The final three locks on the Tenn-Tom went well, even the “big” one which is three times higher than the others, although we spent a few anxious moments fighting to keep the bow rail off the lock wall. That’s typical of many of the locks, but this one seemed to have more power behind it than any of the others. And I suspect it did given that it takes 46 million gallons of water to fill it compared to about 14 million gallons, on average, for the other locks on the Tenn-Tom.  Regardless, it was a great feeling to finally be in Bay Springs Lake when that whistle sounded and those lock gates opened!

As soon as we got out of the lock, we radioed “Miss Pip” to see where she was anchored. “Miss Pip” belongs to Chuck & Pip (a.k.a Jan), a couple we originally met on the water when we were limping into Demopolis on one transmission. Actually, we didn’t officially meet Chuck & Pip until later, but they passed us on the water and Todd and Chuck talked on the radio for a while. Shortly after we pulled in to Midway Marina last Sunday, “Miss Pip” pulled in behind us to get fuel. Unbeknownst to us, Chuck & Pip had been staying at Midway for several weeks and were getting ready to go to Bay Springs before heading up the Tennessee River to Chattanooga.  Anyway, we went over to see them last Sunday evening on their dock and made plans to get together on Bay Springs.

Upon entering Bay Springs Todd began to scout out some possible anchorages he had located on the map. We spent some time doing that and then headed to the area where “Miss Pip” was anchored, called Five Fingers Cove. We located “Miss Pip” and explored that area a bit trying to determine where we wanted to anchor. We were surprised to find the lake several feet higher than it was last fall when we were there. The lake is about six feet lower at winter pool than it currently is, so most of the sandy beaches we saw last fall are not currently exposed.

After some exploration, we decided to go to the spot where we beached our Sea Ray last fall, drop the anchor, and back in to shore so the swim deck would be close to the beach and we would be able to swim from the boat to shore relatively easily. Well, that turned out to be quite an ordeal. We dropped the anchor far enough out from shore so that Todd could back toward shore while setting the anchor and then we were going to secure the back of the boat by tying a rope to a tree on shore. After dropping 75 to 100 feet of anchor chain, Todd began backing toward shore but the anchor wouldn’t catch and he was getting too close to shore to continue. So, we wound the anchor chain back in and tried again.

In the meantime, storms are popping up all around us and the wind is not helping matters. We go through this drill three times before it appears that the anchor is finally holding. Of course, the wind is not allowing us to keep the stern pointed toward shore for very long and the anchor chain kept pulling us forward, so Todd wasn’t able to shut down the engines and get a rope tied to shore to hold us in place. Since I was not about to try to back us into shore while Todd jumped off the back with a rope, the only alternative was for me to take the rope to shore. When Todd got the boat positioned the way it needed to be, I jumped off the swim platform, rope in hand, and started swimming toward shore.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take my visor off before jumping in the water, so I was swimming with a visor in one hand and a 100-foot rope in the other, trying to get to shore while the wind was blowing the boat around and the anchor chain was continuing to pull us forward. I also had to keep the rope taunt between me and the boat so that it didn’t get tangled up in the props and this turned out to be quite a challenge, all things considered.

I finally made it to shore and was trying to get the rope to a tree, but the darned boat just kept pulling away from me and I was screaming at Todd to “Give me some help here!” (among other things)! I know he was doing what he could, but I also knew I couldn’t hold a 15-ton boat in place with the wind and anchor fighting me. Todd finally got the boat back into position and I got the rope tied around the tree and then had to stand in the water panting for several minutes, trying to recover, before swimming back to the boat. As it turned out, the water below the swim platform was only about 5-½ feet deep so I walked most of the way back!

After recovering from the anchoring ordeal, we got the dinghy down and boated over to see Chuck & Pip. We spent some time chatting with them over a few cocktails and then invited them over to our boat the next morning for Bloody Marys. They arrived with a beautiful platter of freshly boiled shrimp in tow and we proceeded to spend a few hours chatting and drinking Bloody Marys and snacking on shrimp and grapes. Chuck toyed with the idea of taking his dinghy to the marina (about three miles away) to get some ice but since we were probably going to pull up anchor and move to a different location the following day, we decided we could wait.

We spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach, me reading and Todd scrubbing his dinghy. It had gotten quite a lot of river scum on it from the Tenn-Tom so he wanted to clean it up and put a coat of protectant on it. About 5:00 p.m., Chuck called and said he was going to the marina for ice so he brought his dinghy over and he and Todd took off (you can never have too much ice). When they got back, Todd informed me that Pip was cooking Chicken Parmesan for dinner and we were invited, so we got ready and went over to their boat for a wonderful evening of conversation, excellent food, drinks, and watching the stars from the upper deck of their boat. It was definitely one of the most enjoyable evenings we’ve had on the water.

Chuck & Pip were planning to leave Bay Springs the next morning (Wednesday) and start heading toward Chattanooga. Even though we had planned to spend several days on Bay Springs, we decided to go with them as far as Pickwick Lake and spend more time in Bay Springs when we head back down river this fall since the water will be at winter pool by then and more sandy beaches will be exposed. Besides, we learned that Chuck & Pip had never been to Waterfall Cove and we wanted to make sure they experienced it before leaving Pickwick.

