- Mar 25, 2008
- 5,522
- Boat Info
- 2006 Sea Ray 58 DB
- Engines
- MAN CRM V8-900s, Twin Disc Drives; Onan 21.5 Generator
We departed May 2nd for our 3rd trip in the Cape Coral to Chattanooga direction. Previous trips were May 2017 and May 2018. This was our 5th Trip Up/Down this route.
We departed our Slip at Tarpon Point Marina at 0815 on May 2nd for our 535 SM leg to Mobile (Gulf miles are NM, but River Miles are measured in SM, so I’ve used SM for this log). We arrived at Dog River Marina 52 hours later at 1015 (all times in this log are EDT). Most of the trip was planned for 800RPM/8.7 Kts/7GPH and 36% Load on our MAN CRM 900’s. Most of the first day, the thunderstorms stayed along the coast, but at 2200 the first night, we had to run 25 Kts to evade some “pop up” thunderstorms in our path. We suffered with beam seas most of the night (which our planning hull does not tolerate well at displacement speeds). The 2nd night, winds changed from east (favorable) to south – more beam seas the second night. We began to run a “zig-zag” course to lessen the effects of the beam seas. It was still very uncomfortable! We arrived May 4th at 1015. We took May 5th off to recuperate from the rough seas and prepare for the Tombigbee Waterway. Our 6th Lock – Aberdeen Lock – has been closed for a month due to shoaling from high water from early April’s heavy storms, but it is planned to be open when we arrive in 5 days. We took on 380 gallons of fuel at Dog River Marina.
We departed Dog River Marina at 0630 on May 6th for the Mouth of the Mobile River in Downtown Mobile which is Mile 0 of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, it is 25 SM from Dog River to Mile 0. Our destination for the day is “Bobby’s Fish Camp” at MM 117, with our first lock (Coffeyville) 1 mile prior to it. After a long day, with high currents and floating debris (logs), we arrived at Coffeyville Lock behind two tows at 2030. 2 hours later, we locked through and arrived at Bobby’s at 2230. Long day! Nothing at Bobby’s except a power hookup and one other boat. There is room for three boats on the dock and everyone else rafts up.
At 0630 on May 7th we departed Bobby’s for Demopolis Yacht Basin at MM 217. We passed through our second lock just prior to the marina. We arrived at 1730 and fueled (458 Gallons) and tied up in our slip at Kingfisher Marina (next door) at 1815.
We departed Kingfisher Marina and Demopolis on May 8th at 0625 for Columbus Marina at MM 335. When we were warmed up we ran 2050 RPM/64 GPH/22.7 Kts (3 kts of current against us) and 78% load. We ran this for an hour and a half to make up for the extra distance we had to travel today. We checked Reward’s engine parameters and they were perfect. Gulf Coast Diesel had performed our major service in January, and she did well 2300 RPM is 90 % load and WOT checked at 2362/2360 at 100% load. Perfect numbers…We had three locks today: Heflin, Bevill, and Stennis. We arrived in Columbus Marina at 1830.
During the last few days, we were in contact with the Tenn-Tom Project Office about the shoaling at Aberdeen Lock and found out it wasn’t going to be cleared until Monday May 13th, so we planned to stay until then. Many other boats were there, some had been waiting as long as a month to continue upstream! We had reserved their next to last available slip. Lucky thing, as May 9th was heavy thunderstorms all day. We slept in Friday morning May 10th, and when I looked out at 0930, three of the boats were gone! I called Aberdeen Lock, and found out the storms had caused their tailwater to rise 7’, so we now could clear the shoal blocking the lock! We were underway in 15 minutes and cleared Aberdeen Lock an hour and a half later. The dredge could not work due to the high water and we later heard the lock was not planned to be cleared for another two weeks! We were 1 of 4 boats that got through on the 10th – 4 boats got through on the 11th before the water receded again. No boats have been able to get through as I write this on May 20th!! We had 4 locks on May 10th and we arrived at Midway Marina in Fulton, MS at MM 394 at 1430 – our short day.
We departed Midway Marina at 0915 on May 11, passed through 3 locks, and arrived at Tenn-Tom MM 450 at Grand Harbor Marina at 1640. We now had 12 locks behind us and we were now joining the Tennessee River at MM 215. 256 SM to our destination!
We departed Grand Harbor Marina at 0630 on May 12th and went through two locks, and arrived at Wheeler State Park Marina, MM 279, at 1545 for 200 gallons of fuel.
We departed Wheeler Marina at 0750 on May 13, passed through 1 lock and arrived at Goose Pond Colony Marina, MM 378, at 1920. At 1630 on this day, we suffered our only mechanical problem of the trip: Our generator shout down with a code of “High EGT”. First thing I checked was the strainer – jammed with bark! So was the hose from the seacock – with the hose removed and the seacock opened – no water flow. I had a small plumber’s snake in my tool kit and was able to clear the seacock, reinstalled the hose and clean strainer, cleared the codes and she ran fine the rest of the trip. All other strainers wee clean.
On our last running day, May 14th, we departed Goose Pond at 0625, went through two locks and arrived at Chickamauga Marina, MM 471, our destination at 1700. Current was over 4 kts the last three hours below Chickamauga Lock through downtown Chattanooga. We fueled to Full with 403.4 Gallons.
