Month: November 2019

Dover Is. (Tennessee) to Clarksville, Tn

Spending the night at an anchorage is always fun…exciting…a little nerve racking…adventurous. We always enjoy it, but there is always a little angst about what might happen when you’re asleep. Anchor could come loose and you could drift until you hit something or somebody. Someone could board your boat in the middle of the night and there would be nobody but me against them. Or can trust you have done all you can to secure the boat and go to sleep. Last night the temps reached 32 degrees. We don’t run the generator when sleeping (some do, but I don’t trust leaving an engine running while I’m sleeping). Since the heat on the boat doesn’t operate without the generator, we threw an extra blanket on the bed and checked out.

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Sunday morning means church, and usually a pretty good breakfast, prepared by the Queen. So we “went to church” in the pilot house and enjoyed the live stream of Compassion Christian, our home church.

Our journey to Clarkesville was only 35 NM, so our journey was considerably shorter than the norm. We pulled up the anchor around 9:30 and enjoyed a scenic ride, with lots of sunshine and warmer temps as the afternoon progressed.

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We arrived in Clarksville, Tennessee about 2:30. A few boat chores (washing the fish crud off) and we took off to Liberty Park, the city park. It is well laid out, with lots of sidewalks, athletic fields, outdoor theater, and a fishing lake. The warm afternoon had lots of folks out enjoying the sunshine and few hours of warmer temperatures.

I learned that Clarksville is the birthplace of Pat Head Summit, the legendary coach of the University of Tennessee’s women’s basketball team. Not only did she lead her teams to 8 National Championships, she coached for 38 years and never had a losing season. Sadly, she died of dementia in 2016 at the age of 64.

After our exercise walk, we took a short food walk to Guadalajara Mexican Grille. We agreed this place could give Jalapenos’ in Savannah a run for its money. We have decided that on our return trip from Nashville, this place will be a stop for lunch or dinner.

The time change last night has me confused. It seemed so late when we went to dinner (it was 5:00 pm). That’s weird. The good news is we will be waking earlier (by the clock) allowing us to take advantage of the earlier daylight. We should be just outside Nashville tomorrow, where we will soon be joining Abigail.

Green Turtle Bay to Dover Anchorage

Getting a slow start this morning, we left GTB about 8:30.  Now headed on toward Nashville on the Cumberland River via Barkley Lake, we saw only 2 barges, one coming and one going the same way as us, South. The current showed a little mercy today, I assume because we are above the dam and the flow of water in the Cumberland is somewhat restricted.  We were able to run just over 7 knots most of the day.  That has been our normal speed for most of the Loop.  The weather, warmer than yesterday for sure, but still cool was beautiful and crispy.  I wore a long sleeve shirt and shorts.  I was inside the pilot house all day, so I wasn’t really dealing with the elements. We traveled 7 ½ hours and covered 50. NM.

Hoping to make it to the Dover Island Anchorage, we thought we’d check out a little marina, called Bumpus Mills Marina, as a backup plan.  The name caused a little concern, but we had heard the place would do in a pinch.  Amanda called and the conversation went something like this:

ML (marina lady—just imagine a Western Kentucky dialect that I cannot figure out how to type phonetically)   HALLO!

AD (Amanda)  Is this the Bumpus Mills Marina?

ML         Waille, eze that the number you dialed?

AD         I think so.

ML         Must be then!!!

AD         Do you have room for a transient boat for the night?

ML         Yep

AD         What kind of power hook up do you have available?

ML         (to someone else) Wha kinda pow’r we got?   2-30’s?  (to Amanda) Yeah, we got 2-30’s

AD         Okay, we will be there in about an hour.

ML        Aight! Bie!

We decided to press on to the anchorage.  Kind of felt like it would be less painful than negotiating the rest of that deal after we arrived.

