Author: looplife2019

We left Florence Harbor on Thursday. It was expected to be a fairly easy day – about 40 miles and no locks. Our plan was to stay at the marina for a few days so that the steering could be addressed and Peter could visit Shiloh. Since the marina had a courtesy car, it also allowed us to do some reprovisioning before heading down the Tenn-Tom Waterway.

When we arrived at the marina, we noticed that there were a number of looper boats, so we all planned for docktails that evening. There were a few who we have met/traveled with before – Avalon and Pegasus – and a few new looper boats for us. In fact, one of the boats, Sea C Rider, only started their journey a few days before from Lake Michigan. I would guess there were 8-10 boats at Aqua Yacht which was an impressive number but doesn’t beat the 15 boats in Florence the night before or the close to 20 at Green Turtle Bay a few weeks ago.

Rain was projected for Friday so that was going to be the maintenance day and we reserved the courtesy car for back-to-back time blocks on Saturday so that we could visit Shiloh plus do some food shopping when we had good weather. As it turned out, our steering issue was not taken care of since the mechanic who told us “no problem” didn’t have the correct information – there was no one on staff who could rebuild the cylinder and one of their mobile mechanics did not have the time to take care of the problem. Once again, we are going to have to try again at the next place that has a mechanic with the skills where we are willing to stay for a few days. Fortunately, our buddy boat did not have the same problem getting their maintenance completed.

Saturday had the sunshine we expected so our visit to the Shiloh National Military Park was enjoyable. I don’t think anyone realized how large the park was and we were glad to have the courtesy car to drive around to tour the 20 sites that were listed on the tour map. Before we took the tour, we watched an impressive 45 minute documentary about the battles that took place. This provided a background for the markers around the park. Peter, of course, added commentary to fill us in on what happened at Shiloh.

We left Aqua Yacht Harbor on Sunday for a short run to Bay Springs Marina. The strategy was to situate ourselves close to the Whitten Lock and begin the 12 lock stretch to Mobile Bay. Our plan was to complete at least 3 locks on Monday. Unfortunately, the morning greeted us with dense fog and this delayed our departure by almost two hours. The good news was that we were not planning on trying to get through the locks on Sunday.

When we got up on Monday, we had some fog but it was not as heavy as when we were in Aqua Yacht in Iuca on Sunday. As it turned out, by the time we were able to leave, the fog had lifted. We started out 3 hours later than planned waiting for the lock to be free of tows going both north and south. Our plan was to travel to Midway Marina in Fulton, MS and spend two days since we heard it was a decent stop and there are only a few marinas on this stretch of our journey.

Since one of our buddy boats was having engine trouble – lost an engine right after coming out of the first lock, we were glad that we planned on the extra day. He is generally able to fix any problem on his boat – he has mechanical skills – but this time, it seems that he probably needs a part so the extra day at the marina will be necessary to have it delivered. The part was delivered mid-day and a mechanic was able to get the engine working and performed routine maintenance at the same time. We are good to travel again. Our steering still could not be addressed as there was no one to rebuild the hydraulic cylinder.

What was expected to be two days, turned into three. We stayed another day due to rain but took advantage of the courtesy car to go out to dinner at the local Japanese restaurant recommended by the dock hand. I looked at the menu on the internet and was surprised to find it was mostly in Japanese. Who would have thought you would find an authentic Japanese restaurant in Fulton, MS. Nice selection of combination plates and I thoroughly enjoyed my chicken and shrimp hibachi dinner. Needed a box to take home half so I had leftovers for another night.

By Wednesday evening, we were ready to leave Midway and attempt the next four locks that were close in sequence on Thursday morning. We did have the expected rain but we didn’t count on the overnight winds that caused consistent water lapping on the sides of the boat. Peter can sleep through anything but that is not a skill that I have mastered. Hopefully the next day will greet us with easy travel through the locks.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

On Thursday, the heat still continued but we wanted to take in some local sites before the hottest part of the day so the six of us walked to the shuttle at the visitors center and planned to take a few different shuttles around town knowing that we could hop on and off. The first ride was to the Chattanooga Choo Choo so that the others could see the train. In that section of town, there were a number of interesting shops – a whiskey distillery, an award winning chocolate shop, and a few local craft stores. We went into the old train waiting room and the benches that are there now are basically the same as the ones I sat on waiting for the trains in Grand Central when I traveled on Metro-North for so many years.

As I have mentioned before, Peter is very interested in history, particularly the Civil War and we are traveling in many areas where he can take advantage of actual sites where battles were fought. There are also many parks, locks, lakes, etc. that are named for famous commanders, generals, etc. One site right outside Chattanooga is Lookout Mountain. Since it was close to the Chattanooga Choo Choo, Peter inquired about the best way to get there. One of the employees advised that he needed to walk over two blocks and then walk for about ten minutes to the Incline Railway. After taking the railway, it was another two blocks to their museum, near the battlefield. Since he was the only one interested in visiting this site, he split from us and we decided to take the shuttle back to the visitors center where we would take another shuttle to the north shore of Chattanooga to tour another part of town and then stop to pick up some groceries before heading back to the boats. The north shore had a number of quaint shops, lots of local color, and was a pleasant walk.

Peter came back a few hours later. While the instructions to Lookout Mountain were basically accurate, the time frame was not. Instead of 10 minutes, it was about a four mile walk. He walked to the railway, took the ride on the Incline and looked around the museum. The museum was not so great and then he found out that the battlefield was not close to the museum so he decided to come back. He located a local bus that took him back to the shuttle that would take him downtown. After this disappointment, he is really looking forward to renting a car when we get to Iuka, MS so that he can visit Shiloh.

Chattanooga was an enjoyable side trip but were disappointed that there was no place to stay for the Wine Over Water and music festival. They started setting up the event on Thursday and also the Nina and Pinta exhibit that would also have been interesting to see. Instead, we left on Friday and headed back to Hales Bar since we could not locate another place to stay that would help with our time frame. Our goal now was to retrace our steps back west along the Tennessee River until we arrived at Aqua Harbor that would put us in close proximity to the Whitten Lock, the first of the locks that would take us south to Mobile Bay.

