October 25, 2013  Friday.    Day 40   Mile marker 335 

We made it to Columbus, Miss.  where we're going to keep our boat for a month.  Left this morning at 8 am, with Kestrel a 42 ft Saber S/V with no mast.  They are heading to Pensacola for a refitting of the boat then to Belize or Honduras, Venezuela.  Locked thru all three locks fast, met only one tow boat with 3 barges single file.  Had a horrible night at the Smithville Marina, tied up to the dock with the North wind blowing down the lake pounding us up against the dock, sometimes it felt like over the dock.  Wind was forecasted to decrease as the night went on but only increased 15-20 knots but felt like more.  Not sure if the barge traffic during the night caused part of the wave action but Kestrel and Castaway crew didn't get much sleep. Wind settled around 6:30 am to 10 knot wind,just minor rocking.  Thank you Lord I didn't get sick from the rocking.  Rocking too hard to do any computer work or even watch a movie. Was good to have electricity to start the heater in the morning since there were frost warnings out.  Curt this he saw some fingers of ice on the windows when he woke up. Glad to leave here, looked like a boat salvage dock more than a marina.  Had a good day with the wind behind us for the most part, a little chilly when we turned to go into the wind.  Sunny, I got some quilting done while on watch, almost ran over a little red buoy sticking out of the water 4 inches, don't tell Curt.  He was finishing his waxing of the top of the boat.  Going down the Canal was so bad, we kept busy cleaning the boat inside and out.  Polished and waxed the stainless steel on top of the boat.  Boat is so slippery on top, we forget to be careful and go sliding but it shines in the sun almost blinding at times and hopefully will be easier to clean when we get back from our month off.  We're so close to the gulf and will miss our friends we've played catch up to.  Won't be that way long after sitting here at the marina.  Have to get things put away and pack to leave in two days.  Heading for Hampton, Virginia to spend some time going to Salty Dawg seminars before Curt leaves with his good buddies Bob and Nelson to BVI. Can't wait to do a rode trip with my friends Sherryl and Bobbie back to Bismarck.  Checked normal weather for this area in Dec.   We're gonna freeze taking the boat the last 335 miles to Mobile, Alabama.  Saw four Bald Eagles today, they soared over us, like they were checking to see if we were okay then off they flew.  Maybe will have more time in the next couple of days to catch up on the pictures and daily blogging.

October 17, 2013 Thursday    Day 32 on the water

Lots of fog this morning, had to wait till around 10:00 before going out on the main channel, didn't want to get run over by the barges and tugs or hit them while they are stopped waiting for the fog to lift. Last night after we started to dose off in the middle of nowhere by ourselves we heard a noise on deck.  It was a strange loud bumping noise.  Listened and watched to see if the wind had come up but didn't appear so. Then there were other strange noises from the deck like someone walking around.  Curt kept watching out the windows above our bed and the hatch windows to see if someone was coming in.  I was too tired and tried to go back to sleep.  Curt kept watching out the windows above us and then saw something in the dark moving directly above my window.  He says as he stretched to look out the window to see what it was he saw a big blue heron standing on the deck.  With three pounds on the window the unwelcome visitor flew away quickly.  I said the next morning I bet the Blue Heron left a deposit for us when he heard a pounding on what he thought was a nice solid rock to perch on for the night.  He must have been so surprised the rock was making noise that he didn't have time.  4:00pm We stopped at Pebble Isle Marina for gas, walked around a little to see how far it was to the Nathan Bedford Forrestt State Park where the Crockett Cem. was.  It was 5 miles one way and no courtesy car so we got gas for the boat, ice cream for us and since it was so early yet left to get to our next anchorage.  Had some delay waiting for a train to go thru the RR Swing Bridge, sun going down we paced in the boat until they lifted the bridge.  3 miles to go to the anchorage we as quick as the little motor would go headed there.  Got to the entrance at dark, fisherman said to follow the green and red buoys closely because it was very shallow in places, said he would lead us thru to the marina.  Curt with his flashlight on the bow of the boat looking for the green/red buoys shining in the light of the flashlight we started, fisherman said not that way, you'll run into the "Ber" southern for sandbar.  Off he went in front of us with his light on to follow.  He came up to a plane in the dark, we sped up and in a distance saw him disappear then reappear in a tight S curve, not to be seen again.  We slowed down meandered our way thru the dark, found what appeared to be a large enough spot off the main channel for our boat to swing around on the anchor if needed  and dropped the anchor.  Moon coming up and looked like a spot light now, a little late we could tell we weren't dragging anchor and went down to make supper.  We were anchored somewhere along the path to Birdsong Marina.

trees turning colors, very pretty pinks and yellows

house on an island, cute place, nice view

huge hotel, apt. or someplace to live and or stay for awhile

bird floating in the water, watching us as we go by

an old railroad bridge partially taken down

 

Abandoned dock in the Tennessee River

other side of railroad bridge

Boat at the entrance of Pebble Isle built out of steel, heavy boat

sails up again, trying to get to the anchorage before dark

getting dark

Lift bridge going up

October 16, 2013  Wed.

Left Green Turtle Bay Marina this morning, weather overcast with light rain and wind SE 5-10 knots.  Had a walk first to take pictures of the pumpkins and gourd fall decorations. Really chilly day today.  Weather cleared around 4pm.  Anchored at Panther Bay at mile marker 60 on the Tennessee River.  Still going up the river so slower today and less mileage.  Were able to sail/motor today with the jib up on the Kentucky Lake, was a beautiful lake going along the east side next to Land Between the Lakes which is a park for many miles between Barkley Lake and Kentucky Lake.  Was told the park was closed because of the Federal Shutdown.  Got in to our anchorage early, fish jumping all around us, so tried our luck which was no luck but fun to toss out the hook for awhile.  Played a game of dominos after supper.   Moon shining beautiful and fog starting as we retire for the night.  Smooth anchorage hidden behind an island off of the Tennessee River channel.

The fall decorations at Green Turtle Marina

They had this type of decoration in town at Grand Rivers and at the entrance to the marina.  Lots of beautiful mums, different kinds of gourds and pumpkins.

Our boat is in a slip below the yacht club, bottom picture you can see it on the right row of boats , the left row of boats beginning with the blue one is Patty and Chip's 30 ft. Sea Dory, cute boat.

 Big boats at the marina, Kumbaya was a stripper boat now redone, apparently it had been used previously as that for taking people offshore where laws didn't apply for strip tease shows. The new owners remodeled and called it Kumbaya the current name.  Joke was it was a "Christian Strip Tease boat."  That's the story Curt heard anyway.

Beautiful trees starting to turn colors

Bruce and Maria following us out of the marina in their sailing vessel 30ft called "Improptu"

Looking down the lake

trees on the Land of Lakes Parks

Bruce and Marie between us and a tug pushing barges

 

Looking back at the Kentucky Lock we came thru a few days ago

Sails up but stormy

Sun out for a little while, trees and bank were beautiful

Sun down at our anchorage

Moon coming up behind Curt, he's heading up to put the anchor in but took a minute to let me get a picture of him with the moon.

Picture just doesn't do the view justice

 

Fog rolling in with the moon's reflection in the water as it's getting dark

 

Curt's setting the anchor

 

Just couldn't get enough of the moonlit view

Looking the opposite direction of below picture

Sundown at the end of the off water going out to the Tennessee main channel

                               You look one way and the moon is beautiful the other the sundown is beautiful over the water.                                     

                                    

Fog rolling in with the moon's reflection in the water as it's getting dark