Great Loop Day 074 Nov 10, 2016, Tombigbee Oxbow Anchorage to Rattlesnake Bend Anchorage
Tombigbee Oxbow Anchorage to Rattlesnake Bend Anchorage
"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.'
--Marie Curie
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Day 74 Thursday, Nov 10, 2016. Tombigbee Oxbow Anchorage (mile 265) to Rattlesnake Bend Anchorage (mile 223) 43.7 miles. What a morning! They say experience is the best teacher. Yes, I learned a few things this morning.
The morning started out fine. The alarm went off on time. The morning light still hasn't touched the sky. It's chilly, I lite up my Sterno can for a bit of heat. I leave the hatch open for a little air and small enough so Mickey doesn't get any ideas. He already climbed out on his own. The thermometer reads 57 degrees inside the cabin. With the Sterno, it gets up to 65 degrees. The carbon monoxide monitor is nearby and the test alarm works.
Actually, it's pretty funny how Mickey reacts to the flame. He puts out the flame by himself with a quick flick of his paw. I reignite it. Mickey paws it out. Good kitty but I need the cabin warmed up a bit. I could just use the alcohol stove which I have been using a lot for my rice and boiling water for my coffee and ramen noodles. This Sterno would make a good backup stove in case I run out of denatured alcohol.
I get my medication out of the white ammo box and check my glucose, 108, nice, my morning blood glucose has been below 112 for days now. I take insulin once a day and my metformin pills twice a day. I've been lowering my insulin dose based on the glucose numbers and down to 4 units of daily Lantus injections. After a few more days in this range, I will drop another unit.
I have adult-onset type 2 diabetes and I am enrolled in a clinical trial at MetroHealth Hospital. Cindy, my research nurse checks on me regularly. Being a research nurse myself I do miss those days. But fond memories and great friends are what's left of that career. I've got new adventures to discover.
Anyway, got an early start at breakfast and am ready to yank the anchors up and move on. Stern anchor releases quickly and it's onboard. Go forward having 2 anchors out, the claw is off my starboard bow and the Danforth is off my port in deep water where Robert of the Motor Vessel Over Ice used his dinghy Ice Cube to motor out my anchor. I'm pretty close to shore about a couple of boat lengths. Plan on getting my claw anchor out first then the Danforth so the pull will send me away from shore. I reach over to my claw anchor line, more correctly referred to as rode, and pulled. And pulled, and pulled. Must have set hard. Pulled again, not releasing, moved to midship and try another angle, still stuck. Great, I say sarcastically. She is good and stuck. Either a rock or a tree limb. I stand on the bow and curse myself for not attaching a trip line. The trip line is attached to a front point on the anchor that when pulled comes out backward releasing it. Now no matter which way I pull it digs in harder. I have an idea. A climbing buddy, Ed Kowalski, gave me a large carabiner I use for my safety harness. If I can get it to follow down to the shaft I can pull it backward thus releasing it. Found the biner, attached a dock line, clipped it on, and lowered it over the stuck rode. The stuck anchor rode is tied tight to the bow rail. If I wiggle and jiggle it would slide down to the shaft and maybe I can pull the anchor out from behind. The water is quite murky only see a foot down, the anchor is about 15 ft down. Tied off the biner line, untied the stuck rode, walked it over to midship, tugging it makes the boat moves slowly toward shore. Now the biner line has a better angle to pull. I feel the biner line get taunt and bingo! I feel the anchor give up its hold on the bottom. Pulled more on the biner line and up comes the chain attached and the anchor. Rejoice!
