Beautiful, foggy morning in the anchorage when we left on Tues. Sept. 17, with “Til You Can’t.” More bluffs, smaller and larger, with and without houses plus low lands on the opposite shore still.
Though not nearly as much debris in the water here as other inland rivers, we still have to be on the watch for it.
We’ve seen a great deal of fishermen in this inland river, and a good number of them use a technique called “jugging” which we learned about at the Folklife Museum in New Johnsonville. The fishermen use lines and baited hooks attached to floating objects – while previously jugs, it appears that they mostly use pieces of pool noodles now.
Because we had to wait for the Wheeler Lock to open, we stopped at Florence Marina where were we able to fuel up and walk the dogs. While there, we met Doug on “Ripple” who is also doing the Loop. His wife had to go home briefly for a medical issue, but he was waiting to meet his neighbor, Arlon, who would join him for a stretch of the Loop. We ran into Doug and Arlon again, so more on that later.
At Wheeler Lock, we were delayed for quite some time. We later discovered that these birds wait at the lock, too – for their dinner. It must be that fish surface when the lock is filling.
After locking through, we had a decision to make as to our destination that night. There is a portion of the river further along that is currently closed to traffic between 6:00am to 6:00pm. TVA is using helicopters to string wire across the river at mile marker 296 near a nuclear power plant. Because there may not be a place close by to anchor, we’d be taking a chance that we’d (a) find a place and (b) it would be close enough to that spot to cross before 6:00am. Also, it would be dark when trying to do so that early. Further, if we didn’t make it in time before 6:00am, we’d be stuck there until 6:00pm. Or, we could have a very long day, passing the spot after 6:00pm in twilight …
… then running in the developing darkness …
… and then nightfall when we’d have to find the dock we were heading for in the dark. As you can see, we opted for the latter. God gave us a beautiful full moon that night! We made it to the dock with “Til You Can’t” between 8:00 and 8:30pm. Below is a picture of the dock in the welcome sunshine the next day.
In the morning, “Ripple” came in and “Til You Can’t” left, but we stayed and departed on Thurs., Sept 19. While we were at Decatur, Loopers Teresa and Pat on “Rock and Roll” gave Den a copy of the Tennessee River Guidebook, as they would no longer be needing it given that they were “crossing their wake” (finishing their loop) the next day at their home marina, Goose Pond.
Below, a last look at a couple of sights from Decatur.
Leaving Decatur, we discovered that the Tennessee River just keeps getting prettier as we go. We passed everything from a National Wildlife Refuge to bayous to bluffs.
However, there are also many areas marked “Submerged Timber” on the charts, places that years ago must have been wooded areas prior to flooding. Some of these areas do have a significant amount of floating limbs, pieces of bark, or stumps.
When the scenery was not so wonderful, Dennis started the generator and compounded and buffed on the bow. No sense in wasting time!
We met up with Doug and Arlon on “Ripple” at the Guntersville Lock and then ended up stopping with them at Goose Pond Marina in Scottsboro, AL. This is a big marina/resort, complete with a boat ramp that has eight lanes. We were able to have dinner that evening with Doug and Arlon as well as Teresa and Pat (“Rock and Roll”), the latter able to report on their adventures having completed their Loop. On our way to dinner, we were briefly joined by this guy (below).
After rising early on Friday, Sept, 20, to do some chores and to take the courtesy car for provisions, we left Goose Pond with “Ripple.” The first picture below shows the route into Goose Pond Marina; note the weeds (hydrilla) on either side of the waterway. When we were leaving, we saw an aquatic weed harvester (“lawn mower”) readying to begin its work controlling the growth and spreading of the hydrilla.
Following “Ripple” on Friday, Sept. 20 (below).
On our way on the Tennessee, we have seen multiple nuclear power plants, hydroelectric plants, and suspension towers. The one below (left) they built and evidently never used.
Passed a very small ferry that crosses a narrow channel to a dirt landing on opposite shore.
Also, passed a barge called the Coca Cola Stage that was evidently formerly used for the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga.
Made it to an anchorage past Nickajack Lock that evening.
We took the inflatable over to “Ripple,” as we were invited to join Doug and Arlon for a fish fry.
Bringing the dogs back from shore (below), a necessary task.
Unfortunately, though it was quite hot, we were not able to swim, as there were notices in the nearby park about the spraying of herbicides in the water to control the hydrilla.
We had two very different experiences with bass boat fishermen while at anchor here. In the first instance, a fisherman approached Doug’s boat right before we began to eat our fish dinner and asked if he could make a run for anything any of us needed, as we were clearly traveling through. Very thoughtful and above the call of duty. However, the next morning, a fisherman in a bass boat that had been fishing in the small cove in which we were anchored sped up and drove directly at our boat, quickly turning right before making contact with our boat which caused us to rock considerably. I guess he didn’t like us anchoring in his favorite fishing hole. Ah, well. Both sides of human nature on full display.
More to follow on our experiences continuing up the Tennessee River.
Leaving Paducah on Sept. 8, we entered the Tennessee River at mile 0.0. We’ve read that the river is wide and offers many good anchorages. We discovered that there is also the bonus of not so many dead carp.
