Kentucky Lake and the Ten-Tom
October 19, 2025
After 11 hours of driving on Friday and another 7 the next day, we arrived back to our boat at Kenlake Marina in Kentucky. We had been home for about a week taking care of business. Apple picking with family and a picnic afterwards was a highlight. Lauren peeled and cut up several pounds of a mixture of apples and prepped them for the freezer. She made a batch of apple butter and canned it. Oatmeal cookies and molasses crinkles were baked and packaged for travel. We brought back a few of her raspberry jam, peach jam, plum jam, apple butter, tomatillo relish and marinara sauce; all canned goodies. The pantry at home is starting to look bare. One daughter made a delicious apple crumble and our other daughter gave us a container of home-made potato leek soup.
When we arrived back at Kenlake, it was almost 90 degrees. It took a bit of time to unload and get everything put away. The marina has a restaurant on the premises, so Lauren was thankful she didn’t have to cook dinner after the long drive. This morning, we woke to a downpour, high winds and cold. We had thought about leaving a day earlier than planned, but since it was a bit nasty out, we decided to stay put for the day. The potato leek soup with corn muffins was the perfect lunch on this cold, blustery day. We’ve been in contact with Paul and Jill on Pelican. They want to meet us in Florence, AL; that is about 4 travel days from here. If the weather stays agreeable, we may push it a bit; we will anchor along the way.
October 20, 2025
Left Kenlake Marina at 6:50. Exiting the marina into the river, found us in a fog bank. Brian pulled up the radar and overlayed it on our chart; this helped as we couldn’t see a darn thing; a bit un-nerving even when Lauren follows the route planned. Thankfully, the chart plotter has all kinds of tools to help us navigate. It took about two hours before the sun burned off the fog; after that it was an uneventful ride. We only passed three tugs with barges and encountered three bridges. The last bridge of the day was a railroad bridge. Brian called the bridge attendant inquiring about clearance. He was told 26ish feet. Our boat’s air draft is 24 feet with everything up. When we got closer, we could tell we had at least 6 feet of clearance. It was a beautiful sunny ride, but way too long. We exercised to keep from getting antsy. Other than the tugs, we saw only two other pleasure craft. The first boat was about 60 foot long. He came up so suddenly. Even though he had AIS, we did not see him until he was beside us because he came up so darn fast. He was three quarters the way past when he hailed us. He wanted Lauren to slow down so he could pass. Good grief! Even though he slowed, he was still going almost 3 times our speed and requesting us to slow down when he was already beyond us. Lauren replied to just keep going and turned into his wake which was pretty substantial. The captain then opened the throttles and took off; we noted on our chart that he was doing 30+ knots. We traveled 63 miles down Kentucky Lake; it took us ten hours before dropping anchor just off Cuba Landing Marina. Thankfully the channel entrance was well marked as it was rather shallow getting into the anchorage area. There were two other Loopers anchored; one was a Golden Looper. Tomorrow will be another long day – can’t wait!
October 21, 2025
Last night after dinner, we sat out on the foredeck thinking we would be listening to nature. Instead, all we could hear was the tractor trailers on Route I40 which is a major East West route from Barstow, CA to Route 117 to Wilmington, NC. You could barely see the traffic through the trees, but you could definitely hear it. It actually didn’t bother us inside the boat.
This morning the anchor was up just before 7:00 and we moseyed our way back out to the river. We were so glad we didn’t have fog to deal with. The wind is down and we are moving slightly faster than yesterday. It is so calm, that Lauren went below to the galley and cooked up a delicious breakfast.
October 22, 2025
The last two days of travel were pleasant, but long. We saw several flocks of Coots, a water fowl. Also, spotted a few deer, but other than that, no other wildlife. Our anchorage last night was quiet. We were anchored just off the river along with two other boats behind Wolf Island. There was little barge traffic and for the most part, no other boat traffic until we got a bit closer to Florence. The last two days we spent hours on our phones trying to get our medical insurance changed. What a run-a-round. Instead of getting answers, we were told to call another number. We would call that number and again, no answers, but we could call another number. It was so frustrating. Finally found a contact that was answering our questions, but the calls kept getting dropped because of the hills flanking the river. We were able to re-connect and spent another hour discussing our choices. The federal government hasn’t published the new figures for deductibles for the Medicare plans. They should be published by the second week of November. So, we are scheduled for a conference call about then to complete our application. Fingers crossed, that it goes smoothly.