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The high hit the 50’s, and with the sunshine pouring in, we had to open the hatches and allow a little cool air inside.  This is more like it. The cruise was quiet and uneventful.  We enjoyed the brilliant colors, enhanced by the sunshine and calm waters. The occasional fisherman flew by in his bass boat, but otherwise, we had the whole place to ourselves and it was great.  We arrived at Dover Island, a popular-to-Loopers anchorage.  With virtually no current behind the island, the breeze caused us a few minutes of twisting the boat, blowing us back toward the anchor.  After 2 tries, I decided to throw a little anchor off the stern to compensate for the windage and ensure we stay downstream of the anchor.  I don’t want that thing pulling loose while I am asleep.  That seemed to work, keeping us straight.  Having the wind die down didn’t hurt matters either.

 So today’s journey won’t go down in history as remarkable or particularly memorable.  But it will be relished as the kind of day you wish for on a trip:  one that is easy, stressless, where everything works on the boat (so far), and the weather is perfect.  The forecast for the next week calls for clear skies and a warming trend.  Both will be welcomed guests on the Honey Queen.

A day at Green Turtle Bay

A day of rest from the boat sounds funny, but after 6 months and 3,263 miles, a day not traveling becomes very therapeutic. Oil change, laundry, running, workout at the fitness center, and grocery shopping, things most people do as part of their routine, become special events when living on a boat. We enjoyed the day.

We did wake up to 27 degrees this morning, which is was not part of my boat plan when we started planning this adventure almost 2 years ago.

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Another thing many take for granted is long hot showers. The bright spot of a marina is getting in a shower that is large enough to wash you hair without bumping the surrounding walls with your elbows. I’m not complaining, but it is nice to have that luxury, plus not worry about running out of hot water in the middle of a good lather!

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On Amanda’s grocery run this afternoon, she learned the little town was “turning on the lights” tonight. There was going to be a choir and a band playing to kick off the Christmas season. We got bundled up, called the shuttle (an open golf cart) and we with our frosty cheeks were in downtown 10 minutes later. We missed the official ceremony of turning on the lights, but we did get to see them all on. Amanda said she felt like she was in a Hallmark movie. I agree. I have always laughed at those movies, saying NOBODY decorates like they do in the movies. Wrong! This little town and every little store were decked out like Santa Claus was just around the corner.

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We listened to the last song by the choir/band, walked around the different shops and outdoor lighted areas, and then ended up at T. Lawson’s Restaurant for dinner. Good fish tacos and a Reuben sandwich finished off a delightful day. We called Norman, the golf cart driver, and he delivered us back to our toasty little floating home.

We enjoyed this stay and respite at Green Turtle Bay. Now, with mixed emotion, we head on up the Cumberland to Nashville. The last of our boating friends will continue down the Tennessee River, headed toward the Gulf. We get to go to Nashville to see Abigail for a few days, something we have looked forward to for months, but we will miss the camaraderie and feeling of safety that boat companions offer. We will look forward to meeting our next boat buddies and catching up, perhaps, with many who have become good friends.

Paducah, KY to Green Turtle Bay/Grand Rivers, KY

Geru, Valsignet, and the Honey Queen pulled out of Paducah a little after 7 am.  The winds were still whipping pretty strongly, making the water rough on the outset, but it didn’t last too long. From here, we had to decide whether to take the Tennessee River to Kentucky Lake or the Cumberland River to Barkley Lake.  The two lakes are connected, so either way still gets us to the same ultimate destination: Green Turtle Bay Marina in Grand Rivers, Kentucky.  The shorter route, Kentucky Lake, usually means more barge traffic and thus, a greater chance of a long wait at the lock, sometimes for hours and hours.  The longer route, the Cumberland, is the opposite, longer but far less traffic.  The experience of our many predecessors, has proven the longer route is usually quicker, the Cumberland was the decision.  The real downer to this, we learned, was the swiftness of the current. Going “uphill” all day, we were lucky to make 5 knots. The riverbank is pretty, but the ride is painfully slow. And the real kicker is we traveled 47 NM, and 9 hours on the Cumberland and ended up 28 miles, by car, from where we started. If you are wanting to make good time traveling, I suggest using a car.

