Bob & Deb on Headquarters: Log 45; Day 134; Oct 2; Huntsville, AL

Log 45
Day 134
Thursday, October 02, 2008

5:10 AM CDT
Location: Ditto Landing Marina, Huntsville, AL
Weather: 54* and clear; forecast is for sunny and 81* and light winds

This morning is the coolest morning we have had since we left Michigan last spring. I had to turn the heat on in the salon...and that is where I am sitting because it’s too cool to be in the helm area yet. We did sleep with the windows open last night for the 2nd night in a row, which is very rare for us, but Deb and I agreed that the first night was good, so we tried it again and it was fine. The weather is supposed to warm up from here and extended forecast (for the areas we are cruising) shows days in the 80’s and nights in the upper 50’s with no rain, for the next 10 days. We have had near perfect cruising days for weeks now.

Yesterday...was very pretty, but the views were not as dramatic as the last couple of days. We left Joe Wheeler and in a couple of hours we were going by Decatur AL, and under the I-65 bridge. From there we entered a 15 mile section of the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge which they say is 34,500 acres and the southern most wintering ground of Canada geese. Much of the ride (67 miles) felt more rural and you could also see in the distance a mountain range near Huntsville, AL. We also went by (although you could not see it) several miles that bordered the Marshall Space Flight Center where NASA was formed in 1958.
We arrived at Ditto Landing Marina about 2 pm, and I was happy to see a nicer marina than I had expected. It was nothing special, but certainly nothing wrong with it either. It is owned by the city of Huntsville, and you can always tell a marina owned and operated by a city or state. They are not the cleanest; not the most progressive; and the help is not in a hurry to do anything. After tying up HQ Deb and I took a walk around the marina to pay for our slip and just walk a little. We stopped by a boat called Footloose, a couple from Colorado who we met at Green Turtle Bay Marina. They are heading up to Chattanooga as well, and I’m sure we’ll see them along the way. Back at the boat we spent our time on our computers, and for dinner we had tuna helper (Deb and I actually like it) and watched a new program I had recorded called “worlds toughest fixes” where they film a guy helping folks repair some of the biggest things that need repairing. Last night they fixed the pressure chamber in a 747...good program.

Today...we have 25 miles and Guntersville lock to go through to get to Guntersville, AL, and Signal Point Marina...our slip for the next couple of nights. The guide book says “nothing you have seen yet on the Tennessee prepares you for the view as you leave Guntersville Lock”. That’s quite a statement; and based on what we have seen so far, is something to look forward to. Most everyone you talk to says the Tennessee from here to Chattanooga is the most dramatic part of the river...can’t wait.

Side notes:
· Slip fees really vary in this area. When we were at Aqua Yacht Harbor we paid $66 for the night...here at Ditto we paid $22. At Joe Wheeler they charge $300 per month...at Heritage Harbor we paid $750 a month...in Key West they charge $2100 per month.
· Fuel cost is similar. In this 450 mile stretch of the Tennessee we have seen a low of $4.09 (where we will be fueling up in a couple of days) to $5.25 where we will be tonight. The good news is we are going slow and getting great fuel mileage, so we don’t have to get fuel each day. In fact we have not got any fuel since we left Green Turtle Bay...8 days ago...and we have used 193 gallon since that point. As I was watching news coverage this morning (while writing this log) one analyst predicted oil could go down to $50 a barrel. If so...it will be interesting to see if the price of fuel at the pumps goes back to where it was when oil was $50 before.

I’ll keep you posted.

BK.

This is a look at Ditto Landing Marina