Season 3 Begins

So, Jim and I had pretty much resigned ourselves to not cruising in 2020.  No big surprise: what else had gone well in 2020 (other than the birth of 2 beautiful baby girls into our family😊)?

Our original plan, when we left the boat on Kentucky Lake in November 2019, was to return to the boat in May, cruise the Cumberland River to Nashville to visit with friends there, backtrack and cruise the Tennessee River to Chattanooga and Knoxville.  We would leave the boat in Knoxville for the summer to wait out hurricane season, then return in October to continue our Great Loop journey down river to the Gulf.  The COVID-19 pandemic crushed the original plan, with marina, restaurant and tourism closures rendering this plan unrealistic.

Plan “B” was to return to the boat in September, side trip to Nashville and possibly Chattanooga before heading south on the rivers.  Jim’s health issue (benign cyst removal and recovery) upended this plan as his surgeon said no travel until early November.  In addition, the marina owner told us he would be vacationing and would not be available to launch Stealaway until the middle of November.  We feared this would be too late to begin our journey (it gets pretty cold in Kentucky in November – remember it snowed last Halloween in Paducah??)

So, we made plans to head to the boat the last week of October to make repairs, put on a fresh coat of bottom paint, and be ready to launch right after tax season☹.  However, on Jim’s last post-op visit for removal of stitches, the surgeon discharged Jim to normal activities!  Right after this news, Marty (marina owner) called to let us know he had pushed his vacation to mid-November and wanted to know if we were going to launch.  The stars had aligned; we would have a Season 3 in 2020!!  We quickly developed Plan “C”:  Repair and launch Stealaway, head south as quickly as possible.  Jack Frost was already here.

We arrived at our pet friendly VRBO in Benton, Kentucky on October 25th to begin repairs.  Fortunately, the gouges from our encounter with a channel marker in the Mississippi River last year did not penetrate the hull.  No welding required.  While Jim sanded and painted the bottom, I stowed our gear and provisions.  Launch was scheduled for Friday, the 30th, so I left the guys in Benton (Jim and Storm) so I could visit with Dad before we left.  My big brother and his wife (shout out to Jeff & Vikki!) were kind enough to ride back to Benton with me and take my car back to Dad’s (4 hours each way).  They stayed over with us at the VRBO and we had a good visit in addition to a 2” thick pork chop at Patti’s 1880 Settlement😊  As they drove away in my car (and the forecast was 27 overnight), we knew there was no turning back.

At 6:42 a.m. on November 3rd, we pushed away from the dock at Lighthouse Landing, 39 degrees.  We headed down Kentucky Lake and crossed the Tennessee state line.  We were running against the current and it got stronger the further we traveled.  They were still drawing down the lake to winter pool; by the time we reached our first lock at Pickwick Lake, our speed was less than 5 mph.  Fortunately, we had an excellent weather-week, sunny and temps reaching 80 degrees.

We made stops at Paris Landing State Park, Pebble Isle Marina, Perryville, Clifton Marina and Pickwick Landing State Park before crossing into Mississippi on the Tenn-Tom.  Since I am from Kentucky, I can say this:  I heard banjos playing all the way down the Tennessee River.  Very little boat traffic, remote and deserted.  Most marina facilities (restaurants) were closed for the winter.  It is deer season, and we did have 2 swim across the river in front of our boat early morning on route to Pickwick Landing; it’s a wonder we didn’t hit them! 

Pickwick Landing State Park is the gem of the Tennessee River (other than our arrival – See post “Adventures in the Dark”).  The staff and other boaters were very friendly and the facility was top-notch.  We stayed a second night here to assess our battery issue, rest and do laundry.  The lodge had a newly-renovated restaurant with a gorgeous view of Pickwick Lake.  We had eaten nearly all our meals aboard, so this was a real treat.  Atmosphere, food and prices were outstanding!

Storm Shares a Secret

Well, after a week in a dog-scent infested park model, we are finally aboard our floating steel tube! 

Don’t tell the staff…they believe I hate this (and that’s fine with me….makes for more attention lavished on me!)….but this is FABULOUS!! 

When we are living in the mountains or at Aunt Dale’s, the staff leave me (for HOURS at a time) to entertain myself.  And that week at the “house of many dogs”, the staff disappeared from sun-up to sundown!  Good grief!  Don’t they know this is all about ME!?

When we’re in our floating home, I have their undivided attention 24/7.  Let’s face it, they can’t get more than 34 feet away from me unless they go swimming 😉  They cater to my every desire!  I spend my mornings (after they finally get out of my bed) snuggled under the warm flannel sheets.  When I’m ready for some sun I head out to the greenhouse.  I’m not a fan of wind, so they installed these clear wind-protectors all the way around the porch.  I can see out and the sun pours in, a tropical paradise!

After we stop floating down the river for the day and the sun goes down, we head inside.  They bought me a heater to keep it nice and toasty warm in here, too!  Then they just sit on the settee making a nice lap for me to lounge in while they pour affection on me. 

Now I still squall like a dying calf, turn up my nose at whatever flavor of the day lands in my bowl, and drop a little surprise outside my box occasionally to keep them on their toes.  Wouldn’t want them to think I’m content!  Who knows what they might dream up next to make this a more Purrfect life! 😊

Storm

Rocket Launch on the Mississippi River

On the Mississippi River, tugs pushing barges are referred to as “tows”.  Tows can be combinations ranging from one tug with a single barge, up to two tugs pushing as many as 49 barges (7 long x 7 wide). When a tug pushing a full load (49 barges) is traveling upstream, against the current, the turbulence created can extend more than a mile behind the tow.  The turbulence can result in six-foot waves that ricochet off the banks so that waves are attacking from multiple directions at once.

On our second day, while being hurled downstream by a 7-mph current, we encountered a full tow headed north.  This occurred just as we were attempting to enter the Kaskaskia River to stop for the night.  As we passed behind the tug and turned across his wake, we were sent airborne by a six-foot standing wave.  All 15,000 pounds of Stealaway left the river in a skyward direction and was suspended mid-air!!   That lasted only a couple of seconds until the laws of gravity took over and Stealaway came crashing down into the Muddy Mississippi.  The resulting splash would rival the splash created by the log flume ride at any respectable amusement park.  What a ride!!  Completing our tun into the Kaskaskia River across the wake of the tow can only be described as whitewater rafting in a 15,000-pound sailboat!

Once in the Kaskaskia River, we tied up at the lock wall for the night.  The first order of business was to re-stow all of the items that had relocated from their stowage area into the cabin floor and elsewhere.  Bev checked all items on deck and found that everything was accounted for, just not where it belonged.  One such item was the forward hatch cover which resides just above our bed.  In the chaos of the “launch”, the hatch cover came off but remained on deck.  It was not until turning in for the night that we discovered a significant portion of the Mighty Mississippi had come aboard through the hatch and stowed away in our bunk!  The bedding and mattress were soaked, and there was an inch of Mississippi mud under the mattress.

Have I mentioned how much fund we’re having?!