Day 170, Nov 20th TN River from AL into TN

Another 0530 alarm - maybe only one more of those o-dark-thirty starts!
Everything seemed routine as we left the Alred Marina in Guntersville, AL.
About forty-five minutes out, we encountered fog. Visibility was reduced to two hundred yards or less so we reduced speed and slowly made our way, hoping that the fog would quickly lift.

Over two hours later, things turned back to normal and we thoroughly enjoyed "another day in paradise" on the water. The one photo shows the fog hanging suspended mid-way on the hills. It was really strange how it lifted.

I've included the one photo showing a green marker on shore. We navigate on the water with red and green buoys to stay in the channel. In addition, there are markers, either red or green, that indicate a mile marker, too, so that you can check yourself on paper charts. Rich works the chart plotter and I do the "backup" on paper charts in the event of an electronic failure.

You must know exactly where you are with all the tow and barge traffic. When you talk to the tow Captains to ask permission to pass or when meeting them, you give your location first. This is your navigation lesson of the day!

We have 41 miles more to Chattanooga, passing through the Grand Canyon of Tennessee area. We're told that it's some of the prettiest area on the Tennessee River.
How can it get any prettier??!! More to follow.....

Days 167 - 169 continued...

So we continue to take in this awesome scenery. These three photos must be studied to appreciate. The mountains in the background, the hills ablaze with color and the clouds all reflect into the water.

Days 167 - 169, Nov 17th - 19th, TN River

This is Wilson Lock, the fifth highest lift lock in the US, raising CRAZY EIGHTS 93 feet into Wilson Lake! To date we have traversed about 100 locks.

We were the only boat in the lock but had to wait for 3.5 hours for two tows with barges to be locked through first. We had a long day planned so we set the alarm for 0530 - oh, how we hate that hour! We called the lock master, only to find out that it was going to be a delayed lock UP for us until he was done getting the tows through.

To add insult to injury, the one tow was going our way, so when we arrived for the next lock at Wheeler Dam, we had to wait for him to lock UP again! Even if we had been able to pass him at some point, likely he would've still been given lock through priority. So we waited another 3 hours this time.

Remember, we've commented that with the short daylight this time of year, we plan to be docked no later than 4 PM? This didn't allow for much further travel - we progressed only 17 miles for the day!

More Day 166, Nov 16th Pickwick Dam and Lock

The first photo is leaving the Pickwick Dam and Lock - note the tow and barge waiting for the next lock through. This lock is one of the higher ones that we've traversed with a fifty-five foot lift. We locked through with several other Looper boats with the wind blowing really strong. This makes for a challenging locking experience in both tying up and exiting the lock.

Day 165 - 166, Nov 15th - 16th

Just more pretty scenery....
One begins to feel kind of silly "oohing and aahing" around each new bend in the River, but the views are breathtaking at times.

And more TN River

Sunrise the next morning when we left Pebble Isle Marina.
The next photo is to show that the shoreline of the Tennessee is wide and varied. Often it seems like there are islands; sometimes the shoreline is steep with limestone cliffs and other times there are lowlands - maybe rocky; maybe sandy. There are many anchorages that can be explored and enjoyed - when the weather is warmer.

We don't want to miss cruising this stupendous area so we have decided to leave CRAZY EIGHTS in the Chattanooga area to explore the many miles next year. When we traveled along the Land Between the Lakes in KY and TN it was foggy and drizzly, a real disappointment since I'd so looked forward to seeing the 100 miles of spectacular scenery. I told Rich that we really need to repeat that area! Others tell us that we must not miss the Cumberland River, which we traveled only a few miles before turning onto the TN River.

Surprisingly, we are not the last of the Loopers. We met several other boats making their way southward. A couple of the boats are wintering in the MS area on the Tennessee-Tom Bigby waterway and then returning to the TN River next spring. We may see them again while most of the friends that we've met earlier in the year will be in FL, the Keys or the Bahamas for the next few months. We will drive back to GA after the Thanksgiving Holiday and Lee will go back to work. Rich will do some projects at home and Reggie will enjoy his new neighborhood!

More TN River Photos and Pebble Isle Marina

On the first photo, note the small fishing boat in the foreground. When we see a boat with a dive flag, they're diving for mussels. The meat is used or sold for fish bait and the shells are exported to Japan. Who would've thought about an export business to Japan from the TN River?

The last photo is off Pebble Isle Marina. There are just too many Kodak moments!!!

