July 2014

July 1, 2014  Up st 5:05.  Motors started at 5:40 away from the dock at 5:55.  Downstream in the Tennessee River on my Birthday…YEA….but where is Melissa???? L  The Authur J Carlson is in the Pickwick lock so timing should be good for our arrival at the lock a little after 7AM.  Entered the chamber for our last lock through, this time down, at 7:30.  Out of the lock at 8AM.  Nice new bullords made for a very quiet decent.  Talked to lock master “Powell”….very nice guy.  We are getting pushed by a 3 mph current downstream  YEA!  I called Cuba Landing, they are closed on Monday and Tuesday.  No sense stopping there so I called Pebble Isle Marina and arranged for staying there.  We will arrive after they close but before sunset and I have been there before so no problem.  We did 119 miles today!!  We passed the Arthur J Calson again, the Capt Bill, and a couple other tows.  Very hot, very scenic but uneventful.  Arrived at 6:45, Craig docked from the bridge and I handled lines with the help of a local.  Veggie Burger for dinner, gonna shower and hit the sack…..WAIT, a BIG storm is moving in.  It started to blow very strong so I went up and threw some lines over the Binimi to secure it.  I notice a small boat with some locals trying to dock and call over to Craig to help out.  The locals are a little intoxicated but Craig gets them on the dock.  Then I hear some shouting, I look over and the house boat that had come in after us and on the other side of the dock, has broken free from the dock and is adrift in the storm. His lines broke in the wind (K Mart?)  Luckily, the guy on the houseboat gets the motor started and gets it pointed back to the dock.  The two drunk guys are trying to help but not accomplishing much.  I run over and grab some lines off of Aye Sea No Snow and run back to secure a line or two.  Craig grabs some more line off my boat….we used 5 of my lines to get him secure.  Now all I have to do is wait for him to get up in the morning before I leave so I can get my lines back.  Then another, bigger, house boat comes in so I went over to help them dock…the wind had died down significantly so it was no big deal.  I had been trying to talk with Missy on the cell phone and we kept missing each other.  Finally I did connect with her but the cell signal did not last so I did not get my usual night night from her.  Bummer.  2893.3 HRS

July 2^nd, 2014  Up at 5:30.  Retreived dock lines at 6:15.  Away at 6:30.  Light fog to start.  Easy day. Hot.  Light rain squall just before Kentucky Dam Marina.  Arrived at 3:00, pumped out, moved to our slip (22), did laundry, washed boat, ran to town for ice tea.  2902.5 HRS

July 3^rd, 2014.  Left boat at KDM and drove back to St. Paul.