Month: November 2019

Day 120 October 29

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.

  • 5 wide x 5 deep. These loaded barges, going against the very swift waters, not only create a substantial wake (4′), the prop wash behind the tow will create such turbulence, the wakes are equal in height will sometimes linger as long as a mile behind. We try to stay to the side, if the channel allows, making the ride much smoother.
  • The Mississippi has been so high and water so swift, the Nav-Aids, channel markers, Atons, floaters…whatever you call them, have been washed from their designated location. The Corps of Engineers has stored them here for replacing.
  • This is the fastest I have ever moved on the Honey Queen. Note: Slow Bells is another pleasure craft that can be seen on our AIS.
  • The archways caught my eye. Looks like the Roman aqueducts.
  • The Mississippi barge clusters just get bigger, 4 wide x 6 deep. Note: these are empty, drafting only about 2′ of water. Loaded: 9-10′ of draft.
  • The convergence of the Mississippi with the Ohio. Hallelujah! We’re off the Mississippi!!!!
  • 3 minutes later, the turn upstream into the Ohio…”slightly” slowed us down.
  • The US Highway 60 bridge near Barlow
  • Our anchorage for the night.

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.

Day 119 October 28

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.

The queen of locking through, this girl makes it happen outside while I try to get the boat in the right spot for the tie up.

  • Logs in the lock. This is what we dodge all day long in the river.
  • This stuff makes using the bow thruster scary because it can suck something in and cause major headaches.

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.

The lock gate comes up and closes behind us at Lock #27.

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.

  • Approaching the Douglas MacArthur Bridge
  • The Arch, looking under Douglas MacArthur, after passing.
  • That’s our boat selfie passing the Arch. You can Google this camera anytime.

The architectural genius of The Arch.

Condo graffiti

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 2nd destination option, the Kaskaskia Lock and Dam.

  • This old plant (what I don’t know) was picturesque
  • The fastest speed…yet on the Mississippi
  • The current is so swift, the Atons, as they are known often disappear below the waterline.
  • Fall colors

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.