Days 163-164, Nov 13-14, Cumberland River to TN River, Pebble Isle Marina

The colors on the Ohio River weren't as pretty as on the Mississippi and the Cumberland or Tennessee Rivers. We have been delighted that we haven't missed the fabulous fall foliage with our boat repair delay. I hope that you won't tire of the pretty photos - just remember that I've taken tons more scenery shots!

So far we haven't seen a huge development on shore, a tribute to TVA control of the land. Some homes are just magnificent and others are moderate along the shore. Their locations are enhanced by the fall colors, for sure.

Note the fabulous home on the bluff amongst the colors. The photo with a structure out front is called a "Federal Cell." There are usually at least two of these cells placed intermittently along the Rivers. They're used by the tows and barges to rest up against.

Day 161 - 162, Nov 11-12, "Hoppie's" to Ohio River

Another early start and a beautiful sunrise at "Hoppie's." We awoke to find ice on the bow, which Rich quickly discovered when he slid across the bow, as he went to disconnect the power cords. Luckily no broken bones - just wounded pride. It was definitely time to be further South!

Much to Reggie's dismay, no marina tonight. We had to anchor in Diversion Channel in the Little River. It was a quiet night at anchor and not nearly as cold. The generator ran the heater just fine.

The next mid-morning we left the Mississippi and rounded up on the Ohio River. Now we were traveling UP river, against a 2+ knot current, much different than traveling DOWN river on the Mississippi, with the help of a 3.5-4 knot current.

We arrived at our first Ohio River Lock, Lock 53. We were instructed to "float on through" by the lock master. This was our first experience locking through in this manner. What he meant, was that we didn't have to tie up to the lock because we were the only boat being locked through. We entered the lock, he closed the gate and in a few minutes and many hundreds of thousands of gallons of water later to raise us, he was ready to open the other gate, and we motored out. It was really pretty cool!

We arrived at Lock 52 by 2:30P, hoping to be able to get through this lock quickly, too. Our overnight destination was a free dock in Paducah on the other side. No such luck - the auxilliary lock which pleasure craft use, was inoperable. The main lock had a mechanical problem and was operating at reduced capacity. The lock master had a large backup of tows and barges in both directions.

We were finally told to anchor at the red buoy off the lock for the night and he would get us through as early as possible the next morning. We have found several lock breakdowns along the way. So with that, and tows and barges always having lock through priority, one has to learn to be patient. With the short days, we plan to be safely docked/anchored by 4PM each day.

We later found out that the free barge (dock) that we had planned to use in Paducah was removed recently. Our options would have been limited, had we been able to get through Lock 52 later in the day. Someone was watching over us.

We spent a quiet night at anchor. Reggie has learned how to go potty on the sun deck when absolutely necessary - FINALLY!

We called the lock master when we first got up the next morning and he locked us through at 0700 with a tow. Note the gorgeous sunrise in Lock 53. We feel it was our "window of opportunity" because when we continued up river, we found numerous tows and barges waiting for the next lock throughs.

Day 160, Nov 9th St Louis and then Hoppies

Mel Price Lock and Dam, one of the two large locks that we transited on the Mississippi. We saw many tows and barges but shortly before we left the mighty Mississippi, we met a "42 pack" - 6 barges by 7 barges! It's unbelievable how these Captains maneuver these monsters.

We passed St Louis quickly taking numerous photos of the Gateway Arch, wich reflects St Louis' role in the Westward Expansion of the US during the 19th century. The park is a memorial to Thomas Jefferson's role in opening the West and to the pioneers who helped shaped the history of the West.

Thomas Jefferson's vision to spread freedom and democracy from "sea to shining sea" inspired Eero Saarinen's masterpiece of modern design. The Arch is constructed of 630 feet of stainless steel skin, covering reinforced concrete nearer the base and carbon steel and rebar higher up.

Strangely enough St Louis offers no docking for vessels to visit the Arch or other city attractions. They have no waterfront like many cities. We wonder if it's because of the fast 3.5 - 4 knot current on the River (or more swift after rains or during the spring runoffs).

Our trip down the Mississippi River was pleasant and picturesque. I had been anxious about this part of the trip for months after hearing so many wild tales; however, we had good weather and encountered very little debris when traveling.

There are few pleasure boat facilities on the River. Our next stop was at Hoppie's Marine Service, tying up to floating barges for the night, and then meeting the famous "Fern." She is a bit of a character but from previous accounts, I expected meeting an even more colorful woman! She has spent her last 30+ years on the rivers. She meets with every boater that stops by, to share her tips and insight on traveling the Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland and Tenn-Tom. She says she simply tells us what other boaters have asked her for years. She gave us some "pearls" that weren't in the reference books that we had!

