Day 24 - October 7, 2012: Start of the trip to Chattanooga

We are departing the Great Loop for a side trip up the Tennessee River to Chattanooga and will stop during the return for the much anticipated AGLCA Rendezvous at Wheeler State Park. This side trip is upstream through four locks and four different lakes (all created by the dams), and will cover over 500 miles. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a government owned corporation created in 1933 which built most of the dams in addition to power plants in this valley.

Traveling through Pickwick Lake we reached the Wilson Lock and Dam which is one of the most significant structures on the river. Completed in 1924, the dam is 137 ft high and 4,541 ft long, cost $41 M. The dam and one of the two locks, with a lift of 94 ft, was heralded at that time as the largest in the world and is still rated sixth largest. Every year over 3,700 vessels pass through this lock and today Great Laker was one of them.

Anne is doing her part to keep the stern off the slimy walls, or is she practicing shooting pool?

Approaching the larger lock at Wilson Dam

At the bottom of a 94 ft lift!

At the top 15 minutes later!

Anne doing her part

You depart this lock into Wilson Lake and then 15 miles later the Wheeler Lock takes you up into Wheeler lake. These locks can take from 30 minutes to several hours depending on the amount of traffic. Commercial tows have priority, of course. We were extremely lucky to get through both in an hour each. We have read of boats delayed up to 18 hours!

The anchorage for the night is in Melton Bluff on Wheeler Lake. It is small, well protected from wind and waves and we are the only boat here.

Melton Bluff on Wheeler Lake

This green tree frog jumped aboard a couple of days ago and was camped out on the window casing. I chased him back into the water tonight and discovered he had climbed back up the side of the boat. I guess he has adopted us and wants to come along?

I'll call him "Persistent"