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.