Day 127: Leave Joe Wheeler State Park Marina

Day 127: November 22: It'a crispy morning at 40 degrees; on a boat with no heat it feels more like 30's. We were visited by a huge flock of cormorants joined by pelicans and a few blue herons. There had to have been hundreds, flying together from one end of the pond to the other,  circling the boat, landing and taking off again. John said they were working together to fish. In my opinion someone was onshore taping a new version of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds". 

We heard a boat call the Wheeler Lock which is about 3 miles from the marina, looking for a down-bound passage. It was Captain Larry on "Livin the Stream"; John had briefly chatted with him at Goose Pond Marina the other day. Knowing another boat was already at the lock, it was obvious we would not be able to make the lock in time to pass through with them so we took our time getting ready. Might as well have another cup of coffee. 

I was busy cleaning up and getting ready to get UW when John came into the boat and said we were going to have some trouble. Evidently he had started pulling up the anchor and unhook the bridle only to find some tree limbs wrapped around the chain. We were able to unhook them pretty easily, but thinking we might find more, we watched anxiously as we hoisted the anchor higher. Luckily the worst was over; nothing else had managed to become entangled and we got UW. 

Slowly making our way back toward the marina, we followed our breadcrumbs on the chart-plotter to avoid any hidden dead heads. Joe Wheeler Marina was as quiet as yesterday with no one in sight. 

Wheeler Reservoir is named for Joseph Wheeler, a general in the army of the Confederacy, leader of U.S. volunteers in the Spanish-American War and U.S. congressman. It is one of the nine reservoirs that create a stairway of navigable water on the Tennessee River from Koxville, TN to Paducah, KY. Today it is a major recreation and tourist area and includes a state park open for camping, boating, fishing and more. Wheeler Lake, Wheeler Lock and Joe Wheeler State Park Marina have all been named after him.

John contacted the lock and was told to keep coming and it would be ready for us. We headed out onto Wheeler Lake which was very calm unlike yesterday. Sure enough, as we approached the lock, the horn blew and we proceeded into the chamber. 

We continued along the river, hoping we would be able to get through the Wilson Lock speedily, the highest single lift lock east of the Rocky Mountains with a normal lift of between 93 and 100 feet. The last time we passed through (November 5), we were with a group of 8 boats and had to idle for about an hour waiting for barge traffic. Unfortunately luck was not with us again. AIS showed a barge in the lock and another boat (turned out to be "Livin the Stream") waiting on the auxiliary wall. Realizing time was on our side we slowed down to about 6 knots. It was 11:30 when we pulled onto the auxiliary wall ahead of "Livin the Stream" and tied up. Captain Larry was standing on the bow and conversation began. He called the Lock-master who said he had to get the barge through; it was one that had to be split into sections with the help of two push tugs. The Lock-master couldn't give us a time for locking and said he would contact us on channel 13 when he was ready for us. With no other choice we settled in and watched the tugs and barges do their work. 

Finally, after 3 1/2 hours we were allowed to enter the chamber. By the time we finished locking and exited, we had spent 4 hours just sitting and waiting. So it goes on the Tennessee River. 

The most ironic part was while it had been overcast all day, as soon as the chamber doors opened we were immediately blinded by the sun which finally decided to show up! It was already going on 3:45 so it was beginning to set and we were heading right into it. As usually happens when the sunlight mixes in with clouds, beautiful views are created. Today was no exception; behind us the bridge outside of the lock and the sky were stunning to behold. 

Time was short; the sun was setting and there was no way we would be able to get to our planned anchorage before dark. It was 26 NM from the lock which would have taken about 3 hours. Plan B: find another anchorage. I scoured the Navionics and the Waterway Guide APPS and John reviewed the route on the Chart-plotter. We located a few potential spots (creek beds and off the channel) and decided to try Little Bear Creek; reviews were pretty positive but included a caution about a shallow section due to a sandbar in the middle of the entrance. Meanwhile, "Livin the Stream" was ahead of us; John radioed Larry and told him our plans. Larry did not like the looks of the creek so ended up anchoring off the channel on the river. I think probably in about 20 to 25 feet. 

We pulled into the narrow entrance. Fallen trees lined the bank but did not reach into the main section, allowing us plenty of room to anchor in about 10 feet of water. To be on the safe side, John tied a stern line to one of the trees so we did not chance swinging and hitting something. This probably wasn't going to be a real concern as there was no wind and very little current. Better safe than sorry though. I would definitely recommend this spot for an overnight! 

Grilled hamburgers, french fries and green beans for dinner. Although our travel plans were cut short today, all turned out well. Tomorrow is another day and another chance to get closer to 80!