Grand Rivers, KY to Chattanooga, TN

Total Miles Traveled 499

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We had a great time visiting family and friends while at Green Turtle Bay this summer.    In addition to our annual maintenance schedule, we also marked off another project from the “to do” list by adding 800 watts of solar power to Best Mate. 

 Moni's Mom Deloris visited us on the boat for a week this summer, we had a great time!

Great gathering of friends at the Thirsty Turtle

Ran into an old friend while passing through Brazil, Indiana.  I worked with Don when we were just kids in our 20's.

Our good friends Bob & Deb brought their boat down to GTB for some fun on the water.

We lost a good boating friend this summer due to a freak accident while working on his boat.  Randy and Sherri are full time liveaboards on their motor yacht “Priorities”.  We have traveled with, and met Randy and Sherri, in Michigan, the Bahamas, the Key’s, Gulf crossings, and everywhere in between.  We had planned to meet them at an anchorage at Marco Island a couple of years ago but upon our arrival Monica was fighting a cold and possible Covid symptoms.  Randy and Sherri took their dinghy to shore and returned to our boat with cough syrup and flowers, what an amazing couple.  Randy will surely be missed during our fall migration to Florida this year.

Before heading south, we cruised up the Cumberland River to Nashville Tennessee with our friends Steve and Jan on m/v Forever Young.

Nashville

The Subway Blip flew over our boat while following the Cumberland River.

Cool distillery 

Our friend Rick told us about the Recession Special at Roberts Bar on Broadway, a baloney sandwich, chips, pickle, PBR, and a Moon Pie $6.   

Clarksville, Tennessee

Moni's cousin Tammy and husband Tony boated to Clarksville with friends John and Casey to meet up with us.

Clarksville Marina

Upon hearing of the death of Jimmy Buffett, we anchored behind Dover island and played Jimmy Buffett radio all afternoon......with a few margaritas.

On the return trip we developed an oil leak on our anchor windless and had to return to Green Turtle Bay to replace the oil seals.  I can’t complain though, we have given that windless a pretty good workout since 2018.

 

Anchoring is not always fun, we were invaded by Mayfly's one night....thank goodness we had a leaf blower.

We also installed a Bimini top for our dinghy 

We departed Green Turtle Bay on September 19^th for a side trip to Chattanooga Tennessee.  We met Steve and Jan on m/v Forever Young on the way down the Tennessee River and will travel with them on our side trip, then meet up with our other Looper friends as we head to Florida.

Not off to a good start, a two hour wait at the first lock going to Chattanooga.

 

We had a power issue suppling our boat, it was about 90 degrees so I held our umbrella for the guys changing the breaker.

The steps to Chattanooga from the river front docks.

Hot days and cool nights make it a little foggy in the mornings.

Tied to the docks at Shellmound park

Weighed anchor at daybreak

Rafted up on the river having docktails.

Incline railway to the top of Lookout Mountain

We visited the aquarium, a salt water building and a freshwater building.  This is the third time we have visited this aquarium and probably won't be our last.  If anyone has kids or grandkids, this is something they will never forget.

I'm not sure how well this can be viewed but it is a very good map of the water sources that feed the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers.

We departed Chattanooga this morning and are currently anchored behind an island at Crow Creek, near Pinder Hill, Alabama.  I will try to update our blog on the first of each month as we start our 23-24 cruising adventure.