Pins and Needles

Shawn and I awoke to a heavy fog this morning which put us three hours behind schedule right off the bat. We shoved off at 10:45 into a narrow waterway leading from Goose Pond Marina out to the Tennessee River, a light-foggy quarter mile journey choked with water plants on each side and beneath, my depth sounder read 3 and 4 foot at times due to the congestion below. Once on the river we had about a 50 foot ceiling with descent visibility and a 53 mile journey ahead. We were making good time and thought we could make it to Hales Bar Marina with time to spare before darkness set in but I had an anchorage picked out about two miles below Nickajack Dam if we ran out of time. We were making good time and had fallen in company with two other boats, Moon Dance and Weigh Of Life. Hadn't seen a barge in days but wouldn't you know it... the day we are three hours behind we see a barge about four miles out in front of us headed east and we are twenty four miles from the lock. We have got to beat this guy there with enough time that the lock-master doesn't give him priority... let the tension begin. All three boats dogged that rascal and final had a chance to pass him but there was a low railroad bridge coming up which caused the tug, and us, to slow until it was raised. This would have been a great time to overtake him but Moon Dance, who was between us and the tug, thought the bridge was too low so they made arrangements with the big fella that we'd all overtake him after he'd passed the bridge. After a short delay, which we didn't need because we were already three hours behind, the bridge was raised and the tug went under then Moon Dance overtook him followed by us. Weigh of Life had fallen behind and was held up when the bridge lowered with a train approaching. Ok, now we are out in front and desperately trying to reach the lock well ahead of the priority traffic but we only had nine miles to do so. We felt that we had a good chance to do just that... but then suddenly we had another contender. From behind comes a large boat, Spin Doctor, doing about fifteen miles per hour and swamps every boat he passes but the big issue is the timing, he's going to get to the lock just in time that the gates will close and he'll have the system tied up thereby making us wait thereby giving the green light to the tug... my-oh-my the plot thickens. We could wimp out and go ahead and anchor or we could be bold and go for it... we chose to be bold cause that's the kinda guys we are (insert laugh track here).  So, we reached the lock and sure enough the Spin Doctor was in the chamber and had not reached the top yet. We idled and waited and waited, then we hear the lock-master come over the radio speaking to the swamp-master... "Cap, we're having trouble opening the gate, we'll let you out as soon as possible" (insert my crazy-man laughter here). After a short time they open the gates and let the guy out, whew. The lock-master informs me that he'll get me in before the tug but he still has to lower the chamber. I'm not believing him until I'm in there but alas, the gates open... we go in... he raises us up... and then guess what, the gates won't open. We are running out of daylight and still have six miles to go... errr. After several minutes we are set free and head across Nickajack lake with no more threats, we'll you'd think. Do you remember how I praised the engine temperature just yesterday? Damn if it didn't start running hot, approaching 200 degrees, with us still five miles from our destination with darkness approaching and a tricky unmarked entry into the marina. We backed down to about five mph and watched as the temperature and the sun made a slow descent. The temperature held around 187 and the sun disappeared behind the mountains. It was still twilight as we reached Hales Bar Marina and I received instructions over the radio to take a narrow opening between the first rock pile and some moored barges... this was not looking safe to me so I double-checked with the marina guy and proceeded. The depth sounder revealed what was happening below... 15, 12, 8, 6, 5, 4 ...brace for a sudden stop... but wait... 5, 6, 8, 12, 15... wow, that was spooky. I'm in, now the radio guy directs me to a covered slip but I remembered the incident from Bay Springs and inquired about the clearance... 18 feet... we need 24... he puts us on an end-cap with open sky above. We made it, whew!!!