At 6 or 7 MPH nothing happens
quickly but the day moves on
trouble free as I make my way south.
There is a decent amount of barge traffic but
nothing that causes any
concern or delay. This
is the mission
for which I configured and built Seaquinn. On long hauls like this it
is both
comfortable and convenient. With the autopilot engaged I can get up an
move
around the saloon, prepare lunch or retrieve a drink from the
refrigerator all
while maintaining watch through the overkill of glass. The propane
heater warms
cool mornings while the sounds from the humming Honda O/B are isolated,
allowing me to listen to music or audio books. Life on the river is
good!
I
make Clarksville on schedule pulling alongside the dock as
darkness falls. I walk up and have dinner at an O’Charley’s and then
stroll on
down to Harbor Freight and pickup a couple small items to add to my
arsenal.
The evening is cool but my jacket keeps me comfortable.
Returning
to the boat I decide to check the propane tanks
and to my dismay I note the one tank is almost empty. The second 20 lb.
tank is
full but I honestly don’t know how long it will last.
During the summer when using just the refrigeration
our usage is
low but now because of the falling nighttime temperatures I am running
the
heater a good amount each day. Even with a CO2 alarm installed I do not
run it
while sleeping but do fire it up first thing in the morning and often
use it in
the evening until I retreat to the berth. So the question is – will the
single
tank last the next five or more days?
Odds
are it will make it but then again as I have gotten
older I really dislike being cold. Thinking about the problem I
remember on my
walk I noticed a quick mart type gas station a little more than a ¼
mile
away. Often they
have a propane tank
exchange service although I usually try to avoid them, as the price is
often
double that of having the tank refilled. Also, the tanks come with only
15 lbs.
of gas rather than the normal 20 lbs.
Still I decide to wimp out and see if I can get
another tank.
Carrying
the empty back to the station wouldn’t be too bad
but hauling a full tank back by hand would be much more of a chore. I
decide to
rig up a crude rope harness I can put over my shoulder to help carry
the
weight. I attach
the empty and head out
towards the station hoping they have the exchanges and am pleased when
I see
they do. It was a
hassle lugging the
full tank back but this is just the first of the prices I will pay for
my
somewhat lean preplanning.
The
next morning I am once again off before daylight. Today
I need to make 62 miles to reach Nashville but my progress will be
delayed by
Cheatham Lock which is situated about 22 miles upstream. A long delay
there
would postpone my Nashville arrival until the next day but with a
little luck
I’ll make the Big River Grille for an evening meal.
Today
the wind is a little brisk but the ride in Seaquinn is
still very comfortable. As
I approach
the lock a few darker clouds begin to roll in – nothing worrisome but
something
to watch. I call
for the lock and am
told as soon as it is emptied I can enter.
I allow the boat to drift while I prepare the
fenders and rig the line
needed to secure it in the chamber. Actually this is my first lockage
in Seaquinn.
I have done it a hundred times in Therapy and obviously the procedure
is
somewhat the same. Still,
this is a
much larger boat and much more susceptible to wind drift. I will just need to pay
attention and
anticipate any problems.
When entering the lock I had
decided I did not want to catch
the floating pins on the starboard side as it was heavily shaded and
would be
cooler (there was a little sun peeking through from time to time). But
I am
alone I prefer to approach the pin on my starboard. That side allows me
to stay
at the wheel while catching the bollard and not try to jump across the
cabin to
the opposite doorway at the last moment. This means I will enter the
lock and
hold to the starboard side of the chamber and then make a sweeping
180-degree turn
to line up on the right side. The lock
is 110ft wide so even with Seaquinn’s 29 feet of length this shouldn’t
be much
of a problem.