The plan for 2018 is to move Willow B south to LA (Lower Alabama).
The anticipated destination is Perdido Bay, which is the border between Florida and Alabama.
This region of the Gulf of Mexico is a sport fishermans dream.
There are many fishing and cruising destinations available from this Staging Area. The entire crew is looking forward to the possibilities.
Spectacular fishing within just a few miles of Perdido Inlet offers great Inshore, Near Shore and Offshore opportunities.
This alone is enough to quench the appetite of any saltwater angler.
AND
To the WEST is the Mississippi River Delta and within this delta is the Tarpon Triangle as well as deep water just 20 miles south.
To the EAST is Florida.
A few Florida Destinations of interest to this Crew are:
Boca Grande
Key West
The Maquesas
The Dry Tortugas
The Bahamas are just a short 45 miles East of Miami.
Not to mention the Gulf Stream with all the Pelagic action it offers between Miami & the Bahamas.
The Crew of Willow B will NOT have a lack of destinations, whether Cruising or Fishing.
The trip down to LA from Portsmouth, OH is approx 1345 Miles and is broken down as follows:
650 - Ohio River
215 - Tennessee River
235 - Tombigbee Waterway to Demopolis, AL
245 - Demopolis, AL to the Gulf
The Tennessee River is the ONLY upstream portion of this entire 1345 mile trip, and it is only 215 miles. Of the 215 miles, ONLY 30 are narrow, most of this waterway is Kentucky Lake, which is quite wide. The wider the river, the slower the current.
The Skipper, Engineer and Head of Security will be making this trip south. The Navigator will meet Willow B at Perdido Bay.
This Leg of Willow B's Travels is Scheduled for May.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By
April 25 - Laying in Provisions
Today is Wednesday, April 25. The plan is to cast lines next Tuesday May 1. The Crew is once again gathering provisions in anticipation of this next journey.
Something the Crew has NOT done in many, many years is preperations for Offshore Big Game Fishing. We have two rod holders onboard Willow B. These rod holders are of temporary nature and are clamped onto the railings. So before any modifications are made to Willow B, the plan is to make use of these two rod holders and see how Willow B fishes. By that, I need to ensure Willow B is a suitable fishing platform. We KNOW she is a great cruising platform for us, but we want to ensure her ability to fish well enough at 6-Knots.
Way back when in the 1990's, the Captain trolled faster than most at 9-10 knots, which paid off in larger than average catches. This speed is out of Willow B's capability. So a definite change in style is in order. The Captain will need to see how Willow B performs before moving forward with plans of rigging her to fish. IF Willow B does a good job fishing, the plan is to update the cockpit to troll a full 7-Rod Spread as well as update her electronics, which are quite outdated.
The weather has been most uncooperative this year. The winter has had a choke-hold on us and would NOT let go. Between the late snow and high water on the Ohio River we have had precious little time aboard Willow B to prepare for this leg of our journey.
Last week was the first opportunity to pull Willow B out of moth balls and fire up the engines, and even then we were experiencing freezing temperatures overnight.
The temperatures have finally risen to near normal levels for this time of year and the river levels have fallen to allow access to Willow B without wading through water. We are now waiting while Shawnee State Park clears the copius amounts of mud washed in by the flood waters. We should have clear access to Willow B by the weekend.
All that is needed is 1-2 days to complete enough preperations to get under way.
We will not have any fresh water aboard and will water up at our first fuel stop, which will be only a few days.
If you remember when Willow B made the upriver trip from Green Turtle Bay Marina to Portsmouth in November/December 2016 we only made 40-50 miles per day. We were dealing with a 2-knot head current and short winter days. Well going downstream, this 2-knot current will be going with us. Lets do the math...
Then... 6-Knot Boat with 2-Knot head current equals 4-Knot realized boat speed made good
Now... 6-Knot Boat with 2-Knot following current equals 8-Knot realized boat speed made good
This means Willow B will be traveling twice as fast, or half as slow as the trip upriver, AND the days are about 2-hours longer which means we will be traveling approx 100 miles per day.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By
April 29 - Final Preparations
Vic & Paula who are the marina hosts as well as Justin were at the marina this morning. We had a very short visit as they were headed home. Vic and Justin each own large houseboats sporting twin gassers. They are at the marina pretty much every weekend.
Today finds the Captain doing last minute preperations. One thing that was way overdue was to clean out the lazerettte. There was sh... stuff in there that hadn't seen the light of day since we owned Willow B and probably 8-10 years previously. With the lazarette cleaned out and the fenders, spare lines, water hoses & power cords stowed, I moved on to other projects. I cleaned up a foot rest for the navigator's new helm seat and went up on the bridge to test it out.. Booya!! It will work as I had hoped
On to the NEXT ISSUE... I went to start the main engine and generator. The generator started fine, but the main engine would NOT start. I used a small shot of Starting Fluid into the air intake and it came to life. This is the first time in 4 years that I had to use starting fluid to start this engine. This tells me that I have a leak in the fuel system.
Well, just before winterizing I had the engine worked on. I called Holiday Point Marina and they assured me that this was a repair that they could handle with no problem. After the repair was made, nobody was anywhere to be found to talk to. The lady at the counter ran my credit card and said thank you, Goodbye. I thought it strange at the time that no one was available to discuss the repair, but I brushed it off. Maybe they were busy...
I went aboard Willow B and all seemed okay below decks. It was a bit warm, but I didn't think much about it at the time. I twisted the key and the engine immediately came to life. The trip back to my home marina was quite uneventful. Perfect!!! I winterized Willow B and put her to bed for the winter knowing I had a solid engine to head south with next year.