We made a few adjustments on the way back and did not stop at Riverwalk and traveled longer to go to Joe Wheeler State Park. This is where the AGLCA Fall Rendezvous will be held next week. Initially Peter had wanted to attend but reservations closed in July and since we were uncertain as to the repair status of our boat back then, we decided that we would not be able to make sure that it would fit as our plans were constantly changing. As it turned out, because of the lock delays, people had canceled so there were some openings but at this point, we planned to continue to travel south with our buddy boats.

Once again, Bahama Voyager, to the rescue. As we traveled along the Tennessee River, we came across a boat that was stuck. Bahama Voyager, who is generally in the lead, stopped to help and pulled him off the sand bar.

Except for all the traveling we did this week, the only day for sightseeing was Thursday. We did have dinner out a few times and met up with another looper couple who crossed their wake when we stayed at Goose Pond, their home port. Kodey had another haircut and bath since it was still very hot and when we got to Florence, I used the courtesy car to take him to PetSmart to have his nails cut, his pads/paws clipped and shaved, and his ears cleaned – things he does not like me to do.

We only had two locks and a short tip to Florence but it took forever. The first lock, Wheeler, advised that they were locking a tow through and we needed to wait about an hour and a half. The next lock was the Wilson Lock (remember last week’s photo?) and we were advised by the lockmaster that if we arrived before the tow, he would put us through. Well, that didn’t happen. Although we arrived before the tow, the lockmaster asked us to tie up and wait since he had an east bound tow coming through first. We waited but then we received another radio call advising that they would be closing the lock for 4-4 1/2 hours since they had divers coming to do some work in the lock. What we thought would be a short day, evolved into lots of waiting time. We tied on the lock wall and turned the engines off figuring to wait the allotted time. After close to 3 hours, the lock master called and told us to be ready in 5 minutes to lock through with the tow that we locked through Wheeler. You never saw four boats scramble (another boat was locking through with us also) so fast to get ready. We finally went into the lock, this time we would not be rafting with Bahama Voyager as our bow thruster has continued to work.

On the agenda for next week, is the repair of the RAM cylinder for the steering. Since we now had the rebuild kit (it arrived on Thursday), Peter made an appointment with the mechanic at Aqua Yacht Harbor to repair the hydraulic cylinder and bleed the system to tighten up the steering.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Thursday morning we left Pickwick Landing and headed for Florence, AL.   Florence turned out to be a nice stop.  It was close to town and I took advantage of refilling prescriptions at CVS and used the courtesy car.  We also drove around town and made a few other stops to meet the needs of our buddy boats.

The weather continues to be hot – record breaking temperatures in the mid to high nineties.  These temperatures basically require that we visit marinas with electric so that we can run refrigerators and air conditioners.  If we planned to anchor out, we would need to run generators consistently just to survive. 

There were a number of other loopers at Florence so it called for another evening of Docktails.  There was only one other boat who was traveling from the marina at this time so we arranged to travel together the next day to coordinate our time for the next two locks.  Lockmasters prefer to have a number of boats lock through together so that timing does not interfere with the tow boats.  Tow boats are the priority.  Our bow thruster was not working when we were ready to leave in the morning and there was also a new boat on the fuel dock that made it difficult for us and the other boat to leave our slips.  Fortunately, we were able to get out without too much difficulty but we were concerned about the lock coming up. 

Peter checked the bow thruster periodically but no response.  We needed to lock through the Wilson Lock, one of the highest locks on our journey.  As we approached the lock, our bow thruster was still not working.  This is difficult for us since we don’t really have a mid-ship cleat that can be used or a place to stand mid-ship except on the upper deck.  Since most of these locks have floating bollards, the distance is too great to manage the bollard so I need to stand in the stern and Peter uses the bow thruster to keep the bow in.  Since the thruster was hit or miss, right now a miss, we rafted to Bahama Voyager once again in the lock.  This lock had a lift of 93 feet – see the photo below.  We also had to go through the Wheeler Lock and rafted once again.  While the bow thruster starting working again, Peter was concerned that it may fail and felt more secure with rafting.  Bahama Voyager recognizes the problem with our boat’s design and is gracious enough to allow us to raft until we know what is going on with the thruster.

Ditto Landing is in Hunstville, AL.  It is a large park complex that has a marina and campgrounds.  There is a master plan to build a restaurant, golf course, etc.  There was also a Steak-Off competition scheduled for the Saturday we arrived.  In addition, there was a wings and dessert competition.  We expected that this was going to be a big event with vendors selling food or at least the competitors would be selling some of their creations.  Also, a very hot day but we walked over to the competition and was surprised to learn that it was only the competition and awards but no food would be sold.  While we found this strange as did our buddy boats from Florida, it may just be typical for Alabama.   We were fine with staying and eating on our boats and took advantage of the relatively new restroom facilities.  I think that overall, the showers were probably some of the best we have used with consistent pressure, clean and plenty of hot water.  Only problem was that there was only one shower for the entire marina.

Once we left Ditto Landing, we were heading to Goose Pond in Scottsboro, AL.  Goose Pond was one more of the first come, first serve marinas so we left early so that we made sure to have a slip.  We met another looper boat at Ditto Landing and they were also heading to Goose Pond, Hales Bar and then Chattanooga following the same schedule that we planned.  Since they run faster than the three of us, they left an hour later and caught up with us before the next lock.  We locked through together and we still rafted with Bahama Voyager so with four spaces occupied, we secured the four bollards that are in the least turbulent spaces in the lock.

Goose Pond had space for all of us and also had a courtesy car.  Bahama Voyager arranged to borrow the car to explore the town and pick up a few groceries.  In addition, there were a few washing machines (turned out only one was working) and a number of dryers.  The nice thing was that the laundry was near the restrooms and more importantly, near the boat.  So, time to get wash completed so that I could enjoy Chattanooga and minimize routine tasks when we were in the city.

