12/21/08 to 12/30/08

Our new neighbor

12/21/08 We drove south to Clearwater today, exploring towns and marinas as we went. It looks like our next stop will be Clearwater Beach.
12/22/08 to 12/25/08 Finally got the bicycles off the boat and rode them where we wanted to go: to downtown Crystal River, to bridges where we could see manatees moving around, and to the little malls within a mile of the marina. There were 2 paved bike paths, one to town and one beside Florida Highway 19. Christmas Day was sunny and warm, and we actually found a Sonic Drive-in that was open, so we could have ice cream in the afternoon.
12/26/08 All signs pointed to good conditions to travel, so off we went as soon as it was daylight, threading our way out of Crystal River to the Gulf. We had to watch our depth, as there were lots of shallow spots. About 9AM, While in 3.5 feet of water we were waked by a fishing boat. The lift from the wake was alright but the void of the water that resulted was not good. The boat hit the sand bottom with a solid thud and then we slid into deeper water. There was vibration when the engine ran above 2000 rpm, but we were able to keep going. The prop is probably bent, maybe the shaft as well, so we’ll have to have a diver check them. By 5 PM, we pulled in to the fuel dock at Clearwater Municipal Marina and filled up with diesel fuel at $1.80/gal., the least we’ve paid in at least 2 years.
12/27/08 This marina seems to have it all: post office, restaurant, gift shops, barber shop, beauty salon, charter fishing boats, speed boat rides, and much more. The beach is a block away and every afternoon there are street performers and craftspeople there.

Carrabelle to Crystal River, FL

Homosassa State Park - Bald Eagle

Cougar

Flamingo

Lou the Hippo

Eating Melons

Spoonbill

Gators

Man feeding Manatee

Dolphin swimming with us as we cross the Gulf

Very smooth sailing today

12/16/08 Four of us Looper boats left Carrabelle about 5:30 AM for the trip across the Gulf to Steinhatchee. The day was perfect, sunny and warm; the water had light swells early, but became smoother as the day went on. Porpoises often swam with us. To get into Steinhatchee, we had to follow a narrow, shallow channel from the Gulf in toward land. The day’s travel took about 10 hours and we went almost 80 miles.
12/17/08 There was fog this morning, which delayed our departure until 7:15 AM. However, the day turned into something worth waiting for, a perfect combination of sunshine and smooth water. Our goal was to travel 70-80 miles again. The four of us who were traveling together, "Sunshine", "Blue Max", "Salvage Crew", and us, were joined by "Lola Marie". Overnight, we anchored in the first mile of the Cross Florida Barge Canal, a Corps of Engineers project begun in the 1970's, but never completed. The idea was to create a canal to cross from here to the east coast of Florida. Construction started at each end and continued for several years until funding was not renewed. The 6 mile western section of the canal is an excellent anchorage, but unknown to many boaters. The fishermen know about it and many of them in small bouts passed us as they returned to the launch ramp upstream.
12/18/08 We said good-bye to our 4 companion boats this morning as they left for holiday destinations further south. Because we do not have any deadline right now, we gave in to our curiosity and continued inland on the remaining 5 miles of the unfinished Barge Canal, which was turned over to the state of Florida in 1991. Cedar trees grow close together on each side, along with a few palms. After the first 3-4 miles, the cedar trees end and you see more scrub palmetto. At the end of the line, so to speak, there is a completed lock, never used, but finished right down to the lights and signs. The western portion of the canal ends here, rather abruptly.
Returning to the Gulf, we made our way to the city of Crystal River, known for its warm freshwater springs and the manatees who live in the waters there. We tied up at Pete’s Pier Marina and walked to the bait shack, where 3 fishermen were cleaning their catch, an ice chest full of grouper. Two dozen brown pelicans floated in the water nearby and all rushed in noisily each time the fishermen threw scraps in the water.