When I pulled Willow B out of mothballs a few weeks ago, the engine was harder than normal to start. But today, it refused to start at all without the shot of starting fluid. I called Holiday Point Marina in reference to the problem, I was told to run the boat back up and they would take a look at it. I told them I can't safely run 6 hours up the Ohio River AND lock thru on a diesel powered boat with fuel problems. I then asked that since the mechanic lived closer to Shawnee State Marina than Holiday Point, could he come to the boat to troubleshoot this issue? I couldn't believe the answer I received.... "NO."
I asked him to repeat that because I was sure I didn't hear his response correctly. "I said NO." There was NO discussion! Wow! This was my only thought... I asked him if he ever heard of Active Captain. CLICK!! The phone line went dead. He apparently hung up on me!!!
So the Willow B crew is left to solve this issue via other means.
Willow B
NOT Standing By
The Captain is dealing with a broke ass boat!
April 30 - Mad Dash To Correct the Job I Paid Holiday Point To Do!
Here we are with a boat that don't start and plans to cast the lines TOMORROW AM!!!
I contacted yet another mechanic and we went thru the fuel system with a fine tooth comb.
The VERDICT, You Ask?
Many of the stainless steel fuel lines were snug, but not tight. Upon tightening and double-checking all fuel lines Willow B sprang to life when the key was twisted.
Willow B was loaded and a thourough pre-trip inspection was performed. This was a very late day.
It's a damn shame that Holiday Point's response to me when I asked for help was just to hang up on me!! This cost the Willow B crew to dig into their cruising caddy to make repairs that were already paid for once.
If the Crew of Willow B owned a service center and learned that a repair was less than correct and complete, We would have sent the mechanic to the boat, within a reasonable distance, to make the repairs. This is our idea of true customer service.
The crew of Willow B was robbed, only this theif didn't use a gun. They used shitty service to rob Willow B!!!
May 1 - Portsmouth, OH to Fort Thomas, KY
The Captain, Engineer and Head of Security awoke early and the Navigator delivered the Crew to Willow B.
When the key was twisted, Willow B sprang to life! Look Ma, NO Starting Fluid!!!
The first day of the 17-Day trip was quite un-eventful. Well, mostly. The day broke quite chilly. The temp was around 45, so the Crew stayed below deck away from the cold. Well, the cabin was LOADED with stuff and we planned to stow everything as the day went. The Navigator did a GREAT job stocking and stowing much before departure, but Willow B is loaded to the gills with gear.
So the Crew tripped over stuff for most of the day until it warmed up enough to go up and run from the bridge.
We made the Meldahl Lock with no prob and continued on to Cincinnati. Remember last winter running against the current, It took Willow B just over 2 days to make the 100 mile leg from Cincinnati to Shawnee State Park Marina. Anyway, we called Aquaramp Marina and they told us to come on over. Aquaramp Marina is on the Ohio River Channel across the river from Cincinnati. We made the trip in only 12 hours.
The Aquaramp team were great and the facilities were quite unexpected as they were just getting set back up after such a brutal winter. We got waked quite a bit, but that's what fenders are for! We just doubled up the fenders and didn't worry about it.
Lets See What Tomorrow Holds for Willow B...
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13/16
May 2 - Fort Thomas, KY to Madison, IN
The Crew was up and moving around @ 06:00 and preparing to cast the lines when the Captain snapped this pic:
Remember the saying, right?
Red Sky at Night, Sailor's Delight.
Red Sky in Morning, Sailors Take Warning.
Well WE have weather headed our way, but we will worry about that later.
Just afternoon we encountered 35 mph winds directly on our nose and with the wind came 3'-5' wind waves (whitecaps). We were forced to close the fore deck hatch to keep everything dry below decks. We made Markland Lock early afternoon and the Crew really enjoyed going against the wall in 35 mph winds. NOT Pretty!!!
Willow B stopped for the night at River Crest Marina in Madison, IN. This is where the Captain stopped 1 1/2 years ago.
Well, it is much different now. We arrived at 19:00 this evening and no one was around. That's OK, because the pumps are self service and on after hours. We will just whip in a take on 50-60 gallons of fuel and stay the night and be on our way bright and early. Just like last trip.
NOT!!!
The pumps were lit up but would NOT dispense any fuel. AND it is too late to move tonight. So we are hoping someone shows up early tomorrow morning to sell us some fuel. If not, the next fuel stop is 30 miles down river. We have the fuel to get there, the extra stop will just put us very late getting to our next anchorage below Louisville tomorrow.
We have two locks and maybe a fuel stop with a 104 mile leg tomorrow. Can this Intrepid Cruiser make this happen? We will see how it unfolds soon enough.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13/16
May 3 - Madison, IN to Brandenburg, KY
The Crew awoke @ 06:00 and decided to NOT wait for someone to maybe show up to pump fuel, so by 06:15 Willow B was south-bound once again. By the way, here's a shot of the Eastern sky this morning...
Mighty Red...
We began to search Active Captain for another fuel stop. We were hoping for something as close as possible as we felt our fuel reserves were running low. The numbers at the last fuel stop showed 1.7 gallons of fuel per hour, so we made our plans according to this fuel burn. And by these numbers we were getting very low on fuel.
We were making for a marina that showed to carry diesel fuel only 30 miles downriver. So another 4 hours was do-able. Well long story short, this marina is out of business. The Captain was scrambling in an effort to locate a suitable fuel stop when lo and behold, there was Rivers Edge Marina looking us in the face. The Captain called the marina on the phone to verifiy that they did indeed sell diesel fuel. "Why yes we have diesel available. Where are you?" the owner asked. "I'm about 200 feet from your dock!" Click, He hung up!! WTF??? Two minutes later he was standing at the diesel fuel pump ready to catch a line.
WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRISE!!!
The marina looked brand new! They, just like all marinas so far, were just getting set up as the flood waters just subsided within the past week. We pumped fuel and visited with the owner as the tanks filled. Here we were worried that we were dangerously low on fuel, and took on only 54 gallons of fuel.
