Grand Rivers, Kentucky to Demopolis , Alabama
October 4, 1999
Mile 216, Tenn-Tom Waterway, Demopolis, Alabama
The maintenance in Green Turtle Bay paid off... I was able to isolate one leaky oil hose and replace it and end all our oil problems. At least it is running well so far. As we left Green Turtle Bay we headed down Barkley Lake to the cut between the lakes into Kentucky Lake. Everyone at Green Turtle had warned us that the water level on the lake was very low "So be sure that you stay in the channel". Well, we never would stray from the channel and all the anchorage's were well marked on the charts and in our notes. Kentucky Lake was peaceful for the most part.
Rafted together on Kentucky Lake celebrating sunset.
We did have some wind on our nose for a while but the "chop" was only inches high. Our first night on the lake brought us to the Kentucky - Tennessee border where we anchored in a secluded cove just off the lake. I launched the dinghy as we anchored and Carol and I went for a dinghy ride to explore the unusual rock formations along the cove before happy hour. Happy hour has become an evening ritual amongst our small group of intrepid little boats. This night it was Bloody Mary's and snacks as we all watched the sun set over the Kentucky woods.
Along the Tennessee River we saw fishermen at about every turn.
We got an early start the next day at the crack of nine and proceeded south. Our plans for the day were to stop in a town called Camden to see the worlds largest freshwater pearl farm and museum. Around two in the afternoon we wound our way up the narrow channel of Birdsong Creek to the marina two miles from the river. The marina was a tin roofed affair that exemplifies this area of Tennessee. It was full of bass boats, pontoon boats and weekend cruisers. We all docked at the fuel dock, removed our trash and talked with the dock master about visiting the pearl museum that Carol wanted to see. He loaned us his Lincoln Town Car for the 1 mile trip to the museum. While Carol was at the "Pearl Museum" (which is in the show room of a marine supply shop) I was poking around out in their back lot and peeking into their barn. I discovered these cute little kittens which appeared to be about 4-5 weeks old. I called out to Carol, she talked with the owners who were delighted to give us a kitten and the hunt began.
Pearl the Boat Cat, a new family member
It took six of us 20 minutes to catch one of these little barn cats. We put her in a cardboard box and taped it shut with duct tape and punched some air holes in the box. We took the Lincoln, which floated over the road, on a shopping trip to Wal-Mart, ten miles away, for kitten essentials. We got all the stuff. We arrived back at the dock by five p.m. and headed out to find an anchorage for the evening. We were traveling with the other 2 boats and found a secluded place behind an island to anchor. As we were maneuvering, Tom called on the radio and asked how the kitten was doing. Carol told him that it was still in the box, and of course Tom shamed her into looking into the box. As Carol peeked into the cardboard box, the kitten leaped out, ran around the deck and leapt straight over the rail and into the Tennessee River. Cat overboard! Carol got on the radio and announced, "Cat Overboard!”...fortunately we had the dinghy in tow so Carol took the helm and I headed off on a rescue mission. I was able to retrieve her in short order, just before she reached the shore. We had one wet and angry little kitty. (She was a very strong swimmer.)
Yes, we took a lot of cat pictures..she was adapting to the boat life quickly.
That was several days ago and today she uses her litter box, sits and purrs on your lap and is as contented as can be. Even starting the engine doesn't scare her... I think we have a winner, named Pearl. And in the eventuality that she turns out to be a he, he will be named Earl. We have had no further swimming episodes and hope that she understands just what the edge of the boat means. It IS wet on the other side! The people that we are traveling with all have dogs..which provides yet another dimension to it all. Pearl has that intuitive sense about dogs and keeps her distance showing all claws and teeth. The following day we made another 56 miles up the Tennessee River to anchor behind another island paradise. The highlights of the day comprised of a home made Chinese dinner and the kitty used her litter box after I gathered some dirt from the riverbank. Carol and I spent the evening watching a borrowed movie and retired early only to be awakened by a huge tow going past us in the early morning hours.
The Pickwick Lock, a 55 foot lift up to Pickwick Lake, life jackets required.
