Going Gold - Viridian Crosses Her Wake

Clifton Marina had the best cheeseburgers and onion rings for miles.  We shared another meal with fellow Loopers as well as meeting some new ones too.  It rained off and on most of the night and was drizzling when we untied this morning.  Turning upriver the current was noticeably stronger today, and we could only make about 6 mph at our cruising rpm.  Normally, at this rpm in still water, we can do about 8.5 mph.  The closer we got to Pickwick Dam, the stronger the current got.  The water was now up into the woods along the banks, and it was getting harder to hold the bow into the current.  Rounding the bend, we could see that the floodgates on Pickwick were open and water was pouring downriver as they lowered the pool in anticipation of flooding upriver.  By now, we could only make 4 mph upstream with 90% throttle.  The lock doors were open for us and we didn't have to wait.  Had they been closed, then we would simply have to peel off and drift downriver and find an eddy to hang out in till the lock was ready.  Once in the giant Pickwick Lock, Viridian tied, for the last time on the Loop, to a floating bollard.  The waters inside the lock were calm and we floated up the 63 ft. to the top. The gates swung open to reveal the calm waters of Pickwick Lake.  It was now just an 8-mile cruise through beautiful mountainous scenery to the Yellow Creek Inlet where Viridian officially began her Great Loop Adventure almost exactly one year ago.  We cruised across the center line of Yellow Creek and declared the voyage for the crew of Viridian had officially ended! Our traveling buddies, Gypsy Spirit let loose several horn blasts, and their two little dogs Josephine and Caroline could be heard over the radio barking with excitement.  We hailed the dockmistress at Grand Harbor and got our slip assignment and were soon tied up and hooked up. Viridian's engine was shut down for the last time on our wonderful voyage around America's Great Loop.

Our original plan was to stop short of Grand Harbor at the Pickwick State Park Marina to wash and clean up Viridian for her grand arrival on Wake Crossing Day.  Since the weather was not going to cooperate with that plan, we decided to go on into Grand Harbor without the wash job and attach our new Gold Burgee on the bow of Viridian.

The dock mistress met us with three packages: our boat registration stickers for 2019, our new GOLD BURGEE and a welcome package.  We celebrated with Gypsy Spirit and the dockhands, made some pictures and notified family and friends of our arrival.  The sun was going down and folks began to disperse as we hopped in the loaner car to pick up some needed things in Savannah, TN.

It hasn't sunk in yet that we will soon be sleeping in our bed at our home and walking on firm ground, driving cars and going long distances in a short amount of time.  We have been living in less than 300 square feet for a year that moves with wind and waves.  It was never uncomfortable or claustrophobic.  Now we know we can easily adjust to living smaller.

Here are some stats of Viridian's performance over the trip:

Viridian GB 36 Trawler
Engine Hours (hrs)	861.6
Distance Traveled (miles)	5881.9
Average Velocity (mph)	6.8
Gallons Fuel Burned (gal)	1634.7
Burn Rate (gal/hr)	1.9
Fuel Cost ($)	$5,081.89
Fuel Economy (mpg)	3.6
Cost Per Mile ($/mile)	$0.86

That's the last of the news and here are the last views:

We are here

Today's route from Clifton, TN to Grand Harbor, MS

Viridian Docked at Clifton Marina, TN

End of the day at Clifton, TN

More rain in the morning

Cliff houses

Rising river water

Great yard

ICU2

Pickwick Lake, TN

Gypsy Spirit

Hello Grand Harbor Marina!  We're BAAAck

Happy Loopers

Saved the hat my son gave me just for this occasion

Viridian Goes Gold!

Only 60 Miles To Crossing Our Wake

It's a bittersweet feeling to be this close to completing America's Great Loop.  We are eager to see our family and friends after being at sea for a year.  On the other hand, we have made some new friends on the Loop that we may never see again.  It is difficult to summarize this experience in words because it is just too big.  Every day was something different.  Every place we faced new challenges.  We are so thankful we were able to make this trip and enjoy good health all the way through.  There were no major mechanical issues that we had to fix, and for the most part the weather was close to perfect.  All of the places we visited were mostly places we would have never gone to on a road trip.  We really did get so see America from a unique perspective.  The best part of the whole trip was not the food or the scenery, all of which was over the top, but the people we met along the way.  Here is a list of boats we traveled with for at least one day, most for several days or weeks.