WOW!!! Our last numbers was 1.7 gallons per hour, and this fuel purchase showed that we only burned 1.2 gallons of fuel per hour!!! Whoo Hooo!!! Our fuel range has returned, we only have a couple items that need attention once we get down to Mobile Bay.
Things are definately looking up!
While we were fueling up the winds picked up to 30-35 mph as the weather hit us dead on the nose. Remember that red sky thing? Well, the weather is upon us BIG time. The Crew stowed everything on the bridge that could possibly blow away and took cover below deck while this weather blew thru.
Willow B made the McAlpine Locks in Louisville, KY by 13:00. We were delayed as Commercial Traffic has priority. There was one in the locks and one waiting in line. We were number two in line. As we were waiting for the doors to open to allow us into the lock chamber, we heard a tug announce that he was a half mile from the arrival point. We thought thay were gonna ask us to move out of the way, but when the doors opened, we got the signal to enter. Whoo Hoo, We were in! Then the fun began. The Crew was trying to coax Willow B along side a wall while 35 mph winds were pushing us away. What fun with a single screw rudder boat with a wicked starboard prop walk... Anyway, we got the job done.
We were released from the lock at 14:45. This was just another delay for today. We made up as much time as we could, but still fell 20 miles short of our goal for the day. Oh well, we should be able to make it upn tomorrow, maybe...
Anyway we dropped the hook in Bradenburg, KY in a wide spot in the river. It was either stop here just before dark or run another 20 miles after dark. It was discussed and the Crew agreed that safe is better. Willow B did 91 miles today in addition to a fuel stop as well as a delay at the lock.
Tomorrow brings us a 118 mile leg with only one lock. So if we don't get delayed, we just may get back on schedule...
We are eager to see what tomorrow has in store for us.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13/16
May 4 - Brandenburg, KY to Lewisport, KY
Today was quite uneventful... Until after we made 86 miles...
Willow B made the Cannelton Locks by 15:15 and were moving downstream when we happened upon this massive Stern Wheeler headed upstream...
This is the American Dutchess...
Her stacks were too tall to clear and were laid down for the transit.
The American Dutchess is an All-Suite Paddle-Wheeler cruise ship which transits the US River System. Kinda cool...
Here is their website ---> American Dutchess
We have shut down early in Grandview, IN to visit old friends and enjoy a night onshore. We will see you in the morning.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13/16
May 5 - Lewisport, KY to Henderson, KY
Happy Cinco de Mayo Everyone!!!
Well the day broke foggy and cold. The Crew moved Willow B downriver about 5 miles and extended our visit while the worst of the weather blew by. We were growing weary of running from the lower helm. Way too much rain, wind and cold to suit this Intrepid Cruiser's Crew. The hook was pulled at noon today and Willow B was once again on the move. The Crew still was forced to run from below all day as the high temp probably was cooler than 70-degrees today.
We made the Newburgh Lock around 16:00 and they had the doors open and were waiting for Willow B's entry. Needless to say the entire locking process took maybe 15 minutes. Bing, Bang, Boom. And away we go...
As we closed in on Evansville, IN we came upon a US Navy boat. This dude's bow opened up! Durndest thing I ever did see... Turns out this boat is USS LST 325! (LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank)
Check out the website for an interesting read. --> LST 325 History
We pushed on and made Henderson Island Anchorage just after dark. What was so cool about today's sunset is THIS...
If you have been following these Adventures that Willow B has been having, you know exactly what this means!
WE ARE RUNNING FROM THE BRIDGE TOMORROW!!!
Now, the Original Plan in mind when the Captain made the decision was to Cruise, but mostly fish in comfort. Well... if the day will allow, we will see just how Willow B pulls Big Game baits.
We can't wait to see this!
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13/16
By the By...
Here's to the Shawnee Marina Gang...
May 6 - Henderson, KY to Golconda, IL
Willow B's Crew awoke to a beautiful sunrise. We enjoyed the sunrise so much that we didn't even think to take a pic for ya'll. Sometimes you have to smell the flowers first hand. But trust us, it was a pretty sight.
Willow B was on the move yet again by 06:15. Oh by the by, we have been in the Central Time Zone for a day or two. The Captain was quite tardy in making this announcement. Anyway we left damn early... Very few pics were taken along this leg of the trip. Once you have seen one or two trees, you have seen them all. Sorry to be so blunt, but as I have stated, I Call them as I see them...
We made John T Myers Lock and waited on a commercial boat (Tug) to enter the big chamber, then we were given the Green Light to enter the small chamber. Once secured in the small chamber we were lowered down about eight feet and were released before the commercial boat. This was great as it took him every bit of 30 minutes to exit the lock chamber, then we would have had to pass him later on. The Lockmaster did Willow B a huge favor!
The Crew reminisced on the trip we enjoyed together back in Nov 2016 running upstream. Many of the landmarks are now gone due to the floods over the fast 18 months.
One thing the Crew did NOT see was Cave-In-Rock, IL. The Crew was alerted to this town by noticing the name of the ferry transporting cars across the Ohio River. It is named Cave-In-Rock Ferry.
Here's a couple of pics of the Cave-In-Rock...
Those little white things in the cave entrance are PEOPLE! This is a BIG cave folks...
Well, a bit of research revealed Cave-In-Rock was a refuge stronghold for frontier outlaws, on the run. These outlaws included many river pirates and highwaymen.
Oh... And we DID rig a couple of lines up with big game baits and Willow B will do a fine job of fishing for us.
The Engineer hates it because when he exits or enters the cabin, he recieves a scratch form one of the rod holders temporarily secured to the bridge ladder.
Oh Well... It is a temporary setup to prove to the Captain that Willow B is a capable fishing boat. Once proved, a proper setup shall be installed. When we get a pretty day, The Crew will take a few pics.
The Engineer had a hell of an Idea! Lets buy a couple of LARGE buck tail lures and troll thru Kentucky Lake and Pickwick Lake for Striped Bass. WHY NOT? RIGHT!!!
