This is the Life at Green Turtle

September 22-27, 2014

This is the longest that we have voluntarily stayed in one spot on the trip so far. Green Turtle is a big resort area with hundreds of slips, some covered, spa, yacht club restaurant, pools, beach area, boat yard, condos and rentals covering close to 50 acres. We have made good use of our time here. I caught up on laundry and John washed some of that Mississippi mud off the boat. We have sampled local restaurants and enjoyed the spa and indoor pool. The pictures tell the story.

Serenity is front and center - this shows just a fraction of the boat slips
 

There really are lots of turtles in the bay - we didn't see any snappers
 

 

A Great Harbor Looper boat, Twelve Stones
 

Lunch at the dockside with the crews of Charis and Thanks Dad
 

True statement

John makes small talk with the resident Native American
wax fighre sitting in a tub at Patti's restaurant

Kathy with Looper captains, Gus, Ross and Larry
 

It's been a relaxing week for us and tomorrow we will start on the cruise down the Tennessee River.

Muddy Mississippi to Ohio and Cumberland Rivers

Thursday, September 18, 2014

It was time to brave the debris filled flood waters of the big river.  At 6 a.m. John called the first lock we needed to go through and the lockmaster said there were no delays and come ahead. There were four of us loop boats leaving together at 7 a.m. to go to Hoppie’s Marina – the only place to get fuel for over a hundred miles and the only marina for the next 228 miles. Most people stop there but one Loop boat, Terri Ann, followed us out and planned to go all the way to the first anchorage.

Leaving Grafton Harbor with Summerland, Navigator
and Average Looper
 

Our timing for the locks worked out for us because a barge was just coming out when we got there and after a short wait for it to clear we were given the green light to go through both the Mel Price and Chain of Rocks locks a little further down river. We passed the turbulent spot where the Missouri entered the river and then cruised past St. Louis and it’s giant arch.

In the lock with Terri Ann - no gate in back, just a vertical block for
the short drop down - in one lock Summerland didn't even tie up
 

Cliffs along the way had eroded after centuries of water and
 weather - these looked like columns and niches
 

St. Louis arch with construction at waterfront
 

We reached our destination in good time and there was an experienced crew to catch us as we came in. We passed the 2,000 mile mark on this leg - we are 1/3 of the way through our trip!

Hoppie’s is basically three barges tied together with a fuel barge in the middle. It was tricky with all of the debris along the shore – still big logs and branches going by. One of the first things we learned as we got there is that the river is closed to the south of us because a tow sunk in the night and they haven’t found it yet. No one was hurt but with the muddy water and swift current they are still looking for the tow.

The couple on Summerland, Row and Gus, invited us to walk into town with them and go to the famous Blue Owl Restaurant – it was even featured on Oprah’s 100 favorite things Christmas show. It is a popular destination for miles around – not far from St. Louis and well known for their home cooked food and fantastic deserts. We ordered a light lunch and then went overboard on a decadent dessert – Mile High Apple Pecan Caramel Pie!! It was so big that even though John and I split one, we could only eat half and brought the rest back to the boat for a special treat tomorrow.

Didn't get a picture of Fern, but this is where she held her instruction
session - love the old phone booth!
 

At 5 p.m. Hoppie’s wife, Fern Hopkins, who is very well known to Mississippi boaters and a legend among loopers, gave us the daily briefing on how to safely continue down the river. She is in her 70s and has lived on the Mississippi all of her life and we all took notes and listened, especially with the conditions at the moment.

Tied up at Hoppies - watch your step!
 

Captain’s Log September 18, 2014

Departed: Grafton Harbor, Grafton, IL 6:55
Engine hours: 5.8 hrs.
Actual hours: 5 hr. 45 min.
Miles covered: 58.35
Arrived: Hoppie’s Marina, Kimmswick, MO  12:45 p.m.
Debris not too bad, 4-5 mph current. Lots of debris as we came to edge of river and tied up to barge at Hoppies
Wx: Cool driving from upper helm, overcast, SW wind, sun came out as we arrived

 Friday, September, 19, 2014

John called the Coast Guard early and learned that the river was open again to traffic. Four boats left Hoppie’s at 7 a.m. We set a good pace because we had a long way to go to reach our anchorage for the night. The trip was uneventful but a good current of almost 5 mph carried us along and we still had to keep a watch out for debris.

When we got to Little Diversion Channel we were glad to get out of the fast current and away from the debris. It was very peaceful and quiet there.  We all rafted up in pairs and later we gathered by dinghy on Larry and Jan’s boat Panacea which was already in the channel rafted up to Attitude Changer when we got there.

