Jurassic River

Give me a river and I can’t help but navigate it to end. Jurassic is a name you can’t turn down. Actually it’s the Ocklawaha River. She’s a beaut!

That was my morning. The rain though she be coming in so I needed a hidey hole for a couple days. I set out about noon for Morrison Island. Figured an easy ride about 18 miles over Lake George. Well as you can guess the wind started coughing like a chest cold and got up to about 20 +. What happens in the middle of a blow in the middle of a lake? My main dinghy tow line frayed in uncomfortable seas.

 

Well with a lucky act of seamanship I retied the little guy and  only cussed up a small squall. I am now laying at Morrison Island.

Dr Brad standing by on 16

The song of the day is Just walk Away Rene by the Four Tops

the captain feels a little lonely today

A Day Long Selfie

I am sitting at Crystal River in the rain. Going from anchorage to anchorage 65 miles at a shot is a long day. There is not much to see and life can be uncomfortable some days but basically it’s a slog on the open water with nothing to see but  an occasional  jelly fish or sea turtle.  So here is a day in the life

Dr Brad standing by on 16.Out

Mile Marker 270 from Nowhere but Three Locks and I’m Out

11/24/2013

Man… I haven’t posted for about ten days. The weather has been somewhat brutal. The barge traffic has been somewhat brutal at Fulton  Lock. The last two days have been freezing and rain is coming for two days. I , as you may guess, am at mile marker 270 on the Tenn-Tom waterway. I have had to stop at marinas for 4 days. Two days at midway and Two at Columbus both where planned for fuel and supplies. The 2nd day at midway was due to heavy barge traffic through Fulton.

I have had 10 – 15 mph winds since 11/20. After I left Columbus Marina thru Stennis lock the river is all new to me. I have  done 9 locks on this waterway and three to go until Mobile and open water. As mentioned every one has been with a 10-15 mph tail wind and it’s looks like Gainesville Lock will be no different tomorrow.

I had made a trip line as I mentioned before but gave it up after last night. The line got wrapped around the anchor over night as the boat drifted. Nothing like untangling an anchor line in twenty degree temps and 15 mph winds. Throw in wet gloves and it gives you a reason to live. As I have said before I love so!

I have been busy with the whole deal and have not taken a bunch of pictures but here are a few.

This is an eagle who kept me company at Midway Marina for two days

These guys have followed me most of the Tennessee River. You can’t ditch the ghost of Columbus. The Niña or Pinta ?

A brief three hours in the morning before the wind picks up

Snag boat Montgomery just above Bevill Lock. I did not take this picture because I blew by on the way into the lock. You can find anything on the internet.

This is what lock water looks like with a stiff tail wind. You had to be there.

Looking’ serious

First sight of Spanish moss

And for you people that are just into the blog for the sex

This was a real ad. You can find anything on the internet.

Well that’s it for now.

Dr Brad standing by on 16

Three Years Ago Today

I launched my Macgregor on this day in 2010. I have traveled a little 0ver 4000 miles on the Ohio, Cumberland, Tennessee, Little Tennessee, and the Tom-Bigbee waterway. Some of these repeatedly. I encourage you to check the archives.

Day one and 35 pounds heavier

This morning I am in Florence Harbor. I left Joe Wheeler embayment yesterday at sunrise and Headed south. My goal was 47 miles. I got hung up at Wheeler and had to wait with a good 20 mph wind out of the southeast. after 60 minutes of taking a beating standing post on through we went. I got hung up at Wilson for 2 hours again taking a beating, thus Florence harbor

Not many photos of the last couple of days because of the wind all day. Hard to roll with the rollers and take pictures. My left hand was on the grab rail most of the time.

I got this great picture of clouds coming over me from my stern. Imagine standing under a piece of glass and having paint poured over the top.

Starboard

port-pretty Groovy huh.

The biggest drop in America. The Wilson Lock.

Well I am outta here for now. I have until Sunday to go about 50 miles. I already used one marina day and I will anchor out until then.  I also blew some money on some fried mushrooms.

Happy birthday Barb.

Dr Brad standing by on 16

Fall Backward Toward Florida

Day One 11-3-2013

Left Goose Pond Marina about 8:30 am and headed toward Honeycomb Creek just above Guntersville Lock and Dam. Beginning a long trip to Florida back the way I came up the river last spring.

Down the river

Beautiful sunny day

Honeycomb creek looking toward river

Day Two

Left Anchorage about 6:30 am and headed toward the Lock about 1.5 miles Down stream. Wind whipped up out of the East Southeast about 10-15 mph. I headed toward the lock with the wind directly at my stern and as I approached the lock The wind was also blowing directly straight into the lock. It was like a wind tunnel with rollers as soon as the lockmaster opened the gates to let me into the chamber. I blew by the first bollard at idle. I slid down the lock wall and had to keep the boat in reverse and then reverse idle to tie up.

Got through the lock and shot down the river above my hull speed at about 9.5 miles and hour. Got back to about 8mph at 2000 rpms and settled in for a nice day.

Sunrise leaving Honeycomb

Bluffs along the river

Me, not just a handsome stranger

Bluffs with morning fog

Finally stopped at Limestone Creek. The river is down about 3 feet from the last time I came through in May. The place is still beautiful with wildlife everywhere.

Limestone Creek anchorage

View from boat at anchor

That is it for now. Tomorrow I head toward Joe Wheeler Park and some very nice possible anchorages. I’ll be in touch.

Dr Brad standing by on 16

Wake boarders Suck

Another bad day with the useless lower than shit hammered paper thin wake boarders and their inbred cousin PWC animals.

But that is not what I’m here to say. it has taken me 30 minutes to get this far with this post. I don’t know if it is malware, software or hardware. my entire computer is slowly starting to crap out. I can’t get on Skype, my email is crapping out ,so on and so forth. I won’t be up for a while and if I can get this through I’ll get back when I can.

The Great Smokey mountains. I made it.

More on that later

Dr Brad standing by on 16 or until I get this computer running okay.

This is What it’s Like to live in 110 Square Feet

Well All the stuff is done. The river has gone back down. I have no excuses. I am leaving here in one week. I am heading East. I am headed up river to the last good anchorage on the Little Tennessee River. The water is clear to 15 feet and the water temperature is near 65 degrees.

Get it on. No big pics just where I live in 110 square feet with a 28 year old woman. She’s small but has good lines and has supported my every move. She’s not high maintenance but you gotta come when she calls. Check out the following video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sgsnOmJCNw

Dr Brad standing by on 16

A guy told me he only had 2 weeks to check out the Tennessee River watershed and asked me what to do. I told him to go over to that rock, sit down, and cry.

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.

Going South – Not a Medical Condition

Here was supposed to be a short video I was going to show before taking off down the river. By the way the name of the new child is         ” Small Change” there will be no cash prizes awarded. The video would not upload. Well I am leaving in about 20 minutes to head toward Pickwick Lake. This should take about 5 days. I may be out of range for a few days. I will find out about that video. The game though is afoot again Watson.  Stay tuned for updates and pics.  So instead here ladies and gentleman is The Band. Well I could not do that either. Damn. The engine is running gotta go!!!