Science Class at American Museum of Science & Energy

Learning about Hydrogen & Oxygen molecules

  As we are spending time in TN, and the teenager is back at the regular high school, Matthew & mom continue to home school.  Friday, we drove to Oak Ridge to the American Museum of Science & Energy for a chemistry class for home school students.  The class was great, teaching 3-6 graders about some basics of chemistry and doing some experiments.  Matthew enjoyed spending time with kids his age.  We explored the museum a little while we were there.  We look forward to going back for another class!

Experiment 

Chemistry class

Demopolis, AL

Cruising into marina in Demopolis

   After anchoring overnight in a nice quiet cove, the boys got up early this morning and started the 2nd leg of their journey this weekend.  Since Mom was not with them, Thomas was in charge of tying the boat up in the lock, with his 9-yr old brother's help.  Dad says they did great - on both locks.  After stopping at Bobby's Fish camp dock for some fuel, they made very good time getting to the marina in Demopolis just as the sun was setting.  A very excited Mom was waiting on the dock for them to help them tie up.  Dinner tonight was at The Red Barn, a local country restaurant we have enjoyed in the past.

Start: Tombigbee mile marker 100       End: Tombigbee mile marker 216
Miles traveled today:  116  (90nm)       Total Locks:  2
Total miles traveled:  2,830
Days cruising:    41

Cruising up the river again

Sunrise leaving Dog River

    After the boat sat in Mobile for 2 weeks, it is time to start her slow cruise home up the rivers to TN.  Yesterday, the boys set off about 7:30am. The weather was gorgeous and the river fairly clean, so they made good time as they got almost to Coffeeville Lock and anchored for the evening.

Start: Tombigbee mile marker 0            End: Tombigbee mile marker 100
Miles traveled today:  116  (90nm)       Total Locks:  0
Total miles traveled:  2,740
Days cruising:    40

Boys leaving for the 2 day cruise

Teenager afloat on a boat

Thomas gets his driving learner's permit

  We get asked by many people, especially those who are retired and whose kids are grown, "How do you live on a boat with kids?  Do they like it?  Do they meet other live-aboard kids?  How does the teenager feel about cruising?"  Ahh, so many questions about the kids!  First of all, our family has been living on a boat for so long, our kids do not know any different.  Our first trip, when they were 3.5 & 9 yrs old, it was more work on us when we were moving & to keep an eye on them, but we met more kids their age and found more things for them to do in each port.  This trip, we've had a teenager onboard!

   Yes, having a smart, intelligent, independent teenager on the boat makes life more interesting.  He does not care about playgrounds or some of the museums like his younger brother.  He wants to be able to get out on his own & away from us - the folding bicycle we brought helped with this tremendously!  His homeschooling has basically been "self-taught", with a little guidance from mom.  He is a HUGE help, though, with various items pertaining to the boat: docking, tying up in locks, maintenance chores, watching his brother, driving the boat, etc.  It has been like having another adult, who 6 months into the trip was as tall as his mother ! (he is now taller than me!) 

   Of course, there are many aspects he is not happy about:  missing the start of high school (which included marching band), missing friends (though they keep up with online gaming & texting), missing Boy Scouts (we worked on some merit badges, but he wants to work on rank advancement), and other teenage stuff!

  As we approach the end of our travels, we told him he could go back into high school in TN.  This also meant he could come home and get what he has been waiting all year for:  his driver learner's permit!!  Today, he passed!  Then crazy mom let him drive most of the way home (in the rain!).

  Last year was an amazing year for all of us, but mostly we saw Thomas grow up so much to be such an amazing young man.  This year, I am sure will be interesting for all of us, even if we do stay tied up at a dock in TN. 

(over the next few months, we will be dividing our time between moving the boat "home", David's work, & re-adjusting to not traveling constantly from marina to marina).

Mobile, AL

Docked in Mobile, AL

   After celebrating NYE last night (the boys all stayed up to watch the fireworks), we got up early this morning and cast off the lines for the 36 miles to/across Mobile Bay.  Though the weather was overcast, we had no rain, and the seas in Mobile Bay were a light to moderate chop (1-2ft waves).  the seagulls seemed pleased we were there; they followed us for awhile on the Bay.

Total miles today:  37nm

Total miles traveled:  2,650 nm

Total cruising days: 39

Seagulls on Mobile Bay 

Sunrise on Mobile Bay