Day 21 - October 10 – Kentucky Lake

It was time to leave Green Turtle Bay and as we were pulling out of the harbor, we looked back and there behind us were our friends Paul and Emy from Restless Wind. It just seem so natural that they would be following us as this is how we made our way down the Illinois Waterways. However this time they were headed to another marina on Kentucky Lake and we were headed south to the Great Loopers Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park in northern Alabama.

Both Kentucky Lake and Barkley Lake are everything wonderful that people say about them and more. I tried to take pictures but the shots just did not do justice to the shoreline and truly natural beauty of the area. There is almost no development visible from the lakes so the shoreline is pristine. There are all sorts of coves and inlets that make anchoring out the thing to do. Next time I think we will spend less time at a marina and more time anchoring in these cozy little hideaways. Ideally we would have liked to spend a week or more just exploring Kentucky Lake. There are wonderful places to discover with the dinghy and what a romantic way to spend some quality time! Alas, next time…



The aspect of Kentucky Lake that I found to be the most interesting was the way that commercial and recreational craft share the same waters. Basically the Tennessee River runs through Kentucky Lake almost like an invisible highway. As we traveled south, the “river channel” was very clearly marked and this is where we stayed along with the barge traffic that we encountered. All around us we saw fishermen, jet skis, houseboats and sailboats enjoying the same water space but outside the designated traffic lane.

About 4p, Mark found this wonderful little inlet, almost like a water cul de sac for us to anchor for the evening. Mark and I have literally fallen in love with anchoring out. This evening Mark grilled steak and salmon on the gas grill and we ate dinner as we watched as the sun slowly set. There is simply nothing like this solitude for a sense of true peace and calm. My idea of heaven is to fall asleep while gently bobbing in the water.

Hours on the water: 6
Nautical miles traveled: 45
Number of locks: 0
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Tomorrow's Destination: Somewhere down the river
What we're listening to: I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe
What we watched: 0
Lesson for the day: There is nothing more beautiful than a sunset
Obligatory knitting report: Mittens for Wunder Kids

Days 18 thru 20 – October 6-9 – Green Turtle Bay Marina Kentucky

We arrived at Green Turtle Bay Marina about 2p on Saturday afternoon. Before going to our slip, we filled up with diesel fuel, pumped out and I got the code for the Internet connection – in that very precise order. I know where my priorities lie!! I had not been connected to the Internet for almost a week and I was having serious withdrawal.

Our slip was very conveniently located near the laundry and shower facilities, both of which we were badly in need of addressing. However, the very first thing that I did after getting all settled in was that I found the address and hours of the Verizon store in Paducah. With all the trials and mishaps that we had last week nothing upset me more than to find out that my special super-dooper Treo Palm 700p is not and WILL NOT in the future be compatible with Windows Vista thereby rendering it TOTALLY WORTHLESS as modem with my new laptop. It took many telephone calls to determine this fact and it just made me sick. This marina has a courtesy van so we drove to Paducah Kentucky Saturday evening to buy the new phone and air card. So now I am back to a regular Razar phone and I will give the Treo to my son-in-law. I am still toying with the idea of whether I can live without a Palm Pilot and I will use these next few weeks to see how it goes. Mainly I use my Palm to keep track of all of my passwords and to manage our finances with Pocket Quicken that I sync to the laptop version of Quicken.

I was up bright and early Sunday morning to play with my new toys in order to get them all set up and working. However, a funny thing happened…as I was doing laundry I started to meet a bunch of other Loopers. It seems that just about everyone doing the Loop stops at GTB. We truly have found Loopers (and all boaters for the most part) to be exceedingly friendly people. So instead of playing with my new gadets, we spent the day socializing and meeting new friends. It was wonderful to see how others travel with boats much larger than ours and a couple even smaller. We are one of the few people that are just starting the Loop. It seems that most of the people that we are meeting now are on the final legs of their adventures. Everyone was very helpful with tips and advice about we should expect in the future.

