LAKE HURON TO STUART, FLORIDA VIA TENN—TCM By Tom Breen
WHEN THEY OPENED THE TENN—TOM WATERWAY IN 1985 CONNECTING THE TENNESEE
RIVER WITH THE TOMBIGBEE, OPENING UP A NEW ROUTE FOR PLEASURE BOATS DOWN THE
CENTER OF THE COUNTRY, VERONICA AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD MAKE A GREAT TRIP. SLEEPY,
PICTURESQUE LITTLE SOUTHERN TOWNS EAGER TO OFFER THEIR HOSPITALITY AND FACILITIES
TO A STREAM OF PLEASURE BOATS THAT WOULD FLOCK TO THIS NEW WATERWAY. A YEAR LATER
WE WOULD FIND OUT.
WE HAD SOLD OUR 34' MAINSHIP THAT WE USED TO TRAVEL THE ICW ALONG THE
EAST COAST TO FLORIDA IN 1984. WE NOW THOUGHT SOMETHING FASTER AND SMALLER
WOULD BE MORE CONVENIENT TO TRY. SO IN AUGUST OF 1986 WE PURCHASED A NEW
25’ WIDE—BODIED BAYLINER IN DETROIT AND TOOK IT UP TO OUR SUMMER HOME ON THE
SHORES OF LAKE HURON AT EAST TAWAS, MICHIGAN. THIS WOULD SERVE AS OUR HOME
AND TRANSPORTATION FOR THE 2,500 MILE VOYAGE WE WOULD START ON SEPTEMBER 16,
1986.
ANY SUCCESSFUL CRUISE DEPENDS ON THREE INGREDIENTS; A TROUBLE—FREE,
SEAWORTHY BOAT, CONGENIAL COMPANIONS AND GOOD WEATHER. VERONICA AND I HAD
NO TROUBLE WITH THE FIRST TWO. THE BOAT WAS BRAND NEW AND PERFORMED WELL.
WE HAD BEEN MARRIED 36 YEARS AND HAD BEEN BOATERS FOR 32 OF THEM, SO THE
COMPANIONSHIP WAS NO PROBLEM. WHAT WE HADNT COUNTED ON WAS ABNORMAL WEATHER.
THERE WAS SO MUCH RAIN ACROSS MICHIGAN AND THE NORTHERN MIDWESTERN STATES
DURING AUGUST THAT RECORD FLOODS WERE CAUSING UNTOLD DAMAGE TO THIS ENTIRE
REGION. WE DIDN'T SEE THIS AS ANY PROBLEM, HOWEVER, WE WOULD BE IN A BOAT
SO WHAT DID WE CARE ABOUT HIGH WATER.
THE MORNING WE LEFT WAS A TIP-OFF TO WHAT WE COULD EXPECT FOR THE NEXT
MONTH. IT RAINED AND THE WIND PICKED UP SHORTLY AFTER WE LEFT TO THE POINT
WHERE WE HAD TO STOP IN HARRISVILLE, MICHIGAN, ABOUT 20 MILES NORTH OF OUR
STARTING POINT. THE SECOND DAY WAS THE SAME, 22 MPH WINDS GUSTING TO 34.
NO DAY TO BE OUT ON LAKE HURON IN OUR LITTLE BOAT. FINALLY, THOUGH OVERCAST
AND TREATENING RAIN, THE WIND SUBSIDED AND WE LEFT EARLY WITH ALL THE WAYPOINTS
TO MACKINAW CITY NEATLY TUCKED IN OUR LORAN. WE DIDN'T EXPECT TO GET THAT FAR
BUT AS WE PASSED ALPENA AND THEN ROGERS CITY WITHOUT THE WAVES PICKING UP WE
BOTH DECIDED TO GO FOR MACKINAW CITY. WE ARRIVED IN THICK FOG WHICH CHANGED
OUR PLANS TO VISIT MACKINAC ISLAND AS WE WENT BY.
THE NEXT MORNING WAS JUST LIKE THE REST WE WOULD ENDURE IN THE GREAT LAKES,
COLD, WINDY AND EITHER RAINING OR THREATENING RAIN. WE WENT THROUGH THE STRAITS
OF MACKINAC AND INTO A DARK AND FORBIDDING LAKE MICHIGAN WITHOUT SEEING ANY
OTHER PLEASURE BOATS AND ONLY ONE LAKE FREIGHTER. WE WERE TO FIND THAT THIS
LATE IN A BAD BOATING SEASON ALL THE STATE RUN MARINAS WERE CLOSED EXCEPT ON
GOOD WEEXENDS, WHICH LEFT US PRETTY MUCH ALONE THE ENTIRE 300 MILE LENGTH OF
LAKE MICHIGAN. ASIDE FROM A FEW FISHERMEN OUTSIDE THE MAJOR PORTS, ALL BOATING
SEEMED TO HAVE STOPPED. IT WAS A LONELY FEELING BEING SO SMALL IN SUCH A BIG
LAKE WITH NO ONE ELSE AROUND.
IT CONTINUED TO RAIN EVERY DAY FOR AT LEAST A GOOD PART OF THE DAY. HIGH
WINDS PLAGUED US AT GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN WHICH IS SUCH A DELIGHTFUL PORT WE
DIDN’T MIND SPENDING EXTRA DAYS THERE AS WE DID IN MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA. WE
KEPT THINKING THAT IF WE COULD JUST GET OUT OF THE GREAT LAKES EVERYTHING WOULD
BE FINE. NOTHING WOULD BOTHER US IN THE PLEASANT RIVERS WE WOULD BE ON ALL THE WAY
TO MOBILE, ALABAMA. HOW LITTLE WE KNEW.