We arrived at the Florence Marina and docked by 4:30. Lauren’s first priority was a getting a load of laundry done. We left a message informing Paul & Jill on Pelican that we had arrived. Later that evening we had dinner with Paul & Jill at the Marina restaurant. It was great meeting up with them again. Before heading to bed, we watched a documentary about the Muscle Shoals Music. We were planning on touring the Muscle Shoals Recording Studio.
October 24, 2025
Yesterday, we visited the Muscle Shoals Recording Studio with Paul and Jill. Visitors from around the world travel to Muscle Shoals to experience the birthplace of the iconic Muscle Shoals Sound. This “sound” allowed artists to find a groove like they had never experienced elsewhere. The success of the studio during the 1960’s and 70’s established the Shoals as the “Hit Recording Capital of the World”. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cher, Percy Sledge, Paul Simon, The Stones, Bob Seger, Wilson Pickett and so many other famous performers used the sound studio to produce gold and platinum albums. The backup musicians that worked with all the bands were called the Swampers. The were local guys in their teens when the started. It was a fantastic tour and our tour guide was phenomenal!
We stopped for a barbecue sandwich – Carolina Barbecue, which is vinegar based – tasty! Next up on our agenda was touring Helen Keller’s Home. We all enjoyed that tour. Last tour of the day was the Belle Mont Mansion built for Dr. Alexander Mitchell by enslaved workmen. It is one of a few Palladian-style houses in the Deep South. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places due to its architectural significance. It was a bit rundown and in an out of the way location but still nice to tour.
October 24, 2025
This morning while we waited for a marine mechanic, Lauren made blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Then onto cleaning the inside and outside of the boat. The mechanic was requested, because every morning when we start the engine, we see white smoke from the exhaust. It lasts for several hours before dissipating. Brian did quite a bit of research hoping to figure out the problem. About a week ago, Brian mailed out a sample of our engine oil for any existing problems with the engine. Thankfully, there were no issues. The mechanic checked the engine and didn’t see any problems. His recommendation was to put some Stop Leak in the radiator to see if that gets rid of the smoke as he thought there may be a pin hole in the gasket.
After the inspection, we took a ride with Paul and Jill to tour a Frank Lloyd Wright – Rosenbaum House built in 1939. It is the only FLW structure in the state of Alabama. The Rosenbaum House has been called the purest example of Wright’s Usonian design. The Rosenbaums were the sole owners of the house until it was purchased in 1999 by the City of Florence. It was meticulously restored and opened as a museum. Brian has always liked this style of abode. Lauren was surprised at how “cozy” it actually was. Next up was lunch at Swampers at the Marriot. We all had delicious meals.
We have decided not to head to Chattanooga; we had been discussing this on and off for quite a while. Tomorrow we will leave Florence and continue south. Brian suggested that after we finish our Loop, we could take a road trip to Chicago then on to Chattanooga and then maybe onto Savanah. It’s easy to get sidetracked on this Loop, but since we have to be home every 6 weeks, it makes sense to stick to the original route planned.
The weather is getting colder and the leaves down here are changing colors. We would prefer to keep going towards the warmth. Tonight, Paul and Jill will join us on our boat for a game of Liverpool.
Brian reading: Cemetery Road by Greg Isles
Lauren: The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
October 25, 2025
So last night, Paul and Jill came to our boat for a game of Liverpool; we tweaked the game a bit making it a bit more challenging; they were all in. They brought Charlie, their King Charles Cavalier dog with them. Heidi wasn’t too sure about having another dog aboard, but they did well ignoring each other. Before we started the game, Brian told them that we changed our plans about traveling to Chattanooga and that we would head south with them. They both thought we were kidding. Jill kept asking if we were joking. She was so happy that we would continue our travels with them, that she broke down with a few tears. She reached out and hugged Lauren, she was so happy. We all enjoy each other’s company.