Monday I spent the day trying to get all of my communication chores caught up – I made a small dent in them , but I am still lagging behind…


Mark is totally rising to the occasion in that he is really making an effort to be Mr Fixit. Our generator has not worked since last Tuesday evening. When we got here to GTB we placed a service request with the marina for them to check out our generator but Mark decided that he wanted to take one more crack at fixing it himself. So he was tinkering with it pretty much all day and guess what? He fixed it all by himself. I was really impressed. He had all of his manuals out and was reading and concentrating and he fixed it! Sincerely, I was very proud of him and you should have seen the smile on his face once he realized that he had indeed gotten the generator to work. I think he even surprised himself. It was a major confidence boost for him. It is funny because I think this trip is giving him something totally different than it is giving me in that I think he is gaining a personal confidence and strength in himself. This is so different than anything he has ever done in his life before and I can see the pride and confidence as his abilities increase on a daily basis.

One can not come to the Land Between the Lakes without going to Patti’s Settlement in Grand Rivers. Patti’s is renowned for her 2” pork chops and good home cooking. Since Mark’s favorite meat is a pork chop, we had dinner at Patti’s Monday evening with our friends from Knot Home. Dinner was all that it was hyped up to be and more. Be sure to save room for desert – these too are to die for…

Hours on the water: 0
Nautical miles traveled: 0
Number of locks: 0
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Tomorrow's Destination: Somewhere on Kentucky Lake
What we're listening to: 0
What we watched: Weeds episodes 5 & 6 – Season 1 = OK
Lesson for the day: I am much too attached to electronics
Obligatory knitting report: I did not knit once during the four days

Notes on the delay in communications and blog entries

Warning: A previously testy and very crabby person is writing this message but I have seen the light and now am calm. First of all, I sincerely want to thank everyone who called and/or emailed us to make sure that we are okay. In all honesty we are fine and I hope it shows from the blog entries that I have uploaded (now that I have a signal). We are truly having a wonderful time and the trip thus far has given us experiences beyond what we had hoped to receive. I can’t state highly enough how much we are enjoying the journey and the wonderful people that we are meeting along the way. If at any time there is a problem or emergency, our daughter Samantha will post to the blog to let everyone know what has happened. So when you do not hear from me it means that we are in no-where land and that all is well. No news is still good news.

The reason for the lack of blog entries was due to the lack of a cellular signal or Internet connection. I never dreamed that we would be without a signal while on the Mississippi River but sure enough, it happened. What is more surprising is that I survived the ordeal and I may have even “become a better person for it”. (A phrase that my girls will recognize instantly). Once I resigned myself to the fact that I could not email or communicate by cell phone, a wave of calmness overcame me. I suddenly realized that life can carry on without a cyber umbilical cord and that my world would not end. In fact, it was very refreshing in some ways…not that I want to get use to it, but I now think I can handle non-cyber space for short periods of time without physical withdrawal.

Day 17 – October 6 – Cumberland River

I let Mark sleep in just a little bit this morning before waking him for our trip down the Cumberland River. I also wanted to spend some time sitting outside to enjoy the sunrise over Towhead Island. It was so relaxing and pleasant to wake up to the gentle movement of the boat and the sounds of the birds. I find a great deal of comfort in the sounds of solitude and I have come to savor my early mornings. Each time that we anchor out, I find that I am loving it more and more.

The Tennessee River merges with the Ohio River and in an ideal situation we would have taken the Tennessee River south into Kentucky Lake. However the lock on the Tennessee River is being intermitting shut down for repairs and only commercial traffic is allowed to use the lock at this time. What this means for us pleasure crafters is that we get to use the Cumberland River that takes us seventeen miles in a round about way to the same location as if we had used the Tennessee River. However, the upside of this is that the Cumberland River is absolutely gorgeous.


We met a tug with about six barges just as we were entering the Cumberland and he was exiting but after that we had the river all to ourselves. It was narrower than the Ohio and Mississippi and even narrower than the Illinois, but it is much deeper. Often times Mark would comment on the fact that we had depths in excess of 30 feet.

At one point I was a little concerned with the flock of buzzards that was flying over our boat…I am not sure what they were after, but I have never seen so many gathered in one place.


Slowly and calmly we made our way to the Barkley lock and dam. I hailed the lockmaster and he held the lock for open for us. The rise in this lock is 57 feet but it is really fast. The ascent took us only 15 minutes. Immediately upon leaving the lock, Barkley Lake unfolds. It is truly a beautiful lake with almost picture postcard scenery. I understood instantly why so many people choose this as their place of retirement. Green Turtle Bay Marina is located on what is called “the land between the lakes” .

