is beyond reasonable repair. I have ordered a new core from American Diesel. It will be here Thursday pm. The port side unit is leaking and needs to be acid bathed and re-soldered. It has gone to the shop and will be ready Friday morning.
And so it goes.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Repairs continue. Roger found a bad crimp he made in the wiring. Part of the problem solved. We spent another two hours on the electronics today and could not get it right.
Good news, for a change. The diver cleaned the bottom and inspected all of the zincs and running gear. Everything looked great. No dings in the props and the zincs were still ok. Bottom paint is still good. Whew!
Bob and Debi from In My Element are leaving tomorrow for home. They will be back after the new year to pick up the boat and continue traveling. They brought over a big bag of groceries that they did not want to leave on the boat to spoil. All contributions gratefully accepted. Since they have a rental car, we decided to go to dinner together at a really nice Italian restaurant over in Fairhope, a 45 minute drive away. The restaurant, Pinzone's, was great, but the trip would have been worth it just to see Fairhope. What a beautiful little town. Goes down on our list as one of the places we would like to come back and visit.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
The new intercooler core came in today. Brent the mechanic will be here tomorrow to install both and button up the engines.
Overnight, I had a brainstorm, and thought I might know what was going on with the electronics. The interface between the Chartplotter and the Autopilot has several wire connectors that are just pressed onto the board, and then the wires are held in a screw connector. I took a good look, and the connectors were a little loose and a little corroded, so I used some anti-corrosion spray and then re-seated the connectors. Voila!! Electronics now work!! Roger came back over and did a little re-wiring and programming, and we have that problem solved.
Bob and Debi left for Washington state today. In My Element looked so sad just sitting there. We will miss our boat buddies.
We got a visit at the dock from Jeff and Karen on a'Capella. They have been next door at Dog River Marina all week, and we never knew. They are leaving tomorrow, and we may meet them down water.
Friday, November 22, 2013
The intercoolers have been installed and the engines run. All is good. Brent also found a water leak I have been dealing with and repaired it. Good deal. The guy is amazing. Without my knowing it, he also replaced a hose on the generator that was going bad, and reseated the diesel piping on the generator that was starting to leak.
The welders have repaired the seat, and all is now good for us to head out tomorrow. We got the courtesy car for a few hours today and went provisioning, so we are good to go!! The old wallet is a tad lighter, but it is good to have all the repairs complete and Pazza Bella shipshape again!!
The welders have repaired the seat, and all is now good for us to head out tomorrow. We got the courtesy car for a few hours today and went provisioning, so we are good to go!! The old wallet is a tad lighter, but it is good to have all the repairs complete and Pazza Bella shipshape again!!
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Well, we are off, again. Traveling alone for a while, we left Turner at 8:25 am, heading for the Gulf Intracoastal Water Way. While crossing Mobile Bay, I took a few minutes to look at Turners bill. I thought is was kind of cheap when I paid it this morning, but we were in such a hurry to leave that I did not give it a good look. Well, it was light by about 40%. I called the gal in their office, and told her there was a problem with the bill. "OMG, did I charge you too much?" I asked her to give it another look, and she e-mailed me the corrected bill later in the day. It was about half again what I paid, but still a good price. and the service was really first rate.
We arrived at the Wharf Marina in Orange Beach, AL about 1:15 pm. Linda and Eddie Jonsen from Spiritus live an hour away, and they drove over to take us out to dinner at Lulu's Restaurant. Lulu's is owned by Jimmy Buffets sister, and he shows up there occasionally to visit. No luck, not while we were there. When we walked in, we found Chris and Lynn Wilson, our Canadian friends from Let's Drift, so we pulled some tables together and had dinner with them too.
Lulu's - Gulf Shores, Alabama
Tacky Jacks - Across the River From Lulu's
After Dinner Mugging at Lulu's
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Strong winds through the night and into the morning, so we postponed our departure till 11:00 am. We are heading to Palafox Pier Marina, 30 miles away in Pensacola. Eddie and Linda live in Navarre, just the other side of Pensacola, and we are planning on spending the day together on Monday.
We arrived in Pensacola at 2:40 pm, and docked without problems, in spite of high winds. Dinner at Jaco's, right at the Marina, and a quiet evening on the boat.
Week Thirty-five, November 25, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
Tourist day today. Eddie and Linda picked us up at the boat. The ladies went off shopping, and Eddie and I headed for the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola Naval Air Station. Eddie is a retired Lt. Colonel/pilot, and has done the museum many times, and he and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit. Some of those old birds are amazing. We made a detour on the way, and stopped at Joe Patti's, a local sea food and gourmet market, just to look around. Well, you can't just look, and we had some New Orleans Beignets for a snack. These are lightly fried dough triangles sprinkled with confectioners sugar. Right off the grill. Mmm mmm good.
After a full day at the museum, we met the ladies at the Pensacola Ale House for dinner. Another great restaurant. I am really liking these Gulf Oysters and Clams.