Traveling along the Tennessee River presented us with an opportunity to view some early fall foliage. I decided to take some photos even though the leaves haven’t changed much since I figured it would be interesting to compare with changes on our way back next week. I think the hot weather has slowed down the change.

There were a few sections on the river that were more industrial and we saw more tows/barges than in other sections. One ship that we passed was of particular interest. The ship was named Rocketship, part of the ULA fleet. ULA is United Launch Alliance and one of that companies that does many of the launches at Cape Canaveral. That was where this ship was heading. One of our buddy boats checked on AIS to determine their destination.

Next stop was Hales Bar in Guild, TN.  This is the location of the former lock that had leaking issues.  A new lock, Nickajack, was constructed six miles before Hales Bar. Peter continued to check the bow thruster and all seemed to be good so the plan was to secure ourselves to one of the bollards and not raft.  While we were approaching the lock, another boat came up behind us traveling fast and would be able to enter the lock before us.  That would mean that we would probably need to use a bollard in a more turbulent area – not a good test for the first time after the bow thruster started working.  Bahama Voyager offered to be available again if necessary.  As we entered the lock, the new boat was having difficulty even attaching to the bollard and at the last minute starting to cut across the lock to the other side.  At this point, Peter felt it best to raft so that we wouldn’t have to deal with people who seemed to know nothing about locking through.  We got through the lock and continued on our last 6 miles of the day. 

When we approached Hales Bar, there is still part of the dam standing on this “resort” facility.  When we arrived, we knew that there was not much around but were very surprised to see that it doesn’t resemble any “resort” that we have seen.  There are a few tiny floating cottages that they rent out on the outskirts of the docks.  The docks are covered.  We have seen this before but it was the first time any of us had stayed in a covered slip.  Slips are covered because of the heat and I think the temperature dropped about 15⁰ once we were docked.  The marina claims to have wifi like so many of the others but location to get services really means there is seldom adequate internet.  I think the covered slips also increased the lack of service.  While we have had some places with spotty phone service, Verizon did not work here at all and our buddy boats also had ATT and they were without service.  It’s rare to be without both phone and internet.  Amazing what we have come to expect in our daily lives.  So different from when we boated in the early 1970s.  Hales Bar was another marina that we hoped not to return to again.  It wasn’t only the lack of technical services but you need to walk more than ¼ mile to the restrooms.

Tuesday arrived and we were thrilled to be on last travel day to get to Chattanooga.  We left early once again but this was a two-fold decision – we wanted to leave Hales Bar and more importantly, we wanted to get to Chattanooga and enjoy part of the day. In addition, we would be back in eastern time and would lose an hour by the time we got to Chattanooga.

We arrived at Erwin Marine and stayed on the Bluff Wall – close to town,  on a secure dock but with only electric and water.  Restrooms but no showers, were a walk to the Aquarium Wall, another hike.   We had ordered the parts required for the steering to be delivered to Chattanooga and also arranged for maintenance on the engine strainer but hoped to just be able to enjoy our visit the rest of the time.  The parts were not delivered on Tuesday as expected but the mechanic came later that afternoon to work on the engine strainer.  Since the bow thruster appears to be working and Peter checked the connections, we will wait until the steering cylinder can be rebuilt and then address the bow thruster if needed.

Later that afternoon we all went to WaterMarks for docktails. There was an added bonus since the boat has a large walkaround and we were in a perfect location to view the Nina and the Pinta as they arrived for a three week exhibit in Chattanooga. Apparently the ships travel every year to different ports. Earlier this year, the ships were in Ditto Landing where we stayed last week. Looking at these ships, it is hard to imagine crossing the ocean on an 85 foot boat. Not something that I would be comfortable doing.

On Wednesday morning, Peter and I took a walk into town by the aquarium wall to locate the restrooms and get an overview of what was located nearby. We saw a visitors center so went to pick up a few tourist pamphlets to plan out the next two days. There were also a few street maps and information about the free electric shuttles. Peter was particularly interested in the shuttles. In the mid 1990s when he was working for the Westchester County Department of Transportation he came to Chattanooga to make a presentation about using electric buses. Back then he was nicknamed the “czar” of alternative fuel by Rich Stiller for transportation in the county. He was thrilled to see that Chattanooga adopted this method of powering part of their transportation system and felt that he had played a small part in this development. There was also a shuttle stop at the visitors center so we hopped on the shuttle to the south end of town to see the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

The Chattanooga Choo Choo was an interesting site. There were a number of the original rail cars onsite that are available for use as hotel rooms. We were able to see some of the renovations through a few windows but I was disappointed that they did not have a car that was renovated available for the public to see. We walked briefly around the surrounding streets and then headed back to the boat, by shuttle, to share the information with our buddy boats to plan additional activities.

Later that afternoon, Peter and I went to the aquarium as the others decided they wanted to do other things – ride bikes and take care of some boat maintenance issues. Peter visited the aquarium on his prior visit but since that time, the aquarium added another building – a salt water display. We visited the fresh water building first that follows the Tennessee River water life. It’s amazing to see how many different species of fish and turtles exist in one river. Then we visited the salt water building that we enjoyed but felt that so much more could have been included. I guess we are also spoiled as we have visited quite a few aquariums so our expectation may be higher than some other visitors. After visiting the aquariums in New York, Boston and Baltimore, we tend to compare a new aquarium by these standards. As with most tourist attractions, the aquarium offers an IMAX theater with a number of different features. We attended one on the Great Barrier Reef that was informative and enjoyable.

Thursday we plan to continue to be tourists in Chattanooga before retracing our trip back west to continue our journey to Mobile Bay.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We continued to enjoy our relaxation week at Green Turtle Bay. Thursday was spent in the pool and cleaning the refrigerator in anticipation of provisioning on Friday for another week or more.  We were still waiting for the electronics mechanic to work on the AutoPilot and were advised that he would be there on Friday.