Below is an outline of the locks through which we’ll pass on this portion of the trip (minus the Melton Hill). Interestingly, the river runs from KY through TN, MS, AL, and then back into TN before coming to the Knoxville area, our temporary destination. That is, our travels after Pickwick Lock consist of a side trip not part of the traditional Great Loop, as we are headed to the Knoxville area to visit Den’s Mom as well as his sister and her family. Loopers normally traverse the Pickwick Lock then head to the Tenn-Tom River. We will pass the Tenn-Tom on our way toward Knoxville, but will continue on and return to it after visiting in Knoxville.
On Sept. 8, our group of boats traveling together had a choice of going through Barkley Lock (on the Cumberland River) or through the Kentucky Lock (on the Tennessee River) to reach our goal of Turtle Bay Marina. The Barkley (not noted on map) is currently closed from 6:00am to 6:00pm for maintenance and, thus, is very busy before and after those times. The Kentucky Lock though not closed for maintenance is the choice of most commercial traffic and is quite busy. Further, the Lockmasters at this particular lock have been known to have less patience when dealing with pleasure boat traffic.
We ended up choosing the Kentucky Lock and calling in the morning to determine when we should plan our arrival at the lock. Based on their answer, we delayed our departure one hour. On the way to the lock, we saw my new boat!
The Kentucky Lock was probably the most difficult locking experience we’ve had thus far. First, though we were all set up to tie up on port, at the last minute, we received instructions that we had to switch to starboard, so we had to adjust fenders and lines accordingly very quickly. One fender refused to cooperate even after taking a screwdriver to the adjuster, so that part of the boat ended up bumping against the wall for awhile before Dennis could “persuade” it to cooperate. There was a great deal of turbulence, and we had difficulty getting the boat near the bollard and then a line around the bollard. At one point in all of this, the line became wrapped around my ankle, which was a little scary. After securing the line, we had to keep fending off the wall at the bow because the turbulence would continuously push the bow into the wall; there were no pins on the wall to attach another line toward stern to help keep the bow off the wall. The 50 foot rise seemed to take its time. Kim on “Til You Can’t” could see our struggle and sent us these pictures as mementos!
By the time we got to Green Turtle Bay on Sept. 8, we were ready for some down time to regroup. We were joined by “Patti Anne,” “Delta Blues,” “Bo-lin,” and “Til You Can’t.” “Stinger” had preceded us there. Den was able to get a thorough wash done on the boat, paying a good deal of attention to the stern given how the diesel fumes seem to coat that area. I was able to attend to the inside of the boat, reprovision, and do laundry. We both enjoyed the swimming pool! A large group of us went to a great restaurant called “Patti’s” which served bread baked in flower pots. This is how many Loopers (representing three different boats) it takes to figure out how to adjust the seats in the courtesy van. If a young mom had been there, she’d have done it within seconds.
We stayed at Green Turtle Bay until Wed., Sept. 11, at which point we left with Kim and Chuck from “Til You Can’t,” as we are both going to do the side trip to the Knoxville area. Kim and Chuck are from Knoxville so wish to go home for a visit. Our other buddy boat friends were on the dock waving goodbye in the morning.
We left the Cumberland River portion of the trip for Kentucky Lake. Kentucky Lake and several other lakes on (and really part of) the Tennessee River were formed when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) flooded the area. So, the river has multiple lakes within its length. We passed a house built on a railroad bridge that had a span removed …
… and an abandoned dock that must have have been in service prior to the flooding done by TVA. It looked like a very sophisticated duck blind.
There is not as much commercial traffic on the Tennessee as compared to the Illinois, Mississippi, and Ohio.
We made it to Pebble Isle Marina in New Johnsonville, TN, and hunkered down at this marina, as the remnants of Hurricane Francine were on the way. Owners/operators Bob, Linda, and Billy at this marina were helpful and hospitable. First, they allowed us to take slips under the boathouse given the pending rain storm. We’d no sooner gotten both boats under cover when the rain started.
Second, fresh, homemade cinnamon rolls were delivered to our boat each morning! It’s a toss up as to which was more important, shelter or homemade cinnamon rolls.
Third, they gave us unlimited use of the courtesy van while we were there, as we were the only visitors at that time. It’s past season here. In fact, check out the spider webs on a neighboring boat (below).
We tried to make the most out of our stay there (waiting out the storm), so on Thurs, Sept. 12, we went with Kim and Chuck to visit three different museums in the area, starting with the Johnsonville State Historic Park museum where we learned about the role of Johnsonville as a major supply depot for the Union army (using the Tennessee River) until Nathan Bedford Forrest led a raid attacking the supply base.
Between 1933 and 1944, the TVA built dams for flood control and hydroelectric power, and in 1944, Johnsonville was flooded. What was Johnsonville is now all under water in Kentucky Lake (again, part of the Tennessee River). Former residents of Johnsonville moved and established what is now called New Johnsonville. Evidently, residents were paid $44. per acre for their land at the time.
We also went to the Pilot Knob Interpretive Center/Folklife Museum. This site is one of the highest points in Tennessee. I like to tease Dennis about reading every plaque. Example below!