Hours on the water: 5
Nautical miles traveled: 30
Number of locks: 1
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Tomorrow's Destination: Green Turtle Bay Marina
What we're listening to: mhl play list from lle I Pod
What we watched: 0
Lesson for the day: There is great personal peace in the solitude of nature
Obligatory knitting report: Mittens for Wunder Kids

Barges and Tugboat Captains

It truly is amazing when one stops to think about it and realizes the amount of “stuff’ that is still transported by water in this county. Unless you live near or have some connection to the US waterways I don’t think most people are aware of the traffic on our nation’s rivers, but it is tremendous. What I find fascinating about life on the river is the contradiction in terms and definition. Even though the tugboats are equipped with the most current and sophisticated electronic equipment and the drivers and crew are highly skilled, life on the river is approached in a slow paced and old fashion manner. There is a definite respect for each other and the rivers and it shows in the way these men (and women) approach their tasks and each other. Most of the pilots are male and are from the south, so at first it takes a little while for one’s ear to “hear” and understand what they are saying but once one grasps the lingo it really is fun to follow their conversations. The first thing that struck me was the politeness with which they talk to each other. Even in the most trying of times, never have I heard an unkind or impolite conversation between the tug boat captains in their discussions with each other. “ Yes Sir” “I appreciate that” “Whatever works for you” are standard lines in their conversations. Yesterday we met only a couple of pushers and tugs on the river but today the tugs seemed to be traveling in a convoy. As I listened to the tug boat captains talk among themselves, I could not help but think of the 1970’s when CB radios were all the rage. It was fun just to listen to them talk…Their talk ranges from very thick Cajun accents and phrases to young preppy almost “Valley Girl” jargon. When asked by an older captain his intentions, a young skipper replied “Color me gone, Dude”. One can not help to smile and be charmed by these men of the river.

There is an old fashioned honor and respect that is extended to each other and even to us “pleasure crafters”, if we deserve it. Never have I seen, heard or been made aware of “road rage” among tug boat captains. However, what they will not tolerate for a minute is stupidity and I must say that the stupidity usually comes from careless and disrespectful “pleasure craft” boaters. The navigable rivers in this county belong to the commercial traffic and as “pleasure boaters” we are guests upon their waters. I must say that during this trip we have seen too many disrespectful and discourteous “pleasure crafters”. Most often the disrespectful boaters appear to be “captains” delivering boats south for their clients. They think nothing of creating dangerous wakes as they pass barges with working crew and seem to feel that their need to meet a deadline is justification for being rude and potentially harmful to the others on the rivers. Often these “captains” either do not have their VHF radios on or choose not to answer them when hailed by commercial traffic asking that they slow down.

While I am sure that that tug captains, too, have deadlines to meet and a corporate America suit to account to somewhere, the tug pilots make their way along the rivers in an almost casual manner ever mindful of each other and exceeding respectful of the river. I can not help but feel that the tug boat captains are a lot like cowboys in that they have a job to do but that the basic core and nature of that job has not really changed all that much in the last 150 years. Nor has the dedication or charm disappeared from the manner in which they approach their vocation. I can truly understand how Paula Deen’s heart was captured by a tug boat captain.

Day 16 – October 5 - Ohio River here we come

It was early to rise and shine today as this would be our longest day thus far. In addition to needing to travel approximately 60 miles to make our anchorage, we had two locks to contend with on the Ohio River and we had heard horror stories about the wait at Lock 52. We were up and ready to go just as the sun was up. We headed downriver and around the bend to the convergence of the Ohio and the Mississippi at the big toe of Illinois. I was really excited about riding on the Ohio and I could hardly wait.


Cairo, Illinois is located at the convergence point of the two rivers and is by the far the busiest port that we have seen so far. Note the special day mark at the convergence point of the rivers. The red nuns and green cans flip location on the Ohio so one must remember which side of the channel markers is the correct place to be. Fern gave us a very good tip in that if one notes the current of the river, then knowing the buoy placement is easy: If you are traveling with the current, the red nuns will be on your left; if you are traveling against the current, the red nuns should be on your right [red right returning (as if from sea)]. Once again Fern has taken our seamanship to a new level.