So, that is now the plan. Willow B will stop for fuel at Green Turtle Bay Marina and run to town to restock stores (the Engineer has a hankering for boudin) and locate striper lures...
At the end of the day, Willow B traveled 95 miles while making one lock today.
Tomorrow brings us only 21 miles and a single lock before we exit the Ohio River and enter the Cumberland River. We will take the Cumberland River into Lake Barkley, then cross over to Kentucky Lake which is the Tennessee River.
The Crew of Willow B is looking forward to seeing the Tennessee River. This is the stretch of this journey that the Navigator is sad to have missed.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13/16
May 7 - Golconda, IL to Grand Rivers, KY
The day broke clear for the Crew of Willow B. The plan was to move slow as we will be dealing with only 20 miles down the Ohio River, then the Cumberland River Upstream Crawl for thirty miles up to the Barkley Dam. We knew this was an all-day sucker. Well, we were right. We made a smoking 4.5 mph up the Cumberland. This was a grueling 6 1/2 hours to cover this 30 miles.
BUT!! The scenery changed immediately upon leaving the Ohio and entering the Cumberland! We saw ten times more Eagles in that thirty miles of the Cumberland than we did in over six hundred fifty miles of the Ohio. We spotted deer and even had a turkey fly over Willow B's bow.
The Crew started spotting fish floating in the river. Well a bit of research revealed that there was a massive fish kill that Kentucky Deptartment of Fish and Wildlife can't explain. BUT it only affected Asian Carp. Their statement indicated five hundred thousand carp were killed on the Cumberland River below Barkley Dam. Well there's only 30 miles of Cumberland River below Barkely Dam. We know this because we just transited this portion of the river. What ever caused it, it should be released in the Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi & Ohio Rivers to eradicate the river systems of this invasive species.
One thing we do know for sure is the Bald Eagle does not like Asian food... I know, I know. The Bald Eagle is not a scavenger, which means they don't normally eat dead sh... stuff. Now, IF a buzzard could land on water, there would be a bunch of buzzards too full to fly...
The Plan was to stop at Green Turtle Bay Marina and fuel up as well as to make a grocery run. The Engineer decided we need to purchase a few large fresh-water lures to troll for Striped Bass. What a great idea. We were about to transit over two hundred miles of the Tennesse River and Kentucky Lake which is known for big stripers. Why not fish on the way?
We made Barkley Lock around 18:15 and were clear by 19:15. The fly in the ointment is that Green Turtle Bay Marina closed @ 18:00. So we are tied alongside their fuel dock and shall await their return at 08:00 tomorrow morning. Once fueled, the crew will locate more food and tackle. While backing into the fuel dock we were being watched by folks in a pontoon boat. Once we were secured the pontoon boat pulled up and it turned out to be Bill Gary, the Harbormaster of Green Turtle Bay Marina. He recognized Willow B and followed us in. If you renmember Willow B made Green Turtle Bay Marina her home for the last half of 2016. We visited briefly and we were left to finish our post trip chores.
Tomorrow should find us casting lines by 10:00 or 10:30. We should have much adventure...
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13/16
May 8 - Grand Rivers, KY to Big Sandy,TN
What a Great Day!!!
The Crew awoke to a warm morning, here at Green Turtle Bay Marina, and had all the maintenance issues and systems checks done by 07:00. AND we still had an hour to wait for the marina office to open at 08:00. We just admired the day unfold before us while docked in a marina that felt like an old friend. We really enjoyed this marina from a couple of years ago.
Willow B took on only 61 Gallons of Fuel since fueling up at Rivers Edge Marina in Charleston, IN five days ago. Willow B has logged 56 hours in this time, which works out ot 1.1 Gallons of Fuel per Hour. NOT too Shabby...
Anyway, Willow B took on 50 Gallons of Potable Water since we took on water at Aquaramp Marina on May 1 (our first night).
Wow, a full week and we only used 50 gallons of water. What a frugal Crew!
The Crew then took a courtesy car to town to purchase trolling lures for Striper fishing as well as hit hte local grocery store. The Crew purchased enough food to make the rest of the trip and then some. Oh well... One thing the Engineer insisted on was BOUDIN!! Please look this up if you don't know what it is... This is a Cajun meal in a sausage casing...
Anyway we trolled a couple of lures as we transited Kentucky Lake. We didn't hook-up, but saw tens of thousands of large fish. These large fish were Asian Carp!!!
Sure wish someone would learn how to eradicate this invasive species of fish! I remember decades ago Texas Parks & Wildlife tried to kill off the weeds and such from Lake Conroe. They introduced Carp into this Trophy Bass Lake and the Carp ate all the cover in the lake. The TPWD had to 'kill' the lake of everything living and growing in the water and start over. I think they learned very early that these damn Carp are nothing to play with. The Carp have taken over all the major rivers from the Mississippi/Missouri on east.
They have electric fish barriers in place in an effort to keep these Carp from entering the Great Lakes.
Anyway, Willow B left Green Turtle Bay Marina aroune 10:00 this morning and ran for 11 hours and dropped the hook @ 21:00 in Big Sandy TN, 60 miles upstream.
Hopefully we can take in many more miles more of this beautiful Kentucky/Tennessee scenery.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By 13/16
May 9 - Big Sandy,TN to Clifton, TN
The day broke clear and a bit cool. There was little dew on Willow B's decks. An old timer was just launching as Willow B's crew watched thru the haze of the morning. The old timer was wearing yellow bib slicker bottoms that you might see commercial fishermen wearing. We watched him and the setup of his boat and we agreed that this dude was indeed a commercial fisherman. Our guess was that he was catching catfish via jug lines and selling them to a local market. The crew watched him run a few lines before we paid attention to our own chores.
