Friday

9/23/2016

Today we went through two Locks and two lakes.  The Wilson Lock & Dam and the Wheeler Lock & Dam.  The two lakes were Wilson Lake and Wheeler Lake.  The lakes (reservoirs) were created as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority when they built the dams.  They are both on the Tennessee River.

Mike, Joell and Elwood, starting tonight, are staying at Joe Wheeler State Park Marina.  We will be staying there until the America's Great Loop Cruising Association Rendezvous starting on October 17.  We will spend our time biking, hiking, fishing, swimming and cleaning the boat.  

Saturday

9/24/2016

We just heard there are crappies for the taking very near our dock.  Hope to get some good fishing in. Tonight we will be spending time with the Joe Wheeler Yacht Club members.  They have invited us to a catered dinner outing on one of the docks.  Bring your own booze.  It should be a lot of fun meeting the locals.

Wilson Lock- one hour and a half before out of that lock

Wilson Lock

Elwood waiting patiently in Wilson Lock

The Wilson lock door goes down under water after the lock is full

Foul we scared up

Wheeler Lock & Dame had a penned in area which was the lock discharge.  It looked really cool as it started to bubble up.

Looper that went into both locks with us

Looper tug that went into both locks with us

Wheeler Lock bubbled up as it was filling

Thursday

9/22/2016

We are currently at Florence Harbor marina.  Saw a wonderful historical tavern turned into a hospital during the civil war.  A lot of civil war artifacts are shown in this tavern.  Very interesting tour, with very knowledgeable guide.

Here are a few pictures of the trip from Grand Harbor to Florence Harbor marina, through Pickwick Lake.

Waterfall anchorage we will hopefully use on our way back from the Tennessee to the Tombigbee.  Tennessee river is a side trip many take, as the fall looper rendezvous is on the Tennessee.

Site on Pickwick Lake

Tow without the barges attached

Don't know what this is, but on Pickwick Lake

Much of Pickwick Lake reminds us of the Wisconsin Dells.

This past week we learned a few things regarding the south.  1) The local weather reporters refer to the area between Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi as the Mid South.  2)  When the Lock Master tells you to go wait over by the sails, he means go wait over by the Federal mooring cells.  3)  When someone asks you if you want a coke, you need to tell them what kind.  Coke refers to all soft drinks.

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