Captain’s Log: September 19, 2014

Departed: Hoppie’s Marina, Havana, 6:55 a.m.
Engine hours: 8.8 hr. – 110.4 statute miles – a record day for distance!
Actual hours: 8 hr. 45 min.  
Arrived: Diversion Canal near Cape Girardeau, Missouri 2:30
Prop-shaft stuffing boxes leaking – I believe due to all the silt in the water – adjusted them and will check again when we reach the Ohio and the water is cleaner
Wx: Chilly at first, sun finally came out and was very warm when we reached the channel

Saturday, September 20, 2014

It was a great night’s sleep for everyone in the protected channel – no wakes, no wind, no trains. We had rafted up with Row and Gus on Summerland so we untied and went out the channel back onto the river for the 40 mile trip to the Ohio River.

We immediately had to start our usual games of “dodge the debris” and “talk to the tows.”

We would meet an oncoming tow, call them and ask if they wanted us to pass on our left or our right. In nautical terms this would be either port or starboard. A pass on our port was called a one whistle pass while a pass on our starboard would be a two whistle. This was how boats signaled each other before radios became standard equipment. I could remember this because port has one syllable while starboard has two. As we listened to the tows calling back and forth on the radio they shortened it to “passing on the one” or “see you on the two.” If there was no radio contact they would blow their whistle either once or twice in the traditional way.

At Cairo where we started the turn to the left, or east, onto the Ohio River - you
can see the blue water at the top of the water line
 

 After about 3 ½ hours we passed through a huge S curve and reached Cairo where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet and continue south. We had heard from other boaters that the Ohio was actually blue but we weren’t prepared for the immediate contrast as we approached. It was as if the day was suddenly brighter! The water was clean, the river was wide and straight and there was no debris to dodge. The only drawback was that we were going against the current, but it was only about 1-2 mph.

You can see the line where the muddy Mississippi stops!
 

Navigator passes us as we fall back and let someone else lead.
 

Captain’s Log: September 20, 2014

Departed: Diversion Canal 7:00 a.m.
Engine hours: 6.3
Actual hours: 6 hrs.  30 min
Statute miles covered 64.87
Arrived: Anchorage below Olmstead Lock, IL 1:30 p.m.
Wx: beautiful day, sun warmed us up - no locks

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Departed from Olmstead Lock Anchorage and continued up the Ohio River. We were held up for a while waiting for Lock 52 but that was our only delay. We realized that one of the other boats we were traveling with, Panacea, had lost it's steering and the captain, Larry, was maneuvering using only his throttles to control his two engines to keep his boat going in the right direction.

It was another long day and Captain John ran the engines faster than usual as we went up the current in the  Ohio and then onto the Cumberland River. We were focusing on where we were on the nautical chart and it was a beautiful day as the river narrowed and we saw a hint of fall in the trees and foliage.

No pictures for today, but we had one last and very deep lock to go up and then we were on Barkley Lake and arrived at Green Turtle Bay Marina. Everyone was very happy to be here because the marina is very nice. They have a restaurant and a spa and so we plan to be here for about a week. John has some work to do on his battery charger and I am going to take advantage of the indoor heated pool!

Captain’s Log: September 21, 2014
Departed: Olmstead Lower lock anchorage 6.55
Engine hours: 10.6 hrs.
Actual hours: 11 hr. 30 min.
Statute miles covered: 76.17  Total miles: 2,222
Arrived: Green Turtle Bay Marina at Grand Rivers, KY 6:15
Wx: overcast and then sunny, clear skies – front went through and air stayed cool.

 

Grafton Harbor at the Confluence

Thursday, September 11, 2014

We were ready to leave the barge on Thursday morning but, with all the rain and debris, few boats at our next stop, Grafton Harbor, were moving on so we had to wait to find out if there would be an open slip. We did have reservations there but we needed to confirm there would actually be a slip available for us. This required us to wait till 9 a.m. when the office opened up. So much for an early 7 a.m. departure!

Thursday morning and still tied up to barge at Beardstown
 

We finally got the OK to go ahead after 9 a.m. and with help from one of the barge workers we nosed out into the current, turned and started down stream. You can see the first bridge we had to clear on the left in the photo above. Fortunately they were all high enough for us to go under with our mast down or they lifted as we approached. The water was rising due to all the rain and so we had to check with each bridge operator to see if we had enough clearance. We had an 88 mile trip ahead of us, but the 2 mph current helped us along.

