October 2019 – Loopin' with Mike n Pam

ROUTE, DEPTH, DEBRIS REPEAT

October 30, 2019November 3, 2019Mike & Pam

As we look at how we approach each day, safety is one of the top priorities: for ourselves and our boat. Due to the flooding there are fewer anchorages, as many are filled with debris or shoaled over. The TennTom channel is well marked and easy to follow, but get out of the channel and there are hidden stumps and surprises everywhere! The further down river you travel the fewer marinas exist to tie up for the night. This combined with the lessened anchorages makes for longer days as we need to log more miles to reach a safe harbor for the evening.

As our journey continue south we hear of friends with boat issues, the worst being sheered off props as they ‘cut the channel too early. Several have had the boat hauled out and are waiting for parts and/or service. A local mechanic, Diesel Don, literally follows the Looper crowd south and takes up residence in the keys for the winter because “everyone needs service”! If he is not around, it is good to know that the Looper community is a fantastic group of people who are willing to do whatever it takes to help each other. Looking forward to getting to the Gulf & to what tomorrow brings! We are embracing and thankful for each day.

SOUTHERN CHARM

October 25, 2019Mike & Pam

As we begin our journey south down the Tenn-Tom Waterway we continue to learn about the history and charms that the South has to offer. The Tenn-Tom Waterway connects the Tennessee River and the Tombigbee River. Work began on this 253 mile stretch of water in 1972 with the help of President Johnson and President Nixon, but the idea had first been investigated as far back as 1810 as an attempt to link two navigable rivers for commercial transport. It cost nearly 2 billion dollars and was completed 6 months ahead of schedule. More earth was moved in this project than was moved in the construction of the Panama Canal – and we are happy to be traveling this narrow and windy part of American history.

Along the way we’ve seen some pretty neat little towns and rural areas. Sometimes we cruise alone and anchor out by ourselves, other times we need to move as a group in order to clear as many locks as possible (since there are 12 locks). There are fewer and fewer marinas as we head further south down this channel and often there is nothing to look at except the stone walls created to prevent erosion…oh, and dead heads, stump fields, floating trees etc.

Currently we are happily holed up in Columbus Marina, bypassing a cute anchorage in order to outrun Tropical Storm Olga. Knowing there were flood warnings and days of a rainy deluge ahead, we traveled with 13 other vessels from sun-up to sun-down on Thursday and tucked in just in time for a beautiful sunset. The rain hasn’t let up and the waters are rising. A great time to clean, organize, catch up and provision!

AMERICA

October 21, 2019October 21, 2019Mike & Pam

On our way back from Joe Wheeler we had the opportunity to spend a couple days in Florence/Muscle Shoals AL. The history in this area is spectacular. We never realized that Muscle Shoals is an iconic part of American Music where many amazing songs were created and recorded. Aretha Franklin, Clarence Carter, Wilson Pickett, Candi Staton, Etta James, The Staple Singers, the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd to name a few. The Allman Brothers literally started and ended their career in Muscle Shoals. Take a look at this trailer for the Muscle Shoals documentary. If you get a chance, see the documentary on You Tube. Amazing!

What a vibe in Muscle Shoals.

Pam’s cemetery fascination made the Coon Dog Cemetery a must stop. This is the resting place of many heralded coon hunting dogs. Many of the best lay right here….Yep it’s true..

We are growing in our appreciation of the Civil War’s history as we travel along the Tennessee River. Many of these river towns have descriptions of the atrocious conditions that our forefathers struggled through as they defined our country. The famous battle at Shiloh provides many tributes and insights regarding this monumental time in American History.

RENDEZVOUS

October 18, 2019October 21, 2019Mike & Pam

The America Great Loop Cruiser Association (AGLCA) sponsors a fall Rendezvous every year in Alabama. The event is filled with great Loop info for those planning to do the Loop and those currently underway. This event is the first time we really needed to be somewhere and we arrived in plenty of time. The week was choc full of events/activity and was a fun place to meet other people while taking in more great cruising info.

Mike missed part of the 5 day Rendezvous because he flew back to Chicago for a quick 48hrs trip to handle a new business opportunity. The timing worked out perfectly because he also had a chance to take Samantha and Tyler our for dinner in Chicago on their birthdays, Samantha Oct 17th and Tyler Oct 16. Pam was in her glory staying back with plenty to keep her busy including hosting an open house boat tour of Sea C Rider and passing a Coast Guard boat audit.

ANCHORAGES…Out of the Mist

October 12, 2019October 21, 2019Mike & Pam

(Complete with video shorts)

After a welcomed opportunity to get the necessary chores done of provisioning, laundry, exercise, and socializing in Green Turtle Bay, we moved on from the quaint town with the best spinach quiche ever to some time alone on the lakes. No more rivers with current, wing dams, and debris, just quiet, splendorous, silky smooth Kentucky Lake and all of her hidden bays and coves for evening shelter. We escaped into Pisgah Bay during a quiet rain, watched some football, communed with the fisherman, kayaked, and took a dingy ride to the flooded quarry which has to be a local teenage favorite for rock jumping (complete with awesome rope swings), graffiti commemorating momentous events like Homecoming, 1st true loves, and graduations.

abandoned dock – looks like a movie setting?!
RDB M78.5

On to Panther Bay – anchoring in the mist with Salty Paws and The Blessing (whose blog I have followed since I met them a year ago at the Fall Rendezvous). We hiked up to the top of a hill overlooking our boat and came upon a very old cemetery belonging to Sam Wofford.

Cool old cemetery just appears out of nowhere

We continued south on the Tennessee River to Denson’s Island, anchoring and cocktailing with The Blessing until we discovered the need to move our anchor further from the shore?!…in the dark. Anchoring in these parts is so peaceful and waking in the morning to the mist rolling off the waters and the colonies of bugs that moved aboard during the night is fabulous! 😉