The first of which was raising the anchor. Willow B was floating directly above the anchor, which makes life easier so early in the morning. BUT... The rode came up covered in thick mud. So the task of hauling the anchor became quite tedious. Pull in three feet, rinse the rode, pull in three feet, rinse the rode, pull in.... You get the Idea... The Crew double-teamed the rode and anchor and had the task completed in 10-15 minutes.
Willow B was nudged from the little anchorage into the main river channel and was once again headed south.
The crew watched these big birds with white heads and rumps flying EVERYWHERE!!! We have seen eagles, but never so many!!!
Just about every daymark had an osprey nest perched upon it with an osprey or two tending.
The crew didn't take many pictures as we wanted to enjoy the scenery first hand and not from behind a camera. So we may very well not even go with the video thing that we planned. We will see.
One thing the Captain took pics of is 4 houses in a row. Check this out...
These houses are side by side!!! We saw 4 identical houses side by side just previous to these four. The captain remembers reading a book when he was just learning to read called "Mr Pine's Purple House". Anybody remember this book from the 1960's?
These houses were just that book brought to real life. Who'd a thunk it?
Anyway, the Tennessee River did NOT disappoint the Crew as the scenery drifted by.
Tomorrow will find Willow B on her last day on the Tennessee River. There is one lock to transit and Pickwick Lock is a 55' lift, so we may be delayed exiting this river and entering the Tom Bigbee Waterway.
It will be a big achievement if Willow B makes Pickwick Lock before dark tomaorrow.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13/16
May 10 - Clifton, TN to Counce, TN
Willow B was once again on the move by 06:00 this morning.
And what a beautiful morning it is!
The Captain was left on the Bridge for a few hours early. Too many eagles to count were spotted, as well as a red fox busy searching every square inch of land along the water's edge. Aparently looking for breakfast. Soon thereafter two racoons were washing their breakfast on the sandy shoreline. Bob White Quail could be heard as well...
WOW!!! I thought we had wildlife in the Southern Ohio Woods that we call home. Southern Tennessee is some beautiful country to see if you are lucky enough to experience it slowly instead of 75 mph down a highway somewhere. I sure hope the folks who live here do really appreciate what they have.
Again, the Crew took few pics as they do not do the scenery justice... And the cool houses & camps are just that. Houses & camps. Sorry.
But we did capture a few interesting images...
Here's another 4 houses next to each other...
This poor guy literally is about to loose his house!
And here's a retaining wall that failed. This retaining wall is next door to the house that's about to fall into the river.
Willow B made Pickwick Lock at 15:30 which is way earlier than we calculated, but we have a 2-3 hour wait for commercial traffic. The marina we were hoping to make today closes @ 17:00. Fuel is gonna have to wait for later.
We now plan to make Midway Marina sometime tomorrow afternoon and take on fuel and supplies, then keep moving. By delaying our fuel purchase by an additional 50-60 miles, we are able to eliminate one fuel stop all together. So far this trip, each of our fuel stops have cost us an extra 3-4 hour delay. These 3-4 hour delays have already set us back over a day.
On a trip that ends with fishing offshore, every little delay is painful.
Willow B is anchored out in Pickwick Lake, just a couple of miles from the Lock. Can't wait to see how the TomBigbee Waterway treats us...
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13/16
May 11 - Counce, TN to Fulton, MS
The Crew was up early and nudged Willow B towards Grand Harbor Marina. The plan was to be at the fuel dock when they opened @ 08:00. We were successful. Willow B consumed a whopping 43 gallons of fuel since filling up at Green Turtle Bay Marina on the 8th! So in three days of running Willow B consumed only 1.1 gallons per hour!
The Crew really enjoyed visiting with the folks @ Grand Harbor. We could have talked all day about offshore fishing.
Grand Harbor is one of only two marinas that the Willow B crew would call First Class so far in close to 4,000 miles of cruising.
Now, there were many, many nice stops along the way, but Nelly Potts is a Harbormaster who knows what it takes to excel.
I may upset others, but like I said a long time ago... I call it like I see it.
Willow B covered 72 miles, stopped for fuel and supplies AND made 4 Locks, the largest being Jamie Whitten Lock with an eighty four foot ride down as we left Pickwick Lake. Thats a long way folks!!!
These two pics are of the same door, before and after they let the water out from under Willow B.
The Crew really enjoyed the scenery today. The wildlife was everywhere! Hundreds of eagles and osprey. Local folks were fishing everywhere for all manner of fish.
Life is Good
That is the only way to express the exposure to this wonderful area. The views were picturesque. So much so that a camera could not do it justice. The crew tried to capture small samples of this area, but no matter how good the shots came out, they weren't even close to being here in person...
At the end of the day Willow B ran 15 hours today in an effort to make up time lost throughout the trip thus far.
The plan is to make 4 more locks tomorrow.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 16
May 12 - Fulton, MS to Pickensville, AL
Willow B has exited Mississippi and entered Alabama!
The Crew awoke earl....
Are ya'll tired of hearing that we woke up early?
Personally, I'm damn tired of doing it, and even more tired of bragging about it!
Waking up early sucks after a 15 hour day...
So from now on just imagine that we awoke and got on the move early...
Of Course we got on the move early, else we would NOT be able to achieve the hours under way that we have.
Okay, that being said, what a great day the crew did have. The wildlife was spectacular. More eagles and osprey than one could imagine seeing in one day. Check...
Not one, but TWO water moccasins swimming across the river. Check...
Wierd white objects in the sky leaving southbound at unbelievable speeds. Check.
Pink Elephants. Well... Not that bad YET...
We made 78 miles while making 4 Locks today!
Willow B is at anchor above the Tom Bevill Lock at Mile Marker 306. We will lock thru first thing in the morning and head south yet again.
We Can't wait to see whats around the next bend!