We learned about the history of musseling, or harvesting mussels, along the river in jon boats and about brailing, dragging a series of three-pronged metal hooks – attached by a length of rope or chain – from the boat along the river bottom. Mussels will open to feed on algae and when the hooks hit them, they will clamp over the prong and can thus be pulled into the boat. The mussels were harvested to make mother of pearl buttons until plastics became the more economical choice after WWII.
The museum guide showed us a rescued, injured hummingbird that she cares for.
Plus, there were many hummingbirds taking advantage of the feeder by the doors to the interpretive center.
More on mussels – Our next “museum” stop was the Tennessee Freshwater Pearl Farm and Museum. Though the farm (which is in the river) is still active, the museum has been considerably downsized, evidently, to a doublewide in a campground. However, it was pretty interesting. John Latendresse became fascinated with pearl culturing while a soldier in Japan in WWII. When he returned, he tested over 300 bodies of water and found that the Tennessee River was the best environment to culture pearls. He proceeded to establish the only freshwater pearl farm in the nation.
An irritant is placed into the tissue of the mussel. The mussel will then secrete nacre (the substance that forms the pearl) around the irritant and will take on the shape of the irritant (e.g., round, triangular, oblong) with a three to five year growing period. The freshwater pearl – the only gemstone from animal origin – is the official gemstone for the state of Tennessee.
The next day, Sept. 13, Bob and Pam on “Just Bob-n” arrived at Pebble Isle and joined us for another excursion in New Johnsonville, TN. We went to Loretta Lynn’s ranch/museum/event center in nearby Hurricane Mills where they have a replica of her childhood Kentucky home …
On Sept. 15, we left for Clifton. On the Inland Rivers, the inlets, despite size and whether sandy/muddy or water-filled, are called sloughs and each has its particular title, e.g., Eldridge Slough. The ride in this part of the Tennessee is becoming more scenic with many limestone bluffs on one shore and sandy ground on the opposite.
Still low water, though …
However, at the Clifton Marina where we stayed Sept. 15, you can see how high the river rises when flooding happens by the dark scrape marks on the pole/pier to which the floating marina/restaurant is attached (below).
We went to dinner with Chuck and Kim, and the marina owner spoke to us at length about how the water was over the nearby road above the marina when she was in the process of buying the marina! The picture below shows the road – and also a boat with a plant growing up out of its swim platform. Must be they don’t get out much.
On Mon., Sept. 16, leaving again with “Til You Can’t,” we were back on the road.
We were greeted a couple times that day by F16s that buzzed above us. Possibly from Huntsville, AL? We see numerous fishermen every day and the occasional pleasure boat. Also, there are noticeably fewer tows and barges in this portion of the river.
The Tennessee River is getting discovered. While you do see the very occasional older cottage/house on this portion of the river …
… for the most part, this area is virtually lined with two types of places. First, single or community groupings of RV shelters with electric and water/sewer provide a seasonal living opportunity, evidently. If flooding occurs, simply move the RV.
Second, new houses are built to accommodate flood levels.
Locked through Pickwick Lock (55 ft. lift), a hydropower dam.
We then passed the spot where the Tenn-Tom river starts and, again, where three states seemingly come together – TN, MS, and AL. It is very pretty on both the AL and TN sides of the river. Now, instead of tall houses and RV shelters, very large and elegant houses line the shore.
We saw some beautiful views.
The shoreline here is much more hilly, even occasionally mountainous.
We anchored with “Til You Can’t” and all jumped in the Tennessee River to cool off, as it was a very hot day. More to follow on our experiences on the Tennessee River.
We left the Little Diversion inlet anchorage on the morning of Friday, Sept. 6, and soon said goodbye to the Mississippi River and hello to the Ohio River. The picture below shows where we are about to make the turn onto the Ohio going left around the bend.
The following picture is looking back at the Mississippi after making the turn – with “Til You Can’t” in the distance.
Hit one of the ever-present sticks floating in the water just before this picture. Looked at it like the last little bit of love from the Mississippi! It was small, and there is no vibration from the propellor, so all’s well.
The Ohio is wide but shallow in comparison to the Mississippi. We are now traveling upstream, so we’ll make slower progress, but we’re only on the Ohio for about 60 miles. The current this time of year is about one knot. For some reason, there is a much greater amount of dead carp floating in the Ohio as compared to the Mississippi or Illinois rivers. The other striking thing is that the water looks so much cleaner (despite the dead fish!), even immediately upon making the turn into the Ohio.
When we asked the Olmstead Lock Lockmaster if we could lock through prior to a tow on the way, he responded, “Bring it on up here.” Because we were able to lock through in such a timely fashion and didn’t have to anchor near the lock for the night as planned, we had to either find an anchorage on the shore of the Ohio or go all the way to Paducah that day. The group chose to anchor: “Delta Blues,” “Til You Can’t,” Bo-lin,” Patti Anne,” and “2nd Chance.”
There was a small boat dock nearby, so we were excited that we might be able to take the dogs to shore with some ease if, in fact, it was a public access dock. There were no signs on the dock or on the back of what appeared to be a restaurant further up the hill. Ron from Delta Blues ended up calling and determining that it was indeed a restaurant (called Due South), they were open (for only six weeks at that point), and would pick our group up at the bottom of the hill and bring us to the restaurant! Very nice people and delicious bbq! The owner told me the restaurant which is in Grand Chain, IL, is right across the river from Monkey’s Eyebrow, KY. Unique name.
