0955 Left Dock in Chattanooga
The Southern Belle approaching from astern. I made sure to give sufficient room for them to pass. The winds were quite blustery from the south. The fetch generated quite a chop. We joked that the new engine teleported us to the Atlantic.
I kept thinking it was getting ready to rain.
Then I realized that the wind passing over the mountains were causing the atomsphere change so that while passing over it would generate clouds. When it descended into the valley the clouds evaporated so that the clouds would appear to be stationary.
1105 Mile 456.8
1135 Mile 453.0
There was quite a variety of architecture.
1150 Mile 451.3
1155 Mile 450.4
Here the Southern Belle is returning from her 11am River Gorge Cruise.
1200 Mile 449.3
1202 Mile 449.5
1222 Mile 447.5
1235 Mile 446.0
1238 Mile 445.8
1255 Mile 443.7
1309 We slowed down to allow a motor boat to pass us quickly without throwing a big wake. We thanked them on the radio.
1312 Resumed spedd
1315 Mile 441.8
1325 Engine RPM is 2194 as measured with an optical tachometer.
1326 Mile 440.5
1330 Observed Sullivans General Store. One can anchor here, dinghy ashore, and walk to the store.
1333 Mile 439.5
1346 Slowed to 2046 RPM which reduced shaft knocking.
1351 Mile 437.2
1403 Mile 435.8
1412 Mile 435.0
1442 Passed towboat to port near Hales Bar Marina
1455 Passed Coca-cola stage heading south.
At this point we listened to the weather forecast. A cold front was due to pass through late tonight. We decided to try to get a transient slip in Hales Bar Marina. It looked like a neat place to dock. I radioed them. The said there was space on the south side alongside the floating cabins. I returned to the vicinity of the power house and tried to get to the floating cabins. The water quickly got too shallow to continue. I asked how to approach and they said to go back down past and around the Coke stage and try again. We proceeded down. It wasn't clear to me where to cut across what I thought be shoals. Given the blustery winds I thought it best not to try to pick my way through. I'll have to try another day. We changed our mind and decided to continue on down toward the lock.
1615 Mile 426.9
Here is the rock face of the clift on Lake Nickajack. Railroad tracks run along the base.
1653 Blustery winds and dark clouds were present. But the clouds did not move much.
Just upstream of the dam on the north bank are two unnamed coves. The one to the west is cove #1. The one to the east near Little Cedar Mountain is cove #2. We tried cove #1 up from the lock and dam and found it not very well protected so we moved back up river to cove #2. This was somewhat protected as we found out later.
1730 Dropped anchor in cove #2 up from Nickajack Lock and Dam
1745 The anchor sounded like it was dragging on a rocky bottom. I pulled up anchor, moved the boat and reset it.
Later that night the winds really came up. I heard rain occasionally. After we turned in we felt the waves shove the boat around. I got a little bit nervous. Later I woke up and it was calm. I looked around and the boat appeared to be in the proper place.
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