Possibly a grain refinery along the way
 

The industrial area gave way to green trees along the banks. We enjoyed the trip even though we had to watch for debris all along the way. The water was chocolate brown with lots of mud. It was overcast and we didn't see the sun all day.

TA TA passing by barges parked along the side of the river
 

This was our longest day, as far as distance, since we have started the trip. The current gave us a little push and we stepped it up a bit so we would get to our destination of Grafton Harbor before 6 p.m. The marina is just north of the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers where the waterway really widens.
It was a great welcome as we arrived - lots of Loop boats were there and people, including Steve and Gina from Island Time were on hand to catch our lines as we backed into our slip. There wasn't time to do anything as far as tucking away the boat before we were invited to join everyone at the Big Kahuna Lounge above the marina store and office. We saw familiar faces and met some new friends including Mark and Becky from Mara Beel - great time! This is a complete change from being tied to a barge - which is a good thing because it looks like we might be here a while.

Meeting new friends Brenda and Glen from Young at Heart
 

Captain’s Log September 8, 2014

Departed: Beardstown Ill. Tugston Barge 9:10
Engine hours: 9.3 hrs.
Actual hours: 8 hr. 40 min.
Miles covered: 88.45
Arrived: Grafton, Il.  5:5 p.m.
Dodged lots of debris, 2 mph current. Long, tedious cruise, nice to see Grafton Harbor
Wx: Overcast, misty, light winds, chilly temps

Friday, Sept 9 - Thursday, Sept 18

The first thing John did the next morning was to call Hoppie's Marine Services which is on the Mississippi River. That is the next stop on our trip, but many boats had been held up due to locks closing and the flooding on the Mississippi. There were many ahead of us scheduled to stay there and they can only accommodate about 5 boats at a time. Hoppie, who just had his 78th birthday, and his wife, Fern, are legends, especially to boaters on the loop, because they have lived and worked on the river all their lives and their input is invaluable to us newbies. The first opening they had was next Thursday, the 18th so we hope that the flooding crests and the huge debris fields we have heard about clear by then.Meanwhile, we are enjoying this little town and the camaraderie of all the people here. When Roger was out running he saw a sign for a fish fry which was a fund raiser for the local fire station and EMT service. So he rounded up a group and off we went on a beautiful Saturday morning.

Loading up in the courtesy van to go to the fish fry - Roger on left is our
driver and John, in blue hooded jacket, rode shotgun
 

We thought we would be having local catfish but found out that it was buffalo head - a type of carp - did we really want to eat this? John opted for the bratwurst, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and had the fish. It was very mild tasting with a cornmeal coating and already nicely deboned - not bad.

Stu, Julie, John and Roger
 

Mary, on the left, and Diane & Henry who are traveling on their homebuilt
Blue Jacket 28' outboard, De De

 

The next day we went with another group to the Pere Marquette Park to
have lunch at the rustic lodge there
 

On Monday we drove with Diane and Henry in their rental car to the town of St. Charles in Missouri. As you can see from the photo below, the ferry we took is basically a barge with a tow pushing it. The tow is attached to the ferry with a trailer hitch kind of  connection and it just swings around to push in the other direction. We were relieved to see that there wasn't a lot of debris in the river.

Barge to take us across the Missouri
 

The barge landing was flooded and they had a very simple landing spot!

Kathy and Diane in St. Charles with the Missouri River
in background at left
 

Last night we celebrated the completion of a loop trip as Satisfaction with John and Pat returned here to their home port. That was fun - pizza for everyone and lots of congratulations.

The night before we had to say good-bye for now to our dear traveling companions Mary and Roger on TA TA. They are taking advantage of this delay to rent a car and drive to Ontario to see family since they won't be this far north until next year. They don't plan to be back until next weekend but we still have the green light to leave on Thursday with 3 other boats. The flood waters have started to recede and we hope the debris around St. Louis and south of there will have cleared out. Several boats that we have been in contact with made it through yesterday and the day before.We don't expect to have an internet connection again until late next week when we get off the Ohio River and start the Tennessee.

 



Tall Timbers and Logston Tug

Monday, September 08, 2014

We were headed with TA TA from Peoria to the only lock of the day, about a half hour away when we were hailed by Takes Two, another great loop boat that we hadn’t encountered yet. They were tied up to a restaurant dock and invited us to join them as we waited for the lock to clear. The dock was a bit rickety, but they caught us and we had a good visit with Sheri and Gerald, then locked through and were all on our way again.

