On to Chattanooga

9/18

We said good-bye to the Great Smoky Mts. and our wonderful Tennessee friends, Linda and Rick, who are looking after our truck, and headed south, to Kingston, TN, 55 miles away, as planned. We used the small town dock to tie up while we walked the town, but could not stay on it overnight. We anchored nearby, and that`s when we discovered something that needed repair. Our dinghy started filling with water! And the dinghy engine would not shift into idle! We managed to take the dogs to shore while pumping out the water, and Don has since patched the drain hole with duct tape, but we haven`t had to use it to see if it`s fixed. There is a marina further down the river where we hope to install a new drain, if that is indeed the problem, and have the engine looked at.

9/19

We left Kingston at 7:30, and 105 miles and two locks later we arrived in Chattanooga, around 3:00. On the way, I took this picture of a deer crossing a lake that was over a mile wide!

What a wonderful city for boaters! We are at a floating dock in the heart of downtown, behind boaters we met in Florida last year! Today we visited the city's wonderful Aquarium, which is right next door to us. Tonight we are going to the art district for supper.

 

The weather remains HOT, high 80`s and low 90`s (31-33C). The poor dogs with their fur coats have never felt such heat, but still enjoy their walks. Lacey seems fine, thank goodness. While we are cruising, we have a wonderful breeze, and don't realize how warm it is.  Actually, we will take this fair weather any day over rough seas and storms!