Chapter 14 - Day 15: One Third Point

6:00 am
Saturday, September 18, 1999
Day 15

It seems amazing to me that two weeks have past already. We've come a long way. In fact from a distance standpoint we've covered almost 1/3 of the Great Circle Trip. (Approx. 5000 miles) Later today if I get chance, I'll give you some of the facts so far. (miles, fuel, etc.)
Yesterday, we finished our treck on the Tenn-Tom waterway. Both Deb, and I enjoy river boating, but I'm glad to have them behind us. The Tenn-Tom is pretty straight forward to navigate, and it's pretty, but boring. In the last two days we've traveled 218 miles, and there were two places where you could stop, and tie up your boat. Notice I did not say marinas! We are lucky in that we can go fast if we need to, and get down river, but most who take this trip are in sail boats, or trawler type hulls. These boat can only go about 9 mph at most, so their days are much longer, and therefore have more trouble finding a safe place to spend the night.

Things sure did change when we arrived at Mobile. This is a busy place.

Barges, ships, and boats everywhere. It was a treat to thread our way through this maze (at least for me). I've attached a couple of pictures that were taken to give you a little feel for the activity. I enjoy this type of boating. You have really got to pay attention to everything, and follow the charts exactly, or you'll get into trouble. I enjoy the challenge.
I've decided that the people who put together these boating guides border on con artists. The things they write about the amenities are stretched as far as they can without lying. I can almost understand this but how do they get these pictures? You flip open your guide and see a full page add of a pretty marina, in a wonderful setting. Then you get to the area where the marina should be and you can't find it. You pull over to this old rickety looking place and ask "Pardon me, where is so and so marina?" and they tell you "This is it-you're here!" That is close to where we're at. Not bad mind you, but the person who took the brochure picture was gooood. Real gooood.

But, you know what? Who cares. We made it. For those of you who are following us on the map, we are about 1/2 way down Mobile Bay in a channel that leads back to the west. Grand Mariner Marina.

Today-- crew change. Steve and Chris will get off the boat at 11 am. And get a shuttle to the airport. Les, and Ann, and Terry and Jeanie will be picked up by that same shuttle, and brought back to the boat. They will then borrow that car and go get groceries for the week. I will use today to check things out in the engine room that have been neglected. We will also give the boat a through outside cleaning. Steve has done a great job of cleaning it each morning (almost as good as you Darrell), but it needs extra attention today.

The next leg of this segment of the trip should be exciting, and beautiful.
We will cross the Mobile Bay (it's huge!) and pick up the GIW (Gulf Intercoastal Waterway). We will follow this east, along the upper part of the pan handle, until we get to Carrabelle, FL., where we need cross the Gulf to get to Tampa. I have been watching all signs of any tropical storms, but as of now, we look pretty good. We'll see.

Hope you enjoy the pictures.

BK

An Update from Deb

9/17/99

Hey Everybody!

I just read BK's e-mail for the day. Yep - we all look forward to the daily episode as much as you all do. "Did he mention that I finished my book and I know who the murderer is?" "Did he tell them about the big dredger we saw?" "Did he tell them that he had his first margarita since we left

Starved Rock Marina?" "Did we have any fun yesterday?"
Anyway, it occurred to me that y'all might want to see some pics of our restaurant last night. This will be a test, let us know if you're able to retrieve them.
It's 9:30am - ST is driving, BK is here & there, checking things out (with a Bloody Mary in one hand), CVA is slicing a musk melon and I'm catching up on my journal. It's 74 degrees and (what else?) cloudless. The steam has burned off the water and we're gliding along at about 1100 rpms (saving fuel). Life is good! It's time to get my suit on and hit the front deck!

As BK says, Headquarters clear...standing by...

DK

P.S. BK just said he forgot to tell you about a point in our trip yesterday. The river was so winding that according to the guide book, we traveled 3 miles on the water to move 1000 feet. Does that make sense?