It was a beautiful morning on the Illinois River - flock of birds in distance
are white pelicans
 

It was exciting to see bald eagles along the way
 

Serenity, Lucky Lucky and TA TA at Tall Timbers Marina
 

Tall Timbers Marina was small but well done with nice touches. They were pretty much winding down for the season. We walked into the town of Havana, not much there but some buildings from a better era - we did find the dollar store and a hardware.

Reddish ring around the full moon portends rain tomorrow
 

 Captain’s Log September 8, 2014

Departed: Peoria Town Dock 7:00
Engine hours: 5.2 hrs.
Actual hours: 5 hr. 55 min.
Nautical miles covered: 42.30
Arrived: Tall Timbers Marina, Havana, Ill.  12:55
30 min delay at Peoria Lock, was able to tie up and shut down, very nice cruise down. Only 3’ under boat as we came into harbor.
Wx: cool temps, light wind, clear skies

 Tuesday and Wednesday, September 9 & 10, 2014

We woke up to rain and were watching the weather carefully on Tuesday morning because thunder storms were going through and we wanted to wait for a good weather window. The two captains, John and Roger, decided to leave around 10 a.m., thinking that the worst had passed.

We did encounter rain almost all along the way but a lot of it was light and the wind wasn’t blowing, even though we could see occasional lightning and hear thunder. About two hours into our trip our radio sounded a flood warning and we saw that small streams entering the river were roiling the water with mud and debris. Motor vessel If, a 44' Grand Banks loop boat, passed us along the way with grandfather Tom and grandson Tim on board. When we got to Logston Tug Service, If was already tied up in a snug spot in between some barges. The spot left was on the outside of the barge so we tied up. The rain had stopped and we went for a walk with Roger and Mary around town; not much activity there.

Glad to be tied up, from left, Tom, from MV IF, Roger, Mary and John
 

 

Tied up to a barge with a crane and a tug
 

Mary and Kathy flanking our mascot, Christopher, in front of
the huge clam shovel - MV IF is in back on left
 

This gives you a hint of the debris floating down the river from the
thunderstorms - the water was flowing from under the RR bridge
pushing logs and branches past us
 

When we got back from our walk we realized that debris and logs were piling up around TA TA, tied up in front of us and pointed into the current, and we knew we would have to move. After talking to the crew on IF, we moved over next to them and rafted up, with Serenity in the middle and TA TA on the outside. This worked much better but it rained all night - make that poured all night! Roger still had to get up at 2 a.m.and clear a big log from the front of his boat. When tows went through we got rocked with their wake – not a very restful sleep for anyone.We were glad to see that all was fine at daylight. After breakfast, the crew on If decided that they needed to leave to stay on schedule so we all untied, they got off and we tucked back into the spot with TA TA tied up to us again. More rain was coming, here and especially down river, but tomorrow looks like a much better day, the current should be stronger and we plan to leave early on our way to Grafton, IL.

We are at the local library to use their Wi-Fi and there are still a couple of photos to put on for today. Next internet will be in Grafton where I will update. 
Captain’s Log: September 9, 2014

Departed: Tall Timbers Marina, Havana, IL 10:30 a.m.
Engine hours: 4 hr. – 32.74 nautical miles
Actual hours: 4 hr.  
Arrived: Logston Tug, Beardstown, IL 2:30.
Wx: rain & T. storms – not violent, creeks are rising, no issues enroute – did avoid debris. Tied up on barge, then moved alongside IF at Logston Tug Services. Forecast is T. storms next 36 hours

 

The Fish are Jumpin' ...

Wednesday, September 3 & 4, 2014

...and our spirits are high! We continued on our way southwest along the Illinois River leaving Joliet, departing early and cruising through more industrial area. We had one lock for the day, the Marseilles Lock.  We tied up to the last bollard and another boat, Navigator, rafted up with us since there weren’t very many bollards. Apparently the huge barges don’t need very many places to tie up.




At the bottom of a deep lock we were tied to the bollard on the wall and another
Looper boat, Navigator, rafted up to us
 

We passed lots of tows and barges and the air quality was less than desirable and, shall we say, very smelly. We longed for the fresh and crisp air in the Canadian waters. After several hours we reached our destination of Ottawa, IL which had a short town wall where there was one space left for us between Snail Male and Joint Adventure. Fortunately they had some shorter docks where our traveling companions on TA TA were able to tie up.

