Chattanooga, Here I Come!
I continue my solo voyage up the Tennessee River towards the Knoxville area. As it turns out, I’ll be stopping a little short of my intended destination of Fort Loudon because the University of Tennessee has a home football game and all the nearby marinas are full of Volunteer fans. I thought that I was working far enough in advance asking for a slip 10-12 days out; was I wrong on that one!
Speaking of mistakes, anyone ever made one? I made one the other day. I was anchoring for the night and decided to drop the hook on a plateau that showed 6 feet of water on the chart. I hoped to minimize the muck on the chain that would ultimately end up in my chain locker after retrieving the anchor in the morning. That plan became moot when I awoke at 4 AM for my nightly potty visit. Everything seemed OK until the door didn’t close behind me like usual which meant that the boat wasn’t listing to the port side with my weight. Apparently, the 6 foot plateau I had scoped out wasn’t consistently 6 feet. After some engine and anchor finagling, I managed to move off my carefully selected anchoring spot for deeper water about 50 yards away. As my father famously said (on more than one occasion), “I thought I made a mistake once, but I was wrong”. I should be so lucky!
For those wondering where Meow Mix lived, now you know! Decatur, Alabama
Brown's Ferry nuclear power plant
The Wilson Lock has a lift of about 100'. Locking solo has turned out to be easier than I expected.
At the top of the Wilson Lock. The door ahead recedes into the lock depths instead of swinging open like usual.
A beautiful sunrise.
A panoramic view of my anchorage two nights ago
Rock formations along the river
Another beautiful sunset at anchor
Same view as the last picture the following morning
Not as colorful as some but a beautiful sunrise just the same.
Part of a tree floating down the river and a reminder of why small boats shouldn't travel at night
Schuyler docked at the free dock at Shellmound Park
Shellmound Park