I've decided to track the rest of our trip a different way. It will be easier for me so let me know what you think!
Pickwick To Chattanooga
Picture of Chattanooga
Monday, October 9, 2017
Pickwick To Chattanooga
Kim's Korner:
I've decided to track the rest of our trip a different way. It will be easier for me so let me know what you think!
Pickwick To Chattanooga
I've decided to track the rest of our trip a different way. It will be easier for me so let me know what you think!
Pickwick To Chattanooga
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Kentucky Lake to Pickwick Lake
Kim’s Korner:
Anchoring on the Kentucky Lake near the Land Between the Lakes has been absolutely beautiful! It reminds me of the Georgian Bay without the rocks. I feel so lucky that this wonderful area is right in our own backyard.
We spent one night in Pisgah Bay and enjoyed swimming and relaxing. We still had several 90+ degree days in front of us and the water felt great. We used lemon juice to get the rest of Overtime’s mustache off since we could reach it while swimming. That evening, David and I dinghied over to where a rock quarry is that was flooded when Kentucky Lake was formed. It is interesting and surrounded by rock walls covered with graffiti.
Two nights were spent in Panther Bay. It finally cooled off and we woke to crisp autumn mornings followed by warm afternoons. We dinghied over to a beach area and guess what we found? Shells! On the Tennessee River – I would never have guessed! Rae and I collected some and the four of us found the trails near a campground we’d been looking for and did some hiking. When we returned to the boat, David and I got the kayaks down and scoured them to be sure we got all the spiders before we climbed in and took a ride around the bay. It was fun to be using them again. Several kingfisher birds were really upset with us and made all kinds of racket – not sure if they had a nest nearby or what but they were not happy that we were there. We also have been seeing these blobs in the water – I googled them and found they are called bryozoan colonies. David and I enjoyed the stars from our pilothouse and listened to an owl in the distance – life just doesn’t get much better. During the night, we heard what we think were coyotes – really spooky! Barking and howling at two different times – I was glad I was on a boat and not in some tent on the ground!
Other nights were spent in Leatherwood Creek, Pebble Isle Marina and Clifton Marina which are all on the Tennessee River.
We entered our LAST LOCK of the Great Loop at Pickwick Lake! We’ll have more locks before we get home but this was the last one of the Great Loop! Oh – what a good feeling that was! We anchored in a really pretty cove by the Pickwick State Park.
The next day we only had 9 miles to go before reaching Aqua Yacht Marina. As we made the turn off the Tennessee River onto Yellow Creek, we crossed our wake! Wow! We planned this trip for five years and it had finally come to fruition and now we were done! Two other boats, The Lower Place and Southern Cross, also crossed their wake the day before. We all got together and changed out our burgees. Along with Barefoot Shoes, who are already gold loopers and Skinny Dipper, we all went to Hagey’s Catfish Hotel to celebrate and have the best catfish ever! It was a good day.
Anchoring on the Kentucky Lake near the Land Between the Lakes has been absolutely beautiful! It reminds me of the Georgian Bay without the rocks. I feel so lucky that this wonderful area is right in our own backyard.
We spent one night in Pisgah Bay and enjoyed swimming and relaxing. We still had several 90+ degree days in front of us and the water felt great. We used lemon juice to get the rest of Overtime’s mustache off since we could reach it while swimming. That evening, David and I dinghied over to where a rock quarry is that was flooded when Kentucky Lake was formed. It is interesting and surrounded by rock walls covered with graffiti.
Two nights were spent in Panther Bay. It finally cooled off and we woke to crisp autumn mornings followed by warm afternoons. We dinghied over to a beach area and guess what we found? Shells! On the Tennessee River – I would never have guessed! Rae and I collected some and the four of us found the trails near a campground we’d been looking for and did some hiking. When we returned to the boat, David and I got the kayaks down and scoured them to be sure we got all the spiders before we climbed in and took a ride around the bay. It was fun to be using them again. Several kingfisher birds were really upset with us and made all kinds of racket – not sure if they had a nest nearby or what but they were not happy that we were there. We also have been seeing these blobs in the water – I googled them and found they are called bryozoan colonies. David and I enjoyed the stars from our pilothouse and listened to an owl in the distance – life just doesn’t get much better. During the night, we heard what we think were coyotes – really spooky! Barking and howling at two different times – I was glad I was on a boat and not in some tent on the ground!
Other nights were spent in Leatherwood Creek, Pebble Isle Marina and Clifton Marina which are all on the Tennessee River.
