9 November, 2019 on the Tennessee River

late post - no connectivity—att barely one bar and our t-mobile cellular internet—ZERO bar.

Three tows, pair of eagles and beautiful foliage; 8.3 engine hours, 55 SM

Revile at 0500, actually awake 0430 but too cold to get out of sleeping bags.  25 degrees outside, heavy frost, but 30 degrees at helm and galley.

Frosty big blue.....

We had bought a small propane heater while in GTB—there are huge risks using this and we are very very careful, both flame on a boat and CO poisoning.  Limit use, have fire extinguisher at hand, proper venting—not a problem on our boat and never without one of us watching always.  Never underway.  So we fired up our little heater and had a toasty morning coffee & breakfast in 45 degree heat!  Decided due to distance we wanted to travel today, would need to bump up the RPMs to make 7 MPH into the current or it would be after dark arriving into our anchorage or stopping short.  We are planning to make Pickwick Lock and Dam on Veterans day and get to the marina with electric before the next big cold push with temperatures forecast into the teens, snow and strong winds.  The lake water temp is 56-59 degrees.  Our fresh water tank is just below the water line and the pump below the water line.  So far this is keeping the engine bay and water tank ice free.  Running the engine all day, there is considerable residual heat remaining in the engine bay/bilge.  That is the theory for keeping things from freezing up.   If we had to leave the boat, definitely would have to drain all systems, add RV anti-freeze to keep from freezing the pipes.

Thought it was the frost on the windows—it was, but once we scrapped off—then noticed the fog.  Pretty thick.  Wanted to depart at 0700 but it was 0740 before we got underway.  Visibility a couple of miles on the river for the first hour of travel.  Winds throughout the day SW @10.  We encountered three tows and their barges today—AIS takes the surprises out for sure.  First two hours required about 1950 RPM to make 7 MPH, but as we were leaving the width of Kentucky Lake and entering the narrower Tennessee river the current continued to build to a solid 1.5 MPH.  Near the end of the day running 2200 RPM.  Beautiful pair of eagles perching together on an old snag.  Numerous American Pelicans observed along with gulls, ducks and geese.

Light house--house on bluff

It is crazy to us to see structures build so close to the edge.

Bluffs along the Tennessee

Our anchorage in Lick creek (map) was easily entered off the river at MM 127.8; very narrow (30 feet) but good depth even in winter pool.  Never saw below 12 feet.  Once in the narrow channel it opened into a small lake and we anchored in 10 feet of water @ 1540.  Lovely sunset, winds dying to zero and smooth still water.    Boat and crew did well.