Looper boats waiting for a lock in a very industrial area
 

You may have heard that the Asian carp is an invasive species that has been taking over in the Illinois River. We went through the electric fish barrier up on the Chicago Sanitary Canal and after we were through it I asked John if this was when the carp start jumping on the boat. We really didn’t see them until we got to Ottawa where they have a concentration of them and we saw lots jumping. One even jumped over TA TA’s bow when they were tied in their slip.

Fish and Game carp catcher
 

The Fish and Wildlife people have a special boat that we watched the next morning. It has nets that can be lowered and then they put an electrical charge in the water. This causes the fish to jump out of the water and some of them land in the nets. They are researching the best way to catch the fish and ways to use them. Fortunately China is turning out to be a big market - wonderful - send them back to where they came from.

Nets are lowered and they are ready to catch fish
 

When they set off the DC charge the fish started jumping!
 

Captain's Log: September 3, 2014

Departed: Joliet, Il town wall
Engine hrs.: 9
Actual hrs.: 10
Arrived: Ottawa town docks 5:00
Early departure and hope to get to Ottawa - 3 locks to go through. 30 min to 1 hr. delay at all locks. Starboard engine overheating at first lock, port eng. slightly hot, but water is getting warm! Will check strainers, etc - all else is well.
Wx: sunny day, humid

Friday, September 5, 2014

Since it is after Labor Day it seems like we are almost the only pleasure boats on the waterway besides the tows and barges and definitely the only ones going through the locks.

We waited over an hour for this large barge to lock up and it stopped just
outside the lock and left a very small opening for us to get in
 




We were the first one out of the lock, with 5 Looper boats behind us
Joint Adventure and If right behind us 
 

Soil has been washed away from all the tree's roots along the shore
 

 At Henry Harbor we joined Meander and If. TA TA had traveled with us. We took a walk around the little town and late in the afternoon and later in the day Julie and Stu  from Meander brought out a watermelon to share. It cooled us off on a warm day.

Captain’s Log: September 5, 2014

Departed: Ottawa, IL 6.6 a.m.
Engine hours: 9 hr. – 37.53 nautical miles
Actual hours: 7 hr.  
Arrived: Henry Harbor, IL town wall 2:45
Departed with TA TA and Meander, headed for Starved Rock Lock, 4 other looper boats also joined us. Delay for 1 ½ hr at lock then smooth cruise down to Henry, .5 mph current pushing us.
Wx: hot and humid, cold front went through in late afternoon, very little rain.

Thursday and Friday, September 6 & 7, 2014

These two days were spent in Peoria, Il. At first we arrived at the Illinois Valley Yacht Club, or the IVY Club, which was very nice, with several other Loop boats there. It was 5 miles out of the city with no access to any walking or shopping so the second day we moved just a few miles down the way to the Peoria city docks which put us in the center of the waterfront area. They supplied power and they were free!

We saw lots of white pelicans along the way - hundreds migrating south
 

The white pelicans are migrating south from their summer breeding ground in Canada. We saw them flying in large flocks circling up and up. Roger explained that they follow the thermals up until they find a strong wind current and then they catch it and are on their way south. Other birds we saw were a few bald eagles, egrets and blue herons.

John takes care of a carp that jumped into the rocks and got stuck by our boat
 



Early morning at the IVY Club
 

Captain’s Log: September 6, 2014

Departed: Henry Harbor 8:00 a.m.
Engine hours: 3.8
Actual hours: 4 hrs.  5 min
Nautical miles covered: 28.58
Arrived: Illinois Valley Yacht Club (IVY Club), Peoria, IL 12:05 p.m.
Wx: cool, morning clouds,/sunny. Temp 60-70 degrees – no locks

 Sunday, September 7, 2014

John greeting Mary on TA TA as they approach the Peoria city docks
 

This day cruise paddle boat was moored nearby and played loud calliope music
 

Mary and I went to the Peoria museum where they had a
Ripley's Believe it or Not exhibit - this camel is made entirely of
small plastic toys  
 

Docktails with Roger and John plus new friends from two other looper boats,
Summerland and Terri Ann that came in for the night
 

Moon rising over Peoria bridge - note the very high pilings holding the docks -
the river sometimes floods over 20 feet and these are floating docks
 

Captain’s Log: September 7, 2014

Departed: IVY Club 8:25
Engine hours: .9 hrs.
Actual hours: 45 min.
Nautical miles covered: 5.42
Arrived: Peoria Town Dock 9:40
Wx: Short cruise to Peoria Town Dock, no wind, clear skies – NICE.