Nov 8th con't. St Charles, MO, Alton Marina, Alton, IL on the Mississippi River

We were on the mighty Mississippi, bound for Alton Marina twenty plus miles down the River. The sun shown on the high banks with the trees ablaze in their fall hues.
Though sparse, there were some lovely homes on some of the hills. The limestone formations make for some rugged but spectacular views.

Once docked safely at the marina, we cleaned the outside of the boat, which was filthy from the yard. We went to town for dinner and then stopped by Argosy Casino on the River to leave a few dollars for our American Indian friends! Pretty sunset, eh?

The last photo is of St Charles, now the county seat in the fastest growing county in MO and the second largest city in metropolitan St Louis.

St Charles is where the 1804 Lewis and Clark Expedition began. President Thomas Jefferson asked Lewis and Clark to head west to find a route to the Pacific Coast.
The Lewis and Clark Museum is a great place to learn more about their adventures.

Daniel Boone and family homesteaded their home in 1799 in nearby Defiance. He and his wife Rebecca were parents of 11 children, 70 grandchildren and 250 great grandchildren! Daniel was a notable frontiersman. His Boone's Lick Road later became the eastern starting-point of the Santa Fe Trail and the Oregon Trail.

More Launch Photos

We had rented a car to drive from GA to St Charles, MO. We wanted to be at the boat yard before CRAZY EIGHTS was launched. All looked well upon our arrival but they weren't quite finished. We drove into St Charles for the afternoon and enjoyed a lovely historic town with cobblestone streets, lots of shops and restaurants and beautiful fall colors. It was most enjoyable.

Day 159, Nov 8th - Crazy Eights Launch in St Charles, MO

After five weeks out of the water for repairs, this was a great day - CRAZY EIGHTS was in the water and ready to head south. Much of delay was centered around the gel coat repairs. The weather had turned cool and consequently they could work on the fiberglass repairs only a short time during the warmest part of each day.

Do we look cold? - It was sunny but cool with a strong wind!

Photos of Crazy Eights Damage

So here is the bad and the ugly news - We're sure it'll look good as new next week before the boat is launched!

Days 122 - 123, Oct 2nd - 3rd, Beardstown, IL to St Charles, MO

Getting up at o-dark-thirty is not one of our favorite things to do - and especially if it's cool, too. It was going to be a long day so, we didn't turn the alarm off when it sounded.

There was a beautiful sunrise - my photos are usually of sunsets! This one IS a sunrise; trust me. Note the tow on the right side of the photo - our "neighbor" on the barge.

As we proceeded down the river, it began to get foggy. There were several boats headed with us. At times we could barely see the one in front of us. As the day progressed, Loopers would drop off to stop for the night. When we passed the point where we had planned to stop with Great Escape, it was early and we decided to push on another 22 miles for Grafton Marina.

At 2:30P we were passing a tow with 15 barges when suddenly we hit something. We didn't see it before we hit or afterwards; however, it was a hard hit. The port
engine started vibrating pretty badly. Of course, we'd been going faster in order to pass the barges so the damage done was greater, we soon found out. Once clear of the barges, we slowed down to mitigate the vibration.

An hour later the starboard engine began overheating. Rich shut it down and went below to investigate. We had lost all of the coolant from the starboard engine. He couldn't see any broken hoses or determine the "why."

I called the harbor master at Grafton Marina and advised him that things had deteriated since we'd last spoken. We would like to assigned an end tie or an easy dock since we were coming in on only one engine with a bad propeller. As normal in these situations, the wind had come up so docking was going to be more challenging! Joe was there to assist when we arrived and my Captain brought the boat in famously.

Further investigation that evening determined that we had a fresh water pump fail. Luckily, we had a spare on board so Rich fixed the starboard engine problem.

The next afternoon we motored a short distance to Block Marine in St. Charles, MO, and had the boat hauled. We fully expected to change our propellers, put on the spare ones, and continue on our way down the Mississippi. Not so.....we had sustained more damage than expected. Unfortunately, it involved a call to the insurance company to report our unknown obstruction in the water and begin the claims process.

The good news is that we've been told by several folks in the area that we are in the best yard. And our insurance company has responded promptly and has been very good in the claims settlement. The yard owner gave us a realistic time line for repairs from 2-4 weeks. It looks like it's going to be 5 weeks. The weather has turned cooler, of course in late Oct/early Nov, and that means they have less time each day that they can work on the fiberglass repair to ensure it dries properly. We want the job done right, so we're trying to be patient!