About 10:30 Wednesday morning, we pulled anchor and started the 35-40 mile journey through what they call the Divide Cut which separates Bay Springs from Pickwick Lake. It was a very hot day and we were more than ready for the trip to be over by the time we reached Pickwick; however, we needed to make a stop to pick up a few essentials before going to Waterfall Cove. When we were on Pickwick last fall we learned about the Sportsman’s One Stop, a little convenience store just up the road from the bay outside Aqua Yacht Harbor.

Last fall we were able to tie the Sea Rays to the small courtesy dock just down from the store and walk up to it, but the dock isn’t large enough for “Life’s2Short” or “Miss Pip” so we had to anchor in the cove and lower the dinghy to get over to the dock. Todd went over and picked up Chuck in our dinghy, and Pip and I stayed on the boats while the boys went shopping. The owner of the One Stop was just bringing some people back to the dock in his golf cart when Todd and Chuck arrived, so they hitched a ride to the store in his cart, got what they needed, and then he brought them back to the dock.

We put the dinghy back up, pulled up anchor and headed to Waterfall Cove, which was about five miles away. When we arrived, there were several boats pulled up on the gravel point where we wanted to tie up, so Todd maneuvered his way around them and we got situated while Chuck & Pip waited for enough of the locals to clear out so they could come in next to us. By the time we were secure, several of the other boats had left and “Miss Pip” was able to come in. The photo below shows us nudged up on the gravel bar.



Waterfall Cove is a very popular local hangout and is a big party cove on weekends during the summer, so we planned to stay there through Friday and go somewhere else for the weekend. The cove itself is not terribly large, but there is a nice pea gravel point big enough for several boats to pull up on and the cove is big enough to accommodate quite a few boats and people. But, as you can imagine based on the photo below, the main attraction is the waterfall that cascades off a high bluff at the back of the cove. It is entirely spring-fed and runs year-round, and the water as you get closer to the waterfall is noticeably cooler. If you’re brave enough to actually get under the waterfall, you’ll see how truly cold the water is! There is also a rope tied to a tree near the top of the bluff that people of all ages climb up to, swing out on and drop into the water below. Todd swung off the rope several times last fall but the rest of us were content to sit back and watch!



As I mentioned, it was a very hot day and by the time both boats were secure, it had turned into a long, hot day for all of us. Cold drinks and rest were in order! As the sun began to get lower in the west, we sought out available shade on the fronts of our boats and chilled for a while. When the sun was finally behind the trees, we moved to the back deck on “Miss Pip” and spent the evening enjoying the cool breeze coming off the waterfall, which is one of the nicest things about being there on a hot summer evening. Since none of us had eaten for several hours, Chuck & Pip offered to grill some Bubba Burgers they had in the freezer. We contributed a large can of baked beans and had another great evening hanging out with Chuck & Pip, enjoying their company, the waterfall-cooled breeze and beautiful scenery.

Since we had been treated to dinner two nights in a row by Chuck & Pip, we invited them to dine with us Thursday evening. They told us they both love fresh fish, so our hope was to be able to have a fish fry. Todd had caught some fish about a week ago but needed to catch a few more to have enough for the four of us. Being the great fisherman he is, this turned out to be an easy assignment. He promptly went out Thursday morning and caught more than enough fish to supplement what we already had, so the fish fry was on.

Thursday afternoon, Kelly surprised us by showing up at Waterfall Cove in his pontoon boat. We had met Kelly and his dog, Harley, in Waterfall Cove last fall when we first met Mike & Mary of “WhatDazeIt.” Kelly has kept in touch with Mike & Mary and they told him about our plan to become liveaboards and gave him our blog site address. Kelly sent us a comment from the blog site when we first set it up, but we didn’t have a e-mal address for him and weren’t able to even acknowledge that we had received the blog comment, so we were hoping to run into him while we were at Waterfall Cove.

We spent most of Thursday visiting with Kelly, Harley and his new dog, Lucky, on the pontoon, and then we prepared dinner for Chuck & Pip after Kelly headed for home. Todd was in charge of frying the fish and I fried potatoes and made a salad since I didn’t have any cabbage to make cole slaw. Chuck & Pip contributed their world famous hush puppies which were made with onion and jalapenos and were outstanding!  Chuck & Pip were planning to leave Friday morning and spend a few days in Florence, AL, about 30 miles upriver, so we didn’t stay up long after dinner. Of course, it was after 9:00 by the time we ate, so it wasn’t exactly an early evening any way you look at it!

Chuck & Pip left Friday morning before I was even out of bed, although I did wake up as they were pulling out of the cove. Todd had suggested that they pull their boat over to the waterfall before they left so that he could take a picture of it with the waterfall in the background, and having done that, they were on their way. This is one of the photos Todd took that morning.



