GL: Tennessee River Mile 256 to 287

[Rich Gano]

Conquered Wilson Lock today.  Arrived 0930 from Florence Harbor Marina (call this place in advance, if you want in) and exited at 1315, including 90 minutes in the auxiliary lock chambers.

Cold front starting to make its presence known with blustery SW winds.  Will be cold tomorrow night.

Left front bollard in Wheeler lock (going upstream) is sunk.  Lock Master told me as I pulled up alongside it with strong wind astern and three more boats behind me.  There is actually one more bollard forward of that but only about fifteen feet from the sill - unusable for a boat 46 feet LOA.

Several AGLCA boats with us on their way to Wheeler State Park peeled off as we kept going to  Bat Hill Marina.  This place has no uncovered piers suitable for a boat our size.  The young and inexperienced (nautically anyway) lady on the cell phone told us we could fit in a slip that turned out to be covered to a level below what even out lowered last could not clear.  Nobody was home when we stumbled in off the roughening lake; so we found an adequate spot on the end of one of their floating sheds.  WIFI too.

Just make sure you get end-tie availability when selecting this place.

Tomorrow will be Huntsville.

Next day Scottsboro.  Are you there Louis, and can we get into Goose Pond dragging 5 feet of draft ?

Rich Gano
aboard CALYPSO
lying Athens, AL