12/19/08 Last night we decided to stay here in Crystal River through Christmas, so we called Enterprise and rented a car for the weekend in order to see the sights. Today we drove south a few miles to Homosassa State Wildlife Park and spent much of the day there, seeing manatees, alligators, reptiles, and all kinds of birds native to Florida.

12/20/08 About a mile from our marina is a variety of stores and restaurants, plus a laundromat, which we used this morning. Later we drove northward toward the Cross Florida Barge Canal, thinking we'd see more of the Greenway that runs alongside it. However, the Greenway is reserved for walkers and hikers, with vehicles limited to a parking area. A man at the marina made several suggestions for sights to see in this area. It turned out that he is the mayor of Crystal River and he and his family live here on their boat.

A week of waiting in Carrabelle

Misplaced but understood

Library built by Gumbo

Honoring their Veterans

12/07/08 to 12/15/08 This last week in Carrabelle we’ve caught up with some old acquaintances and met some new ones, walked the length of the town at least once a day (it’s about ½ a mile), and eaten our share of fresh seafood. This was a big fishing, shrimping, and oystering town, but those occupations have dwindled considerably. There are still marinas and marine repair facilities, and charter fishing boats. We’ve endured windy, cold weather: one night the temperature went down to 30 degrees, another night there were winds gusting up to 65 mph. The last couple mornings the tide was extremely low and our boat gunwales were 3-4 feet below the fixed dock, giving us difficulty getting off the boat. Bob visited the hardware store and marine stores; Lois dropped in at "the library that gumbo built." A few years ago, a lady from this area submitted her recipe for gumbo to a national contest. She won first prize of $50,000 and the state of Florida matched it to kick start the building fund.
We Loopers gathered one night for a potluck dinner in the lounge at this marina. Joining us were a half dozen other people, all bound by boat for the west coast of Florida also and all waiting for better weather to cross the Gulf of Mexico. Also present were Roy and Ellen, Loopers who were staying at another marina in Carrabelle. We had first met them at the Looper rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park in Alabama a couple of months ago, where Ellen taught us to play Mexican Train dominoes. Those of us who wanted to play again got together the next night and had a great time. Last Saturday was a big day-"Holiday in the Harbor". It started with music by a number of bands who played throughout the afternoon, then the arrival of Santa Claus at dusk,
and after dark, a lighted boat parade on the river, along with fireworks.
All forecasts point to the next 3 days as being good for a Gulf crossing, so 4 of us Looper boats are planning to head out at 6 AM tomorrow.

Fort Walton Beach to Carrabelle, FL

Police Station, Carrabelle, FL

This is good news

Free dock in White City, Fl

12/04/08 We departed Fort Walton Beach under cloudy skies this morning. Wind and waves increased in intensity throughout the day. As we approached the Panama City Marina, we were dreading the docking, assuming it would be as difficult as yesterday; however, dockhands were available to help us and it went very well.
12/05/08 Once again it was overcast and chilly as we made our way along the GIWW. After 40 miles, we found the White City town park/boat launch/dock, where we tied up for the night, forcing a couple fishermen off. Gary, Lorenzo, and Bob bought part of their catch for our supper, so hopefully they didn’t resent us too much for making them move. Gary and Bob cleaned the fish and Lois J. fried them. We couldn’t decide if we were in the central time zone anymore, so we didn’t change watches. Sometime tomorrow we’ll be back in the eastern time zone for sure.
12/06/08 About 6 AM the bass boats started zooming away from the launch ramp-evidently a bass tournament was getting underway. Fortunately they were long gone by 7 AM when we left. Our route today was mostly canals, though we did cross 2 small lakes and a portion of the Apalachicola River before entering the Apalachicola Bay. We passed a variety of structures, from floating fish camps to elaborate 2 story homes. Bypassing the town of Apalachicola, we went 30 miles further to Carabelle. Our friends Lorenzo and Lois on "Lil’ David" and Gary and Judy on "Gilraker" are leaving their boats in Carabelle for several weeks while they go home to North Carolina. We plan to cross a 70 mile section of the Gulf of Mexico to get to the west coast of Florida, but we’ll wait until conditions are favorable on this stretch of open water-winds predicted out of the north or east at 10-15 mph, waves 1-3 feet. It will probably be several days. A number of Loopers are here waiting for conditions to change, so we have plenty of company. There won’t be anything to report on the blog for 7-10 days.

