Anchoring

We had intended to practice anchoring with Currently several times but the weather never cooperated or I got cold feet. My only experience anchoring was when we got a wild hair to go pontoon camping last summer. It was kind of scary. We got started a little late because we had planned a big overnight trip upriver from Chattanooga, so we make all the preparations - cot, inflatable mattress, food, iced coffee, mosquito netting - and head out toward Chickamauga Lock and Dam. Well, we get within 10 min of the lock and call and it turns out the lock was closed for the days we needed to get through. So, game for an adventure since we were all packed for one, we head down stream instead (after a pit stop since we were going back by the house anyway.) We get to our anchorage, a little cove above Nickajack dam, a little later than planned. We have to get the dog off the boat to "go" and we find some nice folks who said they didn't mind if we came ashore where they were if we'd go look in the cove for the gun and paddle they dropped out of their kayak when it flipped. So, we attempted all the things and found neither the paddle nor the gun and the dog refused to "go." So back out to the middle of the cove to attempt anchoring. The first time we thought we had the anchor set, but then after dark we realized we were slowly drifting toward a yacht that was also in the cove. So we scrambled o reset the anchor and finally succeeded. But it stressed me out. I woke up once an hour to make sure we were still where we were supposed to be.

SO, back to learning to anchor Currently. We met up with some lovely folks on Argo at Aqua Yacht Harbor who are also late Loopers heading south. We traveled together and after a few days at marinas (Midway and Columbus) we arrived at Lower Cook's Bend anchorage. Here was the unavoidable moment. Bruce got on the bow to deploy the anchor and I was at the helm to help set it. It was good team work and we did it!! It was so comforting to have Robert and Jennifer dinghy over to look at the anchor as we set it and say all looked good! Another boater told me about anchor alarm apps and I installed one and set it so that if we drifted, an alarm would sound. We slept so soundly. What a different experience it was! In the morning we pulled it up with out a problem - and brought some of that sticky mud up with it!

Now on our third night at anchor, we are just off the TennTom in the Tensas River with another boat, No Agenda. Argo has moved on ahead to the Intracoastal waterway and we are waiting out the small craft advisory. Today Jim used his dinghy to ferry Bruce back to his boat to help install an alternator belt.

I continue to be impressed by the Looper community - the encouragement, the help offered and received, it's a mobile neighborhood and we are really enjoying it.