Day 2 of the trip starts early as planned to try to get to Mobile Bay before the weather does. So after fighting major winds to get out of the slip, we're at the fuel dock before the attendant knows anyone is around. A fast fill up and off we go back into the Gulf. Today it's winds SE 15 to 25 again and seas of 3 to 5 feet. Just like yesterday -wet and rough. Same leaks inside, but no wet vac to clean up this time. Add that to the list of stuff needed on board. Oh yeah and a new VHF antenna since ours snapped in half in one of those waves.
It was about a 3 1/2 hour run to Dog River marina in Mobile Bay. Since it was so early, we just got fuel and pressed on. The ride thru Mobile ship channel was most interesting. All kinds of container ships, barges, tugs, dry docks, and military vessels. Some of the ships were amazing!! Especially the Navy high speed stealth ships. I don't know what they do, but I sure wouldn't want one coming after me.
The Tenn-Tom Waterway actually starts in the middle of the ship channel. Our ride improved vastly when we got to the channel, but as we got past it and up into the Mobile River it was like glass. I could just imagine my old frat buddy Allen skiing behind the boat as we went up the river. He could have one some of his best tricks in this water.
We're still off schedule, but we ran to the Upper Alabama River cut-off to anchor for the night. It's about 55 miles north of Mobile and about as desolate as you could ask. In fact, I'm fairly certain I hear banjos. It's really as calm as can be in this little cove so I think it's time for sleep before our start in the morning. Looks like another 120 mile day with lunch at Bobby's Fish Camp and then another anchorage for the night.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
And we're off
Departure day finally arrived at blazing speed! Tom had told me there would never be enough time and for sure that was true. It was not exactly the beginning that I had hoped for. We had discovered a sump pump issue so that had to be fixed before leaving and it took a while to work that out. So we left later than expected and weather in the Gulf is not reported to be so good. Things should still be ok - right?
Not even 100 yards from the slip was our first draw bridge. They answered the first call and had the bridge open in minutes. We're breezing along. Right down Bayou Bonfouca to Pontchartrain then out to Hwy 11 draw span. We get close and call for opening, but they have no power - this takes 1/2 hour to resolve. From there the next obstacle is waiting for the slowest moving railroad bridge ever to open so that we can get out into the Gulf where wind is 15 to 20 knots and seas 2 to 3 feet. Rough and wet!
Our plan to make Mobile fell apart with the weather. After 4 hours of pounding, we turned and headed into Biloxi. About an hour out from there the generator quit. But the ride got better as the wind was on the stern heading in. Arrival at Point Cadet Marina went pretty well for our first time docking this boat. As we checked around, there were some leaks inside which did not make us really happy. The raw water impeller on the had generator failed and caused the shut down. Tom turned into Gumby and installed the spare so that's working again.
Weather for tomorrow is forecast to be about the same as today. We plan to leave about 7:30 to try to reach Mobile Bay before the winds get any worse. From there we'll start up the Tenn-Tom and much smoother water.
Not even 100 yards from the slip was our first draw bridge. They answered the first call and had the bridge open in minutes. We're breezing along. Right down Bayou Bonfouca to Pontchartrain then out to Hwy 11 draw span. We get close and call for opening, but they have no power - this takes 1/2 hour to resolve. From there the next obstacle is waiting for the slowest moving railroad bridge ever to open so that we can get out into the Gulf where wind is 15 to 20 knots and seas 2 to 3 feet. Rough and wet!
Our plan to make Mobile fell apart with the weather. After 4 hours of pounding, we turned and headed into Biloxi. About an hour out from there the generator quit. But the ride got better as the wind was on the stern heading in. Arrival at Point Cadet Marina went pretty well for our first time docking this boat. As we checked around, there were some leaks inside which did not make us really happy. The raw water impeller on the had generator failed and caused the shut down. Tom turned into Gumby and installed the spare so that's working again.
Weather for tomorrow is forecast to be about the same as today. We plan to leave about 7:30 to try to reach Mobile Bay before the winds get any worse. From there we'll start up the Tenn-Tom and much smoother water.
T minus 1 and ready for departure
It's the day before we leave Slidell and Tom's flight actually came in early. We were hauling it to NOLA International to pick him up and he still had to wait on us. But that was just the beginning of a rather stressful afternoon.
So we finally made it back to the boat after a quick lunch and a stop at the Winn Dixie. Now that Tom is here we have to do all of the stuff that I have only done on his boat, but mine is different so we begin to discover all of those things. First thing we find is that the sump pump is not working because the float switch has come loose. OK, this is not too bad just a pain to deal with and a bit of a mess.
Next the engines won't start, but this turns out to be just a different set up than on Tom's boat. So adjust to the new set up and they crank right up!! Then we tear up half the electrical panels to sort out why the bow thruster won't work. No luck. OK back to the generator that wont start either. Follow the instructions, but come on- nothing works. All of this is solved by Zack who is still hanging around after his shift is done at GulfSouth. Five minutes on board and he has shown us how everything works!!