We rented a car again and drove back to GA. We've used the time to do some more unpacking at home and work on getting settled. That's been amazing. We downsized considerably. We disposed of so much stuff before we moved and have continued to search out places to leave more in our new area. And things look entirely different from one home to another, so I'm about done moving furniture around but continue to move pictures. Rich is about "over it" and won't do anything more until I'm absolutely sure that's where I want it! Sound familiar, ladies??!!!

We visited with my brother and wife again in SC. We all went furniture shopping in Hickory, NC, one Saturday (the guys loved that!). We came home with nothing - can you believe it?

We've enjoyed seeing my niece, her husband and their little Miss Olivia. They live about 15 minutes from us. My brother is only about 3.5 hours away now so it's nice to have family a bit closer.

This past weekend I flew to MN to visit with my Mom and family. My two sisters and I spent Saturday with Mom in the nursing home. Mom usually doesn't recognize family these days with her progressing ALZ. She was so happy to have "her girls" with her, though, and we think she really did know who we were. It was a special, heartwarming time to spend with Mom, though difficult. As my brother Dennis said, "Each day we lose just a little bit of our dear Mom"....sad, but true. She's healthy and happy in "her world". That's about all we can ask for at this time.

Days 120 - 123, Sep 30th - Oct 1st, Peoria to Beardstown, IL

After re-provisioning, turning in the rental car and cleaning the boat, we were off once again on "our Adventure."

The next morning we waited two + hours to lock through at the Peoria Lock. As time passed, several more pleasure boats arrived. Later two other boats and Crazy Eights anchored behind Quiver Island. I'll point out that the IL River is commercial, with few facilities for cruisers. Our chosen anchorage was next to a coal loading dock. The bottom of the river was mud and the banks weren't much better. Finding an "appropriate" area to land the dinghy so Mr. Reggie could go ashore was no easy feat! Getting in and out of the dinghy was even better - it's a good thing that I saved those high boots from our sailing days to keep my feet dry!

When taking Reggie ashore there were a couple of pretty large fish that jumped out of the water right next to us. Wow! Did you see that? Well, on our way back, all of a sudden we had one of them jump right INTO the dinghy - yeh! He was all bloody; flopping every which way. Yikes! Where did he come from? How to get rid of him! This is no FISH STORY - this guy was 24+ inches! After several attempts, Rich successfully grabbed the tail & flipped him back in the water. We assume that he had hit the motor prop on his way in & bloodied himself and our dinghy. What a mess!

I vaguely remembered reading something about jumping fish. Well, it seems that Asian Silver Carp are REALLY quite the problem. Catfish aqua-farmers on the lower Mississippi originally introduced the carp into local waters to feed on algae and other surface plants in the 1970's - another good idea, gone bad. This invasive species has managed to work it's way up the Mississippi River and into the Illinois River, now posing a risk to the Great Lakes. Their real threat is their rapid rate of reproduction and size. They can reach 100 pounds and 4 feet long! They're big eaters and threaten the Great Lakes Ecosystem and anywhere else they can be found. Measures are in place to keep them from entering Lake Michigan. Read more at: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/invasive/asiancarp/

The carp become agitated, or excited (not sure which!) by the motors and they jump towards the noise. It's not uncommon to see them jump 6 feet in the air. The local fisherman actually wear helmets and other protective gear and carry baseball bats when they go out fishing!

If your calendar is clear for he first weekend in Aug next year, we can provide you information on the Redneck Fishing Tournament in Bath, IL. The locals tell us this is quite the event - people drive for miles around just to watch! This year more than 3,400 carp were caught in one day - double from the year before. The rules are interesting - The winner is the boat with the most carp in the boat at the end of the 3 hour contest. The only gear allowed are hand-held dip nets. Protective head gear, baseball bats and rain gear (for slime protection) are optional!

Anyway, our personal experience with Asian silver carp made for some interesting conversation over a glass of wine with our fellow Loopers that evening!

After some "fun" anchor drill the next morning, we left the anchorage before they began moving the big barges around or worse yet, filling them with coal. We headed for our next "picturesque" accommodation. We tied up to a barge called Logsdon Tug in Beardstown, IL, sharing the big barge with several other Looper boats and a couple of tows. Hey, things are improving! After climbing the steep steel stairs that are open (don't look down!), we walked to town and had lunch with friends on Great Escape, whom we'd met way back in Oswego, NY, and then again along the way in Manitowoc, WI. It was fun to catch up and compare adventures!