So… it was a 13-day trip - 11 running days, 2 off days, 1266 SM, 131 Engine Hours, 140 Generator Hours, 1441.8 Gallons of Fuel.
We departed our Slip at Tarpon Point Marina at 0815 on May 2nd for our 535 SM leg to Mobile (Gulf miles are NM, but River Miles are measured in SM, so I’ve used SM for this log). We arrived at Dog River Marina 52 hours later at 1015 (all times in this log are EDT). Most of the trip was planned for 800RPM/8.7 Kts/7GPH and 36% Load on our MAN CRM 900’s. Most of the first day, the thunderstorms stayed along the coast, but at 2200 the first night, we had to run 25 Kts to evade some “pop up” thunderstorms in our path. We suffered with beam seas most of the night (which our planning hull does not tolerate well at displacement speeds). The 2nd night, winds changed from east (favorable) to south – more beam seas the second night. We began to run a “zig-zag” course to lessen the effects of the beam seas. It was still very uncomfortable! We arrived May 4th at 1015. We took May 5th off to recuperate from the rough seas and prepare for the Tombigbee Waterway. Our 6th Lock – Aberdeen Lock – has been closed for a month due to shoaling from high water from early April’s heavy storms, but it is planned to be open when we arrive in 5 days. We took on 380 gallons of fuel at Dog River Marina.
We departed Dog River Marina at 0630 on May 6th for the Mouth of the Mobile River in Downtown Mobile which is Mile 0 of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, it is 25 SM from Dog River to Mile 0. Our destination for the day is “Bobby’s Fish Camp” at MM 117, with our first lock (Coffeyville) 1 mile prior to it. After a long day, with high currents and floating debris (logs), we arrived at Coffeyville Lock behind two tows at 2030. 2 hours later, we locked through and arrived at Bobby’s at 2230. Long day! Nothing at Bobby’s except a power hookup and one other boat. There is room for three boats on the dock and everyone else rafts up.
At 0630 on May 7th we departed Bobby’s for Demopolis Yacht Basin at MM 217. We passed through our second lock just prior to the marina. We arrived at 1730 and fueled (458 Gallons) and tied up in our slip at Kingfisher Marina (next door) at 1815.
We departed Kingfisher Marina and Demopolis on May 8th at 0625 for Columbus Marina at MM 335. When we were warmed up we ran 2050 RPM/64 GPH/22.7 Kts (3 kts of current against us) and 78% load. We ran this for an hour and a half to make up for the extra distance we had to travel today. We checked Reward’s engine parameters and they were perfect. Gulf Coast Diesel had performed our major service in January, and she did well 2300 RPM is 90 % load and WOT checked at 2362/2360 at 100% load. Perfect numbers…We had three locks today: Heflin, Bevill, and Stennis. We arrived in Columbus Marina at 1830.
During the last few days, we were in contact with the Tenn-Tom Project Office about the shoaling at Aberdeen Lock and found out it wasn’t going to be cleared until Monday May 13th, so we planned to stay until then. Many other boats were there, some had been waiting as long as a month to continue upstream! We had reserved their next to last available slip. Lucky thing, as May 9th was heavy thunderstorms all day. We slept in Friday morning May 10th, and when I looked out at 0930, three of the boats were gone! I called Aberdeen Lock, and found out the storms had caused their tailwater to rise 7’, so we now could clear the shoal blocking the lock! We were underway in 15 minutes and cleared Aberdeen Lock an hour and a half later. The dredge could not work due to the high water and we later heard the lock was not planned to be cleared for another two weeks! We were 1 of 4 boats that got through on the 10th – 4 boats got through on the 11th before the water receded again. No boats have been able to get through as I write this on May 20th!! We had 4 locks on May 10th and we arrived at Midway Marina in Fulton, MS at MM 394 at 1430 – our short day.
We departed Midway Marina at 0915 on May 11, passed through 3 locks, and arrived at Tenn-Tom MM 450 at Grand Harbor Marina at 1640. We now had 12 locks behind us and we were now joining the Tennessee River at MM 215. 256 SM to our destination!
We departed Grand Harbor Marina at 0630 on May 12th and went through two locks, and arrived at Wheeler State Park Marina, MM 279, at 1545 for 200 gallons of fuel.
We departed Wheeler Marina at 0750 on May 13, passed through 1 lock and arrived at Goose Pond Colony Marina, MM 378, at 1920. At 1630 on this day, we suffered our only mechanical problem of the trip: Our generator shout down with a code of “High EGT”. First thing I checked was the strainer – jammed with bark! So was the hose from the seacock – with the hose removed and the seacock opened – no water flow. I had a small plumber’s snake in my tool kit and was able to clear the seacock, reinstalled the hose and clean strainer, cleared the codes and she ran fine the rest of the trip. All other strainers wee clean.
On our last running day, May 14th, we departed Goose Pond at 0625, went through two locks and arrived at Chickamauga Marina, MM 471, our destination at 1700. Current was over 4 kts the last three hours below Chickamauga Lock through downtown Chattanooga. We fueled to Full with 403.4 Gallons.
So… it was a 13-day trip - 11 running days, 2 off days, 1266 SM, 131 Engine Hours, 140 Generator Hours, 1441.8 Gallons of Fuel.
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