We entered our LAST LOCK of the Great Loop at Pickwick Lake! We’ll have more locks before we get home but this was the last one of the Great Loop! Oh – what a good feeling that was! We anchored in a really pretty cove by the Pickwick State Park.
The next day we only had 9 miles to go before reaching Aqua Yacht Marina. As we made the turn off the Tennessee River onto Yellow Creek, we crossed our wake! Wow! We planned this trip for five years and it had finally come to fruition and now we were done! Two other boats, The Lower Place and Southern Cross, also crossed their wake the day before. We all got together and changed out our burgees. Along with Barefoot Shoes, who are already gold loopers and Skinny Dipper, we all went to Hagey’s Catfish Hotel to celebrate and have the best catfish ever! It was a good day.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Green Tutle Bay
Kim’s Korner:
We left Paducah early. Our other three travel boats were staying another night but we were anxious to get to our next stop, Green Turtle Bay Marina. The first eight miles of the Ohio were more tows and barges. Then something magical happened – we realized we were the only boat in sight. The water was like glass and no barges, tows or boats anywhere – not even parked on the river banks. Deep breath – wow! This is what I’ve been waiting on! We took a right onto the Cumberland River, a much narrower river than the Ohio. We saw several tows with barges but these were the smaller ones – what a welcome change! One tow captain chatted with us on the radio- he was headed to TVA's Cumberland Fossil Plant loaded down with coal and wanted to know about our trip – you meet the nicest people on the water.
We meandered on the Cumberland in 90+ degree heat finally reaching the Barkley Lock and Dam which will lift us 57’. We haven’t been lifted or lowered this much in a really long time. Guess who pulled Overtime into the lock and over to the wall? I did! I’ve been wanting to do this for some time and I wouldn’t have a more perfect time – we were the only boat locking through so no one but David would see me if I totally messed it up but I did great - a big milestone for me accomplished! When the lock opened, we were on beautiful Barkley Lake.
Green Turtle Bay Marina was right there – we have heard so much about this marina since we started our trip. Robin and Charlie on The Lower Place were also arriving later that day so we got together for dinner at Mr. Bills with them. Mr. Bills and Patti’s are side by side restaurants and share a kitchen so the menu is the same for both. They are known for their 2” pork chops and desserts with mile high meringue on their pies. Robin and I were in shock when we first stepped into Mr. Bills – Christmas decorations were everywhere! And I mean everywhere! I had to ask and was told that they start the day after Labor Day putting up Christmas decorations because it takes so long – they had Mr. Bills completed but still had Patti’s and the outdoor lights to do. The food was delicious and we all left stuffed!
The following day our three travel boats arrived as well as other loopers. We celebrated Anne and Tim on Ivanhoe as well as Karen and Mike on Tranquility III – both crossing their wake at Green Turtle Bay. “Crossing your wake” means you have completed the Great Loop which is signified by a different burgee – the white AGLCA burgee indicates you are in the process of the Great Loop, the gold AGLCA burgee indicates you have completed the Great Loop and a platinum AGLCA burgee indicates you have completed the Great Loop more than once. It is hitting home that we are almost done with our loop – we received our gold burgee in the mail but of course, we can’t fly her until we actually cross our wake which is less than 200 miles.
We enjoyed having dinner at Patti’s with the boats we had traveled with for the last week – Rae and Steve on Barefoot Shoes, Linda and Brian on Vehevala, and Kim and David on Skinny Dipper (yes – another Kim and David on the loop). I even splurged and got a dessert called The Boatsinker - how funny is that? I felt like I was going to sink Overtime after eating it!
Today we will begin our journey down Kentucky Lake. We hope to move at a slower pace than we’ve been moving, enjoy some beautiful anchorages and just relax!
Pictures!
We left Paducah early. Our other three travel boats were staying another night but we were anxious to get to our next stop, Green Turtle Bay Marina. The first eight miles of the Ohio were more tows and barges. Then something magical happened – we realized we were the only boat in sight. The water was like glass and no barges, tows or boats anywhere – not even parked on the river banks. Deep breath – wow! This is what I’ve been waiting on! We took a right onto the Cumberland River, a much narrower river than the Ohio. We saw several tows with barges but these were the smaller ones – what a welcome change! One tow captain chatted with us on the radio- he was headed to TVA's Cumberland Fossil Plant loaded down with coal and wanted to know about our trip – you meet the nicest people on the water.