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 16
May 13 - Pickensville, AL to Boligee, AL
We made the Tom Bevill Lock @ 08:30, and was immediately locked thru. The crew was then rewarded with more great scenery of the Tom Bigbee Waterway today.
Willow B made 2 locks and 55 miles today. We got held up at the Howell Heflin Lock for close to 2-hours. BUT we especialy enjoyed visiting with the Lockmaster. What a cut-up! This guy really enjoyed life. The tug captains were all business as usual, but this dude made it VERY difficult to remain serious.
Here's a couple of shots of the TB Waterway between Mississippi and I-20.
You may (or may not have) noticed that Willow B's windscreen is absent. This windscreen performed a wonderful job IF you did not want the wind on you while on the bridge. Well, this was GREAT when the weather was in the 40's or so, but Willow B now lives in the south where us fat guys sweat when it's 90-degrees out and no breeze is hitting you.
Now any wind will help keep the crew (CAPTAIN) cool!!!
The absence of this windscreen really opens up the view from the bridge but really takes away from the lines of Willow B.
The Crew's comfort trumps pretty every time.
We can't wait to see Willow B from a distance to see what this change makes.
Tomorrow mid-day should find us at Kingfisher Bay Marina. There Willow B will take on 35-40 gallons of fuel, water, and food stores.
The Crew is looking forward to Kingfisher.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 16
May 14 - Boligee, AL to Pennington, AL
Willow B made Kingfisher Bay Marina in Demopolis, AL. by noon. The crew attempted to hail both Kingfisher and Demopolis Yacht Basin and got no response on CH 16 or CH 9. We called and got no answer for a couple of days, just one of those phone mail messages..."If you want the Fuel Dock, Press (whatever); If you want Service, Press (something else); If you want..... Well you get the picture. Thats all we got...
So we pulled into Kingfisher and we were met by someone asking "Kin I Hep Ya?" We asked if they sold diesel. Yep, the fuel dock is over in the next marina, Just go over there. I told em that we have been trying to raise them over the radio and phone with no luck.
Anyway, we motor over to Yacht Basin. As the fuel dock is on the port side as we pulled in, the Captain just spun Willow B around to dock on the starboard side. This seemed to raise some concern on behalf of the Dockmaster. The engineer dropped a stern line on the indicated cleat, perfect now the captain was gonna use this line to spring against and pull the bow into position. This method is our go-to move. Makes us look like we know what we are doing.
Each time the Dockmaster reached for the rail to pull Willow B into position, the Captain asked him to please not pull on my bow rails. The Captain asked the Dockmaster three times to stop pulling on the rail. They are not handles. Well, the Dockmaster got kinda pissed and sharp. Thats about when the Captain asked the Engineer to start doing the math and lets get on down the river and buy our fuel elsewhere. The Dockmaster lightened up and sold us 48 gallons of fuel.
The plan was to grab a courtesy car and go into town for a food run as Willow B's cupboards are becoming quite bare. Not to mention the complete lack of beer!
That Plan changed BIG TIME! We paid for our fuel and shoved off. The Dockmaster said to just climb aboard and he would cast the lines. The captain told him "No, We've got it." The lines were cast and we shoved off even before we had the engine started. We were wanting to get away from there that quickly.
Willow B made one lock today with one left for tomorrow.
This is a shot of the river just below the Demopolis Locks.
We are currently at anchor around the 169 mile marker, which means only 169 river miles to Mobile then it's about 20 miles or so south of Mobile to Dog River Marina where Willow B is expected. If all continues, this will be a Thursday AM arrival.
We are making our final push, but man its pretty tough with days like today where it is too hot to be on the bridge.
Oh well, We can't wait for what tomorrow brings us.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 16
May 15 - Pennington, AL to Coffeeville, AL
Today finds the crew on the bridge all day. Thanks to the removal of the windscreen. As Willow B would change directions, the wind would either decrease or increase and the crew would endure. Anyway, the day brought great anticipation.
Willow B made the last lock on the Tom Bigbee Waterway. And this will probably be the last lock she transits for a while.
The Engineer spotted a small (4-foot) alligator in the middle of the river and doubted his eyes. When described to the Captain, it was comfirmed, it was probably a gator. Twenty minutes later, another small gator was spotted. Then the crew started searching for Mama Gator. And less than twenty minutes later the Engineer spotted a 10-Foot gator easing off the bank as Willow B passed by. Yep, we found the mama gator.
What was funny to the crew, was about 45-minutes later we spotted a 6-foot gator and not a mile downstream, a couple of kids were playing in the river, while mom watched from the shore.
Now, IF the Crew shut down Willow B and warned mom about the gator, we would have been laughed at as a couple of Yankees scared of a little ole gator. The Captain knows this because he was raised in SW Lousiana and wasn't bothered as a child by a little gator.
Anyway, no pics were taken as the crew was enjoying the sights.
Willow B made the single lock and 85 miles in 13 hours of travel today.
The plan is to stop short of Mobile tomorrow as the Captain does not wish to transit the Mobile Ship Channel in the dark tomorrow.
The rule is to NEVER arrive at an unknown port or anchorage after dark. This is a recipe for disaster.
Today is our last full day of travel for this leg of Willow B's adventure. Tomorrow is gonna be a 60-65 mile day with no locks. This should be a very short day. A few tasks are scheduled to be completed in anticipation of our arrival at Dog River Marina.
The Crew is anticipating the completion of this journey.
The next task put in front of Willow B is to test her ability to fish.
The Crew can't wait for this challenge!
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 16
May 16 - Coffeeville, AL to Axis, AL
Willow B's day started out with a few maintenance items to take care of.
First was simply checking the fluid levels of both the main engine and Generator. This is simple enough.
Second was tightening up the stuffing box. While completing this task, the bilge pump started up. BUT the crew noticed that the bilge pump was NOT working as efficiently as it should. After a bit of investigation, the crew discovered a split fitting.