Our travels continued for another 45 miles to the Pickwick Lock and Dam which heralds the approach of the Tombigbee Waterway. The current just below the dam was the strongest we have experienced to date. It was flowing against us and really slowed our progress in the last couple of miles. This lock give us a 55' lift into Pickwick Lake, our next lock will begin our descent toward sea level. We tied to the dock at the Pickwick Landing State Park for the evening. We all had a supper buffet at the park's lodge. It was all you can eat for six bucks and we had catfish and chicken and ice cream and generally made pigs of ourselves. The following morning we awoke to rain...the first we had seen in a while, and the sheets were wet. I was disappointed that we had likely sprung a leak but then discovered that it was Pearl that had sprung an leak! The drizzle continued through the morning as we made an early trip to the laundry right there at the marina. Carol and the ladies were able to secure transportation to the local grocery store for supplies while I spent some time in the engine room changing transmission fluid and generally tending to the mechanical side of things. We were able to get underway by noon and still put in a 40 mile day.
Mexican night barge party. It’s nice to find an abandoned barge along the river.
But the next day also brought us to a beautiful anchorage near an historic home called Waverly. We toured the old southern mansion and were filled with the echoes of the south. It was an exquisite example of a very unique architectural style common to this area. It was a four story structure that was built around cooling ventilation which was much needed, even during our early morning visit. The most unusual thing was a portrait of one of the owners. Not only did the eyes follow you around but the whole figure seemed to turn your direction as you walked across the dining room she presided over. We all got the willies!
The neighborhood is getting crowded.
The days have been clicking buy at regular intervals and the scenery is gradually becoming more of what we expect from the south. We are seeing snapping turtles and a lot of root systems of trees. There has been an abundance of water hyacinth which is a water plant that has a beautiful purple flower and long stemmed waxy leaves. The hyacinths are so numerous that they can clog the channel at times.
Carol and water hyacinths somewhere in Alabama.
The last few nights we have been anchoring in coves that are filled with hyacinths. This afternoon we pulled into the Demopolis Yacht Basin, a marina that sees just about every boat coming down the Tenn-Tom Waterway as it is the last fuel stop for until Mobile. We filled the fuel tanks when we arrived, as well as the water tank in preparation for the trip further south. The fuel prices have been dropping since we left Chicago and are getting back to what one would call reasonable. We will be staying over here for two nights to re-provision and tend to any mechanical needs. Tomorrow will be a day of laundry, groceries, cleaning the boat and we are all going out to dinner at the local restaurant. As I write this the kitty is fighting my fingers on the keyboard..it is always good to get help.
Pearl ‘helping’ me write this blog. Check out that Macbook - black plastic!
She seems to be fond of the Macintosh operating system. We are looking forward to Mobile, where we plan to leave the boat for a few days and take an auto trip to New Orleans. This entire group that we are traveling with is going to rent a van and head out to New Orleans, eight people, five dogs and one kitty... it should be an experience... plans are in the making. The weather, for those of you who are interested, is hot and we are the only boat in this group not to have air conditioning. Some of the nights have been almost unbearable with very high humidity and no wind.
At the dock in Demopolis, Alabama
But tonight we have a good breeze and the temp in down in the 60's. A final word about our fiends aboard La Ti Da. They called us several times in the past weeks and we have tried to make plans to meet and cruise together here in the Tenn-Tom. However, Robin got a job offer in Mobile so the ladies moved on south. We hope to spend some time with them in Mobile. We are both looking forward to seeing them again and to share our cruising experiences and photos.
I know that I must bore you at times with some of the details of this trip but I have come up with some figures that may be of interest to the number crunchers out there.
Fuel Statistics
Average Price Per Gallon $1.28
Highest Price Per Gallon $2.30
Lowest Price Per Gallon $0.72
Gallons burned 680
Gallons Per Hour 1.2
Miles per gallon 6.5
States Visited
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Michigan
Wisconsin
Illinois
Missouri
Kentucky
Tennessee
Alabama
Mississippi
Days at Anchor 42
Days at free dock 38
Days at marinas 48
Bridges Passed Under/Through 466.
Locks 67 Miles
Traveled 3124
Average speed 7 mph
14 States
2 Countries
126 Days
And our quote comes from The Nitty Gritty Tenn-Tom Cruising guide.
"Above Demopolis good anchorages are fairly easy to come by. Below Demopolis and until you get close to Mobile, they're as scarce as a stick of Yak butter"
We are not exactly sure what yak butter is like, but we will be searching for those anchorages.