We meandered on the Cumberland in 90+ degree heat finally reaching the Barkley Lock and Dam which will lift us 57’. We haven’t been lifted or lowered this much in a really long time. Guess who pulled Overtime into the lock and over to the wall? I did! I’ve been wanting to do this for some time and I wouldn’t have a more perfect time – we were the only boat locking through so no one but David would see me if I totally messed it up but I did great - a big milestone for me accomplished! When the lock opened, we were on beautiful Barkley Lake.
Green Turtle Bay Marina was right there – we have heard so much about this marina since we started our trip. Robin and Charlie on The Lower Place were also arriving later that day so we got together for dinner at Mr. Bills with them. Mr. Bills and Patti’s are side by side restaurants and share a kitchen so the menu is the same for both. They are known for their 2” pork chops and desserts with mile high meringue on their pies. Robin and I were in shock when we first stepped into Mr. Bills – Christmas decorations were everywhere! And I mean everywhere! I had to ask and was told that they start the day after Labor Day putting up Christmas decorations because it takes so long – they had Mr. Bills completed but still had Patti’s and the outdoor lights to do. The food was delicious and we all left stuffed!
The following day our three travel boats arrived as well as other loopers. We celebrated Anne and Tim on Ivanhoe as well as Karen and Mike on Tranquility III – both crossing their wake at Green Turtle Bay. “Crossing your wake” means you have completed the Great Loop which is signified by a different burgee – the white AGLCA burgee indicates you are in the process of the Great Loop, the gold AGLCA burgee indicates you have completed the Great Loop and a platinum AGLCA burgee indicates you have completed the Great Loop more than once. It is hitting home that we are almost done with our loop – we received our gold burgee in the mail but of course, we can’t fly her until we actually cross our wake which is less than 200 miles.
We enjoyed having dinner at Patti’s with the boats we had traveled with for the last week – Rae and Steve on Barefoot Shoes, Linda and Brian on Vehevala, and Kim and David on Skinny Dipper (yes – another Kim and David on the loop). I even splurged and got a dessert called The Boatsinker - how funny is that? I felt like I was going to sink Overtime after eating it!
Today we will begin our journey down Kentucky Lake. We hope to move at a slower pace than we’ve been moving, enjoy some beautiful anchorages and just relax!
Pictures!
Friday, September 22, 2017
Paducah
Kim’s Korner:
We left our anchorage early and finished the 7 miles we had left of the Mississippi River. When we turned into the Ohio River, we were going upstream and our speed dropped but not as much as we had expected. The Ohio River was smooth – not the boiling cauldron of the Mississippi. Soon after, we encountered barges by the hundreds – they were parked in the middle of the river which was just outside the channel. Tows were everywhere as well – many were moving the barges around. This must be a staging area for where barges are kept until needed – I can’t imagine how they keep track of where a particular barge is.
We had three locks on the Ohio. The first one was the Olmstead Lock, which is still under construction and will replace Locks 53 and 52. There were tows lined up at the Olmstead Lock waiting for lockage. Correction – the lock isn’t operational yet so we weren’t actually waiting for lockage but for an escort by a tow through the lock and up to lock 53 due to the construction. We waited less than an hour before being escorted up to lock 53. Fern had told us lock 53 had been removed but not so! We had to wait for a tow with barges to complete his lockage before we were allowed to enter the main chamber of lock 53. This lock was in bad disrepair – I can see why it is being replaced. We then had 24 miles before Lock 52.
Lock 52 had the Ohio River shut down for some period of time just a few weeks ago. We arrived at 2:30 PM and contacted the lock master who told us to pull over to the starboard and throw out the anchor – it would be a 2-3 hour wait. So we did just that and then tried to find what little shade on the boat we could since it was yet another 90+ degree day. Six hours later, in the dark, five pleasure craft (one of which was us) were called into the chamber as well as a tug. Since the lock was in such bad condition, we did not tie off to a bollard like normal – the lockmaster had us float in the middle. An hour later, we were exiting lock 52.
After Lock 52, we continued on in the dark to the new Paducah Marina which was 3.5 miles away. We actually stayed there the first night it was officially open even though we didn’t see any of it since it was dark and late but we did make it there. The marina had agreed to allow two boats to raft off each other (at the same price, of course). When the five boats arrived, there was only room for one boat so two of us tied up on the fuel dock. Those on the dock moved boats closer together to make room and several rafted so we all actually stayed there. We were all very hot, tired and glad to be tied up somewhere with power!
