9-25-2010, Day 2 of the Gathering

Today was overcast with off-and-on showers, but no heavy rain. We had a total of 40 boats here today, and it was a sight to see at about 2:30 this afternoon when we got them all out on the water at one time. We've met lots of nice folks here and everyone has had a good time. We got to take several people for short rides in the Knot-So-Fast.

The extension I put on the skeg really helped the handling, and being around all these other home boat builders has got me fired up to finish all the little projects on the Knot-So-Fast. Covering over the hatches and redoing the battery box lid seems to have stopped the small leaks we had when it rained.

From Abby:
When I got to the Gathering, I thought I would see a lot of dogs. When everybody saw Daisy they all wanted to pet her. Everytime we walked from the cabin to the grass, Daisy would get petted at least once. Then when people came by and their hands were full they would just compliment me on Daisy.

I met a little girl named Ellie. She and I played together with Daisy. There were 3 tiny tugboats here and one of them was named "Abby's Lil Tug". Ellie and I got to drive it around the marina! We got lots of pictures and videos of us driving the little tugboat. The man who built it noticed that the tugboat was going slower than it was supposed to. Then he looked at the propeller and saw about 4 feet of seaweed on it. He pulled it all off and the boat started going faster. The boat had a bell and a horn! When Ellie was driving the horn was working but when I started driving the battery was low and the horn wouldn't work. But it still had a bell and I got to ring it.

Tonight I won an award! It was "The Cutest Tugboat Captain". Ellie got the same one too. It was a tie, and gave us both the award!!!

From Glenda:
It has been so fun to meet all the nice people - from Canada to Florida to California. I've really enjoyed being able to share our blessings.

Here are a few pictures from today:

9-24-2010 - The Glen-L Boatbuilders Gathering, Guild, TN

Glenda, grand-daughter Abby, and I left Montevallo this morning headed to Hales Bar Marina on the Tennessee River for the 4th annual Glen-L Boatbuilders Gathering. I had spent the last few days adding a section onto the skeg of the Knot-So-Fast, hoping to make her track a little straighter. I also had a few places to repair and had hoped to put a fresh coat of paint on, but the skeg work took longer than I expected and the repairs and paint never got completed.

We arrived at Hales Bar about lunch-time and launched at the ramp about a half mile belsow the marina. Abby and I drove the boat back to the marina and Glenda took the truck and trailer back. We tied up at the marina and had lunch, then took a short boat ride upriver for about 6 miles and back.

There are dozens of  home-made boats here of all shapes and sizes, some from as far as way as Canada!
Here are some pictures:

Glenda Says:
Even on a short outing I caught sight of a beautiful bald eagle.  The mountains around the river are amazing.  There are already some pretty fall colors in the trees.  Abby is enjoying showing off Papa's boat and loves it that people have kept up with our blog.