Pictured with Dennis below are Pat and John from “Patti Anne” and Betty and Ron from “Delta Blues” standing in front of Due South. We posted a “shout out” about Due South bbq on the America’s Great Loop Cruiser’s Association forum.
That evening, had an informal sunset inflatable gathering on the river.
Headed to Paducah, KY, the next morning, Sept. 7. Saw some sort of operation on the river. Dredging?
We arrived in Paducah in time to catch the farmer’s market. Fresh food!
The Paducah dock (left; taken on shore from top of ramp/walkway) is quite the structure, built to withstand severe flooding. The photo (right) of the incline of the ramp from the dock gives you some idea of the elevation of shore in comparison to the dock.
Though the town is at a much higher elevation than the river, there is still a wall built around it in the event of rising flood water.
Below is a picture taken from in town looking back toward wall, beyond which (and below) is the dock and river.
Left picture below shows the channel and notches into which a flood gate is lowered and positioned by a crane when necessary. Picture on right shows records of various years’ flood levels.
Paducah is a nice little town and home to the National Quilt Museum. While I didn’t tour it, I did see the “quilt” below in the lobby. It is completely made out of wood. I had to touch it to make sure, as it even shows the “stitching.” I then saw the large do not touch sign. Oops.
Went to dinner with the other Loopers with whom we’ve been traveling plus Steve, a Looper that got here today also. Steve’s boat is “Worth the Weight,” and a friend of his, Mike, came along to dinner, as he is onboard for a few weeks. Like Pat and John from “Patti Anne,” Steve keeps his boat at Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda!
Below is nighttime picture of the dock at Paducah and of our last night on the Ohio River. Tomorrow, we’re on to the Tennessee.
Started on the Mississippi River this morning, Tues., Sept. 3. Illinois is on our left (hilly at this point) and Missouri (quite flat here) is on our right. It’s a cloudy day, so tough for picture taking, but even the silhouettes are telling.
We left with “Delta Blues,” “Checkmate,” and “2nd Chance.” On the way, we met up with “Patti Anne” and “Til You Can’t” who had both stayed in Alton (further up from Grafton) for the night. On the Mississippi, we have to watch for wingdams and weirs, stone walls running at an angle from shore into the river. Their purpose is to prevent erosion of the river banks by creating a self-flushing that helps to curtail shoaling in the channel. Some (weirs, I guess? It seems the terms are used interchangeably) are completely or partially underwater (like the one below we saw on Wed.) …
… allowing the water to flow over them while others (wingdams?) are quite visible (as shown below). However, these may not be visible in the much higher water levels that occur. So, perhaps they are then weirs??
You can also see the piles of logs and sticks (above). We are constantly on watch for floating debris that can harm the boat by catching in the propellor or rudder shaft. Like icebergs, only a small portion of the object can be seen on top of the water. We alert one another on an agreed-upon VHF channel as to when we see floating objects and where in relation to the boat they are. Below is an example of a marine polypropylene line used on tows/tugs that when in the water can also foul propellors.
The wingdams are noted on the electronic charts by straight black (or blue on third) lines.
We had to maintain station for quite a while today before we were able to lock through one chamber of the Mel Price Locks. The first of the two locks we’ll do on the Mississippi, it is quite large with two chambers, one 110 x 1200 and the other 110 x 600. Evidently, 30 percent of the world’s grain passes through Mel Price Locks and Dam.
The current on the Mississippi is much stronger than that of the Illinois. It runs between 2.5 to 4 knots as opposed to the Illinois which is more like .5 knots. We make very good time, as the current is helping us along! Maneuvering into the lock here was tricky, as a barge was leaving, so you had current plus his wake rebounding off the walls.
Passed a dry dock for barges.
The second set of locks through which we traversed today was called “Chain of Rocks Locks and Dam,” a curious name until we experienced the channel leading to the locks. It is one very long “chain” of rocks.
We’d been cautioned in the briefing at Heritage Harbor to not “for the love of God” go right at the junction to the Chain of Locks channel, as the other channel descends into rapids where many boats have had to be salvaged because they were destroyed. Not to worry, as “here’s your sign.”
As soon as you exit the Chain of Rocks Lock, you can see St. Louis.
Here is Exodus passing the arch.
Made it to Hoppie’s late afternoon which is the last stop for fuel for the next 200+ miles. It’s just the very, very basics, but we were all glad to see it. On left below, “Til You Can’t” is getting fuel and on right “Delta Blues” is secured to the inside of one barge.
After fueling, we ended up on the outside of that barge, behind the “Patti Anne.”
Hoppie’s daughter met us on the barge at 5:00pm and offered a briefing about water depths, etc., from here to Green Turtle Bay in KY.
Leaving Hoppie’s on Wed., Sept. 4, we had Missouri on our right and Illinois on our left again, but this time, Missouri had the cliffs. The Mississippi, in this area at least, is much more rural than the Illinois.
We traveled to the Kaskaskia Lock and Dam, on the way seeing large sandbars …
… and experiencing some turbulent waters.
Because the Mississippi is deeper than the Illinois, you experience more turbulence as well as the occasional whirlpool.