We have really been lucky – we’ve squeaked through several locks before issues were encountered and shutdown. The Illinois River was closed for a week while dredging was performed – remember the barges we saw run aground? Many loopers have been stranded on the Illinois and Mississippi for days waiting for the locks or rivers to re-open after being closed.
We left our anchorage early and finished the 7 miles we had left of the Mississippi River. When we turned into the Ohio River, we were going upstream and our speed dropped but not as much as we had expected. The Ohio River was smooth – not the boiling cauldron of the Mississippi. Soon after, we encountered barges by the hundreds – they were parked in the middle of the river which was just outside the channel. Tows were everywhere as well – many were moving the barges around. This must be a staging area for where barges are kept until needed – I can’t imagine how they keep track of where a particular barge is.
We had three locks on the Ohio. The first one was the Olmstead Lock, which is still under construction and will replace Locks 53 and 52. There were tows lined up at the Olmstead Lock waiting for lockage. Correction – the lock isn’t operational yet so we weren’t actually waiting for lockage but for an escort by a tow through the lock and up to lock 53 due to the construction. We waited less than an hour before being escorted up to lock 53. Fern had told us lock 53 had been removed but not so! We had to wait for a tow with barges to complete his lockage before we were allowed to enter the main chamber of lock 53. This lock was in bad disrepair – I can see why it is being replaced. We then had 24 miles before Lock 52.
Lock 52 had the Ohio River shut down for some period of time just a few weeks ago. We arrived at 2:30 PM and contacted the lock master who told us to pull over to the starboard and throw out the anchor – it would be a 2-3 hour wait. So we did just that and then tried to find what little shade on the boat we could since it was yet another 90+ degree day. Six hours later, in the dark, five pleasure craft (one of which was us) were called into the chamber as well as a tug. Since the lock was in such bad condition, we did not tie off to a bollard like normal – the lockmaster had us float in the middle. An hour later, we were exiting lock 52.
After Lock 52, we continued on in the dark to the new Paducah Marina which was 3.5 miles away. We actually stayed there the first night it was officially open even though we didn’t see any of it since it was dark and late but we did make it there. The marina had agreed to allow two boats to raft off each other (at the same price, of course). When the five boats arrived, there was only room for one boat so two of us tied up on the fuel dock. Those on the dock moved boats closer together to make room and several rafted so we all actually stayed there. We were all very hot, tired and glad to be tied up somewhere with power!
We have really been lucky – we’ve squeaked through several locks before issues were encountered and shutdown. The Illinois River was closed for a week while dredging was performed – remember the barges we saw run aground? Many loopers have been stranded on the Illinois and Mississippi for days waiting for the locks or rivers to re-open after being closed.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Boston Bar Anchorage
Kim’s Korner:
Due to the small number of anchorages, we had to do the best we could when planning our travel stops. We would have a short travel day today in order to make a very long day tomorrow as short as we could – hope that makes sense. Other boats from our anchorage planned to go further but they could because their boats were faster.
Maybe you’ve noticed in some of my photos the strips of rocks that jut out from the banks of the Mississippi. I even saw some that looked like horseshoes. These are called wing dams and are manmade barriers that force water into the fast-moving center channel in order to reduce shoaling and the need for dredging. The Mississippi River has thousands of wing dams and because of the low water level, most of these wing dams are exposed while normally, they are just under the water and can’t be seen.
After five hours, we had reached our Boston Bar Anchorage (37.026800,-89.210398) for the night. It was yet again, a beautiful but 90+ degree day and we were hot. David and I have been so glad we rigged up the capability of using a small window air conditioner to fit over the front hatch that will run off our generator. That way when we don’t have shore power to use the regular air conditioner, we can keep the stateroom cool and be able to sleep well.
Due to the small number of anchorages, we had to do the best we could when planning our travel stops. We would have a short travel day today in order to make a very long day tomorrow as short as we could – hope that makes sense. Other boats from our anchorage planned to go further but they could because their boats were faster.
Maybe you’ve noticed in some of my photos the strips of rocks that jut out from the banks of the Mississippi. I even saw some that looked like horseshoes. These are called wing dams and are manmade barriers that force water into the fast-moving center channel in order to reduce shoaling and the need for dredging. The Mississippi River has thousands of wing dams and because of the low water level, most of these wing dams are exposed while normally, they are just under the water and can’t be seen.
