Mapping our Course

Petite Fleur from shore at Sumpter Rec. Area

Friday, June 7, 2024 – Kingfisher Bay Marina

We began to leave the Edna Bend anchorage, early as usual, but within a minute the motor started to sputter and then quit. We turned back inland the best we could, attempting to get between the green marker and shore – out of the path of oncoming barges. We dropped anchor again, and Adrian began to check what needed to be done. Meanwhile we were sitting just at the green marker pointed toward the middle of the river channel, unable to move. As luck would have it, a southbound barge was just coming around the bend, and verified by radio that he had room to pass, but warned us that an oncoming northbound barge was also coming our way, just around the corner from our spot. His load was much wider and could not easily pass us. As Adrian diligently worked to fix the problem, I communicated our situation to the northbound barge. He stopped several hundred feet from us and waited. I told him it would be about 5 minutes longer. He said, “That’s all I need to know.” Once we got on our way again, I called him up to thank him for his patience. “That’s quite alright,” he replied. Whew! We were both wound up after that event.

There were some nice homes up on the riverbank along the way; some more rustic than others.

We took turns at the helm. I’m steering with greater confidence now, which allows Adrian time to check the maps and consider how far we can go, or want to go, that day; possible anchorages and the time it will take us over the next few days. Our next stop is Demopolis, but first we must pass through the Demopolis lock.

When we came close to the lock around 1:30 p.m., we were informed by the lockmaster that there were three boats ahead of us: two going up-river and one coming down. So, we settled in for a wait. The first of the two boats moved in and out in a reasonable amount of time. One barge had a “triple-wide” load and took a bit of time getting tied in.

The" triple-wide" The Demopolis Dam

After that barge left, the lockmaster radioed the third barge to see if he was okay with letting us - “a pleasure craft” - enter before him, since he was about a mile north of the lock, heading south. He had been moored just beyond the entrance to the Demopolis Marina, which was our destination.” “Nah,” he said. “I’m just up the way a bit and can be down in just a couple of minutes.” We had already been idling outside the lock at a distance for an hour and a half. I entertained myself by taking pictures and videos of a flock of Egrets on our side of the lock. “A couple of minutes” turned into half an hour for barge number three to even begin to move toward the lock, another 45 minutes to get to the lock and at least 45 minutes for him to get his load into the lock before the doors could close and lower him to our level. It was frustrating since we could have been in and out by the time he got to the lock.

Our lock companions A silent observer

As we waited, three other “pleasure crafts” came up behind us to get into the lock. We’d been there two and a half hours by then. Finally, “Mr. Slow as Molasses” left the lock and barged on down the river. The other boats had only to wait less than 30 minutes. All four of us piled into the lock and settled in for the ride. We were pretty sure they were all going to the Kingfisher Marina, as it is a very popular place for “loopers” and “non-loopers” to stop for a few days or weeks. Since they cruise faster than we do, we envisioned having to wait in line for them to get diesel, adding another 45 minutes to an hour before we got to a slip. As it turned out, one of the boats went passed the Marina entrance and there were enough fuel bays for all of us to fuel up at the same time.

People at every marina we’ve stayed at have been very helpful, courteous, and friendly. This was no exception. Joyce helped us at the pump and brought down some Amazon packages I’d ordered at the prior marina and had delivered to the Kingfisher Bay Marina in Demopolis. We paid for the diesel, three nights at a slip, and ten dollars’ worth of quarters for the washers and driers. We had help getting tied into the slip by Tom, who had a sailboat on the same pier. We were in the first open-air slip next to the covered slips, which provided some shade, but only a little breeze. As was our routine, we filled the water tanks, (We’d run out of water a day earlier, though we had bottles of drinking water.) Adrian hosed down the boat, and I headed for the shower. As we were getting tied down, Tom told us there was a potluck the following evening at 6:00 and anyone could participate. That evening we ate leftovers, even though we had been invited to go into Demopolis by one of our lock companions. We were tired, hungry and I, for one, was a bit grumpy. I get that way when I’m hot and sweaty. Our experience at the lock had pretty much done us in.

