A blustery day on the water

October 11

Wonder why our collective heads hurt so much this morning…

What a great night, the food, friends and ALCOHOL!!!

Oi!

Not really, we are seasoned veterans of self medication.

Started out pretty overcast and quite windy. There was a 15 mph wind at our back at the start of our day. The river had white caps the wind was blowing so much. Since it was off our stern (back of the boat) it did not affect our ride much. Not as scenic a section of the river as what we have seen lately but pretty in it’s own way (like me).

Matt took the helm for awhile today. Notice how quickly he mastered the use of the remote for the autopilot. The little device in his right hand? Debbie told him he had to drive that way while using the remote.

As the captain and master of this vessel, the responsibilities and rigorous demands placed on me while under way require a respite at times.

Yup, pretty comfy up here.

Another artistic expression of Debbie’s use of the Ipad camera.

We anchored out last night in a great spot behind an island and we had the whole channel to ourselves. Speaking of anchoring, there is no shortage of anchors on WB. Under the flybridge helm there are 2 spare anhors plus one for the dinghy. This plow type anchor that we are currently using is great for mud and conditions that one would encounter on the inland rivers.

This series of line (no rope on a boat, just lines) has a loop on each end that attaches to cleats on either side of the bow pulpit (the flat piece where the anchor resides). In the middle of the line is a large stainless steel chain hook that hooks on the chain and keeps the tension off the windlass (device that lets out and brings in the chain that attaches to the anchor)

Now, this is an ANCHOR! This beast weighs 50% more than the plow type anchor we currently deploy. Will use this when we get to water with a sandy bottom like the gulf and the Bahamas. Bigger the anchor, the better ya sleep.

We stopped in a marina in Guntersville, Alabama today. Fella that owns the marina has a home in E-Town, Ky. The marina has a courtesy car which we availed ourselves to for dinner. Great little spot called the Rockhouse. Came back to the boat and 2 of us cowboyed up for Manhattans.