P.P.S. BK & ST have a bet. ST says we'll see an alligator today. BK says - no way. The bet is dinner on the loser. Hm-m-m...I think no matter who wins, CVA & I get a dinner out! You go guys!

Chapter 13 - Day 14: 118 Miles to Mobile

4:20 am
Friday, September 17, 1999
Day 14
Yea I know it's early again. I went to bed so early (8:00), that I've already had plenty of sleep, so I got up to get some work done, and also send another captain's log.

The weather could not be more perfect. Cool evenings, and crystal clear. The days are sunny, and cloudless! I went outside before sitting down to write this, and the stars are amazingly bright. (of course we are in the middle of nowhere).

Yesterday (Thursday) was a great day. From a travel standpoint it was almost the opposite of Wednesday. Wednesday we ran hard to make four locks, and catch up on some time. (by the way I figured out we used 271 gallons of fuel that day) Yesterday, we got through the Demopolis lock first thing, then had all day to make about 100 miles. We took our time, and traveled almost the whole way at 1050 rpm & 10.5 mph. (using 10 gallon an hour of fuel) It was actually a lazy kind of day. Cruising at that speed on a meandering river was wonderful. In the morning, Steve drove for a while and I messed with the charts, getting ready for next week. Then after lunch Steve, Chris, and Debbie went out on the bow to enjoy the sun, and the scenery. At one point along the way Deb, and Chris came in for something (probably another Corona), and Steve was sitting in a chair by himself on the bow. At about the same time we met a barge going Northbound and as we passed the tow boat captain said "dat boy out dere on da bow bout got it made....... dun ee". It was perfect, and he was right.

Between Demopolis, and Mobile (216 miles) there are only two places to stop.
Bobby's Fish Camp, and Lady's Landing. If you read the books, neither seem like much, but you have to stop somewhere, so I chose Bobby's, at mile 118.

When we exited the locks early in the morning I thought I'd read about the sights along the way in the book, and it was then I realized that Bobby's Fish Camp didn't have a transient dock for overnight docking. Now that could present a problem. We didn't want to go through 2 locks today, and go all the way to Lady's Landing, so I called Bobby's. My first clue that we would be in the country was when he answered the phone, because he just said "hello?". I thought maybe I had a wrong number so I ask him if this was Bobby's Fish Camp, and he said "yeaya". I had read in the book that Bobby's had fuel, so I knew he had a dock. And I also read that he had a restaurant, and Bobby did the cooking, so I told him we were heading south, and wanted to stop and eat, and could we spend the night on his fuel dock, and he said "yeaya". I told him that was great, and ask him if it was ok if we got there about 4. He said "yeaya" That was it. I guess he wasn't much of a talker.

When we got to mile 118 we found out why they don't offer transient docking.
They really don't have a dock! Here's how Chris describes what they have----" I'll bet they were sitting around one day looking at this thing, and said Hey!, I'll bet this'll float---let's put this on the river in front of our place". She's probably right. I don't know how to describe it, other than it is a platform that floats, and has tires hanging from it.(probably so you won't harm the platform) I wasn't concerned about it sinking, but I was concerned that if we tied up to it, would it be here in the morning. It had 2 poles attached to the shore (one was some type of a drive shaft, because it still had the universal joint attached-I'm not kidding) It also had a couple of ropes tied to shore, just in case the poles let lose.(well they weren't actually tied) Did I mention that it is about 40 feet long, and we have a 50 foot boat? But it is morning----and we are still here.

Dinner at Bobby's was great. Catfish, french fries, hushpuppies, and cole slaw. Great food served, and prepared by Ann. (it seems Bobby went home) She also entertained us. Told us Bobby used to be a drunk, till she told him to either straighten up, or get him another waitress. (waitresses must be hard to come by because she's still here, and he hasn't touched a drop in over 4 years.) He didn't get any help from his wife though....bless her soul.....she's an alcoholic herself. But Ann told her "As soon as you're ready to quit, just call, and I'll stay up with ya all night if I have to" (somehow Ann has figured out how to cure this in one evening). Toooo much.
Today, we head for Mobile. I can't wait to get this boat back to some real marinas. I'm all for adventure, but I would never have made it as a pioneer.

