Chattanooga -- We're On Our Way

October 17, 18, 19, 2011

One of the many bays on Kentucky Lake

Land Between The Lakes

October 17

We traveled through Kentucky Lake all day….73 miles and we are now in Tennessee. Kentucky Lake is a really wide section of the Tennessee River. It was formed in 1944 when the Kentucky Lock was completed. That lock is close to Barkley Lock (completed in 1964) that we went through a couple days ago. Barkley Lock formed (you guessed it) Barkley Lake. The two lakes are parallel to each other and the peninsula of land that separates them is called The Land Between The Lakes. This is all a huge national recreation area: parks and wildlife preserves. The wildlife refuge alone is 80,000 acres. I mean this is ENORMOUS and beautiful! In forming the lakes, many people had to be relocated. Entire communities were moved. There are still a few remnants of the former towns.

Abandoned dock was an important shipping point
prior to Kentucky Dam being built 

We didn’t plan to go this far, but when we tried to pull into Little Crooked Creek to anchor for the night, the water was too shallow.  Plan B – Go to Pebble Isle Marina.  It was beyond dusk when we arrived.  The marina has a long intricate entry that was especially challenging after dark.  Luckily some nice boaters heard us coming in and were waiting on the dock to help us tie up.     

October 18,

The long path into Pebble Isle: Notice sand bar in
front of us and marina buildings WAY in the back.

Brian ranked Pebble Isle near the top of his favorite marinas. One of the employees serves fresh from the oven homemade hot cinnamon rolls for the boaters every morning at 8:30 sharp.  He's ready to stay here for a week!  But, instead we travel back the winding path to the river.  Another 14 miles on Kentucky Lake and then the water narrows to simply the Tennessee River.


Harvesting mussels

Mussel harvesting is a million dollar industry in this area. These strange looking boats have lines and prongs dangling from their flat roofs. As a mussel opens its shell slightly to get food, the prong enters, the mussel clamps down on it thinking it has a yummy morsel. Caught!!! The meat is used for fish bait. Most of the shells are exported to Japan for mother of pearl jewelry or seeding oysters for pearl production.  

*****Every once in a while I feel like I need to insert a little worthwhile information.  I’ve read other blogs that are crammed full of history and interesting tidbits.  I prefer to make my readers really search through the drivel to find the good stuff.  Think of it as a wordy ‘Where’s Waldo?’.******   

Someone is way too crazy about lighthouses.
Six story house under construction.

The river is framed with rock ledges of shale and gray limestone.  It’s not unusual to see huge plates that have dropped off and others that look like they are ready to let go.   

We came across another intricate dredging project.  This one brings sand and gravel up from the river bottom.  The water is drained off, and the gravel and sand are sorted and placed in separate barges for delivery.  

Water extracted off center front.  Sand deposited in
two barges at back and gravel in barge in front

The anchorage for tonight is behind a small island.  Cozy and quiet….   

October 19

Erosion on the rivers is a huge problem especially with annual and even semi-annual floods.  There is too much frontage for the Corps of Engineers to rip rap and it doesn’t appear that land owners are required to do it.  Over time the river carves a new route due to erosion and shoaling.  We encounter one curve after another that would be about two miles straight line, but is closer to nine miles following the river. 

Mother Nature's rip rap

Section without rip rap between protected banks.
Notice mature trees that have slid down the bank.

Our navigation screen showing one of the curves in
the river.

The only bank we've seen with
planted erosion control

The Shiloh National Military Park





This is one of the most historically significant areas on the Tennessee River. Grant was having breakfast at the Cherry Mansion on April 6, 1862 when he heard distant artillery fire. The Confederate army was attacking in nearby Shiloh. During the two day battle, 23,000 men were killed in locations now named Bloody Pond, Hell’s Hollow and the Hornet’s Nest. The Shiloh National Military Park parallels the river for about a mile.

The Cherry Mansion -- Grant's headquarter
during the battle of Shiloh

At the point where Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama touch we go through the Pickwick Lock.The lock will raise us 55 feet.  Every lockage uses 37,500,000 gallons of water to fill the chamber.It is pretty amazing! Not only is this a lock and dam – it is a power plant and automobile bridge.

Coming out of the lock the choices are: Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway (south to Mobile) or stay on the Tennessee River (east to Chattanooga). We are continuing on the Tennessee River. We will then backtrack and take the Tombigbee.

For tonight we’re in a familiar marina – Aqua Harbor in Iuka, Mississippi.

We're met on the dock by Bill who helps us with our lines for the second time on this trip.  We met him and his wife, Deb, in Green Turtle.  They invite us to join them for dinner along with the owner of a Florida Bay Coaster.  Florida Bay Coasters are a very interesting boat...only 14 have been built.  We had considered buying one about 18 years ago.  For our 25th wedding anniversary we chartered one for a week with our good friends Larry and Joan Arnold.   

Gotta smile -- we're lovin the ride!