Saturday, June 8 – Kingfisher Bay Marina – Day 1

Our objective for the day was to stock up on provisions. The marina had a courtesy car available for use, “for two hours a day, once a week”. We booked the car for 10:00 and went into Demopolis to find the Walmart. We make a grocery list ahead of time to be sure to replace the things we run out of, like water, wine, fruits, veggies, bread, yogurt, crackers and coffee. We often add things that we find would be useful and maybe make life a little easier. This trip I added an Anchor 7 cup glass bowl to bake small “casseroles” in the air fryer, some small storage bins for the conglomeration of small items that end up cluttering the tabletop in the galley and bathroom, and a few personal items. We seem to never leave these shopping trips for less than $350. We also made a quick stop at a liquor store to replenish my supply of gin. (Once or twice a week, I opt for a “toddy” after a hot, long day.)

After putting groceries away, I made Baked Beans; trying to replicate my mother’s recipe from my childhood. I came close. They were sweet but could have had a bit more “tang”. Next time I’ll add a bit of apple cider vinegar. I also made some “Fudge Bars” – a family recipe. They are a cross between brownies and cake. Dense, chewy, chocolaty and delicious. I had to text my daughter for the recipe. I knew the ingredients but wasn’t sure of the proportions even after making them at least a hundred times over the years. I had to take advantage of having power to use my air fryer/oven, especially now that I had a rack for baking. (One of my Amazon packages. I failed to bring the rack from home.)

The potluck was fun. Good food, and nice company in an airconditioned room where the washers and driers were located. There were at least a dozen people in and out while we were there. I chatted with Bart and Tammy about their journey. They were planning on going to Kentucky Lake and staying there for a few months. Kim and her husband had a boat that was “on dirt” at the time, being maintenanced.  The topic of barnacles from being in salt water came up and transitioned into what was the best kind of paint for the hull, after scraping off the barnacles and sanding the hull. I’ve learned so much about boat maintenance and problems that can arise. I’ve come to the conclusion that being a boat owner sounds fabulous, even a bit romantic, but the work involved is incredible. It’s even more demanding than owning a home, and probably as much or more costly.

As the conversation was winding down, a very bedraggled man with a grey beard and a bandana over his head, came in after having just arrived at the marina and a dip in the pool. Bob was invited to stay, so he loaded up on food from the “buffet bar” and had a seat. He contributed to the conversation a bit, but it wasn’t until the following day that we got to know him better.

I had a “boatload” of dishes to do when we got back to the boat. Hot and tired, I slogged through the task, and we went to bed.

Sunday, June 9 – Kingfisher Bay Marina – Day 2

Today was laundry day. Three washing machine loads and one large drier load cost $8.00. While the clothes were cycling through the washers, I took a shower and then sat down to ready the next blog for publication and sharing. In comes Bob to do laundry and shower. We talked for a bit. I found out that he had been about a day behind us and had stayed at some of the same anchorages that we had. He has a sailboat which he sails alone. He shared that he was heading back to Blue Springs, Tennessee for a family reunion and to start radiation treatments. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer a couple of years ago, had the surgery, but now it’s spread and is at Stage 4. He is taking a palliative drug to slow its progress. “Except for my knees, I feel great!” he exclaimed. Having lost a husband to prostate cancer, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time, but I didn’t say anything.

He explained that it had been his dream to “make it to the ocean” on his boat, so he had navigated as far as the Gulf and felt he had achieved his goal. He was quite familiar with the Tennessee River and had traveled its length on many occasions. At my request, he recommended a number of places to stop, anchor or even leave the boat for a period of time. I took notes, but he was sort of “stream of consciousness” as he talked, so I didn’t get it down in any particular order. But his information was very helpful. Adrian dropped into the laundry/meeting room, shared his wine with Bob, and continued the conversation. We invited him to dinner on our boat and he showed up a bit after 6:00 with a small bag of ice and a bottle of wine. (I had bemoaned the fact that we couldn’t keep quantities of ice in our tiny freezer.) I made a pork tenderloin in the air fryer, and

served it along with reheated baked bean and a salad. Bob was effusive with his gratitude, since he’d not had “a real meal in I don’t know how long.” He was headed back home the next day by car for his family reunion and to begin his treatments. We exchanged contact information and bid each other “safe travels.”