Our plan is to be in Dog River, just of the Mobile Harbor by mid afternoon.

We have one more lock(about 3 miles from here), and 118 miles to go to get there. I can't wait to see Mobile Harbor.

Steve and Chris will catch a flight from Mobile tomorrow, and we will have a crew change. Ann Walleck (Deb's sister), and her husband Les, along with Jeanie (another of Deb's sisters) and her husband Terry will join us. We spend a fair amount of time boating with them, so this will be fun.

I just called ahead to the lock, and he said he'd take us down in about an hour(7:00), so I'm going to get the boat ready, I'll keep you posted.

BK

Chapter 12 - Day 13: Demopolis Yacht Basin

5:25 am
Thursday, September 16, 1999
Day 13

Good Morning. I hope wherever, and whenever you get this you are in having half as good a day as I am.

We are now in Demopolis Yacht Basin, in Demopolis, Al. I just walked the long dock from our boat up to a restaurant that opens at 5 am, and I tool the computer to do some work, and jot this captain's log. You don't get much of a chance to get a full breakfast on a trip like this, so I thought I'd take advantage of it. It is 67 degrees out, and the sky is beautiful (although it's still dark) so I'm in my normal uniform--swim trunks and T-shirt. Which turns out to be a good thing, because, just 30 seconds ago, my waitress spilled a half of cup of coffee on me. The good news is the coffee didn't burn my bare legs, the bad news is my Cancun T-shirt is history. Oh well-I don't think you could get me mad this morning.

Yesterday started the way it ended, and the way it was all day long---perfect!
We left at about 6:45 from the slip, and I called from the slip to the lock, to let them know we were getting ready to head out, and they had it waiting for us when we arrived. (Illinois could take some lessons from these guys). In total we went through 4 locks and did 145 miles. We actually didn't get to the slip until dark. Before tying up at the slip we took on 350 gallons of fuel. $1.05 @ gallon. It was a long day, but it put us back on track time wise. We are only 216 miles from Mobile now, and we should be there by Friday evening.

The Tenn-Tom is a great waterway to make this trip on. The scenery ranges from man made banks of stone, to cliffs, to many areas that look like a normal small river. Commercial traffic is somewhat light, so the going is fairly fast. The only problem with that is that when Headquarters goes fast so does the fuel. Example: If we go 10 mph we use about 10 gallons an hour.

Seem like a lot? If we go 20 to 22 mph we use 50 to 60 gallons an hour Yes, that's right, this is not a misprint. So......on those days we make all that time, we must go fast, so the fuel stops are more often. (this is why I wanted to make this trip while I was still working---so we could recover when we returned).

An interesting fact---follows this now.

On my dash I have this interesting thing called a chart plotter. It is a computer screen that is meant to show you where you are. I works like this:

You buy chart chips (navigation charts that are computer generated from the original charts, and put into small chips about the size of a stamp) You put these chips into the plotter so you now have the area you are traveling on your computer screen. I also have a GPS satellite system that sends a signal to a satellite and receives one back to let you know exactly where you are.

You interface the GPS system with the plotter, and you can actually see on the screen (chart) where you are. There is a lot more to it that I won't bore you with, but the point is this-yesterday I took the plotter cursor, and put it on the marina we are headed for in Mobile. The plotter said that it was 232 miles away. I thought that can't be right. We were at the 358 mile marker. Which is 358 miles to Mobile. So how can that be. Well the plotter computes in straight lines, so in a straight line is was 232 miles, but because the river twists, and turns so much, it will actually take us over 100 more miles of travel to get there. Well I thought it was interesting.
Today.......