Now to get the Danforth up. I leave the rode of claw anchor on the deck. The Danforth rode goes in first in the anchor locker on deck. Now at this point, since the elections are over, I needed to call Nate Silver of 538 to calculate the odds of my second anchor getting stuck. Pretty slim since it was in deeper water. I pull on the Danforth, the boat glides to mid-channel and..... It's stuck. Good and stuck. I try different angles, not budging. Try the biner trick. This anchor is deeper about 20 ft or more. I tie on more line on the biner dock line. Clip on to the rode. Send it down. And down and down it goes. Grabbing I hope the shaft of the anchor. Pull at another angle, but nothing. Over and over I try. Nothing. It's getting late, I already lost an hour getting the claw unstuck, and now this. Time to cut the line. The Danforth is the original anchor I got with this boat in 88, may be time for a new one. Danforth anchors are relatively inexpensive. Ok, I convinced myself to cut the line. Where is that rigging knife? It's down below and I get it ready.
One last tug, wait a minute, something budged. The taunt rode slacked up. It's now leading out to mid-channel. I feel the anchor now farther away. It releases. The anchor and its 3 feet of chain are coming up. Hello, you beautiful piece of steel. The anchor wasn't stuck, the rode wrapped around or caught something underwater. That's why the biner trick didn't work. Jubilation!
Untangle the rodes on deck, get them stored in the anchor well, and let's get this bucket moving! The other boat has left, only Over Ice is still here but ready to get underway. I glide out of the channel to the main channel and Over Ice passes me. Everyone is long gone, I’m all alone on the river again.
49 miles to get done and lost a lot of time. The sun is over the trees and shining in the water ahead of me making it hard to navigate, no clouds today. Clear sky all morning. But there are lots of bends. Left then right then left again. Lather, rinse, repeat. No tows and barges, that's good. My eyes are stinging from the glare. Watch the shoreline. No gators yet. Another turn. 10 degrees port, another 10 degrees then to starboard. For several hours I'm hitting the auto tiller buttons.
Signs of human habitation.
Checking Skipper Bob's guidebook, I read there is an interesting land feature coming up. The White Cliffs of Epes. I round another bend. There, on the far shore a white gleam. The cliffs have come into view. They indeed stand out as the midmorning sun lights up half of the cliffs. Spectacular! It’s such a stark contrast to the vegetation onshore. Camera out, I start to take pictures looking for interesting angles. These are not flat cliffs they have outcrops and saddles and gullies. Each minute a different vista. I'm texting with Ed Durma, I send him photos. Wondering what kind of rocks are they. I Google the words, Epes Cliffs. Up comes Selma Chalk Formations.
I almost forget I have to steer the boat. There is a bridge to add to the photo composition. The sunshine on the rocks really does bring out the majesty. Reminds me a little of pictures of Bryce Canyon out west. What a visual treat for my sunburned eyes. Wish they would go on for miles. But no, back to the trees and muddy shoreline. Still no clouds in the skies, the blue reflects off the water, at times bringing back memories of vacationing on the French River in Canada. Part of the Georgian Bay area, clear cold water.
The motor vessel Satisfied Frog passes me on my port side.
I move on. More bends, more course corrections. Then another area of white cliffs appears. These are twice the height. More shots, but the sun is not lighting it in the best position. But now and then it catches the outcrops like spotlights to showcase the highlight.
Tonight’s destination is Rattlesnake Bend Anchorage
I’m using an empty Powerade plastic bottle to tie my anchor trip line to. If the anchor gets stuck I can pull up on the trip line and the anchor should become unhooked.
A rare shot of Mickey posing for the camera. He does enjoy his regal status on board the Sea Marie.
Day 74 continued. I had to stop writing as there was a commotion on the near shoreline. Water splashing and grunting noises grab my attention about 300ft from the boat. Continued for several minutes. The sound of splashing and grunting was coming nearer. It's pitch black. The cell phone light can't reach the shore. Had to get my spotlight and see what was going on there. The noise of me going below startled whatever it was and the noise stopped. An owl is hooting nearby but on the other side of the bank. I shine the 3-watt spotlight on shore, but nothing. Mickey comes out from below, he wants to know what's going on. He sits on the gunnel intensely watching and listening as I am. He probably sees more than I do.
Mickey is on high alert!
I shine the light on the water. Hundreds of small fish are near the surface. Minnow-sized, they scatter when the light hits them. My best guess was those wort hogs were trying to get the fish.
