Sky view of Grand Harbor marina

If you look at the google map on our blog, you may click on a view like this for each  stop we take.  Just click the top left icon, within the map, which shows all our stops and then the lower left icon, to change the image.  The top right icon on the map enlarges the map to full screen

Our boat at Grand Harbor marina

Civil War

Shiloh

Confederates had 44,000 men and the Union had 40,000.  There were 23,746 casualties at Shiloh

Monuments are throughout the park, marking troop casualties from each unit.

Throughout the park are guns used by different units of the confederate and union armies.

Confederate Memorial

Monuments throughout the park mark officers who fought there.

Confederates concentrated 11 batteries of artillery to bombard the  Hornets' Nest, well placed union soldiers.  They captured General Benjamin Prentiss and nearly 2,100 Union soldiers.  They believed the tides had changed in their favor.

Shiloh Meeting house, the log Methodist church that gave the battle its name

Inside of Meeting House

Ceiling of Shiloh Meeting House

Tribute to the Minnesota union unit

Water Oaks Pond where the Confederates withdrew and knew victory at Shiloh was gone

Grant came down the Tennessee on Gunboats.  It kept his troops  fresh and  more quickly got to his destination, with all supplies.

Tennessee where gunboats landed (Pittsburg Landing. 

Cemetery for fallen civil war soldiers

Saturday

9/17/2016

A rainy day.  Nice change from the hot sun.

We tried to anchor at a well marked anchorage, but upon entering the anchorage the water levels quickly went to 5 feet.  We believe sand might have got into the strainer as the temperature on one of the engines increased to 250 degrees and set off the alarm.  We backed out and ran the engine at high speed to try and clean the strainer. 

We then continued on to another anchorage, Diamond Island, which was just perfect.  The current was great and it was quiet.  Shortly after we set the anchor a fishing boat pulled in next to us and set anchor.  Mike asked them if we would be bothering them.  They said not at all so we continued to set up for the night.  The two fishermen had a nice conversation with Captain Mike, while he sat out back drinking a beer.  When they were about to leave, they drove over and handed Mike two large weights, two large hooks and two large pieces of smelly fish bait.  They told him he was guaranteed a catfish, if he left the line in all night.  See what he caught.

Sunday

9/18/2016

First thing this morning, Mike added antifreeze to the engine that over heated (sea strainer was clean).  He had to "burp" the heat exchanger to get all the air out....remember we changed the water pump on that engine which drains some of the antifreeze so it has to be added back.  We then pulled up anchor and headed up the Tennessee toward Pickwick Lake.  The engine temp looked good.  We went through the Pickwick Lock and Dam.  This dam was created in 1938 and is part of a massive Tennessee Valley Authority project to control flooding of the Tennessee River and supply electrical power to the region.  The lock through took a few hot hours of waiting to get in and another hot hour in the Lock (sun came back out) so we decided to head to a nice marina with cable.  We also wanted to watch the important Sunday night Packer game taking place at the new Minnesota stadium.  Also, Admiral Joell has been waiting to see historical Shiloh.  There are two courtesy cars at the very nice Grand Harbor Marina.  We will take one to Shiloh tomorrow. 

Scenic Tennessee (cows in the rain)

Two fishermen who gave us bait caught an Alligator Gar fish.  They must be returned to water.

Mike caught a clam shell, after leaving the bait out all night.

Joell keeping us from hitting the wall in Pickwick Lock and Dam

A picture of the bollard in the Pickwick Lock and Dam
(you tie from your boat, around the bollard and back to the boat)
(it floats up with your boat)

Mike and Elwood watching the Packer game

Friday

9/16/2016

After enjoying two more delicious cinnamon rolls, we left Pebble Isle Marina.  We traveled from 0900 to 1600 before we stopped at the Clifton, Tennessee marina.  

This little tree was kicked off the island

Three of six towers on each side of the river.  Mike stopped counting wires over our heads after 36.  

Friends we caught up to and passed.  Arrived at marina two hours ahead of them.  They gained a knot every time they raised the sail.

Elwood sneaking a sip of beer

Elwood likes to be in charge of the control panel

Beer puts him to sleep

A lot of beautiful homes along the Tennessee river.  Many of them are built on rock hills.

Really rocky hills

Mike at the wheel

Sand on one side of the river and rock cliffs on the other.  

Some homes we saw had amazing wooden decks

A lot of new construction along the Tennessee.  We still aren't used to seeing all the homes on raised basements.

Amazing mother nature

Thursday

9/15/2016

Very early this morning, Mike washed all the spiders off the boat.  We are learning to work on the boat before the humidity gets unbearable.  We then went into the Marina restaurant for free coffee and huge cinnamon rolls.  We were able to work on the blog at that time.  We also took a few pictures of Pebble Isle marina.  It is very large with a boat launch, 150 covered slips, transient slips, restaurant, store and trailer campground.  It is a hard working family run business.  The owners purchased a working lobster boat and haven't used it for years.  

Looking down at the fish outside Pebble Isle restaurant

Even a turtle came to snack on anything we through at them.

Elwood likes to watch the fish eat.

Notice a few bigger fish.  We saw bluegills, a few large catfish and who knows what else down there.

Pebble Isle marina owners lobster boat

Huge house boats, each with their own deck area

Overview of Pebble Isle marina

Tuesday

9/13/2016

We left Green Turtle Bay Marina, after a long 9 night stay.  We went from Barkley Lake through a short canal into Kentucky Lake.  The scenery around Kentucky Lake was beautiful.  Kentucky Lake is one of the largest man made bodies of water in the world.  It alone covers 160,000 acres and has 2,380 miles of shoreline.  Although the southern half looks more like a river, the lake is technically more than 240 miles long.

We anchored in Panther Bay, near what is called the Land between the Lakes.  It's a huge piece of land separating Barkley Lake from Kentucky Lake and has a lot of historical sights from the Civil War era.  We took the dingy to shore and checked out a small, late 1800's, family gravesite. Mike swam around the boat cleaning scum off the water line. Joell had hoped to hike a few miles on historical trails, but the humidity level just wouldn't go down.  

Wednesday

9/14/2016

We left Kentucky Lake and headed for Pebble Isle Marina on the Tennessee River.  Just needed a bit of air conditioning.  The water temperature was 83.5.  

We lost a few pictures during transfer to the laptop, so you will just have to envision the beauty of Kentucky Lake. 

Mike's handmade bridle works well for mooring balls as well as for a dingy tow

The dingy towed very nicely behind our boat

Elwood was making sure the dingy still remained attached.

Massive fender protection on the bridge keep the tows from damaging bridge supports.

This boat dock, which had a railroad leading up to it years ago, is now a rusted hunk of frame.   It was partially put under water when Kentucky Lake was created.

Monday

9/12/2016

This is the last full day at Green Turtle Bay marina.  We will be leaving tomorrow morning, if our parts come in today.  Here are a few final pictures from Green Turtle Bay.

Three of our fellow looper boat friends took off for Nashville yesterday.  This is John and Sharon on "Building Our Wings"

Green Turtle has numerous covered slips 

Just because they were there 

Green Turtle has a beach but we never saw anyone using it

Mike and Elwood stood at the beach for a picture.  It was finally a cooler day, so we could take a walk.

This is the Barkley Lock and Dam.  It locks up 57 feet.  Took this picture right from Green Turtle resort.

Saw them on our walk

Boat next to us

We looked really small next to this 56 ft Kadey Krogen

Even Mike looked small next to the Kady Krogen

Joell in front of the Commonwealth Yacht Club