Friday came and so did the electronics mechanic.  He checked the existing system and found that the compass that is connected to the system was broken, actually sounded like a baby’s rattle when he shook it.  That meant a new compass, new connections, etc.  He left to pick up the part and would install it later in the afternoon and then we needed to take the boat out for not only a test drive but to calibrate the AutoPilot.  While our steering still needs some adjustment (parts will be ordered), it was nice to see that with the AutoPilot on, not only does the boat go straighter but it is also easier to steer using the wheel on the AutoPilot.  This should make piloting the boat much easier for Peter.

Yes, the six of us went shopping to provision for the upcoming week.  We ate on our boats, using up more of our older food but went out for a few drinks at the Thirsty Turtle pub in the marina.  They have live music on Friday and Saturday nights and we were delighted that it was a band that played classic rock.  We all enjoyed the collection of Tom Petty, Stephen Stills, The Beatles, etc.  There was a large looper turn out for the band.

Saturday was our last full day at Green Turtle Bay.  While we knew that the pool was waiting for us, laundry also needed to be completed since the availability at different marinas is questionable.  These machines worked well, were close to the boat, multiple washers and dryers, and open 24/7.  Part of the day was used for getting ready to leave on Sunday – a review of our travel plan for the next nine days to get to Chattanooga, and the rest of the day was used to enjoy the facilities.

Sunday brought us another nice day.  We have been fortunate with the weather and hoped it would continue since we didn’t build in any weather/rest days.  Chattanooga is having a “Wine Over Water” festival that begins on Friday, October 4^th and the marina had been booked solid for weeks.  We were able to make reservations for October 1^st but need to leave on October 4^th so that meant 9 straight travel days and five locks on the Tennessee River.

We left the marina and traveled the canal that connects Lake Barkley to Kentucky Lake.  After traveling the rivers with good waters, we were surprised to see the waves and wind on the lake.  Kentucky Lake is larger than we thought and the Tennessee River runs through it.  We will be traveling on the Tennessee River until we arrive in Chattanooga. 

Peter experimented with the AutoPilot and was enjoying the more relaxing aspect of steering for the first time in years.  Our first stop was Paris Landing, a small state-run facility – we are now in Tennessee.    The marina was under construction but everyone was nice and we still had restrooms but the showers were part of the state park and not in such great shape.  This is not the first time that we have experienced this.  Peter generally looks at the facilities when he checks us into the marina and tells me that things are fine or not worth it and when to use our own on the boat. This was primarily a boat-use facility.

The next morning we left and since AutoPilot is new for Peter, he turned it on as we were leaving the marina.  Since AutoPilot is now connected to our Garmin ChartPlotter, it takes over the steering according to the waypoints I entered for the first of the next three travel days and Peter was having a difficult time getting out of the marina without getting too close to the rocks by the shore.  I said he should turn off the AutoPilot but he was determined to get out of the marina and continued to experience major difficulty until he used the bow thruster to reverse our course.  Eventually I convinced him to allow me to delete the waypoints programmed in the Garmin and finally he had control of the steering and was able to straighten out our route.  Later that day, he agreed that my theory on what happened was correct.  We shared this with our buddy boats when we arrived at our next stop, Pebble Isle.  They agreed and one said – you can steer the boat or the AutoPilot can steer the boat but you cannot do both.  Unless you change the AutoPilot to Standby and then you can steer when it is on.  Obviously, this will be the last time that mistake is made.

We stayed in Pebble Isle Marina, another small marina that also appears to be under some construction.  Since we are now beyond Labor Day, many of the marinas are practically “closed” and posted “winter” hours.  Since the weather has been so warm, even hot, thinking about winter hours is hard to comprehend.  However, the marina had a courtesy car but there was little available in the town. We did take a ride to town just to see if we missed anything on Google Maps and we did find a small hardware store so that I could purchase the small florescent bulbs I needed for the head. Most of the light bulbs were replaced before we left except the florescent bulbs and the small bulbs for the battery run lights. We have five of these battery run lights on the boat and two have gone out already so we just switched them into the stateroom since we need those for reading. I’ll look for these the next time I get to Walmart.

Peter was interested in going to the Civil War Museum but we were there on a day it was closed. We did venture into the Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park. There were some replicas of the bunk houses used by soldiers and a few cannons on display but it appears that the park is used more as a campground than a historical site.

Another day, another marina, and we stayed at Clifton Marina.  This marina touts the best hamburger on the river so we figured we needed to eat at the marina and test out their claim.  We had a great dinner since there were 12 loopers for dinner but the reviews about the burgers were mixed.  Maybe there were too many people for them to control but two burgers went back for being overcooked (ordered rare/medium rare and they were well done) and the second batch wasn’t much better.  Peter, who likes all his beef rare, actually got what he asked for but I think he was one of the few.  Mine was OK but still overcooked.  Since the company was so good, most of us dealt with what was served.

The next day we needed to lock through the Pickwick Landing Lock & Dam. While this was not the highest lock we have had to deal with, it was one of the most turbulent. I was having difficulty holding the line on the floating bollard and there was little that Peter could do to help except use the thruster to keep the bow in. We seriously thought that we would not be able to keep the boat secured but did manage although my arms felt like they were ready to fall off. Very happy that we will not need to go through this lock again.

After getting through the lock, we stayed in Pickwick Landing Marina that was also connected to one of the state parks.  The park had a lodge that served a buffet and they would have picked us all up but we decided to just stay on the boat and eat. This was another marina that was a semi-boat-use facility. Restrooms were fine but the showers were a significant distance and not worth the walk.

When we leave on Thursday, we will be heading to Florence, AL, our first stop on our side trip to Chattanooga.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We left Kaskaskia Lock & Dam on Thursday morning and planned to anchor out at Little Diversion Channel. It was a nice calm spot after traveling on the Mississippi River, avoiding tows/barges and logs. This is popular anchorage and we were not surprised to see two other boats there by the end of the day. Once again, we rafted with Bahama Voyager and Paddy Wagon and Peter and others took advantage of the calm water for a swim to cool off.

