Dawn in Our Foggy, Cumberland River Anchorage
We're up with the sun because the Cumberland is long, foggy and deep and there are miles to Nashville before we can sleep (apologies to Robert Frost).
Drag Queen Anchor Alarm
The morning's first job is to turn off the anchor light. After that I checked the anchor alarm to see how much we drifted from yesterday's set. Depending on the scope, it's not unusual to move up to 40'. Never have we moved zero feet, which was today's value. That sums-up well the river anchorages, calm as sleeping at home.
Passing the Ronald L. Sensenbach and His 12 Barges
To paraphrase Justice Stewart, I can't define the difference between a well set anchor and a fouled one, but I know a fouled anchor when I see it. Fighting for 30 minutes with a bar-tight chain certainly isn't common. Had this been a Clive Cussler novel, Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino would have pulled up a long-lost, gold-laden iornside... Us? We probably hooked a tree and it wasn't budging.
A Lot of River Debris
With amputation looming nothing's too crazy to try. Powering Nellie forward with the hook down certainly qualifies as crazy. Fortunately it worked. We raised no gold, no iornside, just 40' of 3/8" BBB chain and a 35lb CQR anchor--about $500 retail.
In the Cheatham Lock Along with Ms Naomi
In the bucolic setting of Weaver Creek a train slides by and sounds its horn. Nellie replies with one whistle. The train then sounds its horn twice. Nellie reciprocates. The train counters with one long and one short blast. Nellie's compressor comes on; the DC bus voltage drops; Nellie's autopilot does a hard turn to starboard, setting us on collision course with the riverbank; meanwhile Nellie's crew, with saucer-wide eyes, do a Three Stooges rendition of regaining control. In the distance the train whistle can be heard sounding forlornly, and unrequited, one long and one short.
A Sentiment We Can Relate To
It was a rather busy day, but a satisfying one. The heat has us seeking shelter in Nashville's Commodore Yacht Club. Truth is what we seek is 120V power for the air-conditioner. The Club's $1/16oz beer is an unexpected benefit. 81 miles today and 2,936 miles into the Journey. DBH
