Bombs, Rockets, and Captain's Quarters

It’s time to turn back and head downriver. Our next destination is Paris Landing State Park Marina on Kentucky Lake for the AGLCA Fall Rendezvous. The Rendezvous is where prospective ‘loopers’ and those already on the loop meet and learn more about the trip. The event is not until October 9th so we have some time to explore along our way there.

Our first night downriver was spent at Terrace View Marina on Watts Bar Lake. The stay was nice but we ran into a situation where the dockmaster ‘rented’ us a transient slip that belonged to another boater who wasn’t there for the night. We think this is a common practice in marinas, but in this case the slip owners came back right after we pulled in. AWKWARD!!! We’re sure there were ‘words’ between the dockmaster and owners but we were grateful we didn’t have to move to another slip.

When we woke the next morning we were surrounded by a very thick fog. We decided to stay put until it burned off. When we felt it was ‘all clear’ we took off for Island Cove Marina, just north of Chattanooga. It’s located across the bay from Harrison Bay State Park where our boat was docked for a couple of months. All was good until about a half hour into the trip when we ran into very thick fog. We did what you’re supposed to do in this situation….blow the horns every 2 minutes so other boaters know you are there. Our electric horns and the captain’s nerves got us through the foggy patch but the captain said the horns are not loud enough so they need to be replaced.

We appreciated Jan Burger, one of our friends from Harrison Bay, who took pics from her mountain home as we passed by Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, and Williams Island.

The next morning was also foggy so we waited until it cleared before heading toward Nickajack Dam. This day was the hottest day of September. After a five hour cruise we reached the dam. We had intended to anchor and spend the night there like we did back in June. However, due to the heat, we decided we didn’t want to sit in the sun all day, so we kept cruising to Goose Pond Marina on Guntersville Lake. The Nickajack Lock situation was in our favor so we could lock through without delay. The reason for that was a US Coast Guard boat allowed us to lock through with them instead of waiting on them to get through. This Coast Guard boat is responsible for maintaining the navigation buoys on the river so it was filled with red and green channel markers.

Going down the locks is different than going up. Going up, the boat swirls a lot as the lock fills with water from valves at the bottom. Going down, the boat rocks side to side as water is emptied from the bottom. Going down the lock seems easier or perhaps it’s because we have more lock experience now 😉.

The trip to Goose Pond was our longest cruise so far. We traveled 100 miles for about 10 hours (did we mention it was the hottest day of the month?). When we arrived at the marina it was after dusk, which meant the mosquitos were out in full force and that made for an unpleasant docking situation with them swarming about. Afterwards, the captain had so many bites he looked like he had been on the show Naked and Afraid! Also, the marina was experiencing some sort of ‘spill’ so the whole place smelled like diesel fuel. YUK!

If we stay at a marina for a couple of days we like to find interesting things to do in the area. Goose Pond is in Scottsboro, AL and an internet search came up with the Neversinking Pit and the Unclaimed Baggage Store as points of interest. The Pit is the most photographed sinkhole in the east. However, it was a bit more of a hike (uphill and in the middle of nowhere) than we had planned so we ‘punted’ after about 15 minutes. We did make it to the Unclaimed Baggage Store. Sorry we didn’t find anyone’s bag 😁.

Our next stop was Dittto Landing in Huntsville, AL. We passed through Guntersville Lake which is wide, more shallow, and grassy. This day must have been ‘grass cutting day’ because there were strange paddlewheel boats on the lake and they were cutting back the grasses that grew in the lake. We planned to stay at this marina through the weekend as our daughter was driving from Atlanta to pick us up for a side trip to Louisville. On our first morning there we woke to the sounds of explosions that shook the boat. A quick google search showed that we were VERY close to Redstone Arsenal where they must have been testing some bombs or ordnance. Later that day we took an Uber to the US Space and Rocket Center. The Center and its displays were very impressive. We saw many rockets and military weapons and vehicles. There were also exhibits of different space crafts and full-size Saturn V rockets. Seeing the complexity of the rockets up close and getting to talk with rocket scientists were fascinating.

On Friday, our daughter picked us up in the captain’s truck and we drove to Louisville to visit friends and family. We always think we have more time there to visit and get everything done. This trip was no different as we were there for only 24 hrs. But in that time we ran errands, provisioned, went to a wine-tasting, and visited longtime friends Tim Gornet and Theresa and Randy Williams. And the first mate got to have her sandwich, a Kentucky Hot Brown, at Captain’s Quarters, just not by boat. We were joined by the first mate’s brother, Steve, sister-in-law Debbie, and Debbie’s mom Sandy Alonso whom we haven’t seen since before Covid. It was a beautiful day on the river and a great day for visiting loved ones.

On Sunday, our daughter dropped us off back at Ditto Landing and we said our ‘good-byes’. This time was especially emotional as we won’t get to see her for at least a couple of months. Fortunately technology will help us stay in touch on the trip. We’ve set up weekly calls with her and can do zoom calls when needed.

We’re looking forward to visiting and exploring more sites along the Tennessee River on our way to Paris Landing.