After five hours, we had reached our Boston Bar Anchorage (37.026800,-89.210398) for the night. It was yet again, a beautiful but 90+ degree day and we were hot. David and I have been so glad we rigged up the capability of using a small window air conditioner to fit over the front hatch that will run off our generator. That way when we don’t have shore power to use the regular air conditioner, we can keep the stateroom cool and be able to sleep well.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Castor River Diversion Channel (Little Diversion) Anchorage
Kim’s Korner:
There aren’t many marinas or anchorages on the Mississippi and a lot of the anchorages didn’t have enough water because of the low water levels. We had some long days ahead of us in order to get off the Mississippi River which couldn’t happen quick enough for David.
We left Hoppies Marina and found ourselves headed into a blanket of fog not too far into our journey. Everyone turned on their radar and our lead boat turned on quite a bright light on his mast for us to see and follow. We slowed down and huddled close together so we could see one another. The fog finally cleared and another beautiful, hot day awaited us. We saw lots of white pelicans flying overhead – so pretty! With the current, we found ourselves traveling at 13.5 mph at times which is about 5-6 mph faster than normal.
Tows on the Mississippi are so much larger and more powerful than on the other rivers we’ve traversed. Some had 24 barges with them and they really churn up the water behind them making it quite an adventure when passing them.
We reached our anchorage in Little River Diversion (37.249670,-89.518985) tired and hot but glad that we had survived another day on the Mississippi. We covered 110 miles this day, second only to the Gulf crossing.
There aren’t many marinas or anchorages on the Mississippi and a lot of the anchorages didn’t have enough water because of the low water levels. We had some long days ahead of us in order to get off the Mississippi River which couldn’t happen quick enough for David.
We left Hoppies Marina and found ourselves headed into a blanket of fog not too far into our journey. Everyone turned on their radar and our lead boat turned on quite a bright light on his mast for us to see and follow. We slowed down and huddled close together so we could see one another. The fog finally cleared and another beautiful, hot day awaited us. We saw lots of white pelicans flying overhead – so pretty! With the current, we found ourselves traveling at 13.5 mph at times which is about 5-6 mph faster than normal.
Tows on the Mississippi are so much larger and more powerful than on the other rivers we’ve traversed. Some had 24 barges with them and they really churn up the water behind them making it quite an adventure when passing them.
We reached our anchorage in Little River Diversion (37.249670,-89.518985) tired and hot but glad that we had survived another day on the Mississippi. We covered 110 miles this day, second only to the Gulf crossing.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Hoppie's
Kim’s Korner:
David has dreaded the Mississippi River since before we left on this great adventure. The Mississippi has a strong current and because the bottom is a series of pits and uneven depths, much of the river looks like a giant boiling cauldron. We went through the Chain of Rocks Canal and passed the big arch in St. Louis. This is another big milestone for us! St. Louis and really all of the Mississippi is very old and industrialized but very interesting with many tows and barges.
It is still very hot! Every day has been over 90 degrees with what feels like 300% humidity! We pulled into Hoppies Marina which is really just a few barges tied together. But… we had power which meant air conditioning and we were all very thankful for that! There are two places on the loop that you just have to stay at or you’ve missed part of the whole character of the loop – Bobby’s Fish Camp on the Tombigbee River and Hoppies Marina on the Mississippi. Fern is the highlight of Hoppies and holds an informational meeting every day at 4:30 PM. So after walking into the town of Kimmswick only to find out the town isn’t open on Monday, we attended Fern’s meeting. By the time the meeting was over, not a person there felt like they would live to tell about traveling the Mississippi!
David has dreaded the Mississippi River since before we left on this great adventure. The Mississippi has a strong current and because the bottom is a series of pits and uneven depths, much of the river looks like a giant boiling cauldron. We went through the Chain of Rocks Canal and passed the big arch in St. Louis. This is another big milestone for us! St. Louis and really all of the Mississippi is very old and industrialized but very interesting with many tows and barges.
It is still very hot! Every day has been over 90 degrees with what feels like 300% humidity! We pulled into Hoppies Marina which is really just a few barges tied together. But… we had power which meant air conditioning and we were all very thankful for that! There are two places on the loop that you just have to stay at or you’ve missed part of the whole character of the loop – Bobby’s Fish Camp on the Tombigbee River and Hoppies Marina on the Mississippi. Fern is the highlight of Hoppies and holds an informational meeting every day at 4:30 PM. So after walking into the town of Kimmswick only to find out the town isn’t open on Monday, we attended Fern’s meeting. By the time the meeting was over, not a person there felt like they would live to tell about traveling the Mississippi!
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