TennTom Waterway to Chattanooga (June 1-12)

The Tennessee River isn’t new to us.  We travelled on the 215 mile southbound section connecting the Tombigbee River (via the Tenn-Tom waterway) to the Ohio when we did the Great Loop in 2009.  This time, we’re splitting off to the east and a bit south, initially, at least, and heading for the headwaters of the Tennessee at Knoxville.

We got an early start from Zippy Cove---underway at 6 a.m.!   There is lots of business along the River. 

Loading catfud into barges

We especially got a kick out of the Meow Mix Factory at Dacatur, AL. 

At 11:30 we had a new experience.  A lockmaster hailed us!  Must’ve been our AIS signal (we have a new transponder that sends info about YA onto other boat’s charts, just as we’ve been able to see towboats on our charts.)  We were told that the Wilson lock had to be closed for maintenance from noon-4 p..m. so we’d better hurry!  We did.  Got to the lock at 12:10, and the nice man was “waitin’ on ya’’.

  It is a huge lock---90 feet up!  Only took 30 minutes, and then we watched in amazement as the front gate of the lock disappeared down into the water.  “Only one like that east of the Mississippi (and this far south)” said the nice man.  Very spooky, say I.   I took a video of the sinking gate, but Google doesn’t want you to see it.  Or maybe I don’t have the upload skills----yet!

Nice pool--easy walk to the boats (on the right)

One more lock—Wheeler---as we approached Joe Wheeler State Park.  By 4 o’clock we were secured and ½ hour later I was in the pool.  90+ degrees today and the humidity feels like 110%.  The pool was delightful, and we were docked within easy walking distance.  This park has been used for Great Loop Rendezvous’ and we were really happy to have it pretty much to ourselves.

The next morning the ride on the Tennessee was one of the easiest river days I can recall.  The water was wide and deep (someone should write a song…) and the scenery lovely. 

It was an easy day to Ditto Marina in Huntsville, AL, where Mike and Linda are now home.  Nashville (their land based home) is only 2 hours away, so SEA DREAM will be easy to visit this summer.  

Plan A was to sight see in Huntsville, but that was postponed until our return trip as Ditto no longer provides a courtesy car. So Thursday morning we said our sad farewells—

travelling with Mike and Linda has been great fun!--- and headed toward Chattanooga.  Guntersville was the Dam d’jour, and when we exited that, we turned north.   From here to Knoxville, the route is pretty much north.  On a map, the Tennessee looks like a big  \___/.  We’ve come down the left side and crossed the bottom.  Now we’re heading back up.  Strange.

Wind and water were weird, and Fred used the ‘following seas’ setting on the autopilot to calm down the ride.  We arrived at Goose Pond Colony Marina, in Scottsboro, AL where we stayed for two nights.

Flag Day at Goose Pond Marina

 We were waiting for two things---the Corps of Engineers was letting lots of water out of the dam above Chattanooga, so a stretch called the Gorge (narrow and deep----site of a very, very, very long ago earthquake) was flowing pretty strongly against us.  So we gave the weather a day to dry out and reduce the current we’d face.  Also, there was the annual River Bend celebration in Chattanooga that ended Saturday. The river was clogged with boats and actually was closed to all traffic (even barges) Saturday afternoon.  So we slowed down and waited.

Saturday we docked the boat in the shadow of the Hales Bar Power House. 

Hale"s Bar Power House

 It’s the empty derelict remains of the largest dam built on the Tennessee. Actually, Hales Bar is second only in size to the Niagara Hydroelectric Plant.  Sadly, the project, which took from 1904-1913 to complete, was plagued from the start with water leaking through the rock strata at its base. To repair was uncertain and hugely expensive, so in 1964 the TVA built a new dam 6 miles upstream, called the Nickajack.  As we checked in at the marina, a ‘paranormal tour’ was leaving to visit the ghosts that haunt Hales Bar.   We opted for dinner at the local restaurant instead.  And discovered that we were at a corner sporting the junction of AL, TN and GA.  Who knew?

The Gorge turned out to be only (only?) 106' deep, and we were able to push on at normal speeds.

 Arrived in Chattanooga on Sunday, after the River Bend celebration ended.  The Coca Cola Stage (a decorated barge) was still in place downtown in front of the Tennessee Aquarium.  

The area was mobbed with boats---many, like us, heading north through the Chickamauga Dam. Heard on the VHF radio that there had been 14 towboats backed up at the dam.  We waited two hours for a recreational boat trip (Lockmaster said after every two tows he would take pleasure boats) and were the 4^th boat to enter the lock.  We were the 16^th boat to leave.  They just kept coming and coming.  We were one of only 3 boats actually secured to the wall of the lock, but with the sardine approach, no one could break free. We’d thought the lock was full,

 (13 boats) and then a 42’ boat came in, turned sideways and tied across our stern!  And two more boats rafted to him! When the gates closed there were 5 boats rafted to us or to someone who was rafted to us.

The lockmaster had a bullhorn on the top of the wall and shouted directions to everyone to max the space.  It was pretty incredible.

Just around the bend above the dam is the beautifully landscaped and maintained Chickamauga Marina.  We’re on Dock C with 70 other boats! And there are 5 docks.  Lotta boating in these parts! 

 

Next posting will cover our adventures in River Town.