Friday we would once again travel on the Mississippi and by Saturday, we would enter the Ohio River towards Paducah, KY. However, after we locked through the Olmsted Lock, there was radio chatter as to our next stop since there were a few anchorages available but no one was thrilled with the possibilities. Peter suggested Paducah and the responses required about 30 seconds of thought and we all concluded that we would travel another 4 hours to get off the Mississippi. We already had reservations for Paducah for Saturday and were able to secure space for Friday night too so that meant an unexpected night with power and water. Another very long day but definitely worth it.

As we continued towards Paducah, we entered the Ohio River. It was amazing to see the color of the water change so dramatically from brown to blue. Before we left in June, John and Gabby from the Peekskill Yacht Club gave us a gift of a Message in a Bottle and we were to complete the form and launch the bottle and hope that someone finds it. We decided to use the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to launch our bottle. Paddy Wagon took a few photos and actually caught a frame that shows the bottle dropping into the rivers. It’s marked in the posted photos. We’ll let you know if anyone finds it!

Paducah proved to be an interesting stop – plenty of history, a nice town to walk and lots of activities going on. We were able to take advantage of a large farmers market and bought produce for the next few days. In addition to produce, there were craft stands and horse drawn carriage rides. Peter was able to visit the Lloyd Tilghman House & Civil War Museum. Since no one else is a Civil War fan, we toured the town and visited the floodwall murals, a large project that displays the history of Paducah in colorful graphics and plaques with thorough descriptions. All the art work is on the town side of the wall and the side facing the river is only concrete. We have been told that the water level has reached to the top of the floodwalls and that is a scary thought. When you view the photos below, take particular notice of how high the pilings on the dock are and how long that ramp is to get to ground. Also notice the one with the land peninsula behind the docks – apparently that wasn’t visible a few weeks ago. The National Quilt Museum is also in Paducah and this was a special week as the fall convention was taking place. They also hosted a number of activities from a Pop-Up Quilt Party, instructions and techniques, quilt exchange, etc. While I do not quilt, I do appreciate the art of the craft.

While we were at the docks, another Manatee arrived. This is the second Manatee that we have seen since we began the loop. The couple just purchased the boat and it is hull #2, made in 1984 and that makes it the oldest Manatee on the water. Only 99 Manatees were made and the first one sank on its maiden voyage.

When we were in the Illinois Valley Yacht Club we were given a recommendation to visit Doe’s Eat Place when we got to Paducah. Both Bahama Voyager and Paddy Wagon were more interested in BBQ but we were unable to find anything open that was nearby so we went to Doe’s. The steaks are enormous and are actually designed to be shared. Some are large enough to feed 3-4 people. Peter, the carnivore, was very happy with his steak as were the other guys. Kodey was happy to chew on the bone the following evening.

We left Paducah on Sunday and headed towards Green Turtle Bay Marina on Lake Barkley in Grand Rivers, KY. We planned a week at the marina, a looper favorite, for R&R and of course, to take advantage of mechanics for routine+ maintenance. Over the course of the week, on a daily count, there were 10-12 looper boats at transient docks. We all had the same idea. One night we had docktails under a tent that was set up by the mayor for an event. When he found out that we were looking for a place to hold docktails for a large group, he allowed us to use the tent and stated that if loopers wanted to use it, he would leave it up a few more weeks. As we have mentioned, loopers travel at different speeds with different time frames and loopers will probably show up in Green Turtle Bay until the end of October.

The marina had two courtesy cars, a 6 passenger golf cart shuttle, and numerous golf carts (4 person) for rent. The town was close by and allowed the use of golf carts on the roads. However, since there were six of us, we made arrangements for the courtesy car for two days so that we could just drive around the first time to see what was available locally and the second time so that we could find a BBQ place for dinner. Patti’s 1880’s Settlement is well known for it’s 2″ pork chops so that was one place on the list but it had a fire last year and had expected to be open this year but it is still under construction. There was a small cafe on the grounds but did not offer many menu items and two other local places that were recommended were closed the beginning of the week when we had planned to eat out. We drove around a bit and found a local BBQ place with a limited menu but we decided to give it a try. The food was just OK so the search for a BBQ restaurant will continue.

Peter had arranged for a mechanic to check a number of things on the boat: the steering on the boat as it was “sloppy”, the dink motor as it was running rough and was stalling, figure out why the refrigerator propane is not working, and look at the AutoPilot that has never worked since we bought the boat. The mechanic was able to adjust the steering a bit but advised that we needed a RAM rebuild kit to really fix it – not a part they had in stock so suggested we purchase the kit and have it fixed at another marina in the future, no experience with propane so that continues to be a problem, adjusted the dink motor so no stalling, and still awaiting the person who works on electronics for the AutoPilot.

We still have a few days left at Green Turtle Bay so will continue to enjoy the pool and relax before our next multi-day travel to Chattanooga.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We left the Illinois Valley Yacht Club on Thursday and headed to Quiver Island on the Illinois River. We would be facing a few nights either anchoring out or tied to docks that did not have any services. That meant making sure we had ice in the cooler and gas for the generator. We bought ice before we left and hoped that we would be able to replenish as needed.

Quiver Island was recommended as a good place to anchor. Bahama Voyager set anchor and we rafted on one side and Paddy Wagon on the other. Since we had no power, Bahama Voyager powered up his gas grill and we grilled burgers. Of course, in the morning Peter would start the generator since we needed to make coffee.

It was a quiet night except when I woke up at 4;30am and noticed lights that looked like they were coming right at us. There was a dock down the channel and one of the work boats had tied up and had their lights on along with the dock light. As the boats swung during the night, we were at a different angle to see the dock/lights. Seems like I was the only one who noticed while everyone else was sleeping. We were fine but the lights did give me a start.

