Most of the day today was spent navigating the first three locks of the TENN-TOM. The first was Whitten Lock. We had read about a Corp of EngineersVisitor Center there, so we decided to take it in. The information had said there was a dinghy dock, but wasn't specific about where this dock was located. We turned into the creek just before the lock looking for what showed as a road on my cell phone maps app. We called the lockmaster and were confused by his answer. Finally we anchored the boat, got into the dinghy without incident and went in search of this visitor center.
To say I am apprehensive about traveling in the dinghy is a major understatement! When we took it on a trial run last summer, I fell in the lake trying to get out of the thing, and I can't think of anything that has improved since that time. It's not so much that I am afraid of falling in the water, just afraid of turning the dinghy over, not being able to get back in, breaking something as I fall - you get the idea. So I had a headache before I even stepped foot inside it. SO, we dinghy over to this dock-looking thing, which we certainly wouldn't have called a dinghy dock, I got one knee out and onto the platform, and Danny noticed that this platform was connected only to the boat house, we couldn't get to land from it. SO, I got back into the dinghy and we scooted around to the mud bank on the other side of the boathouse. Yes, you read right, MUD, not sand. Danny drove up far enough for me to step out, but then I couldn't lift my foot to take another step. We are talking MUD! Now we are ashore, but still no signs, no walkway, just woods with a little scattered gravel. We keep telling each other this can't be the right place, but are too bull headed to give up. We climb the hill, come out at a maintenance building, hike around to the upper level, and there is the visitor center. The lady inside doesn't know what we are talking about when we ask about the dinghy dock. Anyhow, we look at the exhibits then walk around an observation area. Down below is, you guessed it, a dinghy dock! There had been no signs on the lake, and we had turned in too soon. We trecked back down to the muddy bank, got into the dinghy without incident, and back to the boat. Carrying lots of mud on our shoes!
As we were pulling up the anchor, we saw several boats headed for the Whitten Lock. We pulled in behind the ten of them, but the only available slot was at the first bollard on the port side. We didn't know it at the time, but this made us the lead boat for the next three locks. There were 12 boats in the lock (one pulled in after we did) with only 10 bollards, so four boats were rafted together. We had never been in a lock with that many boats, it was quite a view. And looking back at the trail from our lead position was beautiful. At 84 feet, Whitten has the highest lift on the TENN-TOM, and the third highest east of the Mississippi. (For you Knoxville folks, Ft. Loudon Lock has a 72 foot lift.)
We spent a lot of time waiting in locks today. One of the three had trouble getting the gate to close behind us, one waited a very long time for the last of the twelve boats to arrive. After we came out of the third lock, John Rankin, we turned into Midway Marina four miles downstream. Marinas are few and far between in these parts, and we needed ice! Again, we were the lead boat, which was great for us, because there was lots of activity with so many boats. We pumped out for $10.00, the first time we have had to pay, got our ice, AND bought Milwaukee's Best Light for $12.00 a case!
Danny found a good place to anchor in our trusty Skipper Bob guidebook (thanks, Marbeth and Tom!), and we pulled in close to a county boat ramp. Anchoring anywhere on this part of the waterway is tricky because of all the stumps. My culinary creation for dinner was Tuna Helper. What a way to end the day!
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