04/02 - 04/17 Nashville/Mt. Juliet TN C-Dory Gathering

Wanderer · Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 1:35 pm Post subject:

Hello,

Will return cable modem to BellSouth after this post. Wanderer should be hauled this afternoon. We expect to leave Marathon early Tues. 29 March. The plan is to spend one or two nights at my brother's home in Tifton GA. and to arrive at the ramp Friday afternoon.

Looking forward to meeting all of you.

Safe travels.

El and Bill · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:37 am Post subject:

Wow!! C-Dorys are on the move, heading for TN. Two will be trundling easterly from California!! Another from Alabama, one from Oklahoma, one coming from Florida, another from Kentucky -- and, if I reckon correctly, not a single boat registered in TN. Is this a new record??

TyBoo · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:00 am Post subject:

We have an album set up for this gig.

El and Bill · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 9:51 pm Post subject:

We'll be at the launch ramp tomorrow am, sitting in Halcyon on the trailer, ready to greet any and all arrivals. Safe travels and see ya'all there.

Byrdman · Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 10:00 am Post subject:

Bill & El did ramp recon and went bye and met my Mother as she was departing for an outing of her own. I have been delayed until travel this morning due to military loosing my retirement physical....and the weather... Made the call to drive in the daylight in the rain instead of in the dark with new bi-focals ( a real blast at night with the rain glair and that new little line going accross) in the rain. All are arriving late today, Friday, or in the early on Sat. But, we are closing well and safely from accross the country for this gathering...and we will have a blast! See yall there soon....

Ken: I have banner and will ship to followon address you provided me from Nashville after group picture on either Saturday or Sunday. May not get back to civilization till Tuesday, and will mail then if not out prior to going up river. Possible one or two boats are going to join us up river around Cherokee Marina on Sunday. Thanks!

Byrdman hitting the rainy road on FreeByrd...

Byrdman · Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 8:58 am Post subject:

Well...getting back to the "real world." We had a great time together with 6 C-Dorys for our inaugural Grand-Ol Nashville/Mt. Juliet Cumberland River Gathering!! Great time, a little rain...a little cold spell, a little wind...but, after waiting a day for mother nature to give us permission to launch, we got busy having a great time! Day one basically consisted of waiting out the gail force wind advisory in a camp ground and some needed rest for those traveling across America for this gathering, and a little grocery shoping. I was able to get the TomCat in and make a few checks to ensure things were in order for our BBQ dinner and Opry trip later that evening. I think both of those went well with a gift from a friend with compt transportation to and from the Scoreboard and the Opry keeping us out of all the traffic and parking mess. The night was enjoyed by all. Day two was getting everyone launched and in the water, a tour of some local houses of my family members to include a stop at Mom's for coffee-n-snacks and to show folks where the "home-base" showers & laundry were if needed. Then, a short run up river to shake down everyone's gear to make sure we were in working order. Returned back down river for a dinner @ Cherokee Marina which I think was enjoyed by all. My wife Sherryl was not able to join me on this trip, but her parents Joe and Barbara Lee were able to join us for this dinner and meet the C-Dory folks. Then, back down river to a local cove for a nice safe ancorage. Day 3 after a call to get the gentlman who runs the fuel pumps to come in on Monday morning and fuel our boats ($2.68 a gallon I think?) up river we go...way up river.. beyond where most travel...and the nature really kicks in. Deer, wild goats( most named "Billy"), loons, osprey, red tail hawks doing their seasonal "air dance" to impress their hopeful mates (this was awesome and I had never seen it in real life...stopped and watched with bino's for about 5 minutes...beat any air show I have ever witnessed by the military..), and then.. a bit further up stream...the new eagle population gave us a few fly overs and a show. Bill and El gave great comintary on the rock formations/cliffs/caves/waterfalls and other geological points of interest over the radio. I truly wished I had recorded that so I could impress my other family members... We always just thought they were cliffs on the river. My brother Mike and Brenda who some of you met at the C-Dory Factory Gathering in Jan05 were our local river tour guides due to having traveled these waters several times for several weeks over the past years. Their information was proved priceless and kept each and all of us and our vessels out of trouble. 6 boats on this river during the rains for a week on t and no "hard landings" or breakage or need for insurance. To appreciate this fact, you would have to have been there and realized that we were ahead of the "boating season" by about 2-3 weeks, and SEVERAL of the bouys were washed ashore or worse...had just "moved down river a bit" with the wash out current and totally out of place. Locked thru Cordell Hull Lock & Dam with very minor scratch or two... one back corner and one canvas top but nothing to worry about. Just a little love and attention will fix both. Then... after a call, we found new owners of Defeated Creek Marina...who were closed on Mondays.....but were around fixing some things up....and for us...they opened up the restruant and bar, feed us some of the best cheese burgers I have enjoyed in years...one at a time due to the short order cook being out of town and the new owners wife cooking them one at a time to ensure cooking perfection and she did that in a large way. This also gave a a gathering place to enjoy since the cruise had started and we laughed so much and hard my jaws hurt the next morning. A real blast... Then, they gave us free dockage with power hookups and water available, restrooms, and again, an early opening in the morning allowing us to refuel @ $2.269 a gallon...on the water...at the docks. Bets most if not all marine prices (and some gas stations) that I have seen. Billy Pearsons at Cedar Creek (the lower river one around mile 232 LBD) was $2.289 a gallon was the least exspensive on the water that I used after returning down river sooner than the rest of the group who had a bit more travel time remaining. I really thank those for showing up, really look forward to their pictures (left my camera buy the door so I would not forget it...grin), and their postings on this trip....and... I think... the planning of the second gathering around this time next year....or in the fall for the tree colors...and SEC FOOTBALL!! Aint it great to be part of this C-Dory world.
Ken: Banner is on the way to CA, tracking number 1ZX370860340659909 via UPS. Thanks for sending it and I think George on Wanderer will have pics of that and our "official" gathering photo.. I can post a few later from a disk that Bill and El gave me about mid week.