The next stop was Logsdon Tug Service in Beardston, IL. We tied up to some old barges but there were no services. They did have a restroom with a shower that the workers use and we were informed that it would be available if we wanted to use it but we decided to use our own facilities.

However, we were close to town and there were a number of interesting sites. We visited the Lincoln Courthouse and Museum. For, Peter, a big history lover, this was a thrill. It is still an active working courthouse. Since court was not in session, we were able to tour the courthouse and sit in chairs that Lincoln may have actually used. After the tour we headed back to our boats. Instead of cooking, we had leftovers and the others decided to try some local dining.

Another day on the Illinois River and we arrived in Hardin, IL. Once again we tied up to some old barges without service. However, the docks belong to Mel’s Riverdock Restaurant that is recommended highly by others. We ate dinner at the restaurant, large portions, reasonable prices. Since it had started to rain and the projection was for rain in the morning, we decided to leave later than usual and go back to Mel’s for breakfast. We didn’t have a long run the next day and we knew we were heading to a marina, for two days, with power and all the other amenities that we did not have for the prior three days.

After breakfast, we left the docks to go to Alton IL. It would be our last stop before really traveling along the Mississippi River. While Alton is on the upper Mississippi, it is also the last place to fuel and provision for another 200 miles. We took advantage of the local supermarket that provides rides to/from the marina. In addition to the usual provisioning and laundry, there were a number of other looper boats planning the same thing so we all got together for docktails at the pool on Monday night.

We left on Tuesday and knew that we were facing another few days without services. Unfortunately, the ship store was not open before we left so I knew that I would be running out of ice and we would need to run the generator more often to keep our food cold.

The Mississippi River has earned its nickname as the Big Muddy. The river is brownish in color with lots of debris – many logs that you need to avoid while still remaining in the channel and avoiding the numerous barges. The one nice thing is the additional speed you pick up because of the current. Our boat has never gone this fast, nor is the engine capable of running at that speed but the current, at times, practically doubled our usual speed. The current will make our journey over the 218 miles of the upper Mississippi shorter in time and for that, we are thankful.

You cannot travel down the Mississippi without stopping by the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO for pictures. The arch is downtown on the riverfront but there is no place to stop. so that you can get into town. So, as many other loopers, we coordinated our photo ops so that we could all have pictures of our boat in front of the arch.

We had reservations at Hoppies Marina (right on the Mississippi) that is actually listed as temporarily closed. The town is still recuperating from high water/flooding. This used to be a stop that loopers would routinely make so we thought we should experience it also. However, it was a stop that could have been skipped. The one advantage was that it was a place to tie up and they actually had a few power pedestals so we had unexpected electric for the night but there was no place in town to replenish our ice.

A walk into the historic town of Kimmswick, MO was interesting. There were a number of cute shops and a few restaurants but most were closed. It seems that most of the town establishments close at either 3pm or 4pm. We found a place that closes at 4pm but since it was 3:45pm, they said they would be able to serve us. Except for rolling from one large barge, the night was uneventful.

Next stop was to the Kaskaskia Lock & Dam. While we would not be going through this lock, it provides a long wall for boats to tie up and be safely off the Mississippi River. We were the first boats to arrive at Kaskaskia but another few looper boats arrived later. As it turned out, one of the boats was planning the same anchorage as we were for the next day but the other boat planned to travel further to another anchorage but we weren’t thrilled with the description of the anchorage and didn’t think it was good spot for three boats. The channel we selected had been used by others we knew who were ahead of us and told us we would be fine rafting our three boats.

We had a peaceful night at Kaskaskia, enjoying a calm river and prepared for the next two nights of no services.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Weather still has us waiting in St. Joseph.  The wind has been consistently high with waves we didn’t want to tackle in addition to the small craft warnings.  We thought there may be a window later Thursday morning and we hoped we could leave to get to Michigan City.  Our target was to get to Hammond, IN by Saturday to meet up with Bahama Voyager and begin our journey down the rivers.  One of the boats, Breakway II, a fast 50’ Prestige, left the marina since he felt it would be manageable.  He returned within the hour and stated that the wind and waves were too much for him and that it would be nearly impossible for us and Paddy Wagon, our traveling buddies.  We looked again on Friday but same weather.  There was a sailboat race scheduled for the weekend and we were going to need to leave the marina so we both looked for the best window of time to leave on Saturday and decided to skip Michigan City and cut directly across the lake to reach Hammond, IN.  It would shorten our trip a bit but would also mean that we would be traveling further off-shore.  We felt it would be worth it since it’s been a week since we were able to make any progress.

St. Joseph is a nice town but not for a week. The marina is a bit far from town so that makes everything more difficult. I took advantage of the down time to give Kodey a haircut and bath – his first boat bath! The rest of the time was primarily reading, doing laundry, etc.

Paddy Wagon had rented a car since they had a few appointments to keep before our trip down the rivers (they are originally from the Chicago area).  Since they didn’t need to return the car until Friday afternoon, the four of us went to visit a few local wineries.  The first one was Dablon Vineyards and we did a tasting.  The atmosphere was nice and the wine was good.  The next was Lemon Creek and once again we did a tasting.  It was before lunch so we figured that this was the best way to sample their goods.  After these two tastings, we went back to St. Joseph to have lunch at Silver Beach Pizza.  It is a well known establishment in St. Joseph located on the Amtrak line and we were told that it was a “must” to visit.  Once again, we were not steered wrong and had good pizza for lunch.  The pizza was larger than expected so it also became dinner.

