Tennessee River Summer

The adventures of Now or Never has slowed to a crawl, we are actually off the boat (for a week or so) getting some planned maintanance done. Upon our return, we will spend our remaining summer and fall on the Tennessee River, meeting up with other loopers in mid-October at Joe Wheeler State Park in Alabama for an America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association (AGLCA) Rendezvous. We are enjoying this slow-paced (for now) life, the sights, and the people we are meeting. We have tuned out the world and all the craziness (no nightly news for us!) and are going with the motto – –

“Ignorance is Bliss”

It seems to work on keeping our blood pressure down and our happiness high. It certainly is better than when we pay attention to what is happening in our world.

The calm of the water, sunrises, sunsets, time together, and serenity has been the best “Ignorance is Bliss” therapy!

Some have asked what a typical day is for us? We are still trying to figure that out, but here’s a good breakdown.

Cruising: The rivers are our home turf, the water we are used to, and have experience on. It’s been nice to start our trip on familiar water. We plan (doesn’t always happen) to leave early in the morning so we can travel with the best water conditions (calmer from less wind and boat traffic) and during the coolest part of the day. It also allows us to get settled in our marina before the heat of the day sets in and prior to cocktail hour! We do our best to avoid cruising on weekends near populated areas. Just like in our home waters, many are out on the water including the crazy’s! The crazy’s account for rougher water than we like, and uncomfortable and many times dangerous situations due to their lack of knowledge and sometimes even care. It is just easier to stay put if we can or go a very short distance early on a weekend morning.

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On a typical cruising day, Now or Never covers 35 – 50 miles. We have cruised anywhere from 10 to 110 (way too long) miles a day. We typically motor between 8-10 mph. Our boat can move faster, but the 8-10 mph is our sweet spot for comfort and fuel efficiency. It also allows us to take in the beauty of our surroundings including all of the wildlife which don’t seem to be startled when we leisurely cruise by. We are living by the philosophy of enjoying the journey every single day. It’s great not to have a schedule and be able to stop and smell the roses.

On the mornings we cruise, Tasha walks Remy while David prepares the boat for departure (engine and fluid checks, unhook and stow power, stow boarding ladder, and power up navigational aids). So far in our travels, David has done all the navigational planning, chart plotting, and 99% of the piloting. Tasha secures the cabin, lines, fenders, and outside decks for cruising. Tasha also keeps Remy comfortable and safe during cruising. Most days lunch is prepared in route to enjoy while motoring. Remy (much to her displeasure) typically is served her food for brunch rather than breakfast to better align with potty breaks. We are fortunate that she has always been able to go long hours without needing a break and that works well for our day trips.

Our cruise time consists of following the channel and route markers as shown on our electronic charts (“keep it between the navigational beacons, between the buoys” as Jimmy Buffet and Alan Jackson would say). So much of the area we are cruising is extremely shallow and many say, “it’s not if you run aground but when”. We also work on small tasks and projects, reviewing guidebooks, staying up to date on weather, and internet searches for points of interest. We both take lots of photos while we cruise to share here and on facebook (Mann Aboard).

We tend to arrive in port early afternoons with enough time to check in, get the boat set for the evening, check out our local surroundings, plan our evening meal, and always enjoy a post mission celebratory drink! We enjoy an evening walk with Remy around the docks always keeping an eye out for our next boat!

Days in Port: On the days we aren’t moving, chores have started to fall in line with David handling all boat maintenance and exterior cleaning. Tasha does most of the interior cleaning, laundry, meal planning, and preparation. We also tend to bills and mail at home. We have switched as much as possible to online and automatic payments. We have enrolled in the preview mail service from the USPS, so we know what gets delivered each day and our kids (thank you Ryan and Joe!) open and email anything that needs our attention.

David still has a list of projects that he is working on and we will share some of those in future posts. He had a long list he started with over the winter, prioritizing ones we needed to have done before our Loop departure, and others he could complete along the way. There is ALWAYS something needing done on a boat.

We both work on cleaning the aft deck, cruise and destination planning, facebook and blog posts, and Remy’s care.

Remy: Cruising with Remy, a senior (14-year-old) pup is a full-time job. It’s quite different living on the boat rather than spending long weekends on the boat with her. Her happiness and safety are priority one for the crew of Now or Never.

We’re concerned about the logistics of getting her food (can’t be bought at the corner store), her meds, and supplements (during this damn pandemic, all have been out of stock routinely) and predictable shipping time frames. Tasha has taken on the job of grooming Remy (haircuts, nail trimming, brushing, bathing, and such).

We have a set of marquipt stairs that make it easier for all to get Remy on and off the boat. However, at some dock’s, there is not room for them and if the docks are low, the stairs are steep and Remy can’t maneuver them on her own, That requires David lifting her up and down from the side entry of the boat and that can be a 3 – 5′ lift.

For parts of our trip, we will have to spend the night on the hook (at anchor) when marinas are not available. And other times, we would like to anchor when great anchorages present themselves and temperatures aren’t so dang hot. So, getting the dinghy down and lifting Remy from the back of the boat to the dingy and back becomes a big job for David. Anchoring also means finding good areas for Remy to go ashore. Her maneuverability is challenged as an older pup and terrain she could have navigated a few years ago, she can’t now. Her mobility also limits when Tasha can take her off the boat too.

We work on keeping her hydrated, fed at the proper times to avoid untimely potty breaks, cool, and mentally stimulated. She still enjoys her long walks, we play games with treats, and she has her favorite toys on board.

Americana: We have spent a little time exploring the areas we have traveled, and points of interest will increase as we get out of the rural river areas. We are looking forward to experiencing more of our great country, American history, museums, and local points of interest and ports. We also love to explore via our dinghy and sunset cocktail cruises have become a family favorite. Our dinghy is named Remy’s Ride and she enjoys her time on the dinghy just as much as we do.

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Our latest marina stops have included Paris Landing, Cuba Landing, Pebble Isle, Clifton, and Aqua Yacht Harbor. None have been in walking distance to provisions, restaurants, or tourist destinations. We rely on the kindness of others to help us get groceries. A couple of places have had “courtesy cars” but those have been few and far between. Rental cars and ride shares are fairly non-existent with us being in rural areas and the pandemic. We hope that will change as we cruise into more populated areas this winter. We have had two visits from friends and that has helped with provisioning and getting us home. The rest of summer and fall will be challenging, but once we hit the coast, we have been told a lot is in walking distance.

As a career law enforcement officer, David felt very welcomed at Paris Landing Marina – when he saw the dock carts were marked with PLM – Police Lives Matter! We were also reminded that the Canadian Soldiers (May Flies) are everywhere!

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We are looking forward to heading to Chattanooga and Knoxville next on our great adventure!

Cheers! D, T & R