The fuel truck came and filled us up. FedEx got here with the new searchlight and that was installed. The anchor windlass checked out and my new windshield wipers worked fine. These things helped a bit of the stress of the previous list of problems.
One of the owners of the yard has his boat right behind mine. Bill is a really fun guy who bought the business with his brother. It was his call to Zack that solved all our issues. He went with us to dinner at Nathan's and we had a really good time talking until the place literally shut down. The walk back across the draw bridge in the pitch dark was a bit interesting but at least uneventful. Guess we'll have to put all the stuff we took apart back together as we motor over to Mobile.
Our plan is to leave here early tomorrow (Wednesday) morning and go to Mobile. Forecast seems to be ok. Not sure exactly when we will depart. Destination Dawg river.
So we finally made it back to the boat after a quick lunch and a stop at the Winn Dixie. Now that Tom is here we have to do all of the stuff that I have only done on his boat, but mine is different so we begin to discover all of those things. First thing we find is that the sump pump is not working because the float switch has come loose. OK, this is not too bad just a pain to deal with and a bit of a mess.
Next the engines won't start, but this turns out to be just a different set up than on Tom's boat. So adjust to the new set up and they crank right up!! Then we tear up half the electrical panels to sort out why the bow thruster won't work. No luck. OK back to the generator that wont start either. Follow the instructions, but come on- nothing works. All of this is solved by Zack who is still hanging around after his shift is done at GulfSouth. Five minutes on board and he has shown us how everything works!!
The fuel truck came and filled us up. FedEx got here with the new searchlight and that was installed. The anchor windlass checked out and my new windshield wipers worked fine. These things helped a bit of the stress of the previous list of problems.
One of the owners of the yard has his boat right behind mine. Bill is a really fun guy who bought the business with his brother. It was his call to Zack that solved all our issues. He went with us to dinner at Nathan's and we had a really good time talking until the place literally shut down. The walk back across the draw bridge in the pitch dark was a bit interesting but at least uneventful. Guess we'll have to put all the stuff we took apart back together as we motor over to Mobile.
Our plan is to leave here early tomorrow (Wednesday) morning and go to Mobile. Forecast seems to be ok. Not sure exactly when we will depart. Destination Dawg river.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
T minus 2
Happy Memorial Day!! This has always been a special holiday for us. My Dad and my Uncles were all WWII veterans, sadly Regina's Dad didn't make it home from Vietman, my part was flying USAF air refueling tankers and my B-I-L Rob is a retired Army LTC. Our thanks to all who have served and sacrificed.
We started the day with breakfast at LA Pines. Guy Fieri featured this jewel on one of his Triple D shows. Of the diners, drive- ins and dives this one was in the dive catageory, but oh my was the food fabulous! I had a prime rib omelet and Regina got chicken fried chicken. Only in the South can you do things like this. Somehow we survived the heart attack meals which taste sooooo good.
From breakfast, it was a search for light bulbs and a flag. Of course on a boat, nothing is a normal size so the next 2 hours were blown on the search. Home Depot had the light bulbs hidden in the gardening department - apparently you are supposed to use them for landscape lighting. West Marine was the only place that we could find a 2' x 3' flag to fit our flagpole so we got one and have it flying proudly.
The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning and feeding the turtles. We have seen probably 6 of the turtles swimming around near the boat. I think they live somewhere under the dock and come out to eat and sun. Fun to watch them tool around in the water. They really enjoyed our left over biscuits from breakfast.
Today was the first time I washed the boat. Now I've helped Tom wash his boat a bunch of times and now I understand why he is always so happy when I'm there to do some of the work! It was a warm day in Slidell so maybe this will help me drop a few lbs. Lord knows I was sweating like a heifer while scrubbing the deck and cleaning the helm. After a few times doing this, I'm hoping I learn a few tricks to make it a little easier.
Tomorrow is fueling day. Trying to get a truck to come top us off, but if that doesn't work out we'll have to go to the fuel dock nearby. It's on the other side of a little draw bridge that separates us from the Bayou that leads to Lake Pontchartrain so maybe we should move over there anyway. When we leave Wednesday morning, the goal is to get to Dog River Marina on Mobile Bay to complete day 1 of the trip. The weather looks good right now so let's hope for no changes.
We started the day with breakfast at LA Pines. Guy Fieri featured this jewel on one of his Triple D shows. Of the diners, drive- ins and dives this one was in the dive catageory, but oh my was the food fabulous! I had a prime rib omelet and Regina got chicken fried chicken. Only in the South can you do things like this. Somehow we survived the heart attack meals which taste sooooo good.
From breakfast, it was a search for light bulbs and a flag. Of course on a boat, nothing is a normal size so the next 2 hours were blown on the search. Home Depot had the light bulbs hidden in the gardening department - apparently you are supposed to use them for landscape lighting. West Marine was the only place that we could find a 2' x 3' flag to fit our flagpole so we got one and have it flying proudly.