We finally left St. Joseph on Saturday morning to cut across the bottom of Lake Michigan to get to Hammond.  The water was not the best but we have traveled in worse.  We finally reached Hammond and reconnected with Bahama Voyager.  This marina is massive with over 800 slips so there was no problem with reservations.  However, we made them earlier in the month since we were concerned about the holiday weekend but there were still plenty of open slips.  A few of the boats we traveled with earlier on the journey were there – Done Diggin and TxAu.  While the boats were there, the couples weren’t.  Done Diggin decided to go home for a visit and wait for the locks to open later In September.  TxAu crossed his wake – the accomplishment of completing the loop – since they started from Chicago in early September 2018.  However, they will now be taking the boat to their new home in Cape Coral, FL and are also waiting for the locks to open later this month.  They wanted a few weeks home to visit friends and family.  We anticipate seeing both of them again later on.  One thing about this journey is that you continually leap frog and travel with some of the same boats from before and sometimes continue to travel with those you also meet along the way.  We have traveled with Bahama Voyager off and on since June and consistently with Paddy Wagon since we met them in Petoskey the middle of August. 

  We continued to enjoy some live music. While not as extensive as the blues festival in Port Sanilac, Hammond sponsored a free Motown concert with Sheryl Youngblood and the Say Yes band. It was great to hear some of the old Motown hits.

The original plan of staying in Hammond changed – we would be leaving on Sunday to head to Chicago and the locks. Originally the Marseilles Lock and Starved Rock Lock were to be closed to pleasure craft (known as PCs) from 6:00am to 6:00pm until September 10^th or 12^th (the date kept changing).  However, they decided to open the window for the Labor Day weekend and we definitely decided to take advantage of the opportunity.  We figured we could get through the Chicago Harbor and Lockport locks on Sunday and stay on the Joliet wall that evening.  That meant we needed to go through two other locks (Brandon Road and Dresden) before reaching the two locks that were to be closed.  Even a long day would be worth it but we weren’t sure whether we would get through because barges are still the priority or where we would be able to stay since there weren’t many possibilities but we felt it was still worth a try.

We were fortunate that we were able to get through Chicago and Lockport on Sunday and space was available on the Joliet wall. Monday was another good day – we got through all four locks on Monday with very little wait time and I found a small yacht club that would be able to accommodate the three of us for the evening. 

We were optimistic so we had already booked slips in another marina in Peoria Heights for Tuesday & Wednesday for down time.  While the marina, Illinois Valley Yacht Club aka The Ivy Club, was a number of miles from town, it had a restaurant on site and also a pool.  There was a local mechanic nearby who also came to the marina to complete some maintenance on all three boats.  Another issue we had was the propane tanks that supply my stove and run the refrigerator when there is no electric. The problem started in St. Joseph but no one there was able to fix it. Here, one member recommended a plumber he knew and while he was able to fix the stove, there are still problems with the refrigerator. You can hear that it is trying to turn on but since it hasn’t been used much in the past number of years, there is probably some blockage in the lines. I’m happy that it works on electric and will depend on the Yeti to keep food cold when not connected. In all, while not a typical Labor Day Weekend, it was good and much was accomplished.  

Next week we will continue down the Illinois River and then enter the Mississippi River.  According to what we have read, the Mississippi River will be the most unpleasant part of our journey.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Just a quick post to let you know that we’re fine and traveling down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. Services (including marinas) are practically non-existent – we have stayed at a few but we have also been anchoring out and using the generator – a few days last week and today (9/11) until Saturday night when we get to Paducah.

On Sunday we will arrive in Green Turtle Bay Marina in Kentucky. We plan to stay there for most of the week so I will have an opportunity to update my blog, including photos.

We will need to figure out a new plan as to where to go next as there was an oil spill (9/9) in one of the locks on the Tenn-Tom Waterway. Clean-up is expected to take 1-3 weeks. Hopefully the clean-up will be ahead of schedule.

We left Frankfort on Thursday and stopped at the state harbor in Ludington for the evening. Ludington was similar to the other state harbors we have stayed at with clean facilities and friendly people. I took advantage of the laundry facilities since it was convenient. Most state harbors have laundry but there are a few where you need to walk into town and that just makes the process more time-consuming.

We met a few looper boats and some future loopers so conversation centered on where people have visited, what to expect when traveling, likes/dislikes, etc. One piece of advice that we give (that we received a few years ago from loopers) is that you can have a plan but don’t have a schedule.

The next morning we took off, with Paddy Wagon, for Muskegon. They had a confirmed reservation while we were still waiting to hear from Dockwa whether we were confirmed. It is frustrating to have to wait up to 24 hours for this confirmation since we often don’t want to project too far in advance where we will be next because of the weather. The winds on Lake Michigan have had an impact on traveling schedules. As it turned out, we were not confirmed so needed to scramble on the phone to secure a spot. Eventually, we were able to do so but that meant we would be staying at two different marinas that were not in walking distance. Since we were only planning to stay for the evening, it was fine.

After Muskegon we were planning on going to Saugatuck and had tentative reservations at a marina that was recommended by Justified. However, the marina would not make a final confirmation and kept saying they would call later – the next day, then later in the afternoon. They were not happy that we only planned to spend one night and wanted commitment for at least two or three. Since we wanted to make time to get to the southern portion of Lake Michigan, we weren’t really interested in doing this because we would lose more time and we already lost time based on earlier repairs and ongoing weather. Ultimately, the marina decided that they did not have a slip for either of us so once again there were a flurry of phone calls as we traveled south. We had no luck with space at any of the marinas in Saugatuck so decided to only travel to Holland since we had a few possibilities in Holland but needed to wait for confirmation.

The first confirmation we received was from a yacht club so we accepted the slips since we didn’t want to be scrambling later as we traveled since it was the weekend. Of course, about 1/2 hour later, we had another option but turned it down since we thought we were fine. When we arrived at the lake, it was windy with lots of day boats running around. We called the yacht club on the radio as advised but no one answered. The same thing happened with the telephone – no answer. Although we had a slip number, there are no visible numbers on the slips and obviously no dock hands to assist. Peter yelled to a guy riding around in his dink if he knew where the slips were and he offered to find the slip for us – it was on the outside with no protection from the conditions. The slip was tight and we barely fit between the finger and the piling – we actually got stuck leaving the next morning. Fortunately, there were a few members on the dock who grabbed a line to assist. When Paddy Wagon arrived they didn’t fit into their assigned slip either so the members advised where they could tie up. This is the first yacht club that we visited where there were issues. While the grounds, buildings, and pool were lovely, the docks and service seriously need major improvements. When contacted the next day about a snag in processing my credit card, I mentioned that we did not enjoy our stay and explained what had happened. The comment was that no one has every complained before and they don’t understand why it happened. About 1/2 hour later, I received another call from the yacht club that they apologize for the situation and we would not be charged for the night. They added that it would not happen again and they would welcome us back. Even if we were in Lake Michigan again, we would not stay there.

