Hello Ida & Rocket City

Guntersville, Alabama and a visit to Rocket City

We settled into Guntersville Marina, Guntersville Lake on the Tennessee River planning to visit with a friend who moors his boat here. We kept a watchful eye on Ida building steam in the gulf, so we extended our stay beyond a long weekend. We liked being able prepare a few days ahead of the storm, the covered slip was a plus, and having access to a vehicle (our friends) should things turn ugly.

Friends from our home port joined us for the weekend. We were able to take a boat ride on this beautiful lake and visit Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge for a wonderful lunch. The state park is nestled on top of Taylor Mountain with a spectacular view of the lake and 5900+ acre park. The lodge, rebuilt in 2011 after two tornados on the same day destroyed a great deal of the park, is a beautiful retreat. It boasts the lodge style of olden days, full of huge beams, high ceilings, wildlife paintings, and a view that goes on forever.

• 

• 

• 

• 

After playing for the weekend, it was time to focus on Hurricane Ida. Monday, the Captain secured the boat, every cleat had a line running to the dock, all the fenders were deployed, everything on the outside of the boat removed and stowed inside, our Marquipt stairs securely tied to the boat, and anything of great value or electronic that could be taken inside the cabin placed down below. We did not remove everything off the bridge and back deck, just buttoned up what we could and closed the wing doors. We did just about everything but remove our canvas and isinglass. Not knowing how the storm would playout and what level of force of storm would come to the area, we prepared for the worst.

• 

• 

We were the 1%. You would have never known by looking at the docks or other boats that the remnant wind and rain of a category 4 hurricane would be passing through in the next 24 hours. Many didn’t even visit their boats over the past few days and those who did left everything out like it was going to be a beautiful sunny week. Nothing tied down, no extra lines, tons of things that looked like eminent projectiles during big winds. Maybe they know something we don’t. Maybe they have been through this before and it really isn’t that bad. Maybe they figure the weatherman is always wrong. We are planners, and we prepared.

As the winds started Monday, we heard clang, clang, clang goes the halyard. Over and over and over. Two sail boats in front of us, a mere 25 yards away, provided steady clanging.  Clang, clang, clang, all, day, long. The rain started in the evening and a good chop was coming across the lake and rocking the boat fairly well. (Guntersville Marina is totally exposed to the lake, there is no cove, no island or land between the lake and the marina, no break wall, just an old set of docks that go around the outside, so you get the brunt of the wave action). we rocked and rolled all night as the winds were steady at 20 mpg and gusts up to 35 mpg., making it a bit uncomfortable to sleep. The rain continued throughout the night.

We woke Tuesday morning to the clanging, rain, chop, and wind. But it was not too bad. With the covered slip we were able to remain on the aft deck and dock throughout the storm and stay dry. The rain let up several times and we were able to get Remy to land to do her business in light rain and that made the whole crew happy. It was not torrential, it was not scary, it was not dangerous. Somehow, they knew. Compared to Ida’s destruction other places, Ida was a dud on Guntersville Lake, and that was a welcome site. A few pieces of the metal roof broke loose on the dock, but that was about all we could see that Ida handed to our marina and area.

• 

• 

By Wednesday, we felt at home and with the holiday coming, we committed to staying through the holiday weekend to avoid travel through busy areas with all the crazy’s out on the water. To say we like Guntersville Lake, and the area would be an understatement. We have felt very welcomed and have been able to expand our horizons beyond the marina and water. We have frequented many a watering hole with our good friend and good food, cold drinks and several by boat, David explored another gas station/bait shop eatery (our 3^rd for this trip) for breakfast (more than one morning), and declared it was a great place. We have toured the town and region, the waterline, and homes we wish we could afford. We’ve met great people and been treated to southern hospitality with three dock cookouts, one being a fish fry with fish they caught off the dock.

• 

• 

We had the opportunity to drive Huntsville, Alabama (Rocket City) to take visit the US Space & Rocket Center, less than an hour drive from the marina. Huntsville was a much bigger city than expected.

• 

• 

We’ve typically passed near on the interstate and have seen THE Rocket at the interstate visitor center but had not ventured further. Much to our delight, an early September day found the center to be uncrowded. The enormity of the rockets was something we just had not anticipated.

The massive Saturn 1B rocket, which is a whopping 168 feet high and 22 feet in diameter is stationed at the Alabama Welcome Center. It is one off three Saturn rockets developed in Huntsville, the Saturn 1B was more powerful than the earlier Saturn 1 and was designed for orbital training missions with both the Apollo spacecraft and lunar model.

SpaceLaunchReport.com says NASA ordered the completion of 12 Saturn 1B vehicles, but only nine were launched supporting Apollo, Skylab, and Apollo/Soyuz test project missions.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, has been NASA’s lead center for the development of rocket propulsion systems and technologies. During the 1960s, the activities were largely devoted to the Apollo Program, with the Saturn family of launch vehicles designed and tested at MSFC. MSFC also had a major role in post-Apollo activities, including Skylab, the Space Shuttle, and Spacelab and other experimental activities making use of the Shuttle’s cargo bay. Pretty cool center that was started in a small southern town and because of NASA’s center has grown into a large regional city.

The Space & Rocket Museum is a Smithsonian affiliate and the official visitor center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and hosts the largest collection of rockets and space memorabilia on display anywhere in the world.

We missed some neat things by not purchasing all the additional add-ons that were offered and not doing our homework prior to visiting, but it did pique our interest in learning more about our space program. We so wish America had the same dedication to it as we did in the 60’s!

Over the holiday weekend the crew had the opportunity to continue to whittle down our list of projects and keep up on our chores. We also just relaxed.

We began our planning of our next leg. We will continue our cruise up the Tennessee River. This is on beautiful river. The days are shorter and the evenings cooler, fall is on the way.

Cheers! D, T & R