The Great Loop: October 2012

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Home for the winter

We arrived at this fall's destination, Midway Marina in Fulton, Mississippi, today at 3:30.

All told this trip covered 1,750 miles and passed through 7 states and a little bit of Canada. The waters we traversed include lake Erie, the Detroit River, Lake St Clair, the St Clair River, the west coast of Lake Huron, the Mackinac Straits, the east coast of Lake Michigan, the Chicago, Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers, Kentucky Lake, Pickwick Lake, and the Tenn-Tom Waterway. My crew was super. Many thanks to Jeff, Denny, Chuck, Skip, Dave, Mo, Mike, and Jack, it was a ball.

I plan to leave Midway in the spring with a voyage down to the Gulf, then around the Florida Keys and up the Atlantic coast to Osprey Marina (on the ICW near Myrtle Beach) where the boat will spend the summer months. Technically we will have completed the Loop when we pass by Hilton Head Island (we left Hilton Head earlier this year). "Whatever It Takes" will return to Cleveland from Osprey next fall via the Erie Canal in time for the fall foliage.

I am always looking for crew hands.

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This trip was the first time discipline was required on any voyage. The video below contains the graphic violence of the discipline. I felt it was necessary to publish this in order to thwart any future problems. Make sure your sound is on.

http://youtu.be/4SpxHZ7iPjU

The next two videos were taken as we entered and left the "Jamie Whitten Lock" located at mile marker 411.9 on the Tenn-Tom Waterway. This lock has an 84 foot lift (we were locking down) and is 600 feet long X 110 feet wide. This is the highest lock I have encountered to date.

ENTERING LOCK

http://youtu.be/EUtdgDjJnKw

LEAVING LOCK

http://youtu.be/07vB5yGjT9s

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Jack started his morning by pumping out ****.

Fellow Looper.

Mo and I played 26 games of gin rummy over the past 7 days. Mo lost 21 of 26 games and owes me $40.76 (at a penny a point).

Evening at Midway Marina on the Tenn-Tom canal. I think "Whatever It Takes" will enjoy the winter here.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Twas a dark and stormy night

OK, it wasn't stormy, but it sure as hell was dark. Yesterday we docked early knowing we would have a long day today (105 miles). I didn't see any problem with making the run to Pickwick lock and marina with daylight to spare. Guess my eyesight is failing. We had three unanticipated barriers that resulted in having to dock at a strange marina in the dark without my ships spotlight (light malfunctioned as we started across the final bay). Barrier 1- Fog prevented us from leaving our dock until 8:30 this morning, 1 1/2 hour delay; Barrier 2- The Tennessee River narrows as you travel south and the current gets stronger, a lot stronger. We started out at 11 mph and traveled the lat 30 miles around 9 mph, 45 minute delay; Barrier 3- the lockmaster directed us to the large lock (1,000 feet long X 110 feet wide). It took 45 minutes for the lock to empty and open and another 30 minutes to fill, 30 minute delay. We docked at 8:00 and I had supper ready in a half hour (beans and sausage).

Tomorrow should be the last leg of this voyage. We have 70 miles to travel and three locks to pass through. The first lock is an 85 foot lift, the highest I have experienced. I don't expect any problem making this run, but I wouldn't bet on that.

The Tennessee River is beautiful and easy to navigate.

Morning in Tennessee.

The Tennessee River is pretty much flanked with mountains and some very nice homes.

Crewhand Mike in his favorite position.

A spike buck whitetail deer swam across our bow. You can see his wake and head.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Virtual lock through.

Yesterday morning Mo and I locked up the Kentucky Dam. A 55 foot lift, we entered the Kentucky Lake and join up with Mike and Jack later in the day. The four videos below were taken during the locking process and will give you some idea what goes on with the locking procedure.

Tying up

http://youtu.be/iN2Lmt5yFvY

Opening the lock

http://youtu.be/IP2mNgQ1rF4

Surprise

http://youtu.be/o88B_pcXi8E

Leaving the lock

http://youtu.be/teVpBPFjUL8

Yes, we made it through.

New crew added to help poor old mo. Welcome aboard Mike and Jack.

My "Americas Great Loop Cruisers Association" burgee was a Christmas gift from daughter Laura. The marinas and many of the boaters we have met recognize the flag and almost always ask where we started our trip.

You gotta admit, the new furniture looks great (and my older brother Mike as well).

