Perseverance

We are still thoroughly enjoying our mountain cruising experience.  People have been wonderful in all locations of our travels, but the people on the Tennessee River have shown an overwhelming level of interest in our lifestyle and experiences.  People are so excited and intrigued by the site of our boat that they go out of their way to interact with us.  This part of the river is outside the normal Great Loop Route, so I believe it is unusual to see cruising boats here.  Of course, we love to share our story with anyone interested...so we have made a LOT of new friends on the Tennessee River.   

People here also go out of their way to offer us help.  Here are some examples, from the past week alone:

•  In Guntersville, AL, one of the guys at NAPA gave Keith a ride back to the boat so he wouldn’t have to carry the oil.
• A wonderful couple camping on Chickamauga Lake visited us by jet ski one night, and when asked if they knew where Keith could leave his kayak to walk to the Evinrude dealer, they insisted on driving him.
• Within an hour of visiting the bank in Guntersville, we received an email from the husband of one of the tellers, asking if we needed a ride for supplies (Fred and his wife are also planning to cruise when they retire).
• Finally, two nights ago we anchored in a small slough at Roberson Beach, off Wheeler Lake.  A boat that was leaving a dock made a bee line straight for us.  We received a warm welcome from the captain, J.J., and crew.  J.J. started the conversation with, “I have 50 amp service on my dock if you want to plug in, I have two jet skis, and you’re welcome to use my truck...anything you need, just let me know!”  

WOW!  The people are amazing!

Why is Keith running circles around the boat???   BECAUSE HE CAN!!!😁👍

For those of you following our outboard saga...here’s how the story ends.  After picking up the new megaphone from the Evinrude dealer, we found a quiet anchorage to disassemble the outboard...again!  At first sight, we were both extremely disappointed.  Research led us to believe that our megaphone  (the large black piece that Keith is unscrewing) might have been made of plastic, and if overheating caused it to melt that could be the cause of our water flow problems.  However, our megaphone was metal...ugh...we were hoping to see the culprit immediately.

BUT...once we got it off, we could see the problem.  The channel (highlighted with red) is where the water travels from the engine output to be mixed with exhaust.  This channel has (or should have) two small holes (green) which allow the water to flow to the exhaust.  One hole was 80% blocked with the crud in Keith’ hand, and the other was 100% blocked with what looked like a piece of wood, or small seed.  Finally...after 14+ weeks our outboard is running properly!  This was a true lesson in patience and perseverance.  I treated Keith to dinner in celebration of his success, and offered to triple his salary as my personal mechanic 😉. He said, “the offer sounds good, but when you crunch the numbers on paper it really isn’t very impressive”

The lakes along the Tennessee River have the most amazing parks we’ve ever seen!  There are numerous parks, campgrounds, and boat launches to ensure everyone has access to the water, and the residents of Alabama and Tennessee seem to take full advantage of the opportunities to enjoy this environment.

We have seen thousands of barges since entering this river system, but none like this one.  We took this picture in Huntsville, AL so Keith is speculating that this is built to transport rockets.  Huntsville is home to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, and Boeing’s Space and Launch division.

I will admit that bugs are getting on my last nerve.  We have gone through some mosquito areas, no-see-em spots, and several swarms of unknown winged creatures.  It is disappointing to sit on the bow with a glass of wine, finally enjoying the cool breeze of sunset, only to be attacked by the swarm.  I will confess to swatting first and investigating later.  However, on this particular afternoon, I was sitting in the cockpit reading when this damselfly ‘crash’ landed on my hand.  My first instinct was to swat, but luckily I took the time to investigate first.  I immediately noticed the insect in his/her mouth.  

I quickly called to Keith (because he is as weird as I am when it comes to enjoying nature in action).  “Come here, you have to see this...hurry!”

As soon as he realized what he was looking at he ran for the camera.  We watched in awe as this damselfly devoured this insect.  I originally thought he/she was eating a mosquito, but Google tells me that mosquitoes have 6 legs, and I only count 4...so I don’t know, but four unattached legs was all that was left on my hand when this damselfly flew away.  COOL!!!