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The barge traffic was light and when we arrived at the Barkley Lock a barge was locking through.  Our wait was about 45 minutes.  I tried to anchor, but the bottom was pretty rocky, so the anchor was skipping and not holding well. I let the boat drift, while idling.  We were in and out of the huge lock in a matter of minutes to Barkley Lake level.  GTB can be seen from the exit of the lock. I made the mistake of trying to cut across to the private channel of Green Turtle Bay instead of following the main channel another 500 yards.  The depth finder went from 20- 10-8-4 feet in about 10 seconds.  I found myself parked in the mud.  I called the other boats who were following me to save them the same trouble.  It’s funny how the front man is the leader, whether he is qualified or not.  It took a few tries, but I was able to back off the mud and find the real channel, getting into the bay without further incident. 

We had dinner in the Green Turtle Bay Yacht Club with our boat buddies and everybody called it an early night.

We’ve decided to make GTB a 2-night stay. An oil change and provisioning is mandatory.  We’ll check out what’s cool about this place, too, while we are here.

Mound City to Paducah

Two Bells, Geru, and Honey Queen pulled up anchors at 7:15 and we were moving toward Paducah by 7:30.  This leg was 37 NM.  Barge traffic significantly is reduced, compared to the Mississippi.  The Ohio current is considerably calmer, and radically smoother.  This upstream trek, however, shocked us back into the real world of slow boating, after spending the better part of 3 days on the Mississippi.  Our fastest today was more like 7 knots.  We arrived at the Paducah City Dock around 1:30, affording an opportunity to scope the docks, the town sites, and get acquainted with other Loopers who were our neighbors for the night.  We were pleasantly surprised to find Mike and Brenda on Valsignet were also docked there.  We had met them back in Charlevoix, Michigan and enjoyed cherry pie and ice cream on their boat.  Their home port is in Minnesota, but having bought their boat in Pickwick, that will mark the official “crossing their wake” and end the Great Loop.  Fortunately for us, they plan to continue their journey southward for the winter, so we hope to have more good times with them somewhere in South Florida.

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After getting the lines and power secure, I took delivery of oil from a local John Deere dealer.  Our little engine continues to serve us well and it is time for her oil change.  Then we bundled up (all this wintering and boating is such a paradox) and took a walk into downtown Paducah, destination:  The National Quilt Museum.

I must confess, getting pumped up for a tour of the quilt museum fades in comparison to the LSU vs Alabama game.  But as an act of sacrifice, undying love and devotion to my bride of 41 years, I went with Amanda.  Having a wife and a mother who are so passionate about quilting, I was compelled to go.  I was very pleasantly surprised at the discovery.  The creativity, the workmanship, and the appreciation for the 1,000’s of hours poured into these projects made the tour quite enjoyable. It is my hope to bring my mom (dad can tag along) back here.  She will think she has died and gone to heaven.  The only caveat, touching the fabric is prohibited.  For my mom, who touches every piece of fabric when she goes into a fabric store, this might be a challenge.  She may have to be restrained. These pictures are for you, mom. Touch them all you want.

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After the museum and a brief walk through the rest of downtown Paducah, Mike, Brenda, Geoff, Ruth, and a couple of uninvited guys (nobody knows their names), joined us on our boat for refreshments in the early evening.  I think it’s the first time we have had 6 guests on the boat.  We had to overflow into the pilot house just to have seating.  We got acquainted really well, as we were often breathing the same air.  It was so cold outside, everyone found comfort in the coziness of our warm little abode. The winds picked up pretty significantly in the night, so the boat really rocked.  I woke up about 2 am, concerned that I had lines coming loose.  The lines were fine and every boat on the dock was rocking like a choreographed dance.  Knowing the lines were secure, I returned to my sleep for another 4 hours.  What a difference 6 months on a boat makes.  Not long ago, I would have paced and worried about something going wrong on the boat . It cost me some precious sleep until we grew accustomed to the “normal” sounds of the boat in the water at night.