The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning and feeding the turtles. We have seen probably 6 of the turtles swimming around near the boat. I think they live somewhere under the dock and come out to eat and sun. Fun to watch them tool around in the water. They really enjoyed our left over biscuits from breakfast.
Today was the first time I washed the boat. Now I've helped Tom wash his boat a bunch of times and now I understand why he is always so happy when I'm there to do some of the work! It was a warm day in Slidell so maybe this will help me drop a few lbs. Lord knows I was sweating like a heifer while scrubbing the deck and cleaning the helm. After a few times doing this, I'm hoping I learn a few tricks to make it a little easier.
Tomorrow is fueling day. Trying to get a truck to come top us off, but if that doesn't work out we'll have to go to the fuel dock nearby. It's on the other side of a little draw bridge that separates us from the Bayou that leads to Lake Pontchartrain so maybe we should move over there anyway. When we leave Wednesday morning, the goal is to get to Dog River Marina on Mobile Bay to complete day 1 of the trip. The weather looks good right now so let's hope for no changes.
Monday, May 27, 2013
T minus 4 & 3
Actually this adventure began many years ago, but our dream has finally arrived. We took the plunge and bought the boat that I had selected after a long (15 year) search. So here we are in Slidell, LA loading and getting ready for the trip to Chattanooga.
The purchase of our boat required the sale of our Gatlinburg cabin which came from Uncle Jim. It was his favorite place, but the cabin was just too far from Atlanta for us to use. I always loved the mountains, but getting out on the water was just as strong a desire as watching a mountain stream. Of course, right when we finally decided to make the leap and sell, the real estate market and everything else went in the tank.
So it seemed very interesting that when we went to pick up our rental SUV for the trip down and it wouldn't hold all the stuff that we had to bring, we looked across the lot and there was a mini-oh-my-god-van that seemed to be waiting for us. Now neither Regina nor I are mini-van people, but it was the only thing that could do the job. We worked a deal with the agent to take it and when we got home and looked at the license plate, the car had Blount County, Tennessee tags on it. Now unless you are from East Tennessee, you probably don't know that Knox County, Sevier County (Gatlinburg is here) and Blount County are in the area where I grew up. So the cabin once again had a play in the trip!!
Departure Day minus 4 was the drive to Slidell. Pretty much uneventful trip. Took us about 7 hours. And this crazy mini-van burned only 20 gallons of gas for the trip. The rear end was almost dragging the tires and it did just fine. It seemed like the next 7 hours after we got here was used up unloading. Somehow we got all this stuff on the boat. Finally organized and it's now day T minus 3.
Today was productive. Defrosted and cleaned the cockpit refrigerator. Found new windshield wipers. Got flares. Figured out how to work the radio, DVD, CD player and TV!! Went grocery shopping and had cocktails on the rear deck about 5 PM. At that point, it began to seem like this was real and not a dream that was just going to end with an annoying, buzzing alarm.
Departure is scheduled for Wednesday morning. My buddy Tom, from Maryland, will get here about noon on Tuesday. He and his wife have been great friends for almost 30 years! All of the final preparations have to get done after he arrives. Hopefully not much will be left to do. The real adventure begins soon!!
The purchase of our boat required the sale of our Gatlinburg cabin which came from Uncle Jim. It was his favorite place, but the cabin was just too far from Atlanta for us to use. I always loved the mountains, but getting out on the water was just as strong a desire as watching a mountain stream. Of course, right when we finally decided to make the leap and sell, the real estate market and everything else went in the tank.
So it seemed very interesting that when we went to pick up our rental SUV for the trip down and it wouldn't hold all the stuff that we had to bring, we looked across the lot and there was a mini-oh-my-god-van that seemed to be waiting for us. Now neither Regina nor I are mini-van people, but it was the only thing that could do the job. We worked a deal with the agent to take it and when we got home and looked at the license plate, the car had Blount County, Tennessee tags on it. Now unless you are from East Tennessee, you probably don't know that Knox County, Sevier County (Gatlinburg is here) and Blount County are in the area where I grew up. So the cabin once again had a play in the trip!!
Departure Day minus 4 was the drive to Slidell. Pretty much uneventful trip. Took us about 7 hours. And this crazy mini-van burned only 20 gallons of gas for the trip. The rear end was almost dragging the tires and it did just fine. It seemed like the next 7 hours after we got here was used up unloading. Somehow we got all this stuff on the boat. Finally organized and it's now day T minus 3.
Today was productive. Defrosted and cleaned the cockpit refrigerator. Found new windshield wipers. Got flares. Figured out how to work the radio, DVD, CD player and TV!! Went grocery shopping and had cocktails on the rear deck about 5 PM. At that point, it began to seem like this was real and not a dream that was just going to end with an annoying, buzzing alarm.
Departure is scheduled for Wednesday morning. My buddy Tom, from Maryland, will get here about noon on Tuesday. He and his wife have been great friends for almost 30 years! All of the final preparations have to get done after he arrives. Hopefully not much will be left to do. The real adventure begins soon!!
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