Pickwick Lake to Cocoa, Knot a Yot coming home

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The Cobber

The Cobber

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2013
Messages
91
Location
FL
Vessel Name
White Rose
Vessel Make
1988 Jefferson 42 Sundeck
Colleagues,
The post-survey maintenance items are complete, the deal is closed and we now are the new owners of Knot a Yot (1988 Jefferson 42). We've spent the past few days reviewing systems and making preps to get underway heading to Cocoa FL. We have a window tomorrow if we can get underway prior to 1100 to move down river and overnight near the Whitten Lock; prepping tonight for some very cold weather so we will see how it goes. Plan B is sunrise underway Monday. Based on availability of ATT signal we will be sure to post progress reports and photos, and once we get near Mobile AIS will be available for anyone wanting to follow along.
 
Brrrrrr.....I froze making that trip a month ago. Good luck. Be safe and stay warm.
 
Congratulations guys.

Keep us posted as able.
 
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Got underway this morning, great weather but cool. Everything working perfectly. I tried to upload 4 photos but we've got a very weak ATT signal, but according to Active Captain reviews there is normally no Verizon here at the Bay Springs anchorage so we consider ourselves lucky to have anything. Will try to add one photo and if that works will load some individually.

We are on the hook at Bay Springs, just north of the Jamie Whitten Lock which we will tackle tomorrow. Right now it is dinner and wine celebration time!
 

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Spot the coyote?
 

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Congratulations on the new boat, and sounds like a fun trip! Enjoy, and we hope to continue to get progress reports. I did not spot the coyote, by the way, but then they are very elusive so I hear.
 
Nice! Keep the updates coming.
 
We just did that trip earlier this month and Verizon actually had better service than ATT over the whole 500 miles. Our friends had ATT and we had a Verizon Jetpack using a Wilson amplifying system and had 4 bars of LTE more than we thought. There was only a few anchorages where there was no service.

Hope your heater is working as the temps have dropped dramatically over the past few weeks and is going to get cool this week.

Just watch your depths as the TenTom is really low right now our boating buddies who commute between Pickwick and Orange Beach each spring and fall have never seen it so low.

Good luck
 
gwkiwi said:
Hope your heater is working as the temps have dropped dramatically over the past few weeks and is going to get cool this week.

Just watch your depths as the TenTom is really low right now our boating buddies who commute between Pickwick and Orange Beach each spring and fall have never seen it so low.
QUOTE]

Yes, the reverse cycle AC units have been getting a workout. Looks like we may be back in some warmer weather by the end of the week. Water level has been an issue for the barges...so far so good for us. We're currently "hanging out" waiting for the Jamie Whitten lock.
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Day 2 is a wrap. We were delayed about an hour at our first lock (Whitten), but actually made 6 locks and are currently anchored at Canal Section Cutoff (MM 366.3). Rain, cold, and low water were the order of the day.

Everything seems good so far, although getting to know (i.e. gaining confidence in) a new boat takes a while. I did have one boat that left a lock behind me mention that both engines were smoking a bit. I checked and although I'm new to Cummins and don't have a feel for how much is too much smoke, the color is light blue/grey and is no different now that when we surveyed and sea trialed a few weeks back. I will probably have the injectors/injector pump serviced once we reach civilization. I shot some video that I can post and add a link once I get to better reception.

Short, rainy days mean that this will be a long trip, so thanks for following along!
 

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The rain is just starting here in Orange Beach and gale force winds are forecasted in the gulf tonight with 9' seas every 7 seconds..

The water level may rise with 3" of rain forecasted locally tonight and tomorrow and more through the area north.

The engine smoking sometimes is caused by the diesel's idling for long periods of time through the locking process, we now just turn the engines off once attached to a bollard once we have confirmed it is not frozen and then restart as the gates start to open.

At least the anchorages wont be too crowded this time of year.
 
Hope you both are having a great time. I saw your boat at aqua yacht this weekend. I believe my wife spoke with you as y'all were getting ready to pull out Sunday morning. It was pretty cold Sunday. We were winterizing for the season. Bummer!

Have a great trip and God bless you both.
 
Nomad69 said:
Hope you both are having a great time. I saw your boat at aqua yacht this weekend. I believe my wife spoke with you as y'all were getting ready to pull out Sunday morning. It was pretty cold Sunday. We were winterizing for the season. Bummer! Have a great trip and God bless you both.
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Nomad, yes indeed, Cathy spoke with your wife before we left. If I recall correctly she said you too were planning a loop trip in the future. Let us know when, and thanks for the note. We will cross our wake on the Loop trip at Aqua either late in 2014 or in 2015, so hopefully we can meet up.

I also have to say that we are indeed blessed, and have so much to be thankful for not only at Thanksgiving, but every day of the year. It is SO easy to get wrapped up in all of the daily BS, especially with the BS coming out of Washington these days, but it took a Bald Eagle that made several passes over our bow as we approached Aberdeen Lock this morning to remind us that there are not a lot of countries in the world where common working-class folks have the freedom to own and operate a boat freely on the waterways like we enjoy. We are all blessed, sometimes more than we know.

Great day on the water today, lousy weather not withstanding. Gusty cross winds make positioning in the lock challenging (or entertaining, depending on whether you were watching from on board or ashore!). Eagles flying, deer swimming across the river, a nice lazy 7 knots towards Columbus. Although we are only on day three with the boat, we're loving the life!
 