Well it is time to break out the fittings store. Nothing that fit was anywhere to be found! BUT, the crew jury rigged a fitting that will serve Willow B for a couple of days. Willow B has but 30 hours and she will be @ Dog River Marina. There is a West Marine onsite at Dog River. We will find the much needed fitting there.
As Willow B drew nearer to Mobile, the storms grew to a weather system big enough to prompt the US Coast Guard to issue an Advisory for Mobile Bay as well as Pascagoula, MS to Pensacola and out 20 miles.
When the storms hit, the radio calls to the Coast Guard started. I believe there was three calls for assistance on Mobile Bay alone. I believe the vessels in distress were 20-25 feet.
Willow B stopped short today as the crew did not wish to travel the Mobile Ship Channel after dark. This was the plan to wait until Thursday morning to make Dog River Marina. Dog River will be Willow B's new home for the next forseeable future.
The Crew is confident that Willow B will make an acceptable fishing platform. It will be Friday before we know for sure.
The immediate fishing opportunity will be the Engineers desire to catch a prehistoric fish. So Willow B will fish Thursday night for Alligator Gar. Gar eat at night and the crabs don't, so the crabs will not eat the bait used to catch Gar. The Captain is an old hand at Garfish as he as fished for many, many years as a youth for these prehistoric fish.
Hopefully Friday will find Willow B out on the Briney Blue!
The Crew can't wait!
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 16
May 17 - Axis, AL to Mobile, AL
Willow B made only 6 hours today.
The first two hours of the morning was spent watching eagles, ospreys, pelicans and sea gulls chasing fish.
This is a few pics of the area just north of Mobile...
Willow B spent the next little while transiting the Mobile Port, which was not very busy, but a bit of commercial traffic moving about.
A few odd commercial boats...
This boat (Bali Sea from Singapore) is carrying railroad cars!
Even stealth boats. We tried getting better pics, but were unsuccessful. The crew thought of firing up the radar to see if we could see them on radar, but it was too late, we already passed them...
The Engineer was at the helm when we were passed by the local US Coast Guard
Then we spent a couple of hours in Mobile Bay. As we were unfamiliar with the Bay, we just stayed in the ship channel until we made the Dog River entrance channel.
Our arrival to Dog River Marina was quite anticipated.
The Dog River Marina is a highly rated marina which is said to have been voted one of the top twenty five marinas in the US. The crew was looking forward to seeing Willow B's new home.
We arrived at Dog River Marina ahead of an afternoon storm. This storm was quite severe. We experienced 50 mph winds and torrential rains. The storm blew through in an hour or so.
Well, the crew was greatly underwhelmed. There are no cleats in this marina. Instead, you tie your dock lines to a piling which supports the dock. Your boat rests against 2X6's bolted to the pilinngs. Fender boards are a must!! Fender boards are made up of a 2X6 four or six foot long. A fender is affixed to either end. The fenders rest against your hull and the 2X6 itself rests against the piling or post. This gives your boat a bit of leeway fore and aft and still remain fended. Willow B has no such fender boards.
Some of the pilings have different colored carpet pieces wrapped and nailed in place.
Well where Willow B rested against the 2X6, a bolt securing the board to the pilling protruded by about 1/2". The crew did NOT notice this bolt sticking out. This protruding bolt became a major issue once the tide dropped about 2'. When traffic passed Willow B rocked back and forth gouging the rub rail and fiberglass.
The crew was not onboard when this damage was occuring.
The offending bolt head is rounded off. This means that it has rubbed the crap out of many boats before Willow B happened along. What does this say about this marina?
The overall condition of this marina is marginal at best, in this crew's opinion.
Their website tout their facilities as the finest in the area. Not EVEN Close!
This facility is a shipyard with mechanical services, but absolutely NOT a place for tourists or recreational boaters. Hell, the crew even had to suffer through the Dockmaster drone on about how much he hated boats! He even told us that his dad was the Dockmaster before him and how much he hated boats too. "BUT he didn't mind taking money form rich boaters." These are his words as witnessed by the crew
REALLY??? What a damned Joke!!!
Willow B shall stay overnight and move on to another area first thing in the morning. The ONLY reason Willow B is staying is that by the time the storm blew through, it was too late to begin travel in a 6-knot boat.
Hopefully we will fare better tomorrow.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 16
May 18 - Mobile, AL to Elberta, AL
Before shoving off from Dog River, the Captain asked the Dockmaster to take a look at the issue with the exposed bolt.
The Dockmaster stated, "Oh ok, I know who to contact to fix that." He was talking about his fricking dock! Didn't give a damn or even address the damage to Willow B's rub rail. The Captain turned around to ask about Willow B's rather severe rash and he was gone.
I figured this is just about right seeing the condition of this place. It seems the original owner has passed away and the condition of the marina is falling into disrepair. We couldn't get Willow B under way soon enough to suit the crew.
Good Riddance!!!
Willow B made Mobile Bay soon enough and crossed South West onto the Intercoastal Waterway.
The Intercoastal Waterway runs some 3000 miles from Boston MA southward along the Atlantic Coast to Florida, then around Florida's tip then along the Gulf of Mexico's coast to Brownsville, TX. Some sections of the waterway consist of natural inlets, saltwater rivers, bays, and sounds, while others are man-made canals. The Intercoastal Waterway provides a navigable route along its length without exposure to the weather hazards of travel on the open sea.
The trip between Mobile Bay and Perdido Bay was short and sweet due to a 2-knot following tide. The crew did enjoy the sights along the way. One place we enjoyed seeing was LuLu's Restraunt at Homeport Marina. LuLu (Lucy) is Jimmy Buffet's sister. The crew considered stopping for a meal, but we were ready to see the party awaiting Willow B's arrival at Barber Marina. Now, Barber is in the middle of nowhere. Rumor has it, Mr Barber learned of a new bridge in the planning stages was to be constructed. Mr Barber bought up thousands of acres and built a first class marina. Well... long story short, the bridge did NOT happen and the marina is 15-20 miles by automobile to the nearest resteraunt or store. BUT Barber Marina is First Class. The crew would place it in a group of only four really top notch marinas that Willow B has visited over the years.