October 25, 2025
Left Florence, AL at 6:45 and headed to Aqua Harbor Marina along with Pelican and Lake Effect. We arrived shortly before 1:30. We all agreed to use the marina’s courtesy vehicle and take a tour of the Shiloh National Military Park. The park contains a wide array of historic sites preserving the American Civil War Shiloh and Corinth battlefields. The Battlefield consists of 5,200 pristine acres. Located within the boundaries of Shiloh Battlefield is a United States National Cemetery which contains the graves of 4,000 soldiers and their family members. The Shiloh Indian Mounds National Historic Landmark is also located within the Shiloh Battlefield boundaries and preserves the remnants of a Mississipian Era Indian Village.
It rained during the night and all the next day. It was a good day to cook, clean and read. Later that evening we got together with Sue and Peter of Lake Effect at Paul and Jill’s boat to discuss our plans for the next several days.
October 27, 2025
Left Aqua Marina just before 8:00 along with Pelican and Lake Effect and started our cruise for first the day on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. The Tenn-Tom is a 234-mile artificial waterway build in the 20thcentury. It took 12 years from 1972 to 1984 to complete the waterway. It is the largest building project in the history of the US Army Corps of Engineers. It is over five times longer than the Panama Canal and required the moving of over one-third more earth. The total lift on the Tenn-Tom of 341 feet from one end to the other is more than 3 ½ times that of the Panama Canal. Navigating this waterway, as opposed to taking the Mississippi River, saves time and money by reducing the trip to the Gulf Coast by more than 800 miles.
During our first day on the Tem-Tom we saw a couple of fishermen, white pelicans, Canada geese, egrets and herons. It was overcast with a few sprinkles. The ride was smooth and pleasant.
We arrived at Bay Springs Marina. It is a small and quiet marina. Everyone is having dinner on their respective boats, but will meet later in the marina’s lounge.
October 28, 2025
Last night we met Walt and Sarah on L’ Attitude Adjustment. They are just beginning their Loop journey. We got together with them, Paul & Jill and Peter & Sue at the marina’s lounge for snacks. It was a great set up. There’s a complete kitchen for boaters to use along with plenty of casual seating. The Room and rest of the marina was decorated for Halloween.
Lauren reading: The Nightingale Legacy by Catherine Coulter
This morning, we left Bay Springs Marina at 6:25 because our first lock encounter today opened at seven. It was pitch black when we pulled away from the dock. Lauren is not comfortable with navigating in the dark. She followed the cookies on the chartplotter from when we arrived, making it easier to get out onto the waterway. There were 10 boats in total heading to the lock. We had 3 locks to get through. Because there was no commercial traffic scheduled to get through the locks, all of us pleasure boats were shuttled right through locks 2 & 3. There were so many boats arriving at once to Midway Marin that we were asked to hover in the channel. Since we were the last boat in line, Lauren put the boat in idle forward for the last mile knowing it would take a while to get all the boats docked. Our slip was in the last uncovered row of the marina. The depths were a bit low – saw 5.2, but we got in without any issues. Since we’ve arrived here at Midway, there were an additional 8 Loopers that come in. The day has been overcast and rainy all afternoon. The rain is supposed to continue through the night and all day tomorrow and the temperature will drop the 50’s during the next two days. We are so thankful we have an enclosed nav station. Lauren ripped apart the stateroom cleaning out drawers and wiping down cabinets. She gave her pinky a workout on the slatted doors; 278 slats just in the stateroom.
October 29, 2025
It poured all during the night and the winds howled. This morning, the heavy rains abated and the winds died down a bit. The whole day was spitting with moderate winds; a cold nasty day. It was a great day to stay indoors and putter. Mid-afternoon we got together at the marina’s lounge with Sue from Lake Effect and Paul and Jill to play Liverpool; Sue was a newbie, but was interested in learning a new game. While we were playing, numerous Loopers came in; some to just get off the boat and commiserate, others doing laundry. We met everyone and exchanged boat cards. One of the Loopers was in his early 90’s. His wife said at age 80 he built himself an airplane; took 4 years. They flew it for 5 years and then decided to sell it and buy a boat and do the Loop. What an inspirational couple! Brian overheard Matt, one of the Loopers, talking about getting an electric outboard. We just happen to have a brand new one for sale, so Brian struck up a conversation with Matt and answered questions Matt had. After the card game, Matt came to our boat and looked over the outboard and decided to buy it from us – yeah!! Matt was thrilled and we were happy to see it off the boat and go to someone who wanted it.
