The Big Decision

I have made Clarksville and now have to decide whether to go on or turn back. However, the trip today was a little longer than usual but here I am. Made 6 MPH early then dropped to 5.4 to 5.7 later in the day as I headed into a 10 to 15 MPH head wind. Let’s add the current and it was about an hour longer than I wanted to be away from the sound of the engine.

this was a nice of stretch of river. The river narrows to about 400 feet. this made dealing with barges a little tricky. Spent much time on the radio rounding blind turns. One time I had to –imagine this- speed up to 7.5 MPH to pass a barge that slowed down in a turn and told me to go for it.

It is going to rain no matter which way I go. I can make it to Old Hickory in 72 hours and would be in a great place to handle any water no matter how bad. Old Hickory is above Nashville and they will dump it downstream like crazy to hold the dam.

I can also get back on budget because I can go with no actual overnight fees and still get all the services if I have to wait out a flood. The other option is to try and get back before the possible high water. there is however a paucity of good anchorages for at least two days down and it might start raining tomorrow. Going over stuff ,see what happens.

What’s the over under on which direction 50/50 depending on NOAA in the morning.

Here are some Pics from today

Last night

they built the 1000 foot stakes on the right because they thought they were high enough to disperse all the bad stuff!!! What ever 1973 was a stupid year

Last working ferry on the Cumberland

Gotta have the barge thing

Coming into Clarksville

I’ll give you a break on the cloud thing it was a kinda tough fist one. I’ll tell you next time.

However I did see the first horizon to horizon double rainbow in my life. HOw do clouds help this occur.

Well Believe me I got more just can’t find the file. These were taken at Lake Barkley State Park.

Well this is Doc standing by on 16.

Last Train..er..Boat to Clarksville

Finally got the heck out of dodge heading up the Cumberland River like I wanted to do last October. The joys of boating know no time. So August 24th 2012 I left Pebble Isle (Mile 96RDB) for a short trip to Leatherwood embayment (Mile 74 RDB) with good weather, I happy George the monkey and my friend Sam who followed in his house boat for the first leg.

August 25th was and early start and just as I was leaving to enter the river I see:

The American Queen out of Memphis

This is a true paddle wheeler about 500 feet long. She has just lowered her stacks to go under the Paris Landing bridge. Check out this power plant with paddles about 25 feet in diameter. Her wake beat me like a red headed stepchild.

 

I pushed it that day with a following sea and 10 to 15 mph winds. The river stretches so far you can see the horizon.

The day changed as the wind turned out of the west south west  and stired the waves such that they were coming from all sides. Ended up at Pisgah Bay ( Mile 30 RDB)  and the fun began. I was tired. The bay looked promising. There were 10 or 12 other boats anchored and the water was calm and deep.

I forgot this was Saturday afternoon .  Here come the wake boarders hell bent to have there way in this small cove courtesy be damned. I got waked bad. I got waked so bad I fell and smashed a 6 gallon water jug to hell and trashed my back and my already arthritic wrist.

Picked some chips out of my back.

I wasn’t the only boater to get hammered. Should have called the Coast Guard and reported them. However I did get on my hailer and violate a few regulations my self language wise

Didn’t sleep well because of wrist but my goal to make Lake Barkley Resort State Park.  I made the Canal between the Tennessee and the Cumberland I was now on Mile 32 on the Cumberland and here we go. As the day wore on the temperature went up and the wrist swelled up. When I hit the resort I knew it was a two day stay.

Well after some hot doses of pain meds and some ice and rest  I have made it into Monday the 27th.  I am in a covered slip with electric for 75 cents a foot. the shower sucks and there is no cell coverage but they have wifi at the office.

I took a trip up to the Lodge which is the largest all wood lodge east of the Mississippi. Here are some pics:

And now we start something I am going to do on every entry that a new cloud is available. I put up the picture and you tell me the cloud formation. I am now a cloud collector. On the next blog entry I will tell you what the answer is. Good luck.

Here is the bonus picture after a pain pill

Remember my motto “ don’t waste poverty”

doc standing by on 16