We didn’t lock through the lock that serves the KasKaskia River (a tributary of the Mississippi), only tied up for the night on the wall. While there are no services (electricity/water), it is a safe place to spend the night out of the Mississippi. We were tied to the other side of the jetty where the tows and barges pass after locking. Picture on left below shows the other five boats with which we were traveling (i.e., “Delta Blues,” Til You Can’t,” “2nd Chance,” “Bo-lin,” and “Patti Anne.”) Our boat is closest to the lock.
The jetty actually floats to accommodate the fluctuation in river depth, the tall structures vertical supports for the floating jetty. Doug and Barbara (“2nd Chance”) stopped to watch a tow with barges pass through after locking.
Everything you’ve heard about mud on the Mississippi would appear to be true. The water is so muddy that you can’t really rinse the mud off anything, because there is already so much mud and silt in it. Taking the dogs to shore was really a challenge here.
First we tried the “boat ramp” at a nearby park. Someone had dug enough mud out to get perhaps a kayak or canoe through. However, it was too slippery to get out of the inflatable, so no go there.
Ended up on the shoreline further down. Wet mud at shoreline but dry, cracked fields of it higher up, resembling a desert.
Left the Kaskaskia Lock and Dam Thursday, Sept. 5, making our way further down the MIssissippi. We received a call from a captain on Channel 13 because he saw us on the AIS. Turns out it was the crusie ship, American Heritage.
Dennis talked to him and said that we had five boats approaching. He said, “Yeah, I see your little flotilla. Are you doing the Great Circle?” He wished us a safe journey and instructed us to take him on the 2. Our group received a steamship whistle salute.
Also passed a half-buried tugboat …
… and what is called, Tower Rock, a kind of interesting formation in the middle of the bank.
We anchored Thursday evening in “Little Diversion,” a small inlet …
… off the Mississippi near Cape Girardeau. Like some of the other towns we’ve seen, Cape Girardeau has a wall built to prevent flooding. The bridge nearby shows the water line of what is probably more average depth vs. current low water or possible flood levels
We anchored with the same five boats …
… and met some of the boaters at the sandbar across the river when walking the dogs. Nelson was in his glory, running through the water and splashing us all then running circles on the sand. Even Ivy waded in. Freedom!
John, the man in the middle wearing a yellow tee, was hit in the back on the ride over by an Asian carp then one flew into their inflatable!
Picture from the sandbar of our last day on the Mississippi.
Will enter the Ohio tomorrow (Friday) and say goodbye to the Mighty Mississippi.
After waiting until late morning for calmer waters on Wed., Aug. 21, we left Michigan City, IN, and crossed the bottom of Lake Michigan, traveling west. You could see Gary, IN, in the distance as well as Chicago (skyline below) further ahead.
We didn’t go as far as Chicago, as we are not opting to travel the Chicago River route to the join the Illinois River; instead, we will be traversing what is called the Cal-Sag (Calumet River and Sag Channel). More on that in a bit.
We stopped at Hammond, IN, at a very large marina in order to stage for starting the Cal-Sag. Loopers Libby and Steve from “San Souci” helped us into our slip. This was just an overnight for us, and we’d heard that it was best to not venture much beyond the marina area. We did later go to the casino attached to the marina – for hamburgers, not gambling – with Libby and Steve and some other Loopers we’ve met previously: Betty and Ron (“Delta Blues”); Diane and Joe (“Luna Sea, Too”); and, Tony and Donna (“Tranquility, Eh!”). Our slip was on “U” dock, which is indicative of the size of this marina. Consequently, we ended up taking the dogs to shore each time in the inflatable, as they never would’ve made it otherwise!
The Cal-Sag route is slightly longer than the route through downtown Chicago but allows for more clearance under bridges and avoids the chaotic situation in Chicago happening now, that is, the protests and unrest surrounding the Democratic National Convention. This alternate route is a combination of the following waterways leading to the Illinois River: the Calumet, the Little Calumet, the Cal-Sag Channel, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and the Des Plaines River.
We left Hammond early on Thurs., Aug. 22, locking through two locks (Thomas O’Brien with a mere two foot drop and Lockport with a 40 foot drop) and traveling under 55 bridges (first bridge entering Cal-Sag pictured above), including the fixed (i.e., not able to be raised or lowered) Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Bridge with only 19.7 feet clearance. That particular bridge is the lowest bridge on the Loop and dreaded by boaters whose air draft is considerable, especially if the water is high from rain, etc. The picture below shows the “Katie B” in front of us clearing that bridge.
This is a very industrial area …
… with many tows and barges quite near you on the water.
They have precedence over pleasure crafts on the inland rivers and, thus, are generally permitted to lock through ahead of all recreational boats. It’s our responsibility to check with the tow captains regarding if and how we may pass them. If we’re intending to pass a tow and barge, we will be instructed to either “pass on the one” – our port to their starboard – or “pass on the two” – our starboard to their port. The tows are mostly pushing the barges, not towing them.
To prevent the spread of invasive fish (i.e., Asian carp) into Lake Michigan, a permanent electrical barrier has been erected in a portion of the channel. We passed between the two arches on either end of the designated area. You are cautioned to not put your hands or feet in the water under any circumstances! (On the other side of this barrier, that is, further into the Illinois, we’ve seen the carp jumping behind boats. They fly right out of the water.)
