Last Leg to Iuka

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we have been in our homeport now for several weeks, but I still need to update our adventure and bring everyone up to date.

When I last wrote, we had finally left the Columbus Marina enroute to our anchorage. Originally I had planned on staying on the hook the first night then docking at the Smithville Marina the second night. There we planned to join up with some friends for the final two legs to Iuka.

Since we didn’t get away from Columbus as early as I had wanted, I wasn’t positive when at the end of the day, where our anchorage was going to be. Fortunately as we progressed further to the north we had several options and as we ticked the miles off, it became apparent we could make my first choice which was an anchorage on the West side of the river in a much protected area.

We arrived “onsite” just before the sunset and the location provided all that was hoped for. We were anchored in a “cut” that was at one time the river channel, but after many years, Mother Nature decided to redirect the flow of her river! Thanks Mom!

The “cut” was probably wide enough for us to swing on one anchor, but being the over controlling rookie, I decided it was best to put out a stern anchor to prevent a possible swing into shallow waters.

I don’t have the talent or vocabulary to express the awesome beauty that is constantly displayed by our God. That evening Kris and I enjoyed the sounds of wildlife ending a crisp cool autumn day as the sun began to slowly slip behind the trees. The concert of frogs, crickets, cranes and other animals began to serenade us as we grilled on the aft deck. We are truly blessed!

The next morning we got underway at a decent hour (8:00am) and planned on getting to Smithville Marina in time to make the last required replenishment of our food stock. The plan was to spend the night there and join up with some friends the next day and finish our great adventure. Since we had several locks to transit, I wasn’t sure how far we could make it that day and chose Smithville as our initial destination. Fortunately we experienced no delays as we locked through three different locks and I decided then to proceed to Midway Marina for our overnight.

That evening we used the courtesy car to travel to the local Super Wal Mart for our final reprovisioning. The next morning I got to use the laundry facilities at the marina, and as far as these go, they were pretty nice. One thing I have noticed with the local amenities at each different marina and it’s correlation between the cleanliness and newness of the public use facilities. The more live-aboard tenants at a particular marina, the nicer the facilities are.
Jim and Cheryl Haas arrived right on schedule where we unloaded their car and got them settled in. We cast off our lines at 12:08 which was right on time and our destination was now Bay Springs Lake!

Once again the weather was a perfect Fall day for cruising. Keep in mind, Kris and I started this trip at the end of August and due to unforeseen delays, we are finishing at the end of October. As we moved our boat northward, we moved into cooler temperatures along with the changing colors of the trees. Kris even made the comment, we have traveled “into fall” and its accompanying colors. As we enjoyed are first guests aboard Blissfull we drove from the upper bridge while we watched the river slide by. We transited three more locks before anchoring in the clear waters of Bay Springs.

The very last lock on the TennTom waterway was the Whitten Lock which has about an 84 foot lift. It is the 9th largest lift on the inland waterways and can be somewhat intimidating as you sit at the bottom of its canyon like walls. Since Jim and Cheryl had experienced two other locks today, they were now ready to try their hand at locking through.

All went well, and once on the main body of water, we began looking for a place to anchor for the night. We initially began to look for a spot known as the “five fingers” located on the eastern edge of Bay Springs, but after some discussion we opted for the western shore near the Corp of Engineers camp grounds. This location was familiar to Jim and Cheryl; just past a special cove with a name that can’t be repeated in good company but it sounded like a place that required lots of privacy. This also was near an area they would bring their family during their summer water skiing outings.

After securing the anchor and a special evening visiting with long time friends; we shared a good meal and then retired for the evening only to awake during the night to the sound of our anchor alarm!!! Once the excitement was over and realizing the “operator” (me) incorrectly set the alarm we returned to bed.

The next morning, we started the last leg in a rainy, gray and dreary environment. Certainly not the first choice for the last leg of this epic trip; but we were ready to get our Defever to her new surroundings. The remaining miles clicked off uneventfully as we began the end of our trip.

When we turned the corner to entrance of Yellow Creek, Jim was at the helm bringing us in. Both Kris and I were on the bridge with him and the emotions I was experiencing were running all over the place. I could barely contain the euphoria of completing this trip but I was also experiencing the sadness of the trip ending. It is hard to explain to those that have never experienced this type of travel or lifestyle, but it is a feeling that is incomparable to any other.

When we left Boca Raton on that September day, I wasn’t sure what we would experience. I only knew I was now in possession of a Defever 44 and needed to get her home. We experienced everything from picture perfect sun rises and sun sets to screaming winds creating miserable conditions on deck. The boat performed flawlessly and the only hiccups or challenges were self induced.

Let me talk about the name “Blissfull”, I must admit the idea of this name was not my own, but from my younger brother Chip. He has owned several live aboard size boats and he thought this would be an ideal name for a boat belonging to a Bliss. Of course our thoughts would be we would keep the boat full of Bliss descendants and hence the name BlissFULL. But as Kris and I continued on our trek, we began to realize this name wasn’t the name that truly represented this boat or of our feelings for this boat. Yes, we want to keep the boat “chocked full of Bliss’s”, but what we experienced was something entirely different than a boat full of kinfolk. We experienced true bliss; peacefulness…, calmness…. I could go on describing the feelings, but they would always come back to plain and simple bliss. What’s in a name? Well, Bliss tells it all! Our Defever 44 formerly known as SeaQuinn will be christened “Bliss”. ….. It doesn’t get any better!!!

Thanks for following us on our trip. I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed doing it and writing about it. As you probably have noticed, I am not the writer in the family (thank goodness for spell checker). I was fortunate to have the time off to undertake this journey, but it is now time to return to the salt mine. I have regained my FAA First Class medical certificate after a battle with cancer but now cancer free. I have requalified in my position as a 747-400 Captain flying for Northwest Airlines (soon to be Delta) and will begin crossing oceans once again. As I fly between those Asian cities and the U.S. mainland I will look down across that vast expanse of blue Pacific Ocean and smile with envious joy of those cruisers making their special passage.

Thanks to all that made this trip possible, especially the woman that lets me dream. She has always been there to support me even in my wildest ideas.

God Bless

Rusty