Kaskaskia to Mound City, Ky

We left the Kaskaskia Lock about daybreak, which is now getting a little later everyday (until the time changes this weekend).  This is the section of the Mississippi where anchorages and marinas are between scarce and nonexistent.  Geoff knocked on our door at 7:00 and said they had decided to stretch the day out a little longer than we had discussed last night.  Based on the swift current and the limited safe places to stay, we agreed to join them in the longer day.  The rain is coming, followed by “nonboating” temperatures (25 degrees Thursday night is the forecast).  These were great motivators for pushing as long as we can tolerate, hoping to get South, sooner rather than later.

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At 5:12 pm, we pulled over near the bank of the Ohio River, a spot called Mound City, near the town of Cairo, Illinois.  The river is wide and plenty deep all the way to the shoreline, and well out of the flow of barge traffic. This anchorage (not actually shown on our maps as an anchorage) served us well.  The travel day was complete:  10 hours, 4 minutes; 101.4 nautical miles.  A new record in distance and time for the Honey Queen.  We averaged 10.1 knots.  I felt like a race car driver.

The current was relatively calm; winds became calm; and the temperatures were tolerable, allowing us to run the generator and heater minimally before tucking in for the night.   

Because of today’s push, the city dock in Paducah, Kentucky, will be relatively easy, followed by Green Turtle Bay in Grand Rivers, Kentucky, on Thursday.  With the low temps coming, we didn’t want to be out on the river, running the generator, trying to stay warm.

Alton, Illinois through St. Louis to Kaskaskia Lock

We left Alton Marina @ 7:10 because the Melvin Price Lock lockmaster said he could take pleasure craft in the “small bay” immediately.  Just 5 minutes downstream from the marina, we were in at 7:30 with 4 other similar boats, all celebrating the quick in and out.

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The morning was pretty uneventful as we pressed on down the Mississippi River.  We are amazed at the current, the rapids, the swirls that move our boat at speeds never experienced, and directions like we have no rudder.  There is never a dull moment, trying to anticipate next move/direction of the boat. The debris adds a dimension of excitement, as well.

We reached Lock 27 at 9:20 am.  In 7 minutes, we were moving out.  This has to be the quickest of the 100+ locks we have now gone through.

We reached St. Louis at 10:00 am.  Another exciting moment, having a picture in front of the Arch.  It was nothing like the thrill of pulling up to the Statue of Liberty (not many things compare), but it was a milestone in our journey, being the famous landmark that it is.

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The barge traffic is wild here. Though I am sure there is some order to the movement, it looks like a free for all. We were a little nervous weaving through. Though there are probably interesting things to take in while in St. Louis, it is common knowledge that this town does not cater to Loopers and pleasure boaters. The lack of marinas or other opportunities for land access simply don’t exist. Maybe the town doesn’t need or want the water tourist industry. As a result, everyone takes a picture in front of the arch and keeps going South.

We reached our first planned destination of the day at 11:45; the old Hoppies’, which was really damaged during the recent floods.  A view from the water made it clear we should not tie up here, but continue our trek to the 2^nd destination option, the Kaskaskia Lock and Dam.

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We made it to the lock by 3:15, giving us a little daylight to see where we really were.  We were the first boat to tie to the wall. Within 20 minutes of our arrival, we had been joined by Slow Bells and Geru (Geoff & Ruth). The lock wall prevented access to land, unless we went by dinghy.  As cold as it is now, there’s no way we were getting in a 9’ rubber boat and puttering anywhere. We watched a little TV, ate dinner, and Amanda was out.  I plotted our course for Tuesday and was soon snoozing.