Tennessee, continued
It was a beautiful morning on the Tennessee River, Sat., Sept. 21, as we left the anchorage past Nickajack Lock. At times we were in front of “Ripple”
… and other times we were following “Ripple.”
The scenery is spectacular. In fact, Doug on “Ripple” said that he feels like he is “driving in a postcard” every day on this part of the Tennessee.
We passed TVA’s Raccoon Mountain Dam and Reservoir, notable because of its unique design. Water is pumped to a reservoir on top of the mountain during times of low demand for electricity. When demand increases, water is released and flows through a tunnel in the center of the mountain, its force driving the generators in the underground hydroelectric power plant. Below is a picture of the end of the tunnel which empties into the river.
We’ve learned that the TVA is a very large presence, not only in TN but also in multiple surrounding states, as it covers all of TN, portions of AL, MS, and KY, and smaller areas of GA, NC, and VA. It is a federally-owned electric corporation, the largest public utility in the country, and the sixth largest power supplier in the nation.
On our way, we saw abandoned house boats right next to multi-million dollar houses on bluffs, lots of fishermen/fishing boats, and someone’s very own waterpark.
Here is a picture of Exodus in front of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN, right by Interstate 24.
Below are some sights from the riverside in Chattanooga, the far right (or last) a picture of the more industrial opposite shore.
“Ripple” stopped in Chattanooga, but we continued.
After Chickamauga Lock, the river widened into the Chickamauga Lake, still quite beautiful. Lots of recreational watercraft out today as it is a gorgeous, warm Sept. Saturday. Below are more sights along the way.
We made it to Shady Grove Marina in Soddy Daisy (the real name), TN, that evening.
The next day, Sun, Sept. 22, when waiting to lock through Watt’s Bar Lock, a small dive boat (“Chaos”) was running sonar in the approach to the lock. From their communication with the Lockmaster on the radio, we learned that they were there because a “subscriber” had notified them that a vehicle was sunken in that approach. They told the Lockmaster that they had just found it and “had a magnet on it.” They indicated that they work closely with law enforcement and would be making the police aware of the submerged vehicle as soon as one of their divers could “get a hand on it” (e.g., take a picture, obtain a license number). The Lockmaster confessed that he had no idea how to handle the situation and was putting in a call to his supervisor. I imagine that’s not an everyday occurance at locks.
We could tell we’d soon be seeing another nuclear power plant when we spotted this in the distance (below).
There is regular, on-going evidence that the Tennessee River shoreline is being discovered. We have seen an incredible amount of new construction, most enjoying a good deal of square footage.
It is certainly understandable that people would want to look out at this beautiful river.
Made it to Terrace View Marina that evening and met some folks who just bought their boat in order to prepare to do the Loop in 2027. They recognized the dogs from one of “Checkmate’s” YouTube videos!
As we left the next morning on Monday, Sept. 23, we immediately hit heavy fog, causing us to run with radar for a good part of the morning. We traversed Thief Neck Cutoff (real name!) in the fog. It turned into a very hot day, prompting a few smart cows to venture into the water to cool off (at one of the few farms we’ve seen).
We made our way to and through the Ft. Loudon Lock with its 72 foot lift and finally to the Ft. Loudon Marina. This spot is quite near Knoxville where we’ve been able to visit with Dennis’s Mom, Patty …
… and his sister Elaine and her husband, Kevin.
As you can see, the dogs make themselves right at home.
We were able to catch the farmers market in downtown Knoxville on Saturday, Sept. 28,
see the campus of the University of Tennessee, and later meet Elaine and Kevin’s son Adam and his girlfriend, Kaitlynn, for brunch.
It was wonderful to see and spend time with everyone!! And, we can’t thank Mom/Patty and Elaine and Kevin enough for the generous hospitality we received (lovely accommodations, wonderful meals, car loan)!
Because Hurricane Helene arrived while we were here, we have been waiting on locks to reopen and water levels to recede before we can leave Ft. Loudon Marina. Even the nearby Ft. Loudon Lock was closed, with discharge (water levels flowing through the dam) at record cubic feet per second (cfs). When it exceeds 80,000 cfs, they close the lock.
Chuck and Kim (“Til You Can’t”), Loopers who live locally and were here for a visit, as well, are also waiting on a safe day/time to depart. They graciously invited us to join them for church on Sunday, Sept, 29, where we were able to meet their son and daughter. The marina does not have a courtesy car, and Chuck and Kim have been very kind to take us out and about. We are all getting a good number of jobs done on our respective boats while we wait.
As the American Great Loop Cruisers Association’s Fall Rendezvous is scheduled to take place at a Tennessee River marina, boaters wishing to attend are stacked up at marinas along the way on the river waiting out lock closures and surging water and debris. We will be heading back in that direction and wrestling with the same concerns.