I thought things were hopping in St Louis, but I have never seen so many tugs and barges in one place. These tugs seem to be scurrying from one spot to another pushing, pulling and moving barges in every direction. We waved and tooted at four of our cousin tugs as we passed.

What Mark noticed immediately upon entering the Ohio was that our speed dropped considerably due to the fact that we were now traveling against the current. At the same rpms, our speed went from 10 knots on the Mississippi to about 6 knots on the Ohio.

Immediately I loved being on the Ohio River. Maybe because the Ohio forms the southern border of Indiana or maybe it is the stories that I grew up with about the flatboats traveling the Ohio that make this river so special to me but I think this river is my favorite. It is not as muddy or as rapid as the Mississippi but we encountered much more barge traffic on the Ohio than we did on the other two rivers combined. As we approached Lock 53, we were told to come on and that we would have no wait. Just before reaching Lock 53, we passed the location of the new Olmstead Lock that will eventually replace Locks 52 and 53 on the Ohio. It is fascinating to see how construction work is done in the river. I can not phantom the engineering and architecture that is involved in a construction project like that. This lock was originally to be completed in 2009 and now the target date for completion is 2012.


We made our way to Lock 52 again passing more tugs and barges. As we got to Lock 52, there was a major back up of commercial vessels waiting to be locked through in both directions. This is the busiest lock in the United States and it was very evident. We even had difficulty in hailing the lockmaster simply because the radio frequency was so busy. At the time we were the only pleasure craft (non-commercial vessel) requesting a lock through so we just assumed that we would be waiting at least four to five hours. These locks, like the ones on the Mississippi, have two chambers that can go either up or down and it just so happened that the small chamber needed to go up (the direction we needed to go also) in order to bring down a small vessel with a priority load shortly after we took our place in line. Remember how it was when we were kids and you got called out of the lunch line for a special treat? Well, this is exactly how we felt at hearing that we would be able to be locked through so quickly – it was just our lucky day and we were going to catch that brass ring while we could.

After Lock 52, the landscape started to look like home to me. I began to recognize trees, bushes and rock formations of southern Illinois and Indiana. We passed Metropolis, Illinois on our left and Paducah, Kentucky on our right as we made our way to our evening’s anchorage at the mouth of the Cumberland River. There is a great deal of controversy currently about whether Paducah will or will not allow overnight stays at their city docks, so we decided to not even consider staying in Paducah, even though it looked like a charming place to visit. My mother was a quilter and she made many trips to Paducah, and I would have liked to have stopped to visit their quilt museum – maybe another time.

We came to our anchorage location with about an hour of daylight to spare. We had plenty of water under us and we were nicely tucked into the cove behind Towhead Island at the convergence point of the Cumberland and Ohio rivers. The weather again today has been beastly hot. We were both literally dripping with sweat, grime and a major feeling of accomplishment in that we have made it this far and are still loving our adventures.


Hours on the water: 10.25 hours
Nautical miles traveled: 58
Number of locks: 2
Time spent waiting at locks: 30 minutes
Tomorrow's Destination: Green Turtle Bay Marina
What we're listening to: mhl play list from lle I Pod
What we watched: 0
Lesson for the day: Life is really great at 6 knots
Obligatory knitting report: Mittens for Wunder Kids

Day 15 – October 4 – Billy Goat Gruff Anchorage

Our travels today will probably be our shortest day yet. It is funny how our travels and stops on the Mississippi are unfolding. Our tugboat is a trawler which means that it is made for stability and utility and not speed, which is why we purchased her for this trip. We are currently not “fast enough” to be able to combine two shorter days travel into one long day to skip an anchorage in order to make better time. And really, why would we want to? We are in no hurry at all – we will get wherever we will get when we get there – so it is okay to string a couple of short days together and to have some rest time before the sun goes down and it is time for bed.