Mobile Bay to Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Alabama River Cut-Off Anchorage
This is the evidence of ice on the windshield

New "Stealth" Warship

Sundown on Mobile Bay

It is supposed to be warm here!

11/23/08 to 11/30/08 Thank goodness Eastern Shore Marina had a courtesy van-we made several trips to Walmart, went out to eat about 3 times (including Thanksgiving dinner at Cracker Barrel for 8 of us), visited a marine supply store (men), and drove into Fairhope once or twice. Lois J., Judy, and I shared dinner duties every night that we ate together "at home". One of our unique meals was roasted fresh ham from a wild boar, thanks to Joe, a marina employee. Since Lois J. has the best kitchen facilities (3 burner stove with oven, and large pots and pans), she did most of the preparation. She boiled the ham for three hours, then roasted it in "Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce" for two hours. Delicious!
12/01/08 Because of heavy, almost gale-force, winds for the last two days, we did not leave Fairhope when we had planned to.
12/02/08 This morning winds were calm and Mobile Bay was smooth, so we headed out, first going southward on Mobile Bay for several hours, then turning eastward into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW). Barrier islands separate the GIWW from the Gulf of Mexico. From time to time, porpoises swam and jumped around us. We anchored for the night in Ingram Bayou, a protected bay with no traffic, very peaceful. It is near Orange Beach, AL.
12/03/08 When we left Ingram Bayou this morning, the weather was perfect-sunny, cool, no fog. As we cruised eastward on the GIWW, the sky got darker and the wind and waves increased. By the time we got to a marina at Fort Walton Beach, FL, around 3 PM, docking the boat was very difficult. We were grateful to get the boat tied up securely.