1 lock (three miles from here), and 105 miles to a place called "Bobby's Fish Camp" (that should be special) The weather continues to be perfect. 87 and sunny.

Well the sky is starting to brighten in the east, so I think I'll pay my bill and head back to the boat. (what do you think I should leave as a tip?) I need to check the fluids in the engines, and look at that pesky seeping manifold bolt to see if it is getting any worse. Then we'll spray the bugs off the boat, (Steve does this every morning-it's great to have a good crew) and we'll head out.

Thanks for all the notes-
* Neal-still no fishing, not enough time, maybe next week.
* Jenny-you're on the list now
* Randy-Dad is doing good-Thanks
* Holly-another vacation for you?
* Art-yes, more fuel
I'll keep you posted......

BK

Chapter 11 - Day 11/12: Two Messages

7:00 PM
Tuesday, September 14, 1999
Day 11

Yes, two e-mails logs about the same day.

I'm going to try an experiment. I'll jot a few thoughts down tonight, and read them in the morning, and see if they makes sense.

Before I say too much let me describe..... NOW.

We are in a small back river marina, called Aberdeen Marina. A little stop off along the way that is "something special" (you figure it out).

Deb has three projects going. 1-Laundry in the marina (after she got the dock hand to show her hoe to turn it on). 2-laundry on the boat (she is using the boat washer because as she says "why not?" 3-she's sautéing green peppers, and onions for the polish sausage. (and doing a hell of a job at all three) except that she has space in the washer. I don't understand this concept. She has room, so she is walking around trying to get stuff to wash.

"Bob-go take a shower and give me those trunks you have on"........but there not dirty......"no matter they will be, and I need wash, cause I have room". Someone explain this to me.
Chris is sitting out front on the bow reading her book. Which bothers Deb, because she says "if she finishes it she will be ready for another book, and I said I'd give her mine, but I'm not done" (makes that engine problem seem small by comparison). As Chris sits on the bow enjoying her book she is oblivious to all that is happening around her....neat huh?

Steve has been working for a while to send each of you some pictures he took. Did you get them? He also is in charge of cooking and is looking for a time we all expect to eat so he can get the grill out and get started.

What about Bob? Me, I'm taking this all in, and enjoying all of it.

Just now, I looked out to my left and a guy and his wife went by in a bass boat. She was just sitting there, and he was fishing. (in his "cammo"
pants..what a picture) It all just seemed so serene...(I don't know if I have ever used that word before) Chris just came in and said "what are you guys doing in here it is beautiful outside".
Deb just blew by...stirred the onions, and the beans...set the table (at which I am sitting)....and went to check the laundry. Man I am just tired watching all of this!

5:25 am
Wednesday, September, 15, 1999
Day 12

Well, I looked at what I wrote last night and had to laugh, again. As usual, the writing is not so good, but the scene is correct. I wish I could do a better job of sharing the descriptions with you.
By almost all accounts, yesterday was a near perfect day. That fog lifted as soon as the sun came up, and we were able to get on our way about 7:15. We went directly to the mouth of the Tenn-Tom and headed south. It was breathtaking. Still a little cool, the water showed a little mist, but the sun was a big orange ball, and if you stood in it you were warm.

The river itself is a combination of man made waterways, and natural rivers, and creeks. There were several marinas, but hardly any other pleasure boats out on the water. You could travel fast most of the time if you wanted to.

The locks are great. If you're a boater I know that seems weird, but it is true. They actually seem happy to see you. They get to you as quickly as they can so they can keep you moving (they actually let us in ahead of a coal barge so we wouldn't "be traveling until night"). And, they call ahead to the next lock to let them know you're coming. It went so good that we got through 6 locks, 95 miles, and were at dock by 4:30. Not bad!

I said earlier, we are in Aberdeen Marina, in Aberdeen, MS. Getting in here was a real treat. You get off the Tenn-Tom and wind in a kind of a "s" curve around cypress trees to snake your way back about a 1/2 mile to an opening, and here is the marina.

