Author: Dan

The first part of this leg covered 223 miles from Demolopis, AL to the junction with the Tennessee River.

The boat was unload and launched on the evening of the 25th so we were able to stay aboard. Matt and the crew at Demopolis Yacht Basin were terrific. The next morning we fueled up and headed about 50 miles up theTenn-Tom Waterway. We anchored up at the Gainsville cut off just below the Howell Heflin Lock. Mud everywhere about 4’ up the banks, very poor holding….ended up tied to a tree.

The next day we passed thru three locks, the Howell Heflin, Tom Bevill and John Stennis and stopped at Columbus Marina along with several other boats working their way thru the locks.

The next morning we stopped at the Waverly Plantantion, had to anchor up take the tender ashore and walk half a mile…well worth it. We were still able to get thru four more locks that day and stayed at Midway Marina.

The following day, the 28th, we covered four more locks and had a nice stop at the Bay Springs Lake visitor’s center and then arriving at Aqua Marine mile 449 on the 29th.

From here we enter the Cumberland and spend the night at Green Turtle Marina.

The second part of this leg covers 183 miles from the junction with the Tenn-Tom to Kentucky Lake where the Tennessee and the Cumberland are joined by a canal.

We start by going down the Tennessee River, entering at about the base of Pickwick Lake that was created by the Pickwick Dam. Below the dam the river is narrow and not very interesting, essentially no development visible.

At Clifton, we stopped at cute marina and walk into town for ice cream….what are those strange people doing walking! On the 30th we tied up at Perryville Marina, the restaurant featured ‘fried green beans’ and closed at 6pm.

After a stop at Birdsong Creek with a long tender ride we anchored up for lunch at Cyprus Creek. Then onto Kenlake State Park, our last stop on the Tennessee before we cut over to the Cumberland River. Here the Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee and the Barkley Dam on the Cumberland are coordinated so as to keep the two rivers at the same level. This allows for a canal between them without a lock. Between the two rivers is a huge state park call Land Between the Lakes….amazingly with no boat docks.

This first leg of the Summer 2010 travels on True South started in Miami and ended in St. Petersburg, FL.

From the winter dockage at Matheson Hammock County Park, we headed out for Islamorada Key where we docked among some noisy early morning fisherman. From there we cut across Florida Bay just above Duck Key and anchored up in the Shark River.

The Shark is on the west coast in the Everglades National Park and very beautiful. The next day we traveled east up the Shark and then west down the Harney River, about 50 miles thru the mangroves. Reentering the gulf at the mouth of the Harney, even at high tide was tricky trying to find a thread thru the tidal flats.

That night, the 9th, we were at Marco Island, then on to Fisherman’s Village, and Naples. At Naples we fueled up, walked around and provisioned at the farmer’s market.

At Ft Meyers Beach, we picked up a mooring ball and laid over on the 11th and 12th. Major blow with torrential rain on the 12th.

From there on to Tampa where we stayed at the downtown Marjorie Park Marina and then on the 16th we tied up at St. Petersburg Municipal Marina where we would leave the boat until we returned on May 12th.