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.