More evidence of industry (below).
It was helpful to travel with two other boats, as locks like to lock multiple boats through at the same time. Plus, we’re able to share tasks such as calling ahead to bridge tenders, lock masters, and tow captains for instruction. Pictures below show some of the drawbridges we saw right before stopping for the day.
We arrived at the free wall in Joliet, IL, in the afternoon of Thurs., Aug. 22. Bottom left picture shows the wall while middle features barge moving under drawbridge we just passed and yet another casino building in background – Harrah’s. Third picture is looking behind our boat with Looper boat “Etcetera” far back along the wall. Ian and Yoli from “Etcetera” (met in St. Ignace) had been there since the previous evening.
A policeman met us all at the dock and indicated that he generally likes to talk to the Loopers coming through. The wall to which we’re tied is across the river from the police station. This particular stop didn’t have the best recommendation, as, allegedly, boats have been untied in the middle of the night by unscrupulous sorts. However, choices for stops on the inland rivers are more limited than on Lake Michigan. The policeman indicated that nothing “too bad” has happened here the six years he’s been patrolling. Hmm. Tony from “Katie B” loaned us an extra steel cable he had so that we could secure our boat to the dock with a “line” not easily severed.
Dennis counted three wide and five long on this tow and barge (below) which we think might be the maximum number allowed on this smaller river system.
We all planned leave together the next day (Friday, Aug. 23), and Tony volunteered to call the lock master at 5:00am with a plan to leave at 6:30.
Unfortunately, we were delayed by the lock several times, as they were taking barges before us. We’ve learned that the lock masters attempt a maintain a standard ratio of three “Industry” locks (commercial tow traffic) to every one pleasure boat lock. Though up at 5:00, we all didn’t leave Joliet until 11:30. We locked through two locks with the other three boats from Joliet as well as a tow and barge in the second lock. It was a very long day, and though we were going to try for Heritage Harbor in Ottawa, IL, we were quite tired and joined “Etcetera,” and “Checkmate” at anchor while “Katie B” went on a ways to stop at a small marina.
The anchorage was very nice (below), despite the two different, smaller boats who chose to zigzag at a high rate of speed between our three boats at anchor, once in the evening and again in the morning! However, some other people who lived nearby stopped in their boat to visit with us for a while in the evening. As promised, they were on their dock in the early morning in order to wave to us as we passed.
On Saturday, we were able to again coordinate with the other three boats to lock through together. We made it easily to Heritage Harbor Marina in Ottawa, IL, where, sharing the marina’s courtesy car, we were able to re-provision, get some prescriptions filled, and receive our mail. The Midwest is currently experiencing a heat wave, and the temperature while we have been at this marina has been in the mid-90’s.
On Sunday, Aug. 25, we were able to attend a briefing held by a harbor host who is also the Assistant Lock Master at the Marseilles Lock. He gave a very informative talk about water levels in marinas and anchorages from here to Grand Rivers, KY, using nearly up-to-the-minute data provided by the Army Corps of Engineers.
On Tuesday, left Heritage Harbor with “Delta Blues,” Patti Anne,” and new Looper acquaintances, Kim and Chuck on “Til You Can’t.” Started to make our way through the Peoria area. Heard that “Etcetera” was stopping to visit the Cat Museum. We were curious about that choice until we heard that it meant the Caterpillar Company (i.e., makers of construction and mining equipment) which then made sense as Caterpillar buildings lined the riverfront when we passed it (on Wed.).
Locking through Peoria Lock, “Patti Anne” was rafted onto us. Dennis and Nelson are in the stern talking to Patti and John from “Patti Anne.”
I was monitoring the midship line on the bollard (left picture – looking down; right – looking up). Because the bollard floats, you can secure the line to the boat and just keep an eye on it unlike systems at some other river locks lately where they provide a line that you must pay out gradually as the boat descends
“Til You Can’t” rafted onto “Delta Blues” for this lock behind us.
The Peoria Lock and Dam (above) and the LaGrange Lock and Dam (in Beardstown; below) are unique in that they are two of only a few wicket dams left in the nation. Wickets are movable planks. When the water is high, the wickets are lowered into the water to lay on the bottom of the river. The water then simply flows over them, and boats can navigate through the dam without having to go through the lock. But, when the water is low, the wickets are raised and boats must use the lock. First picture below shows the wickets as we approached the lock and dam while the third picture shows the raised wickets with the water flowing over them on the other side. The wickets were raised because the water is quite low.
This part of the trip has been notable for that low water as well as for Bald Eagles. I’ve tried to get decent pictures of even one of the numerous Bald Eagles we’ve spotted but have thus far been unsuccessful. However, there is ample evidence available daily of how low the water on the Illinois is right now.
It is very important to stay on the sailing line through this part of the trip. We have been able to avoid anchorages and marinas that seem to be available but that actually lack adequate water depth because of the information gained by attending the briefing last Sunday. The downside is that we have to travel further distances and cannot have electricity or water hookups during some of these very hot days and nights.
