Day One, Saturday October 27th, 2007

Barnacle II Mate’s Log – Day One, Saturday October 27th, 2007

12:30 PM – Left Applegate Cove Marina on Barnacle II, a 1981 45’ Chris Craft Motor Yacht. She has twin Detroit 8-71 diesel engines, and plans are to cruise her at her most optimum speed of 1800 RPM, between 10 & 11 knots. The boat is bound for Key West, FL from Kerr Lake on the Arkansas River Navigation System in Sallisaw, OK.

We waited on the Lockmaster at Lock & Dam 15 (lowered 44’) to pass a tow boat & barge through. Tied up in the lock at 3:15 PM. Waited nearly 3 hours just 2.5 miles away from home port. We were still stowing stuff from our fast departure. We had to wait on a UPS delivery this AM of 2 new engine water pumps. Kenn and Barney (referred to as Captain, the boat owner, grand master, etc.) discovered during a shakedown run on Friday that both water pumps’ rear seals were leaking at running speed, but not at idle or low RPM running. Barney ordered them from Ft. Lauderdale on Friday PM with assurances from the supplier that they would be here by Noon today. Kenn worked late last night getting the old ones off, Barn cleaned up the tube ends for new gasket material.

Barney and Vickie ran into town early this morning while we were doing last minute stowing and getting ready for the new boat parts. The UPS truck came rolling in at 9:10, and we grabbed the pumps and ran down the dock with them. Kenn was able to get the engines back together with help from Barn while Vic and I were still doing last minute packing and stowing of boat parts. People parts and food were already taken care of. It was a last minute dash to get everything on board, but we were finally on our way.

Barney is in hog heaven playing with his new toys – Garmin Radar system with integrated GPS, weather, magnetic compass, etc. Once we got into L & D 15 and tied off to the bollard, the lockmaster lowered us after he delivered Kenn’s sail repair/sewing kit that I left on our boat. I had called Rhoda at the marina to ask her to grab it off our boat and bring it down to us. We paid the lockmaster for his trouble in Halloween candy.

There was a flotilla of U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary boats heading downriver with us, but being small runabouts, they ran off and left us. We cruised by Bryant ‘Big Country’ Reeves house on the river bluff making 10.2 knots over land and gaining about 1 to 1.5 knots with the river current. It was 12 to 15 miles to the next lock at Muldrow/Spiro (Mayo Lock 14), and we made it there at 4:50 PM.

By that time we had caught up with the tow boat that had slowed us down at the Kerr Lake lock, the Ana Louise from Vicksburg, MS. He was carrying hazardous cargo (red flag), so it was questionable whether the lockmaster would let us go through the lock with them. We got permission from the lock master and tug captain, so pulled into the lock as far forward as we could go after the tow had secured their barges to the port side of the lock. He had to break apart and bring up one barge and the tug on the right side of the lock behind us. There were just inches to spare between the other barges and the lock wall. In my past experience, it was unheard of to lock through with a hazardous cargo vessel…I don’t recall that I have ever done it, but their willingness to do so saved us about 2 hours in getting to Goose Harbor/Emerald Bay marina at Van Buren.

Rolled under the Garrison Street/Hwy 64 bridge into Fort Smith at 6:40 PM. There was a Civil War enactment and camp at the park with a new Toyota pickup sitting in the middle of it (so authentic), and dang it all, I forgot to snap a picture. We pulled into Goose Harbor at way past dark-thirty. I forgot to look at my watch, but it was probably 7:15 to 7:30. Kenn was out on the foredeck with a spotlight while I was back at the helm with Barney relaying hand signals and helping navigate. Vickie decided to stay below and work on the salad for dinner. Good plan because it would have only made her nervous. We tied up at the fuel dock at the marina and hooked up to shore power. We made a couple of boat drinks to settle the nerves of the boys and relaxed for a few minutes.

Barney grilled steaks while we girls finished the salad and made mashed potatoes. Good dinner. Kenn barely made it through he was so beat. He fell asleep on the aft deck while Barney was tending to the steaks. I washed dishes and everyone went to their appropriate ends of the boat, cleaned up & hit the sack after having a nightcap of Ibuprofen for the tight and sore muscles.

All in all a great day. It was a wonderful start to this cruise. Kenn has worked his butt off on this boat, worried and fretted, and he was able to relax today even though he was still working like mad. Today showed the fruits of his labor. We were all in the good and capable hands of the captain.