October 18-21 AGLCA Fall Rendezvous @ Joe Wheeler State Park

    An awesome event, great times, met great people, way too many to mention, but maybe some will show up here again sometime. We even got Toscana in the background of the photo!! :) This was extra special, as this was the first in-person event since the world went insane in '20. 

The staff at Joe Wheeler State Park did a knock-out job taking care of around 260 looping, or aspiring looper couples. We were 1 of 56 that arrived by boat. The marina slips were filled in the first 4 minutes registration was open! I guess this event is slightly popular! We hope to attend next year, and maybe even continue south with the crowd!

Oct 16 - Joe Wheeler State Park

 After a north wind stirred up the anchorage, leaving us with less then a stellar night's sleep, we were off again at 06:00. Varlabania called Wilson at 0545, they wanted us there pronto. So away we went, to join 10 other looper boats leaving Florence Harbor to also catch the early am lockage. 

Past Wilson Lock, it was a short 2 hr cruise to the waiting area below Joe Wheeler Lock. We had about a 4 hour wait to get through. We got into Joe Wheeler State park in a less than stellar wind situation. All boats made it in to the slips without incident. We had great help from the park staff, and of course other loopers already docked.

This is Varlabania, her crew are friends with Toscana's previous owners

Oct 15 - Buck Island Ancorage MM 248.8

 Friday was a long wet day for Toscana and crew! We woke to light rain in Clifton, and it continued off and on all day into dusk. We covered 87 miles, even with the slow fight the last 15 miles to Pickwick Lock. The boys at Pickwick got our picture on the way through. We had another looper boat, Inked Mermaid rafted off to us.

Pickwick Lock Facebook Post

We continued on where the rest of the flotilla stopped at the Pickwick Marinas. Wilson Lock has operational challenges since their upper guide wall sank. Pleasure Craft  are limited to dawn and dusk lockages unless their are no commercial vessels waiting. So we cruised on into the night and anchored with Varlabania behind Buck Island. Great place, but is exposed to a north wind, which of course came up about 1am. 

Oct 14 - Clifton Marina

 We were underway this morning at 06:45, to arrive in Clifton early enough for some last minute work with good internet signal. Pickwick has slowed releases helping the current, but Kentucky and Barkley Lake dams are still dumping, so it is still above normal. We cruised at about 7.4 mph average, light breeze out of the south, and an overall lovely day. 

Tomorrow we are off to lock through Pickwick lock, and then how far we go past that depends on how long we wait!

Early morning view of the beautiful TN river!

Toscana's lower helm underway

   Just cause we are on a river doesn't mean we don't have a lighthouse!

Gosh what a terrible office setting... :)

The Flybridge helm while underway

Oct 13 - Ready to Shove off!

 After 2 weeks of prep, some new electronics toys, we are finally ready to head off to Joe Wheeler state Park! The last 2-3 weeks have been a blur! Between the work to get ready and the heavy downpour of Loopers through the marina! They have all been awesome, and many are headed to Joe Wheeler as we are. We are pulling out early this morning, to be settled at Clifton for some afternoon work.

Some random pictures!

 I've been terrible about taking pictures and writing this summer. Below or some random shots that were sitting on the camera. Made trips to Fisherdale, Peryville, Eagle Creek, and a Labor Day weekend trip to Fat Daddy's cove for 3 days on the hook. I had a wonderful couple from IL, Joe and Dawn Huff join me for the Labor Day trip. 

Now on to finishing prep work for an Oct 14 departure from Cuba Landing to the AGLCA Fall Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park in Rodgersville, AL