Our little group got back together at the Marina for dinner and talked about our early morning departure. Not leaving quite as early as we did a few days ago, but 6:45 is still early and still dark.
October 30, 2025
Left our dock at Mid-way Marina at 6:45; shallow water behind our boat, but there were no issues backing out of the slip. Lauren followed her cookies from when we entered our slip, out to the channel. It was a gray, overcast day to start, but by late morning the sun was starting to peak through. We had 3 locks to get through along with another 18 other boaters. We were all able to fit into the locks each time. Half of the boats had to raft onto boats that were tied off to the pins. It was a great way to meet those traveling the Loop; we think all the boaters were Loopers. Other than jockeying for positions in the locks, it was an uneventful ride. We dropped anchor at a few minutes to 5. Lake Effect, Pelican and L’ Attitude Adjustment were our neighbors in the anchorage. It was a long day and Lauren was glad there were leftovers to eat so she didn’t have to cook.
October 31, 2025
Happy Halloween!
This morning anchors were up at 6:45 and we were all on our way for the day. There was mist on the river; it cleared up pretty quickly, but it was beautiful. Today we had 2 locks to get through. We all made it to the first lock which was almost full with the Loopers from the previous day; they had gone ahead yesterday to a marina near the lock. The lock master held the gates for us and we all squeezed in. Leaving this lock, the fast boats took off first; which is fine. They don’t like being stuck behind us pokies. Several miles out from our second lock, we were informed that there was a barge heading in and had first priority. Lauren put the boat in idle forward and we crawled towards our destination. It takes quite a while for the barge to get into the lock, fill or drain (this time drain) and then get the barge out of the lock. By the time we moseyed up to the boats that had been hovering waiting to get into the lock, the lock master was ready for us. Crawling along the last several miles was much better than hovering in the channel and jockeying with other boaters. Lauren had to do that yesterday at one of the locks for at least 1 ½ hours – not her favorite thing to do.
Last time we were home and shopped at Costco, Brian picked up a very large bag of mixed candies to give out along on our trip which we have been doing. The men seem to gravitate to the Twix Bars.
We dropped anchor at 4:55 in the Barton Ferry Cutoff. There was one other Looper here; it was Back Porch who we believe may be the elderly couple we met 2 days ago. It is so quiet here; nice after listening to the engine all day.
Haven’t seen much for wild life. Saw a couple of bald eagles, lots of herons, vultures sitting on lines with their wings spread out. We were told we may start seeing alligators – can’t wait! Tonight will be spectacular star gazing as there are no camps, houses or business nearby.