In addition to Bald Eagles, we’ve seen a significant amount of waterfowl and, notably, several White Pelicans. Who knew pelicans could be seen in Illinois? This guy was pretty far away but you get the idea.
“Delta Blues” hit something on our way Tuesday and had to stop and hire a diver to check their propellor. “Katie B” happened to be at that spot and helped them in. The rest of the group continued to [So and So’s] Holiday Harbor (deleting the real name). All I can say about this “marina” turned tug and casino boat junkyard/graveyard is it did have electricity (thus, air conditioning on boat). Below left is a view of our path into the “marina” through junked boats as well as a picture of the temperature when we were tying up. Our new rating system consists of how many clicks above [So and So’s] something might be.
Not wanting to linger at [So and So’s] and encounter any varmints that had probably taken up residence in all the abandoned boats and barges, we were on the road early through light rain on Wed., Aug. 28, traveling with “Patti Anne,” “Checkmate,” “Til You Can’t,” and “Stinger” (John and Julie). Two hour wait at the lock that day, but instead of trying to maintain station for two hours on a river, we were all very fortunate to be able to pull up to a restaurant that had a dock and was willing to open up early for us! “Bo-lin” (Laura and Phil) joined us. We all ended up anchoring behind Quiver Island for the night.
We’ve seen numerous examples of what appear to be abandoned coal plants but also many fully operational plants such as those below.
On Thursday, Aug. 29, we arrived at Beardstown, a town which has a wall lining the shore to protect it from high water, something that is currently not remotely a problem! We were one of five Looper boats tied up to the barge at Logdon’s Tug Service for the night. You can hear continuous bangs and thumps which we’ve learned is the sound of the carp hitting against the bottom of the barges, feeding on algae.
Walking through town, we passed the courthouse where in 1858 Abraham Lincoln defended Duff Armstrong in the Almanac Trial. In the park across the street, the rock still stands where Stephen Douglas gave his speech in August of 1858. Later that same month, they began their famous series of debates.
Friday, Aug. 30, turned out to be a ten-hour day on the road. We left Beardstown and made it all the way to Grafton, IL (dubbed the Key West of the Midwest). On those kind of days, we switch up drivers and do multiple “tours” of the boat so that we’re not just sitting all the time. There may even be jumping jacks involved.
Met up with many Looper friends in Grafton, and here is one gathering of some of them.
While we were in Grafton, we had the opportunity to take the SkyTour, an aerial lift, from which you have beautiful views of the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Katie and Tony from “Katie B” and Mike from “Checkmate” joined us.
We also were able to ride on the Alpine Coaster.
During our travels down the Illinois, we passed two different old locks that were built in the 1870’s.
Also passed a dredging operation …
… and a search and rescue team pulling a car from the river.
Finally, here are some random pictures taken along the Illinois.
We’ll be entering the Mississippi tomorrow, Sep. 3. It will be another series of tying up to barges and anchoring, as there is little in the way of marinas or other recreational boat stops.
On Wed., Aug. 7, our final evening in Whitehall, Trey from “Last Arrow” provided us with one of the salmon filets which he had just caught. Delicious and much appreciated! Also met David and Candace from “Miss Candy G,” Gold Loopers who I believe are repeating the experience.
Because of a small craft warning scheduled to take effect late Thursday/early Friday morning, many boaters were making reservations for multiple night stays off Lake Michigan. We didn’t want to still be in Whitehall when riding out the impending wind, so had to piece together stays at two different marinas in Grand Haven given the demand for slips.
On Thursday, Aug. 8, after the part for the air conditioner in the front cabin was installed and worked, we left Whitehall in the early afternoon, making it to Grand Haven around 4:00 pm. Like the previous breakwaters leading to harbors on Michigan’s eastern shore, the Grand Haven breakwater was well-marked, jutted out a significant way from the shore, and extended well into the harbor. What was different about this port’s entrance – besides the lighthouse with the “prow” of a boat – was the area where camper trailers could set up on the beach (bottom right).
Further along the waterway was the large (and quite swanky in comparison to most we’ve seen) Coast Guard building.
The Coast Guard has a significant presence here. Grand Haven was designated “Coast Guard City, USA” by an Act of Congress signed by President Clinton on Nov. 13, 1998. For the second night in Grand Haven on, we were docked immediately in front of the hill touting the designation. As the signage on the hill indicates, they just celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Coast Guard festival that takes place here.
At night, the anchor on the hilltop is lighted, and each night at dusk there is a synchronized water and light show called the Grand Haven Musical Fountain that takes place down the hill from the anchor. Crowds gather in the amphitheater on the opposite shore by the marina where we were docked.
Backing up a bit, for the first night on Thursday, Aug. 8, we stayed at Holiday Isles Marina further in the harbor, named as such because it is located next to and affiliated with a Holiday Inn. We were able to “sublet” a slip for the night. This was quite the dock set up, complete with pump out intake right at each slip. While there, Nelson kept a protective eye on his toy duck that doesn’t swim.
To access the marina, we had to wait on a drawbridge. These pictures were taken when we were leaving Holiday Isles on Friday morning (August 9) and heading to the municipal marina closer to downtown – but also closer to Lake Michigan and the wind!