We are out of the River System at Last

Rafted-up at Bobby's Fish Camp

Bobbys's Fish Camp from the water

Rafted up in a small river for the night

Rocks along the river

Winter is coming and it is time to head south

Steam Powered Snag Boat

Durring refueling where fuel is cheap

11/13/08 In search of "cheap" diesel fuel, nine of us Looper boats left the Waterway to travel the winding, shallow route through stumps and standing dead trees to Aberdeen, Mississippi. It was well worth the trip, not only for fuel at $2.69 per gallon, but also for the marvelous hospitality of the owners and employees of this unique convenience store/marina. On the highway side of the store are gas pumps for motor vehicles. Out the back door is a covered porch/fuel dock on a creek with a marina. Only one of our trawlers at a time was able to fuel, and the process for our group went on from 3 PM to 9 PM, with the porch serving as the social center for us, the store customers and employees, and a handful of gawkers. Many of our group bought chicken dinners, a specialty here. When he heard someone wishing for fresh greens, one man went home and returned with mustard greens, collard greens, and green tomatoes from his garden to give to those who wanted them. We stayed overnight, leaving the next morning after buying our breakfast in the store.
11/14/08 to 11/16/08 Columbus, Mississippi, was our weekend stop. Although the days were sunny and lovely, we also had a cold wind while we were here. Nearby is Columbus Air Force Base, site of the largest pilot training program in our country. About 80% of the pilots for all our armed services are trained here.
11/17/08 Continuing our Tenn-Tom trip, we arrived at the Tom Bevill Lock and were told we’d have an hour wait to go through the lock. Nearby was the Corps of Engineers Visitor Center, which had a small dock. One of our traveling companions, Lil’ David, tied to the dock, we rafted to him, and off we went to see what we could. In addition to the visitors center, there was a steam powered snagboat to tour. It was used for many years to clear debris from southern rivers and is now drydocked at the Visitor Center. After the lock, we cruised for 50 miles or so to an anchorage at Cook’s Branch Cutoff. The boat Gulf Cart was already there, but there was still plenty of room for three more. After sunset it started to get chilly and by morning, we were ready to start our generator and turn on the heat!
11/18/08 and 11/19/08 The Howell Heflin Lock was not far away and we were able to go through it without a wait. After our day’s travel, we stopped at a marina in Demopolis, AL. Overnight the temperature went below freezing, and by morning, our decks and the docks were covered with a thin coat of frost. We weren’t aware that water lines to all the boats would be turned off overnight, and that was an unpleasant surprise, especially for those who wanted to fill their water tanks before leaving this morning. There was also fog on the river, and the Demopolis Lock was temporarily closed, so we could not leave until the lockmaster called and said it was OK. He called about 7:30 AM, about an hour later than we had planned. Now we had become a flotilla of 10; the 3 of us (Going There, Lil’ David, and Gilraker) plus 3 (Wanderin’ L&M, C-Life, and Bella Luna) who had left Columbus a day before us, Gulf Cart (Looping now for several years), and 3 other non-Looper boats. An upbound tow had agreed to wait below the lock and let all of us go through first, which was very considerate of him, since he actually had priority.
After the Demopolis Lock, the waterway officially becomes the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway for the remaining 213 miles to Mobile, though few people call it that. We passed or met several tows and saw 2 whitetail deer swimming across the waterway. There are no marinas from Demopolis to Mobile, so we have to find places to anchor. Our destination this day was the mouth of Bashi Creek at a launch ramp. Although we’d been told there wasn’t much space, 7 boats fit in, 2 groups of 3 rafted together and 1 boat anchored singly,
11/20/08 At last–Bobby’s Fish Camp, not a marina, but a family-style catfish restaurant with a 100 foot dock. It was a short trip, less than 30 miles (3 hours at trawler speed). Three of the biggest boats tied to the dock and everyone rafted to them for the night. Captain Chip Lucas, whom we had met before, was on his way to Mobile with a client’s boat and had timed his trip to stop here for supper and overnight. He promised to get all of us through the next lock promptly in the morning by talking to the lockmaster ahead of time. All of us went up to the restaurant for dinner at the same time and most everyone chose whole catfish or catfish filets (both were all you could eat). In due time, our meal arrived, 9 x 12 pans piled high with catfish, french fries, and hush puppies, all fried crispy and golden. We passed the pans around and took as much as we could handle and repeated the process a little later. (Dr. Gerard, this won’t change those cholesterol numbers that much, will it?)
This afternoon and evening were warmer than we’ve had recently, but during the night, a wind came up and really rocked us around.
11/21/08 This morning we started out at 6 AM and reached the Coffeeville Lock before a tow. Standing outside on the gunwale of the boat to hold the line as we were lowered 30 ft. was a chilly job.
A bit later in the morning, a tow announced on the VHF radio that he was approaching a bend in the river and coming northward. We were all southbound and the lead boat agreed to hold our positions and wait for the tow to maneuver around the bend. However, with a brisk wind and the river current, this was difficult to do since there were so many of us. There were some close calls between several boats.
The Alabama River Cutoff was the anchorage tonight and there was plenty of room for 7 boats. Trees overhung the banks on both sides and it seemed like a quiet place, until about 8 PM, when a couple of small boats with headlights sped past, rocking everyone. Early in the morning, just before daylight, that was repeated. We presume they were fishermen or, more likely, hunters, since it was the first day of deer season in Alabama.
11/22/08 Once again, after a very cold night, decks and windshields were frosty and we could see our breath as we worked to get ready to leave. We later learned that the temperature was around 24 degrees-our coldest night. As we traveled toward Mobile, the waterway widened and pelicans skimmed the water in front of us. We looked for alligators, but saw none. It’s too cold for them, I guess. After noon, we passed under the Cochran Bridge over Mobile Bay. Following the shipping channel, we passed military vessels, a cruise ship, the Convention Center, barges, a stealth navy ship, and container ships. We did not stay in Mobile, instead crossing the bay to the Eastern Shore Marina, in Fairhope, AL, where we plan to stay for several days.