Sandman
Moni Jean
Observer
Golden
Dixie
Chemistry
Thistle
Nectar
Proper State of Mind
Dash Away
Second Wave
Noah's Ark
Mary Lisa
Oar Knot
Miss Liberty
Band Wagon
Gypsy Spirit
Miss Norma
Unfettered

We will always remember these people who we shared a portion of the Great Loop with and where we were when we met along the way.  It is the people who make the Loop special, and we are richer now that we have new friends found on America's Great Loop.

That's the  news and here are some views:

We are here

Today's route from Cuba Marina, TN to Clifton Marina, TN

Heading Into Wweather

Look Mom!  No Hands!

Rain 100%

It was raining when we arrived at Paris Landing. It rained all night and it rained all day on our way to Cuba Marina.  There was no one else on the river but us today, and the rain fell straight down with no wind, no thunder, just steady, all-day rain.  It made the temperature nice on the fly bridge but visibility was not too good.

This leg of the Tennessee is also very nice.  A lot of time could be spent just anchoring and taking it easy up to Pickwick Lake.  However, we can see the barn door from here and our Gold Looper Flag has arrived at Grand Harbor Marina, so we are on the home stretch and heading for home.

That's the news and here's the views:

We are here

Today's route from Paris Landing, KY to Cuba Marina, TN

Rain

Rain

Finally, a break in rain!

Fake rain

National Quilt Museum and Going Down South Up the Tennessee River

Saturday, we traveled back to Paducah, KY to see the National Quilt Museum.  While we were tied up at the transient dock in Paducah, we were minutes away from the quilt museum, but it was 96 very hot degrees with 90% humidity that day and we just didn't have it in us to drag ourselves out into the merciless sun away from the airconditioner.

So after leaving Paducah and boating 7 hours by way of the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers to Grand Rivers, KY, we hopped in the marina’s loaner car and drove 30 minutes back to Paducah from Grand Rivers to see the museum on a cool, cloudy and slightly rainy day.  It was well worth it.  We went with Gypsy Spirit and Blue Goose and had a really fun day.  After we oohed and aahed over all the quilts, we headed for Kirchhoff's Deli for lunch. 
That's the news and here are some views:

We are here:

Today's Rroute from Green Turtle Bay, KY to Paris Landing State Park, TN

Viridian at Green Turtle Bay with Blue Goose and Spiritus

Meriwether Lewis and his dog Seaman

Chief Paducah 

William Clark

The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY

Every Cloud has a Silver Lining  -  This is a stunning work of art but I love the story behind it.  You can read it below.

For the wedding of my beloved daughter   -  this quilt was gorgeous.

I did wonder how it came to be in the museum when it was made for a daughter's wedding gift.

A closer look at the details

Bed quilts

Quilt wall hanging

This quilt isn't made of cotton or wool or any other fabric.  It is made of  basswood.  It was carved and painted to look like a quilt.

Beautiful Kentucky Lake

HWY 79

Easy Day

After sleeping late, the crew of Viridian didn't get in any hurry today leaving for our next destination.  Conversations over a cup of coffee on the dock with fellow Loopers followed by a brisk walk around the property filled the morning hours until we untied and slowly slipped away headed for Grand Harbor Marina in Yellow Creek in the state of Tennessee.  Our driver's licenses expired this month but we left Huntsville, AL before we got our permanent copies.  Thankfully, our son William is mailing them to us here at Grand Harbor Marina along with our annual property tax bill.  (Just can't untangle all the strings that tie us down.)  We will stay here through Monday to get our mail and sit out some weather predicted to pass through.  Here are a few pictures we took on our cruise from Florence, AL to Grand Harbor Marina in TN.    

That's the news and here's the views:

We are here

Today's route from Florence Marina to Grand Harbor Marina, TN

Florence Marina, AL

Viridian tied along the fuel dock in Florence, AL.  We used the generator and also got a nice break on dock fee.

Florence Bridge (the road to UNA)

McFarland Park in Florence, AL

The Bluffs across from the Florence Marina

A real bluff lot

TVA Colbert Steam Plant

Natchez Trace Bridge

Drive a Trawler?  No Prob!

There is a huge Tug in this picture

All tied up behind Dash Away (A Monk 36 Trawler owned by captain Mike from Stowe VT) at Grand Harbor Marina

Grand Harbor Marina

Working on the blog

Boy, that was a good supper!