Hi Folks,

Well, you can't cram 8 pounds of "stuff" into a 5 pound bag. I proved it yesterday as I attempted to get all things done before our scheduled departure.

Since we haven't spent a lot of time on our boat this summer, there were many items that needed to be boarded and lots of "before departure" maintenance items attended to. My self imposed departure time of 2pm was rapidly approaching and I still had tons of "stuff" to do. Finally I gave up and decided the best option was to depart early the next morning.

I mean really early... like just as there was a "hint" of day light glimmering over the horizon. After all we have about 65ish miles to cover and two locks to transit. The mileage really isn't an issue, but the locks can be problematic, especially if you are competing with commercial tows wanting to transit. They get first dibs!!

The alarm rudely interrupts my peaceful slumber and I begin to search for my clothes that had been spread about the master stateroom. I get off the boat with Nyla and we proceed to her "restroom area" and I begin to notice how dim the lights are of the nearby shoreline. By the time I get to the entrance of the dock, visibility is about 100 yards! Dang and double dang.... FOG!!

Well, it really didn't come as a surprise. The previous night I had checked several different weather sources... all saying basically the same thing (no clouds and good visibility). But one particular source was providing an hourly forecast temperature and dew point as the night progressed. Somewhere around 5am the temperature and dew point would meet. Combine that with calm winds and warm water temps, you have the perfect recipe for FOG!

The fog lasted until 9am and by then, the visibility was enough where I felt comfortable navigating "BLISS". We entered the Tennessee River officially and exactly at 10am.

The trip was "uneventful" as we decided to stay at the Florence Harbor Marina instead of making it to Joe Wheeler State Park. When we arrived at the marina, it was apparent we were the first of several boats to find refuge here.

Thanks for checking in on us. Tomorrow we have a car rented from our favorite rental company (Enterprise) which we will keep for the weekend as we explore our new surroundings. Of course we are making a side trip Friday night to watch Bill O'reilly and Dennis Miller perform at the Ryman Auditorium (the home of The Grand Ole Opry)

All the best,

Rusty