Iuka, MS to Decatur, AL

Yesterday we left J.P. Coleman State Park in light rain, which quickly ended once we got underway. Prior to our departure, Jay and Peggy from Sunshine stopped by to say Hi. They are finishing up their Loop and are the second couple in as many weeks to introduce themselves and report that they used to own a MacGregor. 

We spent the entire day on Pickwick Lake, which got a little choppy in the afternoon, and was exacerbated by repeated high-speed, close-range encounters with fishing boats. We thought that they were just rude here, but later learned that there was a fishing tournament going on, which may partially excuse the discourteous boating. We spent last night at Florence Harbor Marina in Florence, AL, after a 36-mile day. Dinner was at the marina’s River Bottom Grille and it was warm enough to eat outside on their deck overlooking the harbor entrance. Across the river is Sheffield, AL, home of the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and FAME Studios and nearby Tuscumbia, AL, birthplace of Helen Keller.

This morning was one of the few days we’ve set an alarm clock—an early wake-up was necessary to get in the queue to transit the Wilson Lock. We left our slip just before dawn, wiggled through the tournament fisherman launching at the boat ramp, and arrived at the lock at first light. We survived the wild ride up 94 feet from Pickwick Lake to Wilson Lake, the highest single-lift lock east of the Rocky Mountains. Kathleen got her morning workout fending the boat off the lock wall as the fast-moving water tried to drive our bow into the concrete. 

Fifteen miles later, we were at Wheeler Lock, but the timing was unfortunate as a large tow was splitting its barges into two halves, as is common. We waited 2.5 hours in a building chop until it was our turn, then went up another 48 feet. Why are these locks and dams so tall? One reason is that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dams are hydroelectric power generators and a high water drop is beneficial. The other purpose is for safe navigation. Before the TVA, the 650-mile Tennessee River was rarely navigable end to end, due to obstructions such as Muscle Shoals, a 35-mile stretch of waterfalls, rapids, reefs, sandbars, islands and other hazards, which are now deep under water.

The wind kept building this afternoon and kicked up some nice rollers on Wheeler Lake. Fortunately they were on our stern and we rode the fair winds and following seas 41 miles to Decatur, AL, where we docked at the Ingalls Harbor municipal dock, former home of a shipyard and current home to some public dragonfly art.