Wow, it's been a while since I posted. Then again, I haven't been traveling much. So, my buddy David and I took a trip up to Lake Keowee in South Carolina yesterday, 6 Nov. David has his pontoon boat in a slip up there. On the way we made our usual stop at Cracker Barrel restaurant for breakfast. We always enjoy stopping there as they do a great breakfast. When we eat there we don't need to worry about lunch that day which is good since often we are somewhere where food is not readily available.
Traffic leaving Atlanta was not bad as we left early Sunday morning. On the way out I got my first look at the new HOT lanes on I-85N. I don't think the state and DOT realize these lanes announce the fact they have failed at planning but here is a way to get home quicker if you're willing to let us fleece you even more for the opportunity.
Once at the lake, we quickly went through the process of prepping the boat. This means removing the canvas cover, loading all the things we brought and getting David's dog, Page, on board. See earlier post for a photo of Page.
This trip was to be more significant for me. I've decided to learn to operate the boat rather than just be a passenger. So I asked David to explain to me everything he did when getting the boat started, warming up and leaving the slip. It was all straight forward and really simple. It's sort of like driving a really old car with mechanical brakes. It doesn't stop quickly so you have to plan moves well in advance.
Once on the water, we slowly motored out of the no-wake zone and into open water. It was a beautiful, cool November morning and there was almost no one else on the lake. Actually, standing still it was cool. Motoring across the open water was cold. But if you like such experiences, it was a great time to be out.
David and I spent the morning discussing and observing the ins-and-outs of navigation and the protocols of boating. We came to the agreement that many boaters think the water is just a place where you can do whatever you want and no one bothers you. Of course that means you are generally bothering the Hell out of other people. Of note is the fact the last time we were out in the Summer a DNR cop was inspecting every boat in a cove where we were. He didn't check us and he didn't miss a boat where there was loud music and open containers. Nuff' said.
We stopped at David's favorite island to play with Page and let her run around. Page had a large time retrieving a tennis ball from the water that David had thrown. She also did a good bit of running around in the treeline as well. I did a little shore-walking on the island looking for whatever. I must say the shore was remarkably clean for the amount of use the lake gets in warmer months. After my walk I took the opportunity to lay down on one of the seats and enjoy the warm sun and blue sky. In total, we spent about an hour on the island. It was a very nice time.
After leaving the island we motored around the lake some more looking for some good Fall color for David to photograph. Unfortunately we were unable to find any. Too early?
Looking at the time we decided it was time to motor back to the marina. It was then I asked David if I could drive for a while. He said "Sure" and let me have the wheel. He suggested I follow the GPS course and keep an eye on the depth as we headed in. I kept a pretty good eye on both as we traveled but failed to see some markers we were approaching. Dang! And I was really trying to get this right the first time! No problem, David pointed them out and I corrected course and drove almost all the way back to the marina.
Once docked at the marina we began the process of unpacking the boat and putting the cover back in place. The cover, by the way, is a pain in the neck as when you try to press the snaps on the boat moves away. You have to find the right position to work from or it's a very frustrating process. An older couple who had also been on the lake was also having somewhat of a time with their boat's cover. David, good soul that he is, showed them the tool he has for cover removal and placement which make the process much easier. They were very grateful to learn of the device and vowed to get one as soon as possible.
The trip home was uneventful and we enjoyed some good conversation on many subjects. Traffic coming back into Atlanta was the usual for a Sunday afternoon. We arrived home in plenty of time to clean up and be ready for dinner. This is always a plus as far as my wife is concerned.
I'm looking forward to the next invitation to go boating and get some more time handling the boat. Hopefully this will occur sometime during Thanksgiving week. We'll see.