When Chris went inside one of the ladies ask her "wheeere ya from". Chris said "why don't you think we're from here?" she said "cause ya'll taulk funnie." No doubt we are in the south.
The boat is running great (do I use that word a lot?) I still have that bolt on the side of the manifold that is seeping a little, but it causes more of a mess than anything else. Generator battery is fine now. Not sure what caused that problem-but it is fixed.

Today-

We will continue down the Tenn-Tom, and see how far we can get. I am used to having a plan for a spot, or a marina, but as the books I have read tell you, when you're on the Tenn-Tom you see how far you can get, and then come up with a plan. The good news is, it is faster going than I expected, so I believe we will make up that time we lost with the engine. I still plan to be in Mobile by Saturday.

It seems funny, that just a few miles east of here on the coast they are dealing with Hurricane Floyd, but our weather continues to be perfect. 60 degree nights with crystal clear skies, and sunny, bright, and 85 during the day.

One last note before we head out. For a boater this is an unbelievable trip, but for anyone this would be great. The people we meet, the places we see (from the richest to the poorest) are really exciting. Each day is something completely new.

I wish I could share it each of you......well I am...... sort of.

BK

Chapter 10 - Day 11: Four Rivers...and Counting

5:50 am
Tuesday, September 14, 1999
Day 11

Well include the Tennessee River as one of those we have left behind.
We have now traveled the following;
* Illinois River 234 miles
* Mississippi River 218 miles
* Ohio River 47 miles
* Tennessee River 215 miles

We made it to Aqua Yacht Harbor, in Iuka, Mississippi yesterday. Of all the marinas I have been to, this is one of my favorites. It has everything you would need, and it has several hundred slips with some beautiful boats. I just enjoy walking on the docks.

Before leaving yesterday I called Harborside Marina and asked them to call ahead and have someone come on the boat when we arrived at Aqua, to look at our Generator battery that seemed to be over charging. That's exactly what happened. We got here about 3 PM, and they were ready for us. They checked out the battery, and found it to be bad, so they replaced it.
They also tightened a manifold bolt that was seeping oil from it. We're good to go!

The 90 mile trip yesterday was beautiful. It rained as soon as we untied the lines, but not that hard. I decided to go below and drive because this boat has a great pilothouse ( a lower area where you can drive that has full instruments, and good visibility). Steve took the sun covers off the windshield and I turned on the wipers, but the center one had a problem. It seems that one of the clips that hold on the wiper blade had come off, so the wiper wouldn't stay attached. Steve did a "McGiver" trick, and used a picture hanger to fashion a clip from, and we were back in business. From that point, no problems, and the scenery was great. Hardly and boat traffic so we were on top of the water most of the way.

This morning it is foggy. We had plans to head out at first light, but we'll have to see how long it takes to burn off. We're heading down the Tenn-Tom about 60 miles and going through 3 locks.
The Tenn-Tom is an interesting waterway. The idea actually dates back to the 1700's, and has been studied since 1946, but construction didn't begin until 1971. The plan was to give boats (intended for commercial tows, but used more now by pleasure craft) an easy short cut to the gulf without going on the Mississippi all the way to New Orleans. More dirt was moved for this project, than was moved for the Panama Canal. Enough of the history lesson, I just thought you'd like to know.

Responses to e-mails, and calls;
* I too am glad we are mechanically sound again. My nerves are getting back in order.
* I know that Debbie's notes are funnier, and more interesting than mine.
Her perspective is a little different.
* Art-no way, I want copy rights to this journal. (although I can't imagine who would want to read it)

Thanks for all the notes, I save them, so everyone can read them.

BK

Chapter 9 - Day 10: Cuba Landing

5:50 am
Monday, September 13, 1999
Day 10

Cuba Landing Marina-Waverly, TN

We had a great day yesterday. Except for a little wind on our bow, the cruise down Kentucky Lake was near picture perfect.

