Longest Day

Longest Day and Shortest Blog

Our last entries are all behind since the famous Hoppies did not include WIFI and our stops since then have been remote…….  To catch up, we headed from Hoppies to a wall on the mouth of Kaskaskia River where a lock controls access and provides a deep water tie up for boats like ours.  We moored there with five other looper boats.

 

The next day we planned to make 130 statute miles which would take us from the Mississippi River around the corner to the Ohio and up to our first Ohio lock at mile 966. Now, our boat usually runs at a modest 7 or 8 mph and even rudimentary math would tell reveal that at those speeds we would not make this trip in daylight (sunrise 6:33 AM and sunset at 7:07 PM). So we cranked up the gerbils and burned some hydrocarbons along with the aid of favorable river currents. We approach 11 mph for the 100+ miles on the Mississippi. At the Ohio we turned into the current and slowed but finally caught up to the faster boats as we dropped anchor with the sun. For sure we have never cruised 13+ hours other than our overnight crossing of the gulf back in January where nighttime travel is less of a problem – fewer barges to avoid and wide open deep water.  The trip was basically uneventful and pretty boring – just endless. We passed a few towns, but like Cape Girardeau they are not accessible from the river as they hide behind high level walls. Mostly we flew by the BIG tows since on the Ohio and Mississippi there are only a few narrow stretches where passing or overtaking requires planning.  Steve piloted this old boat smoothly even in the whirlpools and all our mechanical systems performed perfectly. 

 

 

 

 

 One of our convoy boats did have electrical ‘issues’ so they charged on ahead to reach civilization at top speed. (Electricity runs essential things like anchors and navigation so it is not just comforts like AC or toilettes that were at risk.) We crossed our fingers that they would get through safely and no further “failures” would pop up in our flotilla. After that longest day we sat until about 9:30 before the lock called us to line up for the first lock – then we chugged up to the second Ohio lock which has been undergoing maintenance. One of its chambers has been closed causing long (40+ boat) backlogs. We waited almost 4 hours and finally locked through in time to tie in the dusk at the floating docks in Paducah. Although we had not traveled any great distance we had all been up and alert more hours than usual – so pizza was ordered delivered to the dock and general vegetative postures were assumed by all. 

The next morning with the sun (ok when the fog burned off and a peek behind the levee walls at old town Paducah) our group reassembled and moved onward up the Ohio and then onto the Cumberland River toward the last lock in this leg of our journey.  The lock on the Tennessee River, where most commercial traffic normally goes, has been closed for more than a month so all traffic must use the Barkley lock on the Cumberland.  We expected another long wait but with luck only had to sit for an hour.  The trip up the Cumberland was more scenic than the Ohio or Mississippi as it is a narrow channel with high bluffs and lush forest minus levees. However, due to the closure on Kentucky Lake, we had to watch and dodge tows in the tight curves. Needless to say, coming out on Lake Barkley was a glorious site. Our little group reformed in the marina at Green Turtle Bay as we waited for our docking assignments.  With so much uncertainty in this section of the trip, we had all made reservation for the next night and had to wait while they found slips for us a day earlier than expected.  The marina staff was wonderful – per the reputation here as a looper paradise – even with the complication of an in water boat show – they got us all tied to docks in time for enjoyable sundowners on the back of Frederica Lady BEFORE the sun actually set. (Frederica Lady – by the way did make it safely in and has used the time to troubleshoot that pesky electrical problem) Time off here is in the plan not because we are stressed but because this really is a nice place to hang out!