We have also celebrated a milestone recently.  July 1 represented the end of our first year of cruising.  WOW...has it really been a year already?  When we reflect back on everything we’ve seen and done, it feels like 5 years worth of experiences.  However, the time has flown by, and we are happy to roll right into year #2.  We both agree that we have ZERO desire to return to a land based life, any time soon. 

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During our first year, we have traveled more than 6,300 miles, and visited 17 states and the Berry Islands, Bahamas.

Here’s a glimpse of the ‘4 corners’ of our first year.

July 2019 - Jewell Island, Maine (northernmost point was Bar Harbor)

February 2020 - Bush Key, Dry Tortugas Islands (southernmost point)

April 2020 - Hoffman’s Cay, Berry Islands Bahamas (outside of U.S.)

June 2020 - Chattanooga, Tennessee (highest elevation and western point)

We are currently heading for Kentucky Lake.  Lovin’ Lake Life!

Granddaughter Delight

The past two weeks have been both wonderful and exhausting!  We had granddaughters onboard for a total of 11 days, and I believe it will take me an equal number of days to recuperate!

Our plan was to meet the girls on Chickamauga Lake, so one more lock was required.  This was the first time we shared a lock with small recreational boats, but apparently these boats are the primary customers for this lock.  Many people visit this lake from Chattanooga.

We docked the boat at Island Cove Marina, the day before their arrival, and took an Uber to the store to stock up on all of the food we would need for their 11 day stay. Lucy and Maggie arrived on Thursday, June 25, and we left the next day for a fabulous anchorage.  Island Cove made a perfect ‘home base’ for us, as they allowed us to get packages delivered during our two week stay on the lake, and they only charged .56 per foot when we wanted to stay (that price included electricity)...amazing!  They also allowed us to come and go any time, to pick up and drop off visitors.  I highly recommend Island Cove to any boats transiting the area.

The continuing saga...we were able to get a head gasket delivered to the marina, once again Keith disassembled the Whaler.  Clearly the salt buildup around the cylinder would indicate a problem, but could the head gasket be the cause???  Apparently not! After a thorough cleaning and reassembly with a new head gasket the engine is still overheating...UGH!!!  The last possible thing to replace is a part called a megaphone.  It mixes the water with exhaust gases before they leave the engine.  Keith has discovered the original piece was made of plastic, and if the engine overheats it could melt and block water flow.  That part (now metal) has been ordered and picked up from an Evinrude dealer here on Chickamauga Lake.  I am really starting to feel sorry for my personal mechanic!

We were so happy that Alexis was able to join us for 3 days. Lucy and Maggie were very happy to have a new playmate.  Wish we could have had Anna with us too!

There was a LOT of jumping!

Alexis and Lucy were both brave enough to jump from the top deck, but grandmom successfully convinced Maggie that she should probably wait until next year.

We named our band Moon Pirates, but only held jam sessions when no other boats were anchored in our cove...you’re welcome!

We love singing and acting out the Unicorn song!

But, I think their favorite activity was when Pop played the pirate, and they were stealing his gold (the yellow tube).

This turtle visited the boat every night at dinner time.  He did not prefer spinach, but was a huge fan of popcorn and sweet potato fries.

By the end of the week we were experts at balance.  During these 11 days of constant water sports, I learned that I should probably be getting more exercise.  At the beginning of this visit I struggled to keep up with the demanding swim schedule, and sore/tired muscles greeted me each night.  However, by the end of the visit I could swim for hours, with children climbing up my back, and clinging to my neck. Instead of PX 90, I completed grandchildren 11...just as rigorous!

The anchorage was empty all week, but there was plenty of activity on July 4 weekend. 

We were hoping that someone would light some fireworks since Lucy and Maggie said they had never seen fireworks before.

The lake did not disappoint!  These two girls were mesmerized by their first fireworks display, and it’s always better on the water.

We hope everyone enjoyed a safe and happy holiday!