The dock manager "T" at Columbus is super nice give that entry red at the fuel dock a wide berth if your draft is over 4'6".

Enterprise will also come pick you up if you need a rental car there or T might have a loaner.
 
gwkiwi said:
The dock manager "T" at Columbus is super nice give that entry red at the fuel dock a wide berth if your draft is over 4'6". Enterprise will also come pick you up if you need a rental car there or T might have a loaner.
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Thanks GW. Although the plan was to stop at Columbus, the rain has stopped so we are continuing on to Pickens anchorage for the night. Hoping to see some sun tomorrow.
 
We are swinging away on the hook at Pickensville AL. Rain with snow forecasted to start about midnight...does it get any better than this?! Picked a ton of water hyacinth debris out of the sea strainers this evening...not enough to cause any noticeable engine temps. I was surprised to find so much of it this time of year, especially in and around the locks. Plan to get a first-light start tomorrow and see how close to Demopolis we can get.
 
Change o' Plans

With the cold and 25 Kt gusts this morning we've decided to stay here and will probably head out tomorrow. A great day for some upkeep maintenance. If things calm a bit this afternoon we consider striking out for Upper Cooks Bend anchorage, but we are enjoying a down day.
 
Much better day today! We plan to anchor just before Demopolis and hit the marina tomorrow. We are not too excited to have to provision on Black Friday! Happy Thanksgiving all.
 

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Thanks for keeping us updated!
 
Busy few days. Stop in Demopolis for provisions, last night anchored at Choctow Wildlife Preserve. Just dropped the hook at the Tensaw River. Great day, great trip. The photo says it all!
 

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You are making good time and the weather will be kind over the next few days if only for a shower or two.

We are hanging out at the The Wharf in Orange Beach and will probably stay in the area until after the New Year while we tackle a galley remodel.

Honk as you go past the Wharf and glad your trip is going well.
 
gwkiwi said:
Honk as you go past the Wharf and glad your trip is going well.
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Absolutely, we'll see you on the one whistle!
We were surprised to see we were getting 2.4 MPG at 8 MPH on legs where we ran the generator 60 hours. We have averaged 10 MPH for the past two days and will soon know what that has done for the mileage. We covered 94 miles yesterday and 89 today, due partly to zero delays at Demopolis and Coffeeville locks. We are glad to be ahead but don't want to get caught up in a schedule.

Good luck with the remodeling, and be sure to post photos.
 
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94 miles today. Flat seas in the bay, beautiful views of Mobile. Dolphins playing, Coast Guard practicing, God I hate this <grin>

Currently anchored in Middle Wolf Bay, Pensacola tomorrow to see my daughter.
 

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Have enjoyed your posts & pictures of your cruise sounds like a fun trip, thanks for sharing. I noticed in the pics shot over your bow that your fenders look a lot like mine -used. I can walk around the docks & tell who uses their boats by the look of the fenders, if they're clean & spotless that boat may go out for a cruise in its home pool but seldom ventures thru any locks. The clean boat with dirty fenders usually indicates someone owns the boat & uses it thru the locks & when you do that they never look new again. I do try to scrub mine a couple times a year but they're old enough it doesn't help much.
 
River Cruiser said:
I noticed in the pics shot over your bow that your fenders look a lot like mine -used.
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Yes indeed, the fenders are all well used, almost to the point of being used up. One will hardly hold air any more, so we'll be replacing a couple when we return. Funny you mentioned it...last evening we were at Palafox Pier in Pensacola looking at all of the shiny clean boats, some of them in the 40-50 foot size, with very clean, but very SMALL fenders. I guess that's a topic all of its own.

We motored out of PCola this morning in light fog which cleared up quickly, ran about 70 miles and are currently anchored at the Scattered Woods anchorage just east of Santa Rosa Beach near the Clyde Wells Bridge. We are hoping to be in Carrabelle in a couple of days, and are keeping an eye on the weather for the Gulf crossing. I've not checked yet this evening but as of last night the forecast was promising for a Saturday or Sunday crossing. The plan is to run from Carrabelle to Clearwater when the weather/seas are favorable. We appreciate all who are following and providing local advice.
 
The Cobber said:
Funny you mentioned it...last evening we were at Palafox Pier in Pensacola looking at all of the shiny clean boats, some of them in the 40-50 foot size, with very clean, but very SMALL fenders. I guess that's a topic all of its own.
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The ones which really get me are the 40-50 foot size boats with little bitty anchors. Sometimes just one little bitty anchor. Kind of boggles the mind of this old sailboat guy. :)
 
Indeed...we even noted a few chrome anchors...maybe they know something that I don't...perhaps chrome prevents the mud from sticking!?
 
Arrived in Carrabelle yesterday about noon after over-nighting at the town dock in White City where we celebrated Cathy's birthday with another traveling crew. It still looks like the cold front is stalling and will become a stationary front, with very little pressure gradient across the eastern Gulf. Winds forecasted at 5-10, seas 2-3 feet. We plan on heading out about noon today (Saturday) with an arrival at Clearwater around 10 am Sunday. We will see how the forecast holds up against reality.
 

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Why did you not go out Government Cut into the Gulf just south of Apalachicola, rather than take the longer route up to Carrabelle?
 
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