Adrian had his weekly phone chat with his kids and after washing another mass of dirty dishes, we prepared the boat for departure the next morning.

Monday, June 10 – Edna Bend

We left Kingfisher Bay Marina after filling the water tanks and continued our journey upriver. We only traveled for three and a half hours before finding a place to drop anchor on the side of the meandering river. We chose a spot that was just inside a small bend from north to south and anchored in about 6 feet of water – shallow enough that barges would take to the opposite side of the river to pass. We settled in. After the heat of the last two days, I was in heaven with low humidity and a cool breeze. It was a great place to listen to birds. My app identified around 20 different bird calls. We had a salad with cold, left over, pork tenderloin, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Later we lay on the foredeck to watch the sunset and enjoy the perfect setting.

Earlier, not long after we had anchored, we received a call from a barge captain telling us we might want to look at another place to anchor. He suggested a place “three miles upriver” where there were stanchions that we could tie up to and not be in the way of barge traffic. “I wouldn’t sleep there at night if I were you but do what you want.” Adrian had already re-routed his AIS Navigation system to the lithium battery (an auxiliary battery that does not tap into the main battery, which is vital for starting the engine.) Doing this allowed us to keep the AIS system on through the night, enabling approaching ships to see that a vessel is anchored nearby and thus avoid coming too close. We decided to stay put since any barge swinging around the bend would not venture into the shallow waters where we were anchored. Adrian tossed a lighter weight anchor off the port stern to keep us on place. We had a peaceful night, and, as far as we know, not a single barge came by during the night.

Tuesday, June 11 – Onward and upward

As the alarm woke us up at 6:30, I asked Adrian if he’d ever seen the movie, Groundhog’s Day. Not being a movie watcher, of course he hadn’t, so I explained the premise in the simplest of terms, “It about a guy who wakes up every day and it’s the same day repeatedly. Same routine, same circumstances, etc.” “That’s what I feel like I’m experiencing these days,” I told him.

The morning was chilly; so much so that as the boat glided along, we felt the need to don long pants and jackets as the breeze blew into the boat off the river. Along the way we saw

sandstone “cliffs” that indicated eons of river water had cut through this passageway. There was also construction that we surmised was being put in place to accommodate barges - possibly the result of Federal Infrastructure money that had been allocated to various state. We made it to the Howell Heflin Lock Dam and requested permission to enter. “Give me five minutes to prepare the chamber,” the lockmaster told us. “Once you see the green light and you have life jackets on, come on ahead.” This was the first lock where we didn’t have to wait to get into and we were the lone boat either going upriver or down river.

It wasn’t long before we found a nice anchorage off the river at Sumpter Recreational Area – an inlet surrounded by trees, with a couple of boat dock ramps and featuring a small park with a few picnic tables. Again, we heard a variety of bird calls, some of which we hadn’t heard before. I made a simple dinner of leftover pork tenderloin in a bed of lettuce with tomatoes and cucumbers. We did the dishes and took a glass of wine each to the foredeck to watch the sun set. We stayed out longer to see the stars come out. Before going out, we put on sweatshirts and long pants since the air had gotten chilly. As we lay gazing upward, ever so gradually stars appeared until we were able to make out the Big Dipper and a number of constellations that we could not name. We also saw airplanes, satellites and fireflies which, at first, we mistook for shooting stars. It was a lovely evening.

We decided to stay at the Sumpter anchorage the next day and night. Adrian wanted to work on sanding and painting the top rail on the bow of the boat. Meanwhile, I tried to polish the ancient lantern that hangs over the table in the galley. The surface used to be painted brass which had been cleaned and polished in the past to the point of losing its shine. We ultimately took it down since it obscured the view over the table and didn't provide that much light. I also did some stenciling to enhance the edges of the galley windows that had been sealed shut. The sealant left a yellow tinge that I hoped to cover up.