Aberdeen, Mississippi

Stopping in Aberdeen for the night. Mom and Dad saw 5 big eagles today. They are in alligator country now. Haven't seen any yet. Guy at marina said they might not as they stay away from the noisy boats. $2.79/gal for diesel!

Starting the Tenn-Tom Waterway

Lois and I at Shiloh Battlefield

Delois and Lorenzo Johnson and I eating catfish

11/11/08 Barb and Becky do a good job substituting for us, don’t they? If you haven’t already checked the website Barb suggested about the Tenn-Tom Waterway, it is an alternative to traveling the lower Mississippi River. Not only is it a shorter route, the water is less turbulent, making it safer for pleasure boaters. We will cover about 450 miles on this waterway, from Pickwick, TN, to Mobile, AL. Over the weekend, we were in Pickwick with the crews of the trawlers Gilraker and Lil’ David. Once again, a courtesy car was available and we visited the
grocery store, a restaurant (same one, 3 different times!), and the Shiloh National Park, location of a major Civil War battle. Bob and the other two captains ate their fill of catfish and impressed the restaurant staff at the Redwood with their capacity. On Monday, we cruised about 50 miles in sunshine under clear skies to Fulton, Mississippi. There were cloudy skies and the threat of rain on Tuesday(today), so we did not travel. Our two companion boats had repair work to do, anyway. We got together tonight for supper: Judy made red chili and Lois made white chili, and Lois Johnson was the hostess.

Info on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (the Tenn-Tom)

If you want to see more about the Tenn-Tom, here's it's website: http://www.tenntom.org/

There are some good maps available on it. I was unsure where the waterway was, and this gave me a great visual. Enjoy! Barb

Pickwick, TN Nov 6-8

An update from Becky:

Bob and Lois are near Pickwick, TN from Nov 6-8. On Mon Nov 9 they will head south to warmer temps, via the TN Tom Big Bee. It has been TOO cold at night for their liking. They know they have 5 locks to go thru in the next 50 miles. They have been staying in a beautiful, new marina resort, Gran Harbor Marina. It has condos, store, snack bar, very nice bath house, and laundry.

About 10 miles from the marina is a GREAT restaurant, Redwood Hut. Real good prices, All You can Eat Catfish on Saturdays, and Catfish specials on Thursday. The two of them ate for a total bill of $14.99 on Thurs pm. They make the best coleslaw.

On Sat they went to Shiloh Battlefield with Lorenzo and Lois.

Their progress in the next couple of days will be dependent on how quickly they can get thru the locks. They'll be traveling with Lorenzo, Gary, and spouses and parrot. They're from North or South Carolina (I can't remember).

They're having fun and we're glad :)

And back to Joe Wheeler

Looper,s Happy Hour
A Good Place to go When You Break down

Guntersville Free Dock

Tenn. River Bluff

11/02/08
After spending a week in lovely Guntersville. AL, we are re-tracing our route to return to Joe Wheeler State Park and wait for our Looper companions to return from Chattanooga. Then we’ll figure out the route south to Mobile, and break into smaller groups to travel. The seven boats of us who were traveling together last week were certainly noticed in Guntersville, where all of us stayed overnight at the new (free!) town dock. We were interviewed by a local reporter, and photographed for the Guntersville Advertiser-Gleam. The article was on the front page above the fold!
As you’ve already read, we had mechanical trouble and spent the week at Alred Marina near Guntersville. We were treated very well by the manager and employees-everyone was so helpful. Fortunately, we had the use of the marina courtesy car several times and went into town to Wal-Mart (the boater’s friend, in addition to Walgreen and West Marine), restaurants, and the chiropractor. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to Chattanooga. Saturday, we drove to Huntsville, AL, and went to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center museum. The museum was a bit disappointing-it looks a little bedraggled, as though its best days are behind it. Hopefully, things will improve, as the Huntsville area has been an important part of space exploration since the beginning and continues to be a vital part of it.
We had planned to go all the way to Joe Wheeler in one day but the bridge in Decatur would not lift so we stopped in a marina for the night as we would not have made the rest of the trip before dark.