Today’s anchorage destination kind of had me freaked out and excited me all at the same time. I was freaked because the location is immediately north of the Interstate 57 bridge that crosses from Illinois to Missouri. While we are not directly underneath the bridge, we are right there. Fern had told us to anchor 150 feet from LDB (left descending bank) and about 200-300 feet north of the bridge pilings. As it happened when we approached the bridge, a pusher was northbound so we had to continue south until he passed and then we turned northbound again and proceeded into the anchorage area. Before the tugboat captain left the area, I called him on the radio to ask him if we had the correct location for anchorage and he confirmed that this was a very good spot for us to spend the night. When anchoring, one places the anchor and bow of the boat into the current for stability. This was the first time that we had anchored out in the main part of the Mississippi (but outside the channel markings) but not in a chute or tucked behind an island. I must admit that it was more than a little scary to see the strength of the current as the water passed our boat. The anchor was holding just fine so we relaxed to enjoy a few remaining hours of sunlight.


Now I am in the perfect location to not only wave at the barges as they go by but I am also being honked at and waved to from the truckers crossing the bridge. I am sure that more than a couple of bridge-crossers did a double take to make sure that they were seeing a little red and white tug boat bobbing in the water below them.

As night fell our second concern was about being seen by the tugboats/barges as they traveled up and down the river after dark. Our location is just north about six miles from Cairo, Illinois where the Mississippi meets the Ohio so we anticipated a lot of barge traffic during the night. We knew that we were far enough out of the channel to not be hit if another vessel saw us. We turned on the anchor light, made sure that we were secure at anchor and hoped for the best. The tugs and pushers run 24/7and have massive search lights on the front and sides of the tugs. It is like those sky search lights that businesses use to celebrate grand openings but these lights constantly search the river, shores and channels as the barges make their way. Our concerns were legitimate but we were very much reassured each time we saw the huge flood lights from the pushers as they scanned us and verified our location. I am sure that they first saw us on their radar and most tug captains know that this area is a “Fern recommended” anchorage so we went to sleep feeling rather comfortable.

However about 4a, I was very rudely awoken by the most horrible smell ever. It seemed that several pushers with multiple barges followed rather close after one another and they churned up all that “stuff” that Chicago has sent downriver for the last one hundred years via the Ship and Sanitary Canal. While I was feeling a little bit like Billy Goat Gruff before, now I truly know what it was like to live under a bridge so maybe I am really a troll…



Hours on the water: 4.5
Nautical miles traveled: 38.5
Number of locks: 0
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Tomorrow's Destination: Cumberland River Towhead Island Anchorage
What we're listening to: Finished Four to Score by Janet Evanovich
What we watched: 0
Lesson for the day: Don’t throw anything off a bridge as you never know who may be below
Obligatory knitting report: Mittens for Wunder Kids

Day 14 – October 3 – Little Diversion Channel Anchorage

Today our destination is the Little Diversion Channel chute just south of Cape Girardeau, Missouri.A chute is a small river or large creek that flows into a larger river. Fern was very specific in giving us good anchorage locations as she feels that the river has changed somewhat due to the recent storms in the Midwest. Several of the customary anchorage locations have been “silted out” as a result of this year’s rains. Loopers and other river travelers have (or at least should have) the Skipper Bob, Waterways, Quimby’s and several other self-published guide books that provide information about the waterways, ports of call and anchorages. Like any publication, these books are wonderful and exceeding helpful but when it comes to current information, one must trust the locals – and we certainly trust Fern.

The weather has been beastly hot and of course it is majorly humid here on the river. So we arrived at the Little Diversion chute anchorage hot, sweaty and greatly in need of air conditioning and a shower. We got all settled into our anchorage and Mark started the generator. It started just fine but it would not stay on and the error message that he was receiving was that we were receiving “no fresh water flow”. Mark spent about a couple of hours checking and rechecking everything that he could check above the water line and he concluded that the water intake must be clogged from when we had that encounter with the sandbar yesterday. So this means that we do not have generated power until we can get to Green Turtle Bay and a mechanic and/or diver can determine why the generator is not working. We only use our generator when we are anchored to run the AC and plug-in outlets, so while it is an inconvenience, we are able to adapt really rather well. The main boat batteries are strong enough to sustain the fridge and water pumps while we are at anchor so we feel comfortable at this time with not having a generator. What this means is that now we will be asleep as soon as the sun sets each evening and that is not a bad thing at all.