I read a few chapters of my Oppenheimer book (I was engrossed in the part where the first bomb was tested and two more were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The follow up was equally intriguing in that Oppenheimer did his best to try to influence Truman and the administration officials to prevent the use of atomic bombs ever again.) The afternoon was getting warm, and the

Docking the dingy and walking on dry land in the Sumpter Recreational Area

breeze had died down. We decided to lower the dingy and take it to the side of the inlet where there was a boat ramp, a picnic area and short walking trails. Adrian rowed, since he didn’t want to put the outboard motor on the dingy. It was nice to walk around in the shade. I took a very short “hike” through the wooded area. It reminded me of the many hikes I’d been on when Leigh and I did a lot of camping years ago.

After our little excursion we were hot and sweaty. Rather than swim in the river, (I might have considered it before we noticed a couple of snakes swimming by when we first arrived.) we used river water for a refreshing bath. I made dirty rice, fried Polish sausage, and steamed broccoli for dinner on the camp stove that Adrian had set up on the aft deck. It was much cooler than cooking in the galley. I was so tired – from what I don’t know - that I decided for the first time to put off doing the dishes until morning. It was early to bed and a very needed night’s sleep.

Saturday, June 13 – Columbus Marina

We had enjoyed the little cove/anchorage but needed to move on. The morning was chilly, but sunny and beautiful. The hawks were particularly active in the late morning, swooping across the river and through the trees searching for brunch. I noticed several mimosa trees in bloom along the riverbanks. I recognized them from having had one in the front yard of the house we lived in when two of my children were babies. They could be pretty, but very messy.

We were fortunate enough to get in and out of the Tom Bevill Lock with not delays. That’s two in a row! As we traveled, we talked about whether to anchor out after traveling five hours or to push on to Columbus, which was another four or more hours away. We decided to push on. Adrian thought there was a restaurant at the marina, but we later found out it was no longer there. But it would be nice to have some cell and WIFI service (not to mention showers and a grocery run). We have had little to no cell connection since we left Kingfisher Bay Marina, so getting information about anything has been frustrating. The AIS Navigation device we use is on Vesper navigation system/network, but does not provide cell connection.

Continuing North, we had to wait about an hour for a barge to pass through the Stennis Lock. The Columbus Marina was just past the lock, but it was after 5:00 by the time we got through and the marina office was just before closing. One of the employee’s was very helpful, giving us directions into the Marina and where to park. It was late, so after docking  and a shower we ate tuna salad sandwiches for dinner.

The next morning, we made a trip into town in the courtesy car. Groceries and water from Kroger and Walmart and, because we were in Mississippi, we couldn’t get wine from either, so we made a quick stop at a liquor store for our evening nightcap supply. We passed a Wendy’s and I insisted we stop for lunch. It’s my second favorite fast-food place (my first is Smashburger). As Adrian had never eaten there, I knew he’d love their Frosties. I was right. He even liked the Jr. Bacon burger.

The second evening we were there, we went out to eat. Harvey’s had been recommended to us by the marina owner and it lived up to his hype. We splurged and shared a 23 oz. T-bone. It was delish!

The owner stopped by our table and chatted. We told him that Steve from the marina had recommended his place. The owner gave us a free dessert on the house. We chose the bread pudding. Yummm!

We met some people at the marina that recognized our boat from when we were in Grand Mariner Marina. Linda and Larry will be heading up to the Tennessee River about the time we will in late August.  They have a beautiful Hattaras 52, for those of you who know your boats. We also met Ed and Lucy, who have a Cheoy Lee that they got as a bargain a while ago and he had to learn how to park it the hard way. They will be our neighbors when we return to the marina in a few days.

While at the marina, we sat down to discuss where we want to go from here and a timeline. We are talking about doing more “sailing” in the future after going back to Houston for a few weeks. We will leave the boat at the Columbus Marina and fly back to Houston. We bought plane tickets out of the Columbus airport for June 29. One of my granddaughter’s birthdays is on July 9 and I have tickets for four people to attend an Astro’s game before the playoff season. In addition, we have doctor appointments and prescriptions to renew. Also, we will need warm clothes and a few “favorite” items that we can only get from H.E.B. (a grocery chain in Texas). We’ll return by car mid-August and prepare to head up North and tour the Tennessee River. We will have to be well on our way before September 3, as the first lock passed the Columbus Marina closes for a month on that day. Long range, we will drive back to Houston late October and stay through the end of February or the first part of March. We’ll decide then what to do or where to go.

