Hello,

Our trip Southbound was to be much like all the others we had done.  We would bring the boat down to Orange Beach Marina in early November and leave her there until we returned after the New Years holiday.

We left Aqua Yacht and planned on rendezvousing with Gerald and Cheri Wallace on the "It Take Two" which is a Defever 49 RPH at Demopolis, AL. We had known Gerald for a few months since he was berthed for the summer at Aqua Yacht after purchasing his new to him Defever. Cheri was still working full time on the West Coast but would join him frequently until she completed her retirement plans and they would be off to complete the Loop!!

Our Defever 44 performed great as Kris and I headed South. The fall weather was cooperative with warm days and cool nights. Of course we would have to deal with early morning fog as we traveled.

One of our favorite stops along the way is Columbus Marina near Columbus MS. This is an ideal place to stop since our youngest son was finishing his college career at MSU and obtaining his commission in the U.S. Army!! Secondly, I was always impressed with the quality of service provided by "T" and his staff at the Columbus Marina! They are one of the best marinas on the river and I strongly recommend them to any boater.

We re-provisioned and started the next morning with a planned stop at the Sumpters Creek anchorage. While transiting the first lock just south of Columbus, I noticed a boat tied to the wall in front of us. The boat had a hailing port of St. Paul, MN. Of course since I have spent most of my professional flying career in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, I was curious to know more about these boaters.

I ask about their home port and the Captain tells me he recently retired from Northwest/Delta Airlines as a B747-400 Captain. What were the odds I would meet a fellow pilot from my airplane on the river in Columbus, MS. Once out of the lock, we communicated on a remote radio frequency and realized we knew and had actually flown together.

That evening we anchored together and enjoyed a good meal before leaving in the fog the next morning for Demopolis. And foggy it was!! We delayed our start until we felt safe to transit the next lock. Our speed was eerily slow as we passed the "The Green Wave" which is a commercial tow pushed on the bank to await the low visibility. Once out of the lock the fog began to lift and we could return to our normal cruising speed of 9 mph!

Our arrival into Demopolis was right on schedule and we were glad to meet up again with Gerald and Cheri.

Next update... our leg to Old Lock Number One.

Thanks for checking in on us.

All the best,

Rusty

When  I last updated this blog, Kris and I were in Florence, Alabama spending a couple of nights there before going to the Fall Rendezvous at the Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogers Alabama.

The Rendezvous was great and with the many seminars we learned a lot from other cruisers. One particular seminar discussed the trip "up" the Tennessee to Knoxville and it is our dream to one day take our boat to Knoxville during the fall season. We have heard so many good things about the spectacular beauty while traveling thru the "Tennessee Canyon" but we were warned not to plan on a stay in Knoxville during a home football game. It appears the "Volunteer Navy" clogs up the waterway during a home game and marina space as well as anchorages are at a premium.

We left Joe Wheeler and headed back to our home marina before planning our "Southbound" trip to Orange Beach.

Next entry I will talk about our trip South!!

All the best,

Rusty

Hi Folks,

It has been almost two years since I have updated our blog and I am often asked "what's up"?

Well, the short version is LOTS of things have happened in the last couple of years.... but all those updates will come in due time however right now this is just a quicky notice that the blog will be live once again.

Thanks for everyone's patience and stay tuned!!

All the best,

Rusty and Kris

Hello,

We had a nice cruise whilst passing some very nice homes overlooking the Tennessee River. The weather was perfect and the boat performed great.

As we passed Grandharbor Marina, several other "Looper" boats joined our procession up the Tennessee until we approached the Florence Harbor Marina.

The marina in Florence isn't a very large marina and although the entrance is well marked, it is pretty narrow coming into the harbor. We contacted the harbormaster and they gave us directions to our temporary home for the next several days.

Kris, coffee and email!!

Like any small neighborhood, the residents are what truly make any place a "home". Marina life is no different. Once tied up for the weekend, some of the local residents dropped by to welcome us to the "neighborhood". One neighbor was from Fairbanks, Alaska and had purchased a home near Florence, Alabama after he and his wife had completed the Loop. They still maintain a residence and business in Alaska but spend most of their time in the "lower 48". He is a 5th generation Alaskan and can trace
his roots back to the gold rush days.

There was one particular boat near us that was interesting and would catch the eye of any boating enthusiast. The boat is a late 1950's Berger 58 and was meticulously restored by the country western singer, Alan Jackson.The name "Lady J" was aptly given to a very pretty boat.

Lady J

On Friday, Kris and I rented a car to drive up to Nashville. We had purchased tickets to the "Bolder and Fresher" tour and were excited to see Bill O'Reilly and Dennis Miller at the Ryman Auditorium (home of the "Grand Ole Opry"). The show was great and certainly didn't disappoint.  When it ended promptly at 10pm, we managed to get our car from valet parking and were on the road at 10:05pm. Wow!!

The rest of the weekend we spent exploring our new area on our bikes. Currently our plan is to leave some time Sunday morning to make the short 22 mile trip to Joe Wheeler State Park. There are two locks to transit, so you never know how long that will take.

Thanks for checking in on us.

All the best,

Rusty

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

Hi Folks,

Well, obviously we made it back to West Tennessee last spring.  Since we started off from Orange Beach Marina with our good friends from "Our Turn" and "Always Our Summer Place", the trip to Demopolis was a blast!! Good anchorages, good weather, good food and best of all, good friends. We left the boat in Demopolis for a few days before finishing our return trip to Aqua Yacht Harbor located in Iuka, Mississippi.

Now it is time for us to begin the trek back to Orange Beach Marina and tomorrow we start with a trip up the Tennessee River to attend our first "Looper Rendezvous". The Rendezvous is at the Joe Wheeler State Park but really doesn't start until October 14th.  Kris and I are wanting to get there early to get settled in and do some exploring. We will also be making a side trip to Nashville, TN to attend the "Bolder and Fresher Tour" on Friday night.

Thanks for following along with us as we begin our latest adventure. I promise to be a better "blogger" as we make our trip south.

All the best,

Rusty

Hello All,

Well, we have been here almost 5 wonderful months and it is now time to bring the boat back to Tennessee.

A whole lot of stuff has happened since we first arrived, both parents have been here, in laws have stayed for a month and of course our oldest daughter brought her children here for their Spring Break. What a wonderful time.

Tonight our departing group all met at Happy Harbor for a last night of pizza, beer and fellowship. We will once again be traveling with "Always R Summer Place" and "Our Turn" as we begin the trek up the Tombigbee River.

I will do my best to update this blog on a regular basis and hopefully provide some interesting comments.

Until then..... watch for us as we cast off our lines at 0600 with a destination of Briar Creek.

Rusty