Kentucky lake shoreline is pretty much like this for over 100 miles.

This was located next to an old rail road bridge that is no longer in use. We suspect it was a hotel that served rail passengers before the dam was built creating Kentucky Lake. I thought I saw an Ostendorf Morris for sale sign attached to the West wall (sorry Bill).

We docked early tonight at the Songbird Marina giving the crew time for some fishing off a rented pontoon boat.

My kingdom for a shower.

Our travels down the Mississippi and up the Ohio Rivers was pretty exciting. The Mississippi River is a twisting turning old gal with strong currents, tight corners, sandbars, and, of course, lots of barges. The junction of the Mississippi and Ohio is crowded with barges and Tugs going every which way. About ten miles upstream, the Ohio becomes open and an easy trip. It took a while to get used to traveling against the current (we travelled with the current on the Mississippi and against the current on the Ohio). Our speed went from 14 mph+ to less than 9 mph. The one thing that is absent on the Illinois, Mississippi and Ohio Rivers are Marinas. Actually we only had only two full service Marinas to spend the night at since leaving Chicago. That's nearly 600 miles (there may be a business opportunity here) with limited fuel, food, power, and showers (the crews biggest complaint). We have tied up for the night in a boat junk yard, on a working tug barge, a floating fuel dock, and a city boat launch during these legs of the journey. The good news is I didn't have to drop anchor and sway in the currents worrying about loose barges. We spent last night in Paducah, KY and ventured into town for dinner. What a great downtown. I would definitely come back and spend an extra day here.

Crew change. Dave (River Rat) was a great deck hand and is heading back home. Gloria has undoubtedly been spending her time gazing out at Lake Erie praying for her sailor to return safely. Mo is taking on the challenge of helping navigate 200 miles of the Mississippi River and 50 miles of the Ohio.

Sunrise on the Mississippi.

Riverboat just outside St Louis.

The "Arch".

Overlooking "Old Miss".

Lock 52 on the Ohio River.

Harrahs riverboat gambling casino on the Illinois side of the Ohio.

Destination of our cruise down the Mississippi and up the Ohio Rivers. Tomorrow we start up the Tennessee River.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

A working river.

The trip down the Chicago and Illinois Rivers was a great time. 25 miles of the Chicago River with loads of bridges, high rise buildings, other pleasure boats, houses, people, (in other words, civilization). The balance of the trip (300 miles) was just the opposite. The Illinois River is a working River with barges, power plants, barges, agricultural loading docks, barges, quarries, and more barges. The Illinois River is definitely a "Working River".

What I wouldn't give to have Lake Erie look like this every morning.

One of a dozen homes we saw on the 325 mile journey down the Illinois River. This area is so desolate we didn't even see any wildlife until we were ten miles from the Mississippi (unless you count Saturday night in Chicago).

Did you know there are pelicans in Illinois (no kidding, we saw 100's).

This was our only docking opportunity in 180 miles of river. This is a tug repair facility that worked throughout the night. We rafted off to the crane/welding barge.

Dave's expression as we left the tug repair overnight dockage.

This picture pretty much profiles the entire length of the Illinois River. The only excitement we had was when we encountered one of several hundred barges moving up, down, and even across the river. There were times when we would meet a barge at a narrow spot in the river and have to pass by at 15 feet apart or less. To get an idea of what this was like , examine the following chart then click on the you tube video of an 18 barge behemoth we passed at around 15 feet. Bear in mind we were traveling at 14 mph and the barge was going around 10 mph in the opposing direction.

Click on the address below to get a firsthand view of raw terror on the Illinois River.

http://youtu.be/-r7Bet-c6qg

The white bluffs of the Mississippi River at the junction of the Illinois River. Tomorrow Mo and I tackle the "Big Muddy".

Thursday, October 4, 2012

No Wifi :(

The good news is Dick and Mo have made it to the Mississippi River.

The bad news is there is NO internet access anywhere near them - so the blog will be quiet for the next day or so.

They're doing well though - even passed the St. Louis Arch today!

~Laura

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

"Middle of Nowhere"

We are in the middle of nowhere. I spent two hours loading the 3 pictures below and will not be able to post yesterdays or todays blog until tomorrow when we reach the city of Grafton, Illinois. There is a full service marina located in Grafton and that is where we leave the Illinois River and enter the mighty Mississippi. I assure you the pics will be worth the wait.