You may ask, “Why go back to Houston in July and August of all months?” Family, friends, church, home, business - pretty much in that order. Oh, and air-conditioning! My hope is that it will be more pleasant in September and October when we will drive back to the boat in one of our cars and continue exploring the Tennessee River.

June 14 - 24 - Riveroaks Oxbow

As I write this portion of the blog, we are anchored at River Oaks Oxbow. There are some lovely river-front homes in the area and many weekend boaters going up and down. We arrived on Friday night and will stay here a few days before heading back to the Columbus Marina. We decided not to head up North this week since there are seven locks between here and the next best marina. We would only have to turn around and come back, which seems foolish.

Yesterday the temps registered 98 degrees and today are supposed to get to 102. Those are not even the “feels like” temps! Although it’s very warm, there is often a cool breeze. The first few days there, the birds were out in great numbers. Not many were visible, but my app identified over 20 varieties, including a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. We were able to watch white egrets and blue herons fish along the banks. They literally “stalk” along the shallow water as if pursuing their prey, as if hoping to not be seen or heard.

The trees along the southwest side of the bank were very lush and some quite majestic. That side of the bank looked as though it had been cleared of underbrush at some point, though it was still

thick and verdant. There were several mimosas in our view. We were about 50 yards upriver from the front of a very nice lakeside home. There was a gathering there on Father’s Day weekend, with various boats, and ski boats coming and going. The weekdays were quiet. Only a few fisher-folk came by in the morning and evening.

I fixed Adrian bacon, eggs, and fried potatoes with onions for his Father’s Day breakfast. He had planned to work on painting the top rail, but it’s too hot, so he’s decided to relax and enjoy his Father’s Day. We put air mattresses on the roof of the boat, under the canopy where we can feel some breeze and stay out of the sun.

The week was spent doing some maintenance to the boat. We finally finished the painting project we'd started in Waterford, TX earlier this year. While Adrian made some minor repairs and modifications (a constant process), I cleaned some mold off the roof of the outside canopy and the inside forepeak (where the bed is), scrubbed down some boat fenders, saw to three meals each day, washed dishes, and tried to stay cool.

Every day was hot and the breeze sporadic. On the days when there was cloud-cover it was much more comfortable, but toward the end of the week the sun stayed out, temps and humidity went up, and the breeze only provided occasional relief. It was hard, for me anyway, to muster much energy and I spent whole afternoons on my “perch” on the roof. I did finish “Oppenheimer, American Prometheus,” practiced Duo Lingo, and started a new book: "Sisters of Caine", by Miriam Grace Monfredo. Sleeping at night for me was a challenge. In the best of circumstances, I like air moving around me when sleeping. We had one little fan that only pushed hot air into the bedroom. Adrian rigged up a second fan that pull outside air right on top of me. It was great! I honestly don’t know how the man manages to find ways to stay so busy in this heat.

Adrian had wanted to stay at River Oaks until Wednesday, the 26, but I talked him into returning to the Columbus Marina on Monday. I thought we had too much to do before leaving the boat to only have less than three days to do it. We agreed, but before we left our oxbow “paradise” two interesting things happened:

On Saturday, June 22, Adrian woke up saying “Ah! Today is the day!” He was not forthcoming with the specifics of what was special about today, but I had my suspicions. But he would say “Today is the day” several times throughout the day. I’d just laugh and say, “Okay.” He busied himself with some “rope work” - he makes all sorts of things with colorful chord: mats, keychains, soft-shackles and even jewelry. He was focused all day, and I just waited to see what he was up to. Later in the afternoon, after I had gone back to my “perch” to read, Adrian came up through the back door and said, “Leslie my dear. May I have your attention for a minute?” “Of course,” I said. He continued, “Because I want to ask you if you’ll marry me. Will you marry me?” I scurried down from the roof and he presented me with a wooden shoe made to look like a sail boat and a little banner that read in Dutch: “Samen In Het Bootje Stappen,” meaning “Sail away together.” Inside the boat were two “rope rings.” Of course, I said “yes!” and we shared a mini bottle of Champagne that Adrian had chilled in the fridge. We texted our families and got a series of “Congratulations,” and a couple of funny GIFs and phone calls in return. We are looking at a wedding in December, depending on what location we can find to have the ceremony.

