Hunter's Moon over Kentucky Lake

We moved down Kentucky Lake from Green Turtle Bay, anchoring out two nights in little coves off the lake - there are dozens of them to choose from.  The weather was perfect - dry and cool.  The first night we watched the last of the supermoons rise over our isolated cove, it started out red and huge and eventually cast enough light to read by.  As we continued south, we saw some interesting man-made sites: a bridge to nowhere, a commercial bldg partially submerged when the lake was formed and an island of trees that seemed to be floating. Apparently, there are whole towns down under that water in places.

The next night our new looper friends, the Elliot Family (Yachta Dreamin) caught up with us in another cove that wasn't so isolated - it was surrounded by nice lakeside homes and there was a small marina we dinghied into to have dinner in their floating restaurant. The beautiful white pelicans with the black tipped wings caught up with us as the year long summer continues, what fun!!! The next day we went just 8 miles down to Pebble Isle Marina, Tennessee, getting in before noon so we could pump out, fill up (at $2.54/gal) and use their courtesy car to get prescriptions and groceries at a Walmart that was about 12 miles away. We reunited with several other loopers while in port and had dinner with new friends. No work and all play makes for sharp individuals and great conversations.  AND the harbor master delivered fresh, hot cinnamon rolls to our boat - they serve them with coffee free to patrons every morning at the restaurant, but we were busy blogging, and he noticed that we hadn't shown up!  Maybe we should stay here.

Our new favorite speed:  6.2 knots

Dry Creek at sunset

Dry Creek at sunrise

left-behind trees

left-behind town

Pebble Isle, more than half way

Richland Harbor, sunrise (taken by Martin Elliot)

Sightings

Just to list some of our observations or reports from other loopers:

• Jack's boat, 'After Midnight' was seen at Hoppies marina, fueling up on the way down to Tenn.  The new owners live in Atlanta, 1.5 h away from the Tenn mooring;  they are having a captain bring the boat down.
• We're now docked next to "The Professor and Maryann" (from the 300 dock in Michigan City).  The new owners (of 8 weeks) are from Portsmouth, NH.  They are now snow birds and are taking the boat down to Florida to be their winter condo - it's not clear if they will ever go back to the north country (remember the snow reports from Boston over the past couple of years).
• We kept track of the size of the barges on the rivers.  On the Illinois waterway the largest was a 20 barge tow (4 wide X 5 long);  on the Mississippi we saw one that was 35 barges (5 wide X 7 long).  The towboats pushing these up river are huge; one had 3 power plants and screws.  The thrust wake can be 5 ft high and the wash pushes you around for about 0.25 miles.
• The Mississippi R gave us a great push going down stream, the current was generally 3- 4 mph but at one point we got a 5.9 mph push!  In places the river looks like it is boiling;  there are whirl pools being sucked down (4-6 ft in diameter) and large thrust upwards (15-20 dia) raising the boat 4-6 inches and turning us back and forth.  There is no way we'll turn this boat around and go upstream - especially in the Spring as originally planned.
• Nature's displays have varied with each section.  We saw blue herons all along the upper Ill waterway - including both those that were 'blue' and many that were in a 'white' stage of their plumage.  As we noted before, we saw large flocks of white pelicans around Peoria;  they are smaller than the brown ones you see in Florida and they have black tips on their wings.  We've seen lots and lots of black eagles but the highlight was seeing an American Bald Eagle at the mouth of the Cumberland River.
• The Asian Carp are present but nothing like the videos you've seen online; but one of the Loopers traveling with us said he had one land in his dinghy as it was being dragged behind his boat (that's the one who had his hanging davit break off in a barge wake).  Locals say that the population has seemed to subside.  Maybe all those pelicans and eagles are keeping them in check.
• The foliage is in full bloom here in KY.

Seeking the Gap

We continued up the Ohio through Lock 52, just below Peducah, KY.  Then we left the Ohio R, anchored on mile 2 of the Cumberland River, and dinghied across the river to a small town, Smithland, KY for some groceries (and a chance to get off the boat);  a fellow looper went into town with us (his dinghy davit broke away when hit by the wake of a barge).  Talk about small - population 301 - but very friendly;  a couple saw us getting out of the dinghy at the landing and drove us into town in the back of their pickup.  The next day we went up the Cumberland 30 miles to Barkley Lock - a 57-footer - the dam forms Lake Barkley.  It was raining on this last leg so we were a bit wet by the time we pulled into Green Turtle Bay Marina/Resort at the northern end of Lake Barkley.  We hit another chunk of wood on the Ohio and we have some vibration in the starboard drive, so we'll have the boat pulled out Monday (I hope) to inspect the running gear.  We plan on staying put for at least 3 nights.  Then we hope to have a relaxing week on Kentucky Lake, watching the foliage turn, but we'll see how that goes.

Dam at Lock 52, Ohio R

Steam-driven crane, Lock 52

Floating bollard, Barkley Lock

Lower part of floating bollard

YadaDreamin, Barkley Lock

Holding on tight

Barkley Lock

Goodbye Mississippi R, Hello Ohio R

We got an early start yesterday and  had a very eventful day of it.  First, about 45 min out we hit something in the river - there was a fair amount of 'floating' debris.  It must have be a piece of wood big enough to make a loud bang on the hull as it was spun around by the prop.  But there was no apparent damage - no vibration, steering intact, no water - so we'll wait until we're in Mobile to look at it when the boat comes out of the water (or the Captn will take a swim in Kentucky Lake).