El and Bill · Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 10:08 pm Post subject:

Three boats continuing down the Cumberland -- Wanderer, Rana Verde, and Halcyon. Great weather, and a beautiful anchorage tonight just above Nashville.

Sneaks · Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 11:03 pm Post subject:

Hey Bill, Say hello to Chris for me and tell him he's not missing a thing here in San Diego. Small craft advisories are still making life boring. Sad

El and Bill · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 8:42 am Post subject:

Chris says just anchor in the Bay -- the important thing is to be on the boat. He's swinging on the hook in Ol' Hickory, basking in sunshine, with Geese gaggling around Rana Verde.

Byrdman · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 6:08 pm Post subject:

Bill: Glad to hear Mike & B made the "re-supply" run on Saturday with Major (80# lab "puppy), and their 2 grandboys aboard. Had a great time...and wish I was still in "River Life" rather than the "real world." Interesting that one of the things I had to rush home for was a 56th B-Day suprise party for a real close friend of mine....and HAD to play golf giving his family time to set up the clubhouse for his surprise party. On one of the holes, standing water had formed a pond due to all the rain of late and a couple of Canadian Geese were just enjoying life in the new water. Man, Did I flash back a day or two.... What a great time and I'll follow your post on the 3 boats still milling about smartly in the Nashville area. Sorry I had to miss the Cherokee II diner...and I hope it was as nice as the 1st. Help me with the fuel use (gallons) you used between the Gallitan Marina fillup on Monday morning, and the fill up at Defeated Creek...what ever morning that was.... How much fuel did you take on? I recall you getting the best mileage of all the 22s in the group. Give Miss El a big ol hug and thanks for the CD with some pics. Look forward to receiving others and compiling for total photo set up for the Nashville gathering. Thanks for being part of my traveling America by river dream. Have a Blessed Day! Byrdman

C-Hawk · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2005 10:35 am Post subject:

Talked with Joel (SEA3PO) Saturday, he said you guys were so far back on the river he could hear the "Dueling Banjos" playing in the distance.
Glad you guys had fun---- now where's the pictures?

Byrdman · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 4:47 am Post subject:

I will attempt a posting of a few photos compliments of El and Bill while on Halcyon during our "Upper Cumberland"/Nashville/Mt. Juliet portion. I know others took photos, but none have made landfall yet. Bill gave me a CD the morning we were docked at Defeated Creek.....and yes we laughed at some and did not even wake up El.... so we lived, but did find it wise to disembark and go down the dock a bit to continue the laugh. Sort of like another 5th grader letting out a bit of gas with the nuns hovering over to "see" who did it and you can not laugh... it is alway much funnier then.

Pat Anderson · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:24 am Post subject:

Yeah, you have an album, now get some pix up, Patrick! Sounds like a fantastic time, wish we could have been there!

Byrdman · Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:39 am Post subject:

Sorry for the delay in posting pics gang... My CPU is hosed up right now and I can not even download the software to correct the problem so Mr. Earthlink has a new Total Access 2005 in route via snail mail...and should be here upon my return from a road trip next Tuesday.... So, Thanks again to Roger, we are working course of action 2 or 3.... I have been trying. Today, I was able to email him some pics one at time...and he should be able to get a couple posted. We did have a great time! And... I guess Halcyon, Wanderer & Rana Verda are still poking about on the waters of the Cumberland...?

C-Hawk · Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 11:31 am Post subject:

Just posted the pics that Pat sent. I'll leave it up to those that were there to add a discription for each photo. Looks like every one had fun.