A Very Long Day...

We are trying to make roughly 40 miles a day so that we can get to Chattanooga on a weekend. Sara, Ryan and Olivia will join us there (and maybe Chris), so we are making an effort to time it right. That is not always easy in a slow boat!

Our destination yesterday was Grand Harbor Marina, past the Pickwick Lock. Several of our looper friends were making the same run. I will have to say here that Steve and I have had a charmed relationship with locks. We have not had to wait for more than a few minutes... until yesterday. The tugs and barges that use the waterways pay for the privilege - the pleasure boaters (us) do not. They understandably get priority over us. If you recall the photos of barges we have passed, you will remember that some of them are pretty big. They do not fit through a lock all at once. The load has to be broken up and pushed through, then reassembled on the other side.

Great Escape is faster than most of us and left a little earlier. They called back around 2:00pm to say that there was commercial traffic and the wait would be about 3 hours. We were still a distance away and figured that by the time we got there we wouldn't have to wait very long. When we got to the lock, there was a line of loopers waiting for the lock to be clear. We fell in and waited... and waited... and waited. The best they can do is give you an estimate of the amount of time needed. We went into the lock just after sunset and exited the lock after dark with 9 miles to go. We all pulled into the marina around 8:00pm. Thankfully the marina had some of their staff stay late to help get us docked. Whew!

We will be going to Shiloh today and doing a little grocery shopping. Tomorrow we're off again!

Leaving the marina

All along the way, one side or the other would be a high bluff

The Cooper in the lead, with a barge coming

The opposite shore was usually flat or clay bluff

There are lots of camper communities along the shore - kind of like you see in Florida

We thought this was an interesting arrangement for getting your boat in and out of the water

These folks have a dock serpent

When we got near the lock, the current had picked up quite a bit

Eight little boats, all in a row

There are quite a few herons around here

And still we wait...

And still....

At least the sunset was beautiful

Finally in the lock... no photos after this - it was too dark.