The other thing that happened, that was not quite as dramatic, but gave us a few minutes of concern: Adrian swallowed a bug! I use a metal straw for my water canister which had been sitting in the bedroom on a night when some annoying bugs were flying around. I had observed a small wasp, earlier that day, climbing in a small crevasse on the roof of the boat. It came to mind again after Adrian came in with a concerned look on his face saying, “I think I swallowed a bug and it bit me.” He’d taken a sip of water from my water bottle straw and swallowed. Adrian began eating potato chips with the hope of pushing the bug on down. I became concerned that it might have been a wasp, and it may have stung the inside of he throat. I began looking for the Benadryl that I was sure I’d brought along, but I couldn’t find it. The sensation of “something is there” dissipated after a while and we both relaxed. I assured Adrian that his stomach juices would kill a live insect that might find its way to his stomach.

Monday, June 24 - Back to Columbus Marina

Since I’d gained some proficiency with steering the boat, Adrian thought I might try my hand at sharper turns, forward, neutral and reverse. After we raised the anchor that morning, and since the river was fairly wide at one point, I did a couple of figure eights, and turned around backwards. It was only a short two-hour trip back to the marina which, to enter it, there was a very narrow channel marked off. I took the boat through the markers and toward the dock. Since I wasn’t as parallel to the dock coming in as I should have been, (in other words I was heading toward it bow first), Adrian quickly took over and avoided any damage. He still told me I did a good job. How else do you learn?

After filling up with diesel, we paid for a slip where we will leave the boat. Adrian secured the boat, hooked us up to electric, hooked up the air conditioner, and filled the water tank while I did laundry. We had next to no clean summer clothes left to wear. Our slip was even further from the office, laundry and restrooms than the last time. I walked there and back once and nearly had heat stroke. Even though we subsequently took the dingy to and fro, we were both worn out from the heat by midafternoon. That afternoon we made a quick trip to Kroger’s for a few items, lingering a bit in the airconditioned store. After a dinner of baked frozen pizza and salad, we fell in bed exhausted and depleted.

One of the things we are very careful about and attentive to is staying hydrated. We buy gallons of drinking water and numerous 1-liter bottles of electrolyte water. Even though I had drunk more water than I normally do, I felt myself get light-headed that day. As I write this, I’m pretty sure we will be laying low for the next few days; venturing out of the boat only as needed, though I did promise Adrian I’d trim his beard and hair out on the dock.

As promised, we found a place in the shade on the dock, ran an extention chord frome the boat for the electrice hair trimmer and I cut his hair and removed much of his beard. I asked him to see if he liked the "goatee". He asked me if I liked it, which I did, so he left it. Dont you thing he looks "distinguished"?

We’ve booked a hotel room for Friday night so we can do last minute clean-up to the boat and get up and out by 4:00 a.m. to catch our 6:00 a.m. flight back home. Our neighbors from across the way, Edgar and Lucy have offered to take us into Columbus on Friday afternoon.

We enjoyed visiting with them on the aft deck one evening. They have been married for "10 years and two boats". Edgar collects pocket watches "just because". He had lived in various places while in the military, including the Netherlands. Lucy lived in Morracco while in the Peace Corps. She is also an avid reader, likes to cook and grow things. I gave her my herbs: parsely, basil, rosemary and thyme plants. She will tend them while we are in Houston, since this marina is their home base. I hope we get to know them better upon our return.

Friday, June 28 - Packing up

We are tending to last minute tasks: cleaning the latrine (Adrian, not me), doing laundry so we come back to clean sheets and towels. Last minute dishes and packing.

This ends the "travel-log" for now. I will resume it when we return to Columbus Marina and prepare the next leg of our adventure.