Three other boats anchored in the Little Diversion River with us. Only one other boat had we seen before. The friends that we had been traveling with have stayed in various harbors longer than we have but I am sure that they will catch up to us shortly. The two boats at the anchorage that we had not seen before were much larger (50 feet or so) than us and I am sure that they are not traveling at 7 knots or even at our greatly enhanced river current speed of 10 knots.


Hours on the water: 6.5
Nautical miles traveled: 61.3
Number of locks: 0
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Tomorrow's Destination: I-57 Bridge Anchorage
What we're listening to: Four to Score by Janet Evanovich
What we watched: 0
Lesson for the day: Even with a new boat, something is always not working…
Obligatory knitting report: Mittens for Wunder Kids

Day 13 – October 2 – Kaskaskia Lock

Today will be short day but it will include the most treacherous bend in the river that Fern warns about. We topped off our water, said farewell to Fern and we were on our way. Fern had given us very clear and concise directions and instructions so we were both very confident as we approached the curve at mile marker 131. When we got to the area just before the bend, I hailed any northbound pushers that might be in the area. Receiving no response, we plowed forward.

Fern was absolutely correct in that this area of the river contains several whirlpools and while the river is wide, the channel is narrow and winding. Mark was cautious and prudent (as always) and we made our way through the bend just fine. What was interesting to me about the whole experience is that if we had not stopped at Hoppies and if Fern had not told us about this part of the river, we would never have known or even guessed that this bend in the river would have been any different any other end in the river. There were no distinguishing factors to indicate that this area should be an area of caution. It just goes to show that one can spend all the money in the world on fancy-dancy high end electronics and charts but it is the human element that is to be trusted when all is said and done.

We made our way south to the mouth of the Kaskaskia River were we would request to tie off the lock wall for the evening. Since 9/11, boaters are not allowed to overnight at locks and dams but this lock does allow Loopers to stay the evening. As we approached the mouth of the Kaskaskia a pusher was in the process of taking barges out of the lock so we waited. Upon instruction we entered the river mouth and headed for the lock wall and abruptly stopped dead in the water…I was on the bow getting the lines ready when Mark and I looked at each other and we knew instantly that we had hit another sandbar. The depth indicator was showing 5 feet of water below the boat but our starboard stern was stuck this time. It took Mark about five minutes to work us free. Once free, we made our way to the lock wall and secured the boat. After we were tied and each having a glass of strong liquid refreshment, I asked Mark if he was okay – he said yes he was fine and that just his ego was bruised. I smiled and said that egos are made to be bruised and that he had done an excellent job of getting us out of a potentially dangerous situation. About an hour later another barge driver came through the lock and told us that he too had gotten stuck in the very same place…I think this did wonders to comfort Mark’s bruised ego.

We have been exceedingly lucky regarding weather issues this entire summer. We have either been ahead or behind just about every major storm and today was another example of this. During the evening at the lock while we were tied up and secure, a thunderstorm rolled through. It did bring some rain but not like the lightning and strong winds that occurred closer to the St Louis area. Our friends from Knot Home were staying at the Grafton Marina and lightning struck a tree about 100 yards from their boat. Fortunately, no damage occurred to their boat or their electrical systems.


Hours on the water: 4.5 hours
Nautical miles traveled: 37.4
Number of locks: 0
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Tomorrow's Destination: Little Diversion Channel Anchorage
What we're listening to: Four to Score by Janet Evanovich
What we watched: Weeds Episodes 1-4 Season 1
Lesson for the day: Sandbars are Old Man River’s way of keeping us humble
Obligatory knitting report: Mittens for Wunder Kids

Prince Charming has a birthday

We know that you are Aurora's (Sleeping Beauty) prince charming but you are very special to Grandma and Papa as well. Happy 10th birthday William!!

Day 12 – October 1 – St Louis and Hoppies

The mighty Mississippi lay within our sights and the prospect of entering his waters was exciting and daunting at the same time. With this excitement in mind, we filled the tank with fuel, pumped out, mailed our mail and we were on our way.