There was one positive thing about staying in Holland. We were able to reconnect with Lucky Me who we traveled with the first few weeks before they went to the Oswego locks and we were stuck with repairs. They were in Holland for a few days to meet friends and also visit the Tiara factory. They had rented a car so picked us up (they were at the marina next to the yacht club) and we drove into town for drinks. Holland has a number of breweries so we went to Hops Tap Room and then a wine tasting at Cherry Republic. It was fun to spend time with friends.

We were happy to leave Holland on Sunday and continued on our journey to West Basin Marina in St. Joseph. Previous loopers have advised that this is a very protected site and we were looking forward to a peaceful, calm evening. Coming into the harbor was a bit windy but once we turned into the marina, it was calm. We met the Harbor Hosts in the marina and they happen to have the sister boat, Molly, 36’ Albin, of loopers on Selah Way. In fact, they are now planning to leave in October on their loop voyage. There are a few other loopers here in the marina so that meant Docktails!

The town of St. Joseph is a bit far to walk to stores besides eateries so we planned to get an Uber or Lyft. However, the Habor Host offered a ride to the supermarket the next day since it was windy and it looked as though we would be spending another evening. Although I do not really enjoy food shopping, I do appreciate the opportunity to go to a real store when possible to fill in on needed provisions.

It is now Wednesday, and we are still in St. Joseph and it looks like it will be another day or two before we can leave. The wind has not died down on the lake for even a very small window to get to the next stop. One of the nicknames that locals have for Lake Michigan is the washing machine and now we know why.

We were planning on Michigan City and then to Hammond to meet up with Bahama Voyager. Since it is been a few days that we have not been able to travel, we are hoping the weather will permit us to make one long travel day directly to Hammond.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We stayed in Mackinaw City another day. Although Peter wasn’t all that interested in sightseeing, we have been told by many that you cannot miss seeing Mackinac Island – the jewel of the Great Lakes. We took a high-speed ferry across to the island since we didn’t think it made sense to move the boat to the marina on the island since we heard so much about the ferry traffic and the intense rocking in the slips.

The island takes you back in time as there are no vehicles allowed on the island and you travel by horse, horse drawn carriage, bicycles or walking. It is considered an ideal vacation spot and only has about 500 permanent residents. The island is known for their world famous fudge, historic Fort Mackinac and unique shopping. It is also the site of the historic Grand Hotel. We explored the island aboard a horse drawn carriage. There were three different carriages of varying sizes for different portions of the tour. The tour covered the island’s main attractions – Surrey Hills Museum, Fort Mackinac and Arch Rock. Of course, we also saw the Grand Hotel and the hotel’s stables. The tour started within the streets of the city so we were given a history lesson by entertaining drivers. We ended our tour at the Grand Hotel, walked around the grounds and finished by dining at the hotel’s famous lunch buffet. An expensive day but fun and interesting.

The next morning we left and traveled through the Straits of Mackinac and made our entrance into Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is approximately 392 miles long so it will be an interesting journey along the sandy, eastern coast of the lake. Our target is to reach the southern portion of the lake by the end of August so that we can enter the locks in Chicago before they are closed temporarily for recreational boats.

Our first stop on the lake was in Petoskey. A buddy boat, Selah Way, was already there and when we arrived, we saw Avalon, a 42′ Kady Krogen, who we hadn’t seen since we started the loop in early June. In fact, they were the first loopers we met on our first night. They traveled through the Oswego Locks and the Canadian route that we were unable to do because of our mechanical difficulties and the loss of time, so we were happy to see them again. By the end of the evening there were a few more loopers and by the next day we had eight boats. Of course, this called for an evening of docktails especially since we all needed to stay put because of weather. Since the weather was not the best, we moved into the boaters lounge and rearranged some furniture so that we could enjoy the time by not being blown away. Fun was had by all and of course, we put the furniture back where it belonged.

The weather cleared and the wind slowed down so we were finally able to move to our next destination – Leland. We only planned to stay a day as Peter felt the need to make up time. Leland was a cute little town, known for its fishing heritage – Fishtown – and the assortment of fishing shanties now used as commercial shops. I also think it has the bluest, near Caribbean blue, water that we have seen so far. It was interesting to see the color of Lake Michigan’s water but then a few feet of this Caribbean blue water near the coast. By the time we arrived in Leland, the marina was all Caribbean blue. I have been continually amazed by the varying shades of blue waters on this journey.

Next stop: Frankfort, a municipal marina right on the edge of town. The weather prediction was for high winds so we stayed two evenings. We traveled with Paddy Wagon and later in the day, Avalon, joined us as well for their short trip to Charlevoix. I was able to visit the local library, a visit we seem to make in most of the towns we visit. We like to look at their paperback and sometimes hard cover books that are for sale. I was surprised to find that the library in Frankfort did not have any books available for sale. The local grocery store was only a few blocks away so I was also able to pick up a few things. We went out to eat to a local establishment called Dinghy’s recommended by the harbor staff. Truthfully, the staff mentioned most of the restaurants in town as having good food (mostly comfort/pub food) but we couldn’t resist Dinghy’s because of its name. We made the right choice – we all had different meals and they were all enjoyed.

On our walk back to the marina, we passed a store that had silk screen T-shirts. A large selection outside on racks and plain shirts with available decals to customize your choice. A few shirts were purchased here that night. I haven’t seen a shop like this in a long time since there was at least one in every mall when our children were young.

Tomorrow we leave Frankfort and head to Ludington, again for one night.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•