Shakedown to Bay Springs

Took a three day shakedown trip to Bay Springs Lake. Went down the “ big ditch” a channel cut through to begin the Ten-Tom waterway. The divide cut is 28 miles long and is literally a canal created to connect two rivers from different water sheds. The channel is about 200 ft. wide and because of the dig you are 20 to 40 feet below the fill so there is nothing to see. More dirt and rock was removed to create this than the Panama Canal – cost about a billion dollars- and was open in the early 60,s.

Got to a nice anchorage on the lake just above the first lock down. Water is clear because the lake is spring fed. Here are some pics;

Sunrise

Quiet and serene for a few days having a good time

Will be leaving Friday for Pebble Isle to go back and see a few friends.

 

bad day at the pool

ETS Three Weeks

I have been getting the boat through the remainder of the hot weather and prepping COOL CHANGE for the fall foliage tour. I have been out over night two times and taken her out many others and feel confident in knowing the boat and handling the boat. Learning to dock a single screw engine and “ walk the boat “ into the dock has been especially fun. I have rearranged things to my liking and  I am ready to go.

On the 23rd I am going down the Tenn.-Tom to just before the first lock to follow some friends on their trip south. I will stay on Bay Springs Lake , about 48 miles down, for couple of days and return to Grand Harbor until the rent runs out. Then I am going back down the river to Pebble Isle for a few days , about 119 miles north, and then take the fall trip up the Tenn.

Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks.

ON THE LAKE

A CLEAN RNGINE ROOM IS A HAPPY ENGINE ROOM

FIRST NIGHT ON THE HOOK

SMALL CHANGE GETS WET FOR THE FIRST TIME

FOGGY MORNING AT WHETSTONE COVE

OTHER TIDBITS

The sail boat in the slip behind me is a 25 foot O”day. There is a plant growing hydroponically from the dock. A sailor down here on the other end of the dock in a 47 foot Tiana found out two weeks ago he Has about 9 months to live. We talked while he took five minutes to take pictures of this plant. What do we do with what we have left. Small beautiful things. Back to the O’Day. The boat is owned by a young doctor from Memphis. He and his family along with other young doctors and their families came down packed on the boat and spent the weekend. The youngest person on the boat was seven weeks old. Small beautiful things.