We left the marina at Green Turtle at about 8:15, and arrived at Cuba Landing at about 3:30. Most of the trip we cruised at 10 to 11 mph, but we ran on top of the water for an hour or so. Really, except for that, not much to report. Great cruise.

Chris and Steve arrived just as we were fueling up. (100 gallons @ $1.09) they flew from Chicago to Nashville, and drove about an hour to Cuba Landing. They also got the weeks groceries along the way. Great to see them, as they boat with us fairly regularly, and know the ropes, but sorry to see Darrell and Donna leave. They were a real joy to have aboard. Although we didn't know them very well before, we got along great. (this can be a problem when you can't get away from each other) Darrell left us something to remember him by. Before he left he was in the engine room helping me, and when he went to get out he step where he shouldn't have and upset to different tool boxes. Stuff went everywhere. Only casualty was a missing socket that is gone somewhere, but a memory of Darrell I'll have for a while.

Today we head south 110 miles to Aqua Yacht Harbor in Iuka, MS. (I am going to try to get someone to look at my generator battery, as it is still
overcharging) This is where we get off the Tennessee River, and join the

Tom Bigbee or as some call it the Tenn-Tom Waterway. This is the 450 mile, (man made), stretch of water to take us to Mobile, AL. I'll give you plenty of information on this interesting stretch as we go.

The weather now is good. The sun is not up yet, but it is 70 degrees. At about 4 am it rained a little. There is a cold front going through, but I'm not sure if that was it or not. The weather channel (yea, when we got to Cuba Landing I flipped on the satellite, and it tuned in just fine---who knows) shows a little rain yet to come, but we'll see.

I'll keep you posted.......

BK

Chapter 8 - Day 9: Things are Looking Up

6:22 am
Sunday, September 12, 1999
DAY 9

They installed a new head on the right side, fired it up and it still smoked. Not as badly as before, but enough to make me worry that we hadn't completely fixed it. Keith, our mechanic, said not to worry, the engine was loaded with unburned fuel inside and it would clear up. The other mechanic, Jeff, wasn't quite as optimistic. So we took a ride to see who was correct.
When I got outside the harbor, I pushed down the throttle and it took just like normal, except the smoke poured out the stbd. side. My heart was starting to sink when little by little it got better. Within a minute there was no smoke and the boat was running normal. You should have seen the smile on Keith's face. It was definitely an "I told you so" smile.

Once we got back to the dock we checked the engine for any leaks, and all looked good. The engine compartment itself looked like someone blew it up.

Stuff everywhere, and oil residue all over. Oh well, that can be cleaned.

The mechanics left at 4 PM, and I think they did a great job.

Before closing the hatch, Darrell and I changed the oil in the generator.

That oil change should get us to Florida. While we were down there we found that the generator battery was boiling out it's water. Probably from a charger that won't shut off. We unhooked the cables, to keep it from continuing, and I'll have to have someone look at this somewhere along the line.

Today-Sunday
Weather looks good. Cloudy, but 85 to 90 degrees.

Once the marina opens up at 8 we plan to pay our bill, and head out. Our destination is a marina called Cuba Landing. If you get out your Tennessee road map (that you always keep handy), and follow I-40 west out of Nashville, where it meets the Tennessee River, you will see where we'll be.

It's out in the middle of nowhere, but a great marina. We've stayed there before, and it is a perfect stopping place.

We change crews today. Darrell and Donna get off, and Steve and Chris get on. They fly into Nashville, rent a car, get this weeks groceries, and will meet us about 3 PM this afternoon. Darrell and Donna will take their rental car to Memphis and turn it in there.
We should have a great day. I'm looking forward to cruising down Kentucky Lake. It is a beautiful lake formed at the southwest park of Kentucky when they dammed the Tennessee River. It is wide, and surrounded by hills, and cliffs. Like I said-beautiful.

I hope this message finds everyone well. I'll keep you posted........

BK