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"Connecting the Dots"

While this posting maybe a little confusing, let me confess that it is an attempt to bring the readers of this blog up to speed on what has and has not transpired with regard to the Sea Me Smile in the few years that I have been it's Skipper.  By the time you finish reading this posting, you will hopefully be up to speed on what has happened and what I hope is going to happen.   A lot of time has transpired.  I am going to put in a few notes to help "connect the dots".     

The Trip South to Sell the Sea Me Smile. 

 28 August
There has been a lot of water over the damn since last the Sea Me Smile headed out on an adventure.  Some of the old crew and two new crew members have been hard at work, refitting the boat in an attempt to make life aboard a little easier, a little quieter and a little less expensive to travel with.  The old members are me, of course, and former Cabin Boy, Mitchell (now 16).  The new members are my grandson Grayson (10) and my son-in-law, Chris   

     Some of you might remember our former First Mate, Wayne Milhorn.  He is skipping this venture as he took a job as the head grounds keeper at the Playboy Mansion,w here he promptly fell in lust with one of the bunnies. And ... wait for it. ... He has married her!  The other grounds keepers are keeping me posted as to the date and time of the funeral  

     So we have put in a gas stove, solar panels and LED lights.  You see, I am a big fan of a fellow who wrote some books about "Looping" on the inland water ways (Skipper Bob).  One of his books lent itself to being able to anchor out, and generaly live and travel quieter and cheaper. Having a generator is wonderful, listening to it for hours on end, not so much.  

29 August
Today we plan on cleaning, stowing and generally preparing to go which we hope will happen about two o'clock this afternoon.   We got off to a late start.  However, like I always say, ninety percent of doing anything is starting. At 3:30 o'clock, we were in the Louden Lock ready to exit down river.
But by then, we were ready to call it a day as it was quite late.  So in desperation (small d), we found a little cove with high hills on both sides and anchored out.  You see my son-in-law is a "plug in at a marina" type of guy.  For him, marinas have lots of amenities, but most of all it has those things called plugs that allow the air conditioner to run all night, quietly.  As it turned out, my high hills blocked the sun very early and a nice breeze came up which made for good sleeping.

2 September
Fishing didn't seem to hold the same attraction for sixteen year old, Mitchell, as it did for twelve year old, Mitchell.  We hear a lot of talk about the need for special "spinner bait".  The need for yet a different type of pole.  It wouldn't be worth the effort etc.  However high speed runs or trips in the dinghy do now hold a special place in his heart.  Must be the age.

5 September
Goose Pond, Alabama, was our first maintenance snafu.  We had an impeller go bad on us so we landed her on a Saturday late which meant no help at the very capable boat yard located there. It was here that a new term was born for our family boating adventures.  Chris was dismayed that we were probably going to have to lay up for a couple of days-- till Monday when the shop opened and we could buy an impeller.  It was about ten in the morning when I told him that I was I going to "Walk the Docks" in the hopes of finding an impeller.  This was met with something of a scoff.  But I headed out visiting and asking along the way about an impeller.  I arrived at one boat with a fellow on the fantail and a lady quietly reading up top.  I asked and the fellow shook his head no and further added that he knew of no one.  The wife, up top, at this point joined the conversation, saying "What about Diesel Dan"? Just hearing his moniker made my heart jump a little.  I was told he had a boat in the marina and. if he was in town, he most certainly would be able to help us. And she was right via the marina staff a call was put into Diesel Dan who said he had dozens of what we need BUT, he was mowing the front yard and then promised to take his wife to church.  BUT, if we wanted,  he would lay two impellers out on his trash can and we could leave the money in the same place.  He did, we did and "Walking the Docks" will forever have special significance for our boating family. We were on our way again that afternoon.

We anchored out on the Islands that evening.  This area must be a bass fisherman's paradise. They gather around these grass infested islands and skip their bait across the water without getting snagged. Not as much grousing from Chris about anchoring out. I may be winning this one.

We docked that evening in a cove called Indian Creek near mile marker 320.  It's near the town of Triana, Alabama.  This cove was, in fact, part of the old Feames Canal.  In the early 1800's, fifteen ton keel boats used the canal to move bales of cotton destined for Huntsville.

Next, we were sitting in the Guntersville Lock.  This is Chris's first lock through as captain.  And Grayson  worked the "Swamp Donkey" You can't tie, hard and fast, or you might have a thirty thousand pound boat hanging thirty feet in the air.  Till the line broke or the cleat gave way.  The survivors would be talking about an E ride like that for years to come.

We passed Ditto Landing and are getting closer to Alligator Country.

Arrived at Joe Wheeler State Park in a downpour, but as you might imagine a downpour in Alabama in September is a warm experience.

Left Joe Wheeler just in time to get behind a tow boat that was going to take two and a half hours  to lock through.  We found a cove, made some breakfast, cleaned up and took a swim.  Locked through only to find that Lake Wilson is only twelve miles long and we are once again behind the same tow boat.
We decided to do a little sleuthing. It turns out that the Tennessee River at this point has 140 feet of vertical drop, in 68 miles.  Hence the two dams in close proximity.  Then from Wilson to Pickwick there is another 104 feet of drop in just 15 miles.  When we arrived at the Wilson Lock we were told that our friends in the tow boat would be another two and a half hours.  Then they were going to close that lock for four hours for repairs.  Then at ten that night he was putting through another tow boat.  So we figured that we were going no where fast and found ourselves a nice little spot within view of the lock, and hunkered down for the night, we think.

Then Chris determines that he has neither cell service nor cigarettes.  There are two marinas on Wilson Lake but neither has a ship's store.  The one we picked out sets on the other side of a highway bridge that we can't sail under.  Our clearance is twenty-three feet with the antenna down.  Chris, not wanting to accept defeat decides to get in the dingy and motors. Yep, into the sunset!  An hour later we see him walking in the direction of the boat he is up on the highway.  As it turns out a man really will walk a mile for a camel.  And that's how far it was to the store.  With regard to the cell service, it turns out that the system was down and it had nothing to do with our location.
The bad news for the day (yes, there was more) Chris had forgotten to put the dingy motor in the up position when he got out and we got underway.  At some point Mitchell looked back and the dingy which was in tow and noticed that the motor was missing from the dingy.  Yep, "One pull Johnson", sleeps with the fishes. That's what we called the dingy motor as it was so reliable. Jumped up early the next morning and got through the lock.  We had been stuck on that stretch for what seemed like days.

More bad news at the Ten Tom Water Way

We noticed that there wasn't much river traffic as we headed down the Ten Tom Water Way and as we entered our first lock there, the lock master came on the radio and advised that we had two more locks and then the water way was shut down for fourteen days.  Now it turns out if we hadn't been stuck on Wilson for all that time we would have made it through.Well, this would conclude the first leg of the turn to Florida with the SMS.  We found a little marina by the name of Midway.  Made arrangements to leave the boat there and headed home for Mitchell's birthday.

Well, a quick synopsis, We returned to Midway and continued on down to Mobile Bay, where we again separated from the boat and left it for sale there.  However after little or no action in the sale department we returned and took it to Stuart, Florida where it finally did sell the Sea Me Smile to a fellow and his wife who plan on doing the Great Loop with it.  I don't know what the boat is named now nor how they did on their adventure. Now we are in a newer Carver boat now by the name of Agreatday.  We have made it up the coast to Wilmington, North Carolina and put her to rest for awhile. This coming Thursday, August Tenth , we (Chris, Grayson, Mitchell and myself) will head north just to see what's around the bend.  I hope to get some pictures and adventures posted so you can follow our adventures.