A loud screech comes from within the heavily wooded bank. Something got something in there. That wasn’t a, “Hi, how are you” call, it was a “Help! Something is trying to kill me” call. It's all silent now except for the sound of fish lapping on the surface. I'm grateful there are no mosquitoes out tonight. It's getting chilly. The water surface is 70 degrees and fog is forming on the water. I shine the spotlight on the water, and fish scatter in all directions. They don't like the light. The shore is quiet but for an occasional hoot owl. There's wildlife out there and much I'm unfamiliar with. Each sound tells a story but that's all I got to go on. The waxing half-moon is giving this river a dimly lit view. I can make out the trees and some of the bank when my eyes get accustomed to the dark. But wondering am I too close to the shore? And what is really out there?
Me, trying not to be afraid.
Comments from 2016:
David J. Watkins Sounds like some of my nights out at Pine Hollow with the telescope. Lots of strange noises coming from the woods. Are coyotes ripping another animal apart? Most people would pack up and leave, but I just sit back and enjoy nature. Sounds like you are doing the same! I have been enjoying reading your postings on your journey. Safe travels!
Bob Meredith Spooky! All hands prepare to repel borders! It will be dawn soon. Stay safe!
Henry Krzemien RN Bob, I had a moment while sitting in the cockpit with my back to the shore of the Creature from the Black Lagoon reaching over and pulling me into the dark abyss.
Henry Krzemien RN Thanks, David, I'm much too curious to be frightened, cautious, yes. Scared, not the least.
Bernie Sokolowski, I Felt like I was there.
Sherry Thaler That was an awesome tale!!! I was expecting something frightening too. Back home for the 2nd time in about a week, I've had deer crossing right in front of me on the road & had to slam on the brakes. Last weekend it would have been a sad collision had the deer not kept going. Today, it wasn't such a close encounter but it was a pretty good size buck. Then a few feet further on the parkway I stopped to chat with a doe on the side of the road & told her not to try to cross when I drive by...LOL Love the fall!! Be safe Henry:-)
Sherry Thaler BTW this is the first shot I tried on the iPhone; though some trees or other backdrop would help!
This morning at the Oxbow anchorage
How I got my anchor unstuck. Thanks, Ed, got the carabiner!
Jeff Cochran You'll have to explain that one. Hey Henry, by the way, just got a 25' Oday today! Didn't bring it home yet. Gotta take the mast down...
Henry Krzemien RN See that little hole near the biner? That's where the trip line should be attached, the other end to the floater. Shows other boaters where the anchor is underwater. What I did here was to lower the biner down to that point you see in the picture then pull opposite of the rode. The anchor should be pulled backward out of the entanglement. From now on I use a trip line.
Henry Krzemien RN Jeff Cochran, congratulation on your latest acquisition! That O'Day will bring you years of joy. It has lots of room to move around in. Got to take me out on her next summer.
Jeff Cochran You know I will. I am on the list for a slip at E55th for next year. Maybe you can pull some strings for me!
Henry Krzemien RN Jeff, you should have no trouble getting a slip at E55th.
White Cliffs of Epes.
Pogo Bob Boy, do I remember THAT bridge!
Henry Krzemien RN That was a nice break from all the green. Next stop Demopolis.
Beth Dailey Rogers Can't wait to see this Henry!
Henry Krzemien RN Planning to download my Canon card to the computer today. This morning got a shot of that big thru the mist looking at me. These hogs weren't all that big but had jet-black fur. They made quite a ruckus last evening. If not for the grunting wouldn't know what it was. Some high cirrus clouds should blunt some of this sun glare off the water. Enjoyed that anchorage last night. First back-to-back living off the hook. I'll be doing more of that after Demopolis. Bobby's Fish Camp is the last marina until Mobile. Still need to get guidebooks on the gulf coast. Hoping to find some at this stop. Hope you're having fun in NYC. Tell Dave I said hi.
Beth Dailey Rogers Make sure you post the hog photos!
Henry Krzemien RN Talked with a local here, they're wild pigs and have an open hunting season on them.