The Spirit of Naval Aviation
Bronze Sculptures at Entrance to NAS Pensacola National Naval Air Museum
From Left - Aviators From WWI - WWII - Korea - Viet Nam - Desert Storm
TBM - Avenger
OS2U-3 Kingfisher Seaplane
F4U-4 Corsair
USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier - War Record
40MM Gun Mount
HUP (UH-25) Retriever
ME-262
Worlds First Operational Jet Fighter
Launched 1942 - German Luftwaffe
K-47 Airship Control Car/Gondola
A-4 Skyhawk - Blue Angels Livery
P-40 Tomahawk
American Volunteer Group China Livery
Naval Transport Aircraft - WWII Vintage
4-AT Trimotor - 1st Flight June 1926
NC-4 1917 - First Plane to Fly the Atlantic (19 Days)
NC-4
Sopwith Camel - WWI
Sopwith Camel With New Squadron Commander (Snoopy)
Curtis JN Jenny - WWI - Royal Flying Corps
NT-1 NCAS Pensacola 1930
A4-E Skyhawk
F4U-4 Corsair
Floor of Main Museum Room From Balcony
F7C-1 Curtis Skyhawk
Anyone wishing more information on any of these aircraft, or on the museum itself, can follow this link www.navalaviationmuseum.org to the museum website. It is a trip we heartily recommend you take!!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
High winds today. And cold!! We are weathered in again.
We took a walk uptown this morning, and had breakfast at the Brew House Coffee Shop. Great cup of coffee and a light breakfast, followed by a walk back in 30 degree weather and 25 knot winds. Spent the rest of the day reading and doing course planning.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Off the dock at 10:30 am for a 40 mile trip to the Boat Marina in Fort Walton Florida. Still travelling alone. We arrived after an uneventful trip at 3:00 pm, and after docking, signing in and cleaning the boat, we walked a half mile to the Original Waterfront Crab Shack restaurant for an early dinner. Once again, fantastic Oysters. I love these little places where all the locals go. Good food, usually inexpensive, and always a few characters. Early night tonight so we can get an early start in the morning, heading for Thanksgiving in Panama City Florida.
Thursday, November 28, 2013 (Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day!!!
Off the dock early (7 am) and on the way to Panama City Marina. There is a restaurant there that is serving Thanksgiving Diner till six this evening, so we need to get there in time to put the boat away and clean up before getting a cab to the restaurant.
Okay, plan B!! We called Panama City to make a reservation at the marina, and found out that the Marina Manager, Stan Jones, who used to be the dockmaster at Patriots Point in Charleston where we kept Pazza Bella, had gone home for the Holiday. Stan was the only reason we sere stopping there, so we called the Lighthouse Marina instead. They are right next to the Boathouse Restaurant where we are having dinner, so that makes it much easier.
Oops!! They are closed for the Holiday. However, I did get the marina manager on the phone, and he told us to just tie up at the fuel dock. When I told him that we were planning on leaving at first light to make the long run to Apalachicola, he said that if we were gone before he got there, don't worry about it and have a Happy Thanksgiving. See what I mean about nice folks?
Well, we got in and situated, and had a great dinner at the Boathouse, so it was a Happy Thanksgiving. Just sorry we missed Stan.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Another early start. We left Lighthouse at 6:30 am, on our way to Scipio Creek Marina at Apalachicola, FL.
We have been pushing it a bit the last week or so, trying to get to Apalachicola while there is a good weather window open to cross the gulf. Leaving from Apalachicola makes it a 190 mile overnight run to Tarpon Springs, cutting across the "Big Bend" corner of the Gulf of Mexico. There is no inside route for getting to Tarpon Springs, hence the long cut across the gulf. Picking the right weather window is tough, but there is a guy, Tom Conrad, who posts his "weather musings" on the Great Loop website every morning, and he is usually spot on. His recommendation is for a crossing this coming Sunday/Monday, so we are trying to get into position in time.
We arrived at Scipio Creek marina at 3:00 pm, and fueled up, filled the water tank and had the holding tank pumped out, all in preparation for the crossing. We picked this marina to stay at on Eddie Johnsen's advice. He said that the restaurant at the marina, Papa Joe's, had the best oysters around, and boy, was he right!! One problem, though, was that after many many years at that marina, Papa Joe's was closing Saturday night and moving to a bigger location in downtown Apalachicola. They are going to be closed for several months, so we got in for the last two nights. Oh, and the oysters were superb!!
We have been pushing it a bit the last week or so, trying to get to Apalachicola while there is a good weather window open to cross the gulf. Leaving from Apalachicola makes it a 190 mile overnight run to Tarpon Springs, cutting across the "Big Bend" corner of the Gulf of Mexico. There is no inside route for getting to Tarpon Springs, hence the long cut across the gulf. Picking the right weather window is tough, but there is a guy, Tom Conrad, who posts his "weather musings" on the Great Loop website every morning, and he is usually spot on. His recommendation is for a crossing this coming Sunday/Monday, so we are trying to get into position in time.
We arrived at Scipio Creek marina at 3:00 pm, and fueled up, filled the water tank and had the holding tank pumped out, all in preparation for the crossing. We picked this marina to stay at on Eddie Johnsen's advice. He said that the restaurant at the marina, Papa Joe's, had the best oysters around, and boy, was he right!! One problem, though, was that after many many years at that marina, Papa Joe's was closing Saturday night and moving to a bigger location in downtown Apalachicola. They are going to be closed for several months, so we got in for the last two nights. Oh, and the oysters were superb!!
Pazza Bella Crossing St. Andrews Bay Friday 11-29-2013 at 7:00 AM
Coots by the Hundreds Getting Out of our Way
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Lay day today, waiting for the weather window. We had been in contact with Dave and Robyn Tufts from Blue Moon, who were also waiting in Apalachicola for the crossing, and they were to join us for the last dinner at Papa Joe's later in the evening. We spent the day provisioning in town, walking about a mile to the Publix grocery. It wasn't what we have come to expect from a Publix, but we got the basics. Tomorrow is the big day!!