The only drawback was that Willow B leased the very last available slip in the entire marina. Which put Willow B backing in for a starboard tie. This slip's predominant south wind pushes Willow B away from the dock and towards the neighboring 50' Bertram. AND this leaves Willow B's salon door exposed to the west. The west is where the bad weather comes from and the setting sun heats the salon up quite a bit. Soooo Willow B was spun around to make a port tie. This means that there is absolutely no room for screwing this up. The significant prop walk will pull Willow B's stern away from the dock and into the big Bert next door if too much reverse is applied. AND with the wind pushing the same way. Well, Lets just say everything must happen correctly...
No Pressure!! Right?
Willow B was then put to bed and dock lines were adjusted and then readjusted so that the crew need only lift the lines and leave them on the dock ready for Willow B's return. Once power cords were set, attention was directed to a late lunch.
The Navigator's father and Tim (very good friend) joined the crew for lunch. The captain was open for anywhere to eat as long as it was LuLu's.
Now, the captain is usually open to eating anything or anywhere. Food is food, right?
So when he made a request, there had to be a good reason. So LuLu's it was. AND what a fine seafood treat it was! NOW this is how it's supposed to be. Kinda like one of those Lowenbrau commercials...
Good Friends, Good Food, Good Beer, Good Atmosphere
After a meal was had, the crew settled in and visited for hours.
The Engineer wanted to make an attempt to target a specific fish. The prehistoric alligator gar. So we sourced some large mullet for bait. Everything else needed was already onboard. So we looked at the charts and decided upon an anchorage very near. Just before dark Willow B was moved to the anchorage.
The captain showed the Engineer how to rig the mullet on the treble hook. Many large Gafftop catfish (sail cats) were caught, but no gar were to be had.
We just stayed at anchor overnight with expectations of getting offshore tomorrow.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 16
May 19 - Elberta, AL
Well Willow B took the crew offshore today. The Perdido Pass was quite busy. Today is Saturday! And with it brings forth all the weekenders.
The majority of vessels were jet skis. We called them Dammits! As in "Dammit!!! There's Another One!"
These things would run the pass, back & forth. They were marginally in the way. BUT, they are legal to be there. Legal don't make it right or safe. Between the Dammits and the boats blairing all manner of offensive music, this Captain wonders what the hell happened to humanity. The music blairing consists of more Fu%k you's and pu$$y lyrics than any crap errr RAP heard before.
The music was turned down when the law would motor by, but these speedo wearing clowns didn't know that even this deaf captain heard this noise from over 1/2 mile away.
This was the party scene at Perdido Pass sand bar.
Once out the pass Willow B was in Blue Water just off the beach. The Engineer set the rods and we pulled baits for a short while, before the captain decided that 3-5' seas were too much to enjoy. The NOAA report called for less than 2' seas. Well we did, in fact, have 2' seas out of the east. The problem was the 3-5's out of the south @ a period of 4-5 seconds. It was a confused sea. It was like a rubber ducky in a washing machine. It wasn't pleasant in any way, shape or form. Willow B was directed back to Barber Marina and the crew called it a day.
All in all, it was a good day and we will see what tomorrow brings.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 16
May 20 - Elberta, AL
The Engineer jumped ship today. He comandeered the Navigator's Jeep and headed for Texas to visit friends. This is a trip he has looked forward to for quite some time.
The remaining crew jumped in and scrubbed Willow B from stem to stern. This washdown took most of the morning.
The afternoon was whiled away. We always enjoy meeting the neighbors. The difference is that THESE neighbors were on BIG boats! Willow B occupied the last slip @ Barbers, and this slip was not on the dock berthing 30-35' boats. This was on a dock berthing 42-55' boats. These were ranging from Grand Banks to Hatteras to Bertrams to Meridians to well... You get the picture...
This day found us napping and really relaxing. Tomorrow we head back offshore.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 16
May 21 - Elberta, AL
The Crew headed Willow B back to Perdido Pass for yet another offshore run.
This was a Monday, so the weekenders were not to be found. There was very little boat traffic on this day.
The water was just as beautiful as it was Saturday. AND it was a bit calmer, but still not what the crew would call comfortable. At 1/2 mile out the captain set the baits and we set out for likely fishy locations.
We trolled in 35-56' of water over many man-made pyramid reefs. After a few hours it was decided that this was still too rough to be called enjoyable. Willow B was turned around and pointed back to Perdido Pass.
Willow B was rinsed down and put to bed.
The Crew headed back home to Ohio the following morning. A few short weeks will find the crew aboard once again.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by...
August 10 - Willow B is For Sale
It is with a a heavy heart that we must say Good Bye to our Intrepid Little Cruiser. Circumstances have changed which now make it quite difficult to make cruising a priority.
With this reality, a choice had to be made. Haul Willow B and store her on the hard for an extended period or sell her...
If we stored Willow B on the hard, she would fall into disrepair very quickly. So the tough decision was made that we must find a new home for Willow B.
She has been a safe, stable, reliable platform and has carried this crew many thousands of miles over the past 4 years.
The Crew had an uninterrupted front row seat like no other and did enjoy the view and the experience.
The Captain is thankful for the time spent aboard and the friends made along the way.
Nov 1 - Elberta, AL
Willow B has been sold.
The Buyer is planning his Great Loop adventure. Willow B has already proved to be a capable platform for this endeavor.
This Crew wishes the new Crew well and will work to make the transition as painless as possible.
Willow B has been a part of this Captain's life for only 4 short years, but the memories will last a lifetime.
This is Willow B signing out.
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