11/03/08 We continued to Joe Wheeler and arrived by 1100. We got right to work and changed the oil and filter in the main engine. Now for a couple days to clean up and relax.

We’ve traveled over half the length of the Tennessee River and have really enjoyed the natural beauty and tranquility of this area. It appeals to vacationers and fishermen, and we’re told that many retirees have come here to make the area their home as well.

Back at Joe Wheeler State Park, AL

This is Barb: Mom and Dad got back to Joe Wheeler today about 11am. They will be there till at least Wednesday.

Dry Docked in Guntersville, AL

A note from Bob and Lois's daughter, Becky

Bob and Lois are A OK. The boat however has a bearing that went out in the main shaft. They are dry docked, waiting on a part. Apparently, the boat has the original bronze shaft in it. They were going to pick up supplies and out to eat today. The marina has a loaner car that they were able to use. Dad is polishing the boat. He also had to buff the scratches out from the locks so far. It's looking pretty good, and only has a little to do on the port side yet. The rest of the 6 boats they were traveling to TN with, went on to Chatanooga for sightseeing. They will stop on the way back to check on them. Hopefully, Bob and Lois will already be back at Joe Wheeler by then. They do have cell phone and email service, so we have been able to talk with them. Around Guntersville Lake there were floating condo's, very large pontoons with buildings on on them all in a row. Nice looking, low buildings right on the water. How about that? It has been a little on the cold side at night as they are out of the water and have to use space heaters. Will be happy to be back in the water and using regular boat power, it'll be much warmer then. Hope to have everything back together and in the water by Weds lunchtime, if the part is available in the am.

Update 10/16 thru 10/24

Joe Wheeler Lodge

Some of the loopers

More loopers

The games have begun

Authors of "Honey Lets Buy A Boat"

Marker to Joe Wheeler

The Admiral tending the lines in a lock, She is good.

Pearl farm in Tenn.

At the pearl farm

Going There at anchor

10/16/08
We had rain most of the day. We arrived at Florence, Alabama and had a very nice floating dock next to a 40 -50 ft. House boat decorated for halloween. We borrowed the marina vehicle and went to town and out to eat.
10/17/08
We got up and left early to get through Wilson and Wheeler locks. Wilson is 93 ft. lift and the largest so far. We checked into Joe Wheeler State Park and started to meet other loopers here for the Rendezvous. We are not the smallest boat but, we are small compared to most of the boats that are here. Oh well, everyone seems to be very friendly and our opinions are just as valuable as theirs. This is a great organization. I calculated that we have gone 2970 statue miles to this point. We have used 875 gallons of fuel so far. We are at the half way point. The most we paid was 5.95 per gallon which was in Canada and was corrected to us gal. and dollars. We have seen prices coming back down and are trying to get the best price when possible.
10/18/08 - 10/23/08
We are getting to see people we have not seen since we started and the others we have met along the way plus many others who have either finished the loop and came back for the fellowship and the new members that are planning the trip. We have been attending the many seminars and enjoying the great food and gathering that were planned. We took a lot of notes and enjoyed hearing many people talking about their own trips. We met the couple that had written the book "Honey lets buy a Boat" and one of the authors of guide books for the Tenn. River was here and I got his autograph.
10/24/08
Today we are getting to leave in the morning for Chattanooga, TN in the morning. It will take 4 days to get there and we will stay 3 days and 4 days back to Joe Wheeler. We will then take a day or two to get ready to head south and also tour around here a little.

Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, AL

From Barb: Going There and her crew arrived at Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville, AL on Friday 10/17.

The crew is busy with a Looper's Convention and will hopefully be updating their blog late this week. They are doing well, enjoying the company of other loopers and getting to meet the authors of some of the books they've read about the Loop.

Filling in some of the blanks and updatting to the present

Coast Guard vessels getting ready to reset bouys after the flooding

Beardstown town dock


Beardstown from the town side

Flooding on the Illinois River

Lois tying to a floating bollard

St. Louis Arch

Top of pole show 11 feet of flooding

Seneca, Il.

Wind Farm

In the lock with a commercial tow

Flooded Lock


On October 1, we left Seneca, IL, which was our home for over a month, and set out again. The water level at Seneca was almost back to normal, but further down river, it was still at low flood stage. Two of the locks that we needed to go through were still underwater far enough that we simply motored over them. Tugs with their tows of barges were working in the Peoria area and we also saw them in other populated areas, but frequently, it seemed as though ours was the only boat on the Illinois River. We met two guys one evening in Beardstown who were traveling from Chicago to St. Louis in a 16 ft. motorboat with a canvas campertop which they put up at night when they anchored. For several days we saw them off and on, usually passing us. After 3 days, we entered the Mississippi River near Grafton, IL, which was something we were not looking forward to. The Mississippi has a faster current than any river we’ve traveled before, over 4 mph. We zipped along at the amazing (for us) speed of 12-14 mph., since we were being pushed by the river. The first night, we stayed at Hoppie’s Marina, south of St. Louis, but the next night we had no choice but to anchor in a creek off the main channel near the town of Cape Girardeaux. We had company-there were 6 or 7 other boats as well. As we traveled southward, we saw plenty of tows, the biggest one 5 barges wide and 5 barges long. We almost always talked to them on the VHF radio and asked the captains which side we could pass or meet them on. This was especially important at curves in the river, because they have to do some maneuvering to round a curve. The water was full of swirls and eddies which made it hard to steer. On Monday, October 6, we turned northeast into the Ohio River at Cairo, IL and immediately, the water was much calmer and steering became easier, even though we were pushing into the current and our speed dropped to 8 mph. At the first lock we encountered, we were told to simply pass over the dam, which was underwater-not because of flooding, but because they were manipulating the water level. However, approaching the second lock about 4 PM, we saw close to 2 dozen tows nosed into the banks of the river, motors running to keep them in place, waiting for their turn in the lock. Bob called the lockmaster to let him know there were 2 pleasure boats waiting, since we were traveling with Wanderin’ L & M, another Looper. We expected a long wait, possibly even having to anchor for the night and go through the lock in the morning. However, we were allowed to go through less than an hour later, finishing about 5:45 PM. We aimed toward Paducah, KY, hoping we could reach the mouth of the Cumberland River and anchor nearby before dark. Didn’t make it till after dark-not a good idea, folks. It worked out, though. The next day was a rainy one, but we didn’t have as far to go as previous days. We cruised the Cumberland River into Lake Barkley, KY, to the marina resort of Green Turtle Bay.
There have been at least 8 Looper boats here every night that we’ve been here. It seems to be the destination for Loopers who need a break after a week on the big rivers. 6 of us went to Paducah one day to the quilt museum, Wal-Mart, and the beer store; another day we visited Grand Rivers, the closest town, for lunch and antique/craft/etc stores. One of the couples organized a potluck and hot dog roast on the beach last night and other nights there have been snacks and conversation.
For those of you who are interested in the numbers, here you are. Keep in mind that our normal cruising speed is 10 mph.
Oct. 1 to Oct. 3 on the Illinois River, we ran 252 miles.
Oct. 4,5, and 6(½ day), we went 218 miles on the Upper Mississippi River.
Oct. 6 (½ day) was 46 miles on the Ohio River.
Oct. 7 (5 hrs.) Was 33 miles on the Cumberland River.