November 1, 2025
Yesterday Lauren woke during the night with a hammer-pounding, nauseating migraine. She hasn’t had one in quite a while. Everyone’s anchors were up by 7:00 as agreed upon the night before. Anchor light was turned off and running lights on as there was a heavy fog on the river. As we entered the river, Brian turned on the radar to help navigate in the fog and then called the Howell Heflin Lock Master to find out if the lock would be free to enter when we arrived. She said there was a barge in the lock and she wouldn’t release it because of the fog. Since we were leading the pack, Brian relayed the message to all the boaters following us. He figured on an arrival time of about 9:00 if we slowed our speed down to 3 knots. Everyone agreed that was a great plan, because no one likes to hover waiting for a lock or bridge opening. About a mile out from the lock, Brian called again and the lock master gave the okay to come on up and off we all went. The lock master was very thorough in giving instructions as to what pins were dysfunctional and what to do once everyone was tied off; which is to announce to the lock master that we are tied off. Engines are supposed to be shut down and all boaters must wear lifejackets in the locks. Once through the lock, Brian took over the controls, while Lauren laid down on the settee in the nav station, hoping the rest would help her migraine. It was several hours until we arrived at Kingfisher Bay Marina. This is the end route on the Tenn-Tom. As we got close, we noticed several boats waiting out in the channel. Brian called the marina to let them know we had arrived and were waiting for instructions. Because we were topping off our fuel and wanted a pump out, we were told to hover in the channel in line with those already out there. Those boaters not needing fuel or a pump out were asked to come into their assigned slip. We were surprised at how efficiently everything was run; we only waited about a ½ hour hovering. Once we were called in, we went to the fuel dock and took care of business. Our slip was under a roof (our first time); that meant no internet connection. Once we were settled, we went looking for State of Grace. They were on the same dock, just down a few slips from us. Knowing we were coming in, Grace asked if we needed any groceries while they were out. She was able to get us the requested strawberries and bananas. It was so good seeing them again. We had a really short visit, but we were all happy to see each other. We have been keeping in touch with them along the way. They left early this morning. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see them again. Last night we were able to get the shuttle bus for the 8 of us and went to a Mexican restaurant. Everyone thought their meals were good, though after a couple of Margaritas … Lauren drank water ‘cause she still wasn’t over the migraine, though feeling much better. She thought her meal was bland.
November 2, 2025
This morning while Lauren was cooking breakfast, Brian tried to figure out why one of the ceiling lights didn’t work. He took it all apart and played around with it for a while, but couldn’t fix it. After breakfast and cleanup, Lauren baked a coffee cake. Mid-morning we were meeting with our fellow travelers to figure out our next anchorages and or marinas. The coffee cake was a hit. This is the first marina in months that we’ve come across a book exchange; so of course, we were checking that out and found a few books. Back on board, Brian charted our course all the way to Mobile Bay; looks like it will be four days of anchoring. This afternoon, we got together with Paul and Jill for a game of cards, then Paul is off to Walmart with a few other boaters in the area (he snagged the last seat in the courtesy van).
Sarah on L’ Attitude Adjustment had also lined up a ride to get groceries. She asked if anyone wanted to join her. Lauren decided to go and keep her company. Sarah and Lauren stopped at the recommended grocery store. A few of us boaters were looking for sourdough bread. This store’s bakery had only donuts and cookies. Lauren was able to get some fresh produce. Sarah was disappointed in the store. Our driver took us to Walmart where we were able to get the sourdough bread. Sarah was wanting a rotisserie chicken and was disappointed Walmart was sold out of them. Just as we were checking out, Sarah spotted Paul walking in. Lauren ran over to him to let him know we already picked up his sourdough (Jill didn’t have faith in Paul getting the right type of bread – lol). Paul was happy we got the bread and continued on his shopping trip.
After dinner, our traveling companions and several Loopers got together in the marina’s rec room. It was an interesting evening listening to everyone’s experiences on this trip and continuing plans. One couple finished their loop today.
November 3, 2025
We left Kingfisher Marina at 7:15 after Brian called the lock master to make sure the 8:00 opening was still good for pleasure boats and no barges were scheduled to go through. We were cleared to go. Brian relayed the message to our traveling companions and off we went. The lock was only 3 miles from the marina. Once we got close, we idled forward until we saw the green light to go. The lights weren’t working, so we watched for the gates to open. There were seven boats locking through; all went smoothly. Once through, the faster boats went on by and the rest of us moseyed along at about 7.5 knots. About 1:00 we dropped anchor on the side of the river out of the channel at a bend in the river. Shortly after dropping our anchor we noticed a barge coming towards us. Brian called on the VHF to inform the Captain of the four boats anchored on the bend. He was not happy and berated us. He informed us that we could be crushed there. Sounded like he was just in a pissy mood. Were we are anchored is a designated anchorage and we were well out of the channel and close to the shore. His barge and four others passed by with plenty of room.
Our next three days will be fairly short runs and we will be anchoring those nights as there are no marinas and the anchorages are very limited in this section of the river. Brian saw an alligator and 2 boats behind us saw another one further down the river sunning itself.
Brian reading: East of Eden by Steinbeck
Lauren: Are You Somebody by Nuala O’Faolain
