hed the boat and took a few pictures. We left the marina and traveled about 4 miles to Panther Creek on the Alabama side of Lake Pickwick. In the cove there was a good place to anchor in about 9 feet o
f water with plenty of room for the boat to swing about the anchor. There are a few items on order to be shipped to Grand Harbor. We plan to stay near for a few days. Carol caught the first fish! Size is not important.
dinghy. The project is complete!
time. Activity in front of the 
docks has kept our boat rocking all day. Boats of various sizes and description run back and forth making continuous wake. Toward evening the sunshine broke thru the clouds like a reward to all the boaters.
urned to the marina.
nstalled the 20 HP 4-stroke Honda eng
ine on the transom. After putting oil in the engine and some gasoline in the fuel tank we were ready to go. Using a golf cart equipped with a trailer hitch, the trailer was towed to the boat launch and with some excitement Keith & I put the boat in the water for the first time. The Honda engine started immediately and we made our way thru the marina to the “Dream Manor”. Installation and adjustment of the lifting harness took a few tries before the boat was balanced. It was quite a thrill to use our davit for the first time! It worked great as the boat was lifted from the water and set on the stern platform. We began installing the supports under the boat. As it was getting late in the evening we decided to stop work and give the ladies a ride around the marina. Carol and Maryann enjoyed their first ride.
m previous position. Sure was a good thing the bow anchor held and there was room to turn! The wind had died to a gentle breeze and the sun shined brightly. We pulled in both anchors and went back to the Grand Harbor Marina to fill the fresh water tank. While at the 
marina a neat little house boat went by. It looks like a duck blind but it is actually a hot dog stand. 
me pork chops. You can see a boat in the background with fishermen in search of the mighty 
bass. 
anchor at 9:30 a.m. and traveled 36 miles in 3 ½ hours. Maryann exercised along the way. The water is much cleaner and the rolling hills add to the view. A very interesting pattern is created where the water flows over the leve and cascades down a divided er
osion control. Looking at the Garmin chart plotter by the fly bridge controls you can see the speed is 12.5 MPH in 17.9 feet of water, traveling north at 359 degrees. Arrived at Grand Harbor Marina on the entry to Lake Pickwick and 
tied up in the same slip as we were in last fall.. We are still in Mississippi but you can look out the window and see Tennessee on the north side of
the Marina. Look east, Alabama is about a mile away. When weather conditions are suitable we plan to travel new territory on the 
Tennessee River.
current not as strong. Boating had become easier. We caught up with “Pharm a Sea” at the first lock of the day and traveled together th
rough seven locks. Total lift for the day was 264’. The Whitten lock was last and the most single lift of the day raising 84’. Just upstream of that lock at mile 414 we left the main channel to the starboard side. Water depth was g
reater than 50’ and we had to go nearly to the end of one of the five fingers to find 13’ of water in a secluded cove. We went past an anchored Trawler named “Captain and The Kid” that had left Columbus yesterday. We set anchor at 6:30 p.m. It was a good 12 hour day having made 79 miles.
continue in the morning. The proud geese were showing off their little one's.
assed us by and rushed into the lock. When I entered the lock one of the boats finally moved to allow roo
m. It took me a few trys then to get our boat over against the wall on the starboard side. The anxious fishermen began making remarks about my driving skills and then cheered when the boat was close enough for Keith to secure the line on the floating bollard. When the gate closed behind us there were 24 bass boats in the lock.
reason everyone is so anxious. Looking over at the dam side the rushing water could be seen coming thru the control gates. Back to the lock as the gate opened the bass boats rushed out. They seemed glad that we were the last out. Really we were not in a hurry because of weather concerns the decision to pull into the Columbus Marina and spend the night had already been made. It was a short traveling day as we tied up at 1:00 p.m. The Dream Manor looked good from the 
balcony above the fuel dock.
The Gold Watch and Pharm a Sea must have also been concerned as they too decided to stay in Columbus. As I am writing this blog the weather front of concern arrived with a vengence. The wind blows hard and rocks the boats as the rain pours down from the heavens. Looking out the windows into the night there is very black as there are only a few lights visibal at the marina. This is our first night back in Mississippi as we remind each other we were here last November 19th 2008.
e water averaged 11' deep compared to the 42' depth in the ma
in channel. At 5:00 p.m. the anchor was dropped into the soft sandy/mud bottom. It proved to be a good spot. The plow anchor dug in and held the boat securely in the steady current. Two other boats chose to anchor in the same area. One we had passed just before the Heflin lock. We waited a short time for them to join us in the lock at mile 266. The lift was only 20' as the river i
s about 10' above normal pool. This means there is a lot of flood water which accounts for the floating debris. There were interesting sights along the way. The old abandoned trailer house was vacated for good reason! Notice how green the trees are compared to last fall.