By the way, they travel with a yellow lab. They were in the anchorage with us the night before. They have to use the dinghy hoist to hoist their doggie into/out of the dinghy. We thought that was pretty ingenious! It still amazes us how many Loopers travel with pets.

Sun, Sep 16th - Thur, Sep 20th "On the road again!"

We drove from Peoria, IL, to my brother Chuck's home in Ft Mill, SC. We readied the bikes and were off! We spent the next glorious days seeing the back roads and mountains of GA, TN, KY, VA, NC and SC. The weather couldn't have been more perfect - what gorgeous countryside. The entire area is one our most favorite. We had a grand time - even worked in a couple of games of Hand and Foot. I hate to mention that I think we gals were on the losing side!

If you look closely on our bike photo, you can see a carrier sitting up behind me. This is where Reggie rides. He's quite the trooper - he loves to ride on the bike. I'm not sure if he'll be ready to go again REAL soon. This was a pretty aggressive trip - we covered just over 1,500 miles in 5 days!

We stopped by Sara & Jason's (my niece) for an overnight or two because we were also home to close on our new home on Sep 24th. We've decided to live the lifestyle of Del Webb/Pulte's Village of Deaton Creek in northeast GA. There were a couple of walk throughs that had to be completed before closing.

Our stay at home was short. Our goal was to unpack enough boxes so that we could get Rich's truck in the garage. My car and the bike and trailer are temporarily stored at Chuck's in SC. We closed on Mon and by Fri our goal had been met. We even got paper shades up on all of the windows and met several new neighbors!

Starved Rock Dam and Lock before Peoria, IL

When you travel on the rivers, you must be patient and not pushed with a schedule. Two of the locks that we went through on Monday, we waited an hour and a half each. Commercial traffic has priority over recreational craft so if it's busy, there are simply, delays.

On Tues when we entered the lock with the photos shown above, we had waited for over 3 hours before eight pleasure boats could "lock down" and finally be on our way.

We had an "audience" when we drove into the lock. A bus of seniors had stopped by to see how the huge lock worked. This operation was one of amazement.

The tug was pushing 15 barges - 3 across and 5 deep. Each barge is equal to 58 semi trucks/trailers, so this one totaled 870 semi trucks/trailers! They first "locked up" 6 barges through the lock by pulling the barges by cables and tying them off on the up side of the lock.

Then the lock master ordered the pleasure boats to drive into "the cut" and we were "locked down." Afterwards, the process was going to be another 6 barges would be "locked up," and tied on the up side. Finally, the last 3 barges would be pushed by the tug into the lock to be "locked up." After that, all the barges would be re-attached so the tug could push his load north.

We didn't stay around for that, but one can only imagine that it took hours to complete. This tug was taking his load from St. Louis to Ottawa, IL. Unbelievable! - His length was 980 feet. Keep in mind that the locks are 600 feet in length.

We are in amazement of how these river Captains maneuver these huge loads on the rivers. There is another "language" when talking with these guys on the radio. We've found them all to be courteous and extremely professional. They have our greatest respect.

Note that the barges are mostly covered. This depends on what they are hauling. This Captain reported a variety of cargo to the lock master before beginning his "lock up." As Crazy Eights had "locked down," we were then level with the tug and his 6 barges. It looked somewhat like a "head on" as we first came out of the lock.

We're told that this is but a "preview" of what we'll see on the Upper Mississippi River where there are few locks. The monster barges can be as big as 40-60 barges.
Of course the river is much wider than the Illinois River, but................
This is adding a new dimension to our boating experience!

We arrived safely in Illinois Valley Yacht Club in Peoria Heights with several other Looper boats. We will leave Crazy Eights there for a couple of weeks, rent a car
and drive to SC and GA to visit family and friends. We plan to take a few days and enjoy a bike ride with my brother and wife through the TN and KY mountains to see the fall colors.

So more later..................

Photos on the IL River

In order to travel through downtown on the Chicago River, Crazy Eights
could be no higher than 17 feet from the water. Rich lowered the light on the radar arch and the radio antennas and we were 16 feet, 4 inches. The bridges through
Joliet were the lowest at 16 feet, 5 and 6 inches - we made it, but not with much to spare. I asked my Captain if he was SURE of his measurements!

Rich's nephew and kids from Joliet surprised us with a visit to the boat when we were in Joliet. How nice it was to see them for a bit. His kids are 16, 14 and 11. Where does the time go?