The predicted wind did arrive, so we were grateful to be in a harbor, but the westerly winds were extremely strong and felt all the more at the municipal marina. Thankfully, Dave from “Miss Candy G,” Mike from “Checkmate,” and dockhands helped us into the slip, as it was really rolling. In tying the boat, Dennis used a strategy of trying to keep it as close to the dock as possible and spreading the force across many fenders, as the wind was pushing us onto the dock. This would prove to not be the best approach given this particular combination of factors.
Mike knocked on the boat later in the evening saying he was thinking that he had to get out of his slip, as his boat was being thrown against the dock. Dennis and Mike took the inflatable out and found a possible anchorage, so Mike left the dock and anchored. We stayed put but were up multiple times during that night, as our boat was also smashing into the dock. Dennis tried various strategies of re-securing the boat. Around 4:00am, noticing a couple other boaters’ approach, he suspended the boat in the middle of the slip; while it was difficult to get on and off the boat after that, it made for a much easier time aboard.
There were a number of Loopers riding out the wind here, including Don from “Detour,” Chris and Kim from “Pura Vida,” Mike from “Checkmate,” and John and Patti on “Patti Anne,” the latter couple from Burnt Store Marina near us in Punta Gorda, FL!
Our friend, Patti, and her daughter Casey came over the next morning (Sat., Aug. 10), and we were able to go to the farmer’s market as well as downtown Grand Haven. It’s a neat town.
Patti very kindly offered use of her car for a West Marine run before she left to go home.
On Sunday, after attending a nearby church, we took Patti up on her kind offer to visit her again – away from the wind and rocking boat! We are so grateful for the blessing of her friendship. After a trip to the grocery for us to re-provision, Patti kindly drove us back to the boat on Monday.
The charter fishing fleet and cleaning station in Grand Haven were located further along the marina. We happened upon a fisherman cleaning and fileting some of his catch in what appeared to be a state-of-the-art cleaning station with spray hoses and a grinder.
Further inland was an historic train engine, cars, and caboose near the Grand Trunk Western Coaling tower, called a coal tipple. Coal used to be loaded into the coal cars behind the engine through metal chutes.
Tuesday morning (Aug. 13), leaving Grand Haven through the breakwaters, we encountered the Kaye E. Barker, up close(!), inbound in harbor.
We arrived at South Haven to stay a single night. Harbor hosts Glenn and Lisa, who also work at the marina, helped us into our slip. Went to dinner with Chris and Kim (“Pura Vida”) and Mike. South Haven is a great area and obviously a popular vacation spot. However, we were trying to make our way to Michigan City, IN, so that we could meet up with our daughter, Brandi, and her family for Sunday. To ensure that we would make it there and could secure a slip, we were trying to continue to move as far south as we could when we could. So, on Wed., Aug. 14, we left South Haven given that it was a beautiful, calm day on Lake Michigan! The picture below of our boat (taken by Mike from his boat, “Checkmate”) is from earlier in our trip but illustrates a calm moment on the lake.
Watching the weather reports as we travelled, we decided to continue going all the way through to Michigan City, IN, so that as noted above we’d be sure to be there in order to see family. The entrance to Michigan City differed greatly from the beautifully-landscaped-summer-cottage-lined harbor entrances we were used to in South Haven, etc., as illustrated below by the picture of what is on the right of the breakwater leading into the harbor.
However, we gained an hour, as we’re now on Central Time. We later took an inflatable ride through the river that winds through part of the city and came upon a strange looking, very wide, long, but low building (that we soon determined was floating) next to what appeared to be two large hotels without any sort of name emblazoned on either.
Turns out that the large white, floating building that has been made to resemble a ship – complete with pilothouse, lifeboat, and life ring – is the Blue Chip Casino, Hotel, and Spa. It was made to float because at the time it was built (1997), only riverboat casinos were permitted in Indiana. Mystery solved. Evidently, if you eat in their Lakeside Kitchen restaurant, robot servers will bring you your food.
We were able to take advantage of the sandy beach nearby our marina, beaching the inflatable and cooling off in beautiful Lake Michigan.
Brandi and family visited on Saturday, Aug. 17, as the weather report was somewhat better than what was forecasted for Sunday. We hit the nearby Washington Park Zoo (some pictures below), then the splash park. Because of high winds and, thus, a red warning flag at the Lifeguard station, the kids weren’t able to take too much advantage of the waves at the beach on Lake Michigan, but, still, a good time was had by all. And, all were tired!
Feeding the birds (below).
As forecasted, very strong winds on Sunday with small craft warning. Not sure when we’re going to be able to leave Michigan City. We are getting a lot of boat maintenance done, however! On Sunday evening, visited with the only other Loopers in this marina, that is, Diane and Joe from “Luna Sea, Too” and Mike. We are all waiting on a weather window to leave. Our next goal is Hammond, IN, from which we will start on the inland river system.
To reach the inland river system, boaters have to make a choice between two routes, that is, to follow either the Chicago River or the Calumet River. Many boaters who want to go through Chicago discover that their boats are too tall to go through some of the bridges and then choose to take the route we’re taking which is the Calumet-Sag. At this point, it’s looking as though we’ll have to wait until Wednesday, Aug. 21, before the wind and waves lessen enough for us to cross to Hammond.