Because we were making such good time we decided not to stop at the last of our 'scheduled' anchorages on the Mississippi - it was only noon when we passed it.  So, we turned left and started up the Ohio.  What the Mississippi giveth, the Ohio taketh back.  Our speed at 1250 rpm on the Mississippi was 11 - 12 mph, on the Ohio we stepped it up to 1450 rpm and were at 6 - 7 mph!  We proceeded up to Olmstead (Lock and Dam) - the parentheses are there b/c they are still building the Dam and the "lock" is just a concrete alley.  We waited below the Olmstead in an area full of debris (see pic) for about 2.5 hours.  Then when all is ready, we and 3 other boats (all of which were in our last anchorage) were escorted through Olmstead by a towboat and brought 1.5 mile upriver to Lock 53.  The whole process took us about 3.5 h and so when we left Lock 53 it was 1/2 h 'til sunset and our anchorage was 9 miles farther upstream!!! We let the horses loose and sped up river at 8.5 mph, pulling into the anchorage on the river in the dark - another new and exciting experience!  But thanks to the calm assistance of the First Mate, Miss Hattie and her Captain made it in fine.  And now it is another beautiful day on the water, with the sun rising over the Ohio.

Sunrise, Ohio River

Olmstead Lock & Dam, construction sched 1995-2020

Debris, Olmstead Lock

112 Mile Jog

Having left Port Charles Harbor yesterday, we anchored out in a small creek outlet on the Mississippi, 62 miles downstream.  Today we left early b/c we had a 112-mile stretch to navigate. The river was swift, so that Miss Hattie cruised at 12-13 mph for the most part, but maxed out at 14.9 mph, that's a 5.9 mph push from the river.  Miss Hattie feels young again!  Now we're anchored in a small river with 4 other boats; quite well sheltered and peaceful (except for the duck hunters blasting away).  Tomorrow we'll race our fellow nomads the next anchorage, some 48 miles away.

Rock Bluffs below St. Louis

Barge and Bridge

Arch from the river

Cones on the left, cans on the right

Little River Diversion Anchorage

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Miss Hattie's Looper Banner

Port Charles Harbor, Mississippi R, St. Louis

October 16-19 Port Charles Harbor on the Mississippi.

Met a looper who sold his house and got a Great Harbor N37. A perfect touring boat. Also a gigawatt of money. 

Spent the day in St. Louis and went up in the Arch. Wow, very impressive and claustrophobic. Number 4 was are pod with three other people. The door was 4'x2 and the interior was white with very 2001 lighting and small sculptured chairs.  At the top, it's small and steep and everyone is trying to  jockey for position to look out the tiny windows. Make reservations.

Went to the"Hill" for dinner, a section of St. Louis that was recommended for it's great Italian food. It did not disappoint. Staying  here one more day to chill.  Nomads signing off.

St Louis

Reflections on a large world

"Open the pod door Hal"

View from top

Mr. and Mrs. Tourist

arch from bottom

fellow looper, Popeye?

McEvers Island Anchorage

McEvers Island anchorage

McEvers Is anchorage, forward view, narrow and safe

McEvers Is anchorage, another beautiful sunset

Mr. Mussel came up with the anchor

Sincarte Anchorage

Sincrate Anchorage:  Lovely little anchorage, safe, seclude and scenic (pics to follow when WiFi available).  We've become a good team at anchoring and "unanchoring". The sunset was spectacular and star gazing great, due to lack light from hairless bypeds.  Our only companions were eagles, heron and white Pelicans.  Miss Hattie is performing wonderfully; she knows how to pass those barges.  Roger that!  We are happy,  ESPECIALLY because we now have a new member of the family: Clark Taunton Ross, 6 lbs 8 oz, 18.5 in long.  Our little Clark Bar is sweet.

Clark Taunton Ross

The Happy Grandad, Captn B

Drop The Dime - We Need It

Ran out of fresh water onboard, so we opted to stop at a marina and do all of the essentials. Since we had such a good lock-thru at Starved Rock lock (the captain of a 15-barge tow let us take the lock down ahead of him!! After we passed him about a mile upstream of the lock!!)., we pushed on to Peoria before stopping.. We'll stay here two nights.  There are white Pelicans here on Peoria Lake - they're heading south with us.

Third Day/First Anchorage

We stayed the night on the Joliet City wall and had an interesting guest onboard - Dana Dale from Houston. He's doing the loop solo - with frequent visitors (which we also hope for). Then down through locks three and four. Hanging out in a restaurant w/ Dana in between lockages. Now we're in a beautiful little anchorage on the Illinois R.

Brandon Rd Lock, High Side

Lockmaster from tank

Third Lock, Still First Mate

coffer lock

First Anchorage, Sugar Is, Illinois River

First Day, first lock, First Mate

Anticipation

We are prepared.  Now we wait, first for the weather, then for Lockport Lock to reopen.  We WILL leave soon.