After we passed the convergence of the two rivers and I looked back, it did not look like what I was expecting…I was expecting something really dramatic and while it was a wondrous sight, it looked like a river with an island in the middle of it. To be riding on the Mississippi was indeed a magic moment. Having lived all of my life in the Midwest, the Mississippi River seemed to always be a defining factor to our history. Either you live east or west of it, it played a pivotal role in our pioneer heritage and we learned at a very early age not to trifle with Old Man River. This was the first time that I had actually seen the Mississippi other than from an airplane. He was just as big, muddy and awesome as described and one could not help but feel special riding on his waters.

Now the Army Corp of Engineers did it right when they built the locks on the Mississippi. These locks are designed with two chambers so that both chambers can be used at the same time in either direction. I would like to think that it is because the Corp had us “pleasure crafters” in mind, but I know their design was to handle the barge traffic in an efficient and effective manner. At both locks we were able to slide right in. Since we were the only boat in the lock both times, we were able to float in the middle without tying up to the sides. In both locks, the drop was about 12 feet.

The city of St Louis kind of sneaks up on you on the river. I had been waiting all day to see the Arch and here it was in all of its glory. Standing tall and strong along the river, the Arch is the prefect compliment to both the river and the city of St Louis. I made a mental note to come back someday to visit the Arch from the land side of St Louis.




St Louis is truly a commercial boating center and this is evident everywhere one turns. Even at the Hellhole of Lemont, I had never seen so many barges and pushers (commercial tugs). What made this area different from Lemont is the width of the river. While there were tugs and barges coming and going in every direction, everyone had plenty of room because the river is so wide. Today we saw the most awesome barge configuration ever. I counted 35 barges (5 barges wide & 7 barges long) connected together and being pushed by three tugs; one at the starboard front, one at the starboard midpoint and one at the port stern of the configuration. It was so big that I could not even capture a complete picture of this floating creature. I have totally fallen in love with “barge drivers” and today I had a wonderful time talking to them as we came through this area. Mark just laughs at me when I talk with them on the radio. He says that I am flirting with them and I say that I am just talking to them with a smile on my face and a twinkle in my eye…

After leaving the commercial Mecca, one never loses sight or awareness of the important role the Mississippi plays in our heritage and economy. Empty, partially sunken and solitary barges dot the river as reminders of just how powerful this river can be. The current runs about 3 to 4 knots, so when we ran at 1000 rpms (our usual speed of 7 knots) our traveling speed increased to almost 10 knots. This is wonderful going downstream and great for fuel conservation.

Our destination today was Hoppies Marnina. Hoppies is a legend and a must stop for anyone traveling the Mississippi. The “docks” consist of about eight barges connected together in a long line with a fuel dock and “lounge” in the middle. Besides being the only place to get fuel and water for nearly 200 miles, one has to stop at Hoppies just to meet Fern.
Fern is “Mrs Hoppie” (really Hopkins) and she is a true river icon. She was there to catch our lines and gave us expert guidance as we approached her fuel dock and then at our assigned docking location. As soon as we were secure, Fern told us that “chart class” would start at 4:30p in the lounge. We heard rumors of her classes and we did not want to be late or miss anything, so we were in our seats promptly. Lighting one cigarette after another and with beautiful blue eyes sparkling, Fern gave us detailed instructions and directions on the upcoming dangerous spots in the river and appropriate anchorage locations. She was a fount of information and delightful at the same time and you can tell from just being around her that she loves and deeply respects Old Man River.

Hoppies provides a courtesy car so Mark and I made one last grocery run and then called it a night as the sun was setting.

As I awaited sleep, my thoughts turned to my mother. Today would have been her 78th birthday. It seemed almost kismet that we traveled past St Louis on this day as she spent her early childhood in St Louis. I could not help but think how much she would have loved to have been aboard on this trip as we seek adventure. I felt her presence encouraging us along and reminding us to be careful. Happy Birthday, Mom.

Hours on the water: 6.25
Nautical miles traveled: 52
Number of locks: 2
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Tomorrow's Destination: Kaskaskia Lock and Dam
What we're listening to: Four to Score by Janet Evanovich
What we watched: 0
Lesson for the day: The St Louis Arch is a must see
Obligatory knitting report: Mittens for Wunder Kids