Kelly came back around noon on Friday and brought us some much needed ice for the cooler. He mentioned that there was a chance for rain that afternoon and sure enough, we got quite a storm a few hours later. We were on the sundeck on our boat, so we stayed nice and dry while the storm raged on the main lake in front of us. It looked like rollers on the ocean as the wind blew and the rain poured down, but we were nice and secure in our waterfall anchorage with bluffs protecting us from the north wind. After the rain was over we went with Kelly in his pontoon to pick up his wife, Melissa, at a dock near their house.  Kelly showed us some nice anchorages along the way before bringing us back to Waterfall Cove, and then he and Melissa visited with us a while longer before heading toward home.

By noon on Saturday, the cove started filling up with boats. We had originally planned to leave before that happened, but we had also planned to join Bud, a.k.a. The Iceman, in another cove that day and hadn’t heard from him, so we stayed where we were and watched as more and more people gathered in the cove. As with Kelly, we met Bud last fall at Waterfall Cove and after the accident with Duane, Bud was instrumental in helping us get our trucks and boat trailers from Saltillo, TN, where we originally launched the Sea Rays, back to Pickwick.

Bud is affectionately known as “The Iceman” because he travels around the lake on his Sea Doo and can’t carry much ice with him, so he reportedly asks people if they can spare some ice for his drink (Stoli & grapefruit juice) after his supply of ice runs out. Anyway, Bud finally showed up on his Sea Doo about 3:30 or so and was on his way to an annual gathering of Parrot Heads (Jimmy Buffet afficionados, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the term) in a cove on the other side of the lake, but by then we were pinned in so we decided to just stay there and watch the festivities at the waterfall (see photo below).



By late afternoon much of the crowd has dissipated, and just before dark Bud pulled up in his pontoon, Sea Doo in tow, with several friends of his from the Parrot Head gathering. We visited with them for a while and bid them ado as it was starting to get dark and we hadn’t yet eaten dinner.

Late Saturday evening, a young couple in a small cuddy cabin with a Golden Retriever on board came in to the cove after we had gone to bed and pulled up on the gravel bar near us to spend the night. When they got up Sunday morning, Todd offered them some coffee, for which they were very grateful, and we visited with them for a while before pulling up anchor to find a new spot for the day. After spending Saturday in Waterfall Cove, we wanted to leave while we still could and try out another cove a few miles up the lake called Whetstone which we had been told was a good anchorage.

Prior to us leaving for Whetstone Todd was out picking up litter on the gravel point and found a $10 bill that someone had apparently dropped the day before. Todd commented that his old boss, Fred, would be very jealous of his find! We spent Sunday in Whetstone in relative peace and quiet, which was a nice change of pace after Saturday. There were actually a number of boats in Whetstone, but it was nothing compared to the masses in Waterfall Cove.

Late Sunday afternoon Bud came cruising through the cove in his pontoon with his Parrot Head group from the evening before, plus a few more, and they pulled over to the boat to chat for a while and tour “Life’s2Short.” Shortly after that, we pulled up anchor and headed for Aqua Yacht Harbor, where we are currently, to have some work done. I’m not sure how long we’re going to be here, but I’m hoping we will be able to leave by tomorrow afternoon.

Being back on Pickwick and renewing the acquaintances we made last fall has really brought back memories of our time here with Duane & Sue. Most of those memories are wonderful, but obviously many are painful as well, as this is where we lost Duane just a little more than ten months ago. In fact, we spent our final night together at Waterfall Cove before the accident that claimed his life occurred the next morning.

Even though the return to Pickwick and to Waterfall Cove is bittersweet, we also realize that we wouldn’t be here now, pursuing our dream, had it not been for the loss of our dear friend last fall. We don’t really have any definite travel plans at this point, but we want to spend more time at Waterfall Cove (during the week), and we also want to go to Florence, AL where we’ve heard there are a number of good restaurants to check out. However, we also want to spend more time with Kelly and Bud, and we still need to stop in to see Jason, the Dockmaster at Grand Harbor Marina who was so helpful to us both during and after Duane’s accident, and Chip Lucas who lives on his boat at Grand Harbor and who responded to our May Day call and transported Duane in his dinghy to the ambulance waiting at the Grand Harbor boat ramp.

So, we’re not sure when we will go to Florence or if we will continue up the Tennessee River toward Chattanooga once we get to Florence. Todd spoke with Chuck & Pip today and they are upriver from Florence and would like to meet up with us again at some point. The main lock above Florence is going to be closed for the next month or so to repair some damage caused by a barge and they are using an auxiliary lock to move traffic upriver, but the auxiliary lock is causing delays of several hours for boaters trying to lock through, so we may wait until the main lock is back in operation before trying to go beyond Florence.

At any rate, that brings you up to date since our last post. We plan to do laundry and restock with groceries while we’re here and then we will decide where we’re going, probably on a day-by-day basis. We have not been able to access the Internet while on the water since we got to Pickwick, so unless we get lucky and happen across a really good signal on the Cingular air card, we probably won’t be able to update the blog or answer e-mail for a while. Please check in from time-to-time, though, just in case!