Kentucky Lake - Sept 28 - 29

Sunday morning we left Lake Barkley and crossed over to Kentucky Lake.  We streamed a sermon from Woodhaven while traveling. Another beautiful day on the lake. After 40 miles we dropped the hook at a very nice anchorage, one mile past the Kentucky/Tennessee border. While in Kentucky we enjoyed local cuisine at KFC and buzzard balls (bite size chicken cordon blue) at Buzzard Rock Marina.

We were entertained at our anchorage by jumping schools of fish and blue herons trying to catch dinner. 

The next morning we woke up surrounded by fog. How eerie!   After waiting about an hour, it cleared off enough so we could get under way. It was a hot (90 degrees) sunny day. We put in a long 100 mile day ending at Clifton Marina.  We took a walk to see "historic" Clifton and according to Steve "it wasn't worth the walk!" But...the exercise was good!  (per Sheli) Sonja at the marina fed us homemade spaghetti when we returned. Yum! 

 Exhausted captain

 Coast Guard!

 First Mate working hard!

 Pulling into our anchorage

 Dinner!

 Fog!

 Still passing barges

 Not sure what this was!

 The landscape is changing.

Email alerts

Thanks to sister Sue,we have placed a gadget on our blog so you can sign up to get email alerts when we add to our blog. You should see this on the front page under Follow by Email.

Thanks Sue!

Lake Barkley, KY -Sept 26 & 27

Spent a much needed day on Friday at the marina. Steve replaced the distributor caps and rotors on both engines which seemed to take care of a vibration which began on the Ohio River. (We were afraid we may have damaged a prop - so this is good news since we didn't have to have the boat pulled out of the water) We washed the muddy Mississippi off the boat and cleaned the inside. The Pura Vida is looking fine once again. In the afternoon we went to the pool at the marina and went for a dinghy ride to check out the huge houseboats. Many people come to this area to rent houseboats to enjoy the beautiful lakes. 

On Saturday we headed over to Buzzard Rock Marina also on Lake Barkley. This is a much smaller marina than Green Turtle Bay in a beautiful setting. We took a bike ride to scope if there are any local churches that we could bike to on Sunday. After many large hills, we turned back unsuccessful.

At night we enjoyed listening to the band on the deck from the marina restaurant while sitting on the back of our boat. 

 Pancake breakfast!

 Green Turtle Bay Marina

 We slipped next to this 100 foot houseboat.

 Couples cruising Lake Barkley

 Buzzard Rock Marina

 Steve hooking us up!

 Our view at lunch. See the Pura Vida?

 Our view at night.

 Sheli's first palm tree!

Ohio & Cumberland Rivers - Sept 23 - 25

Now that we are traveling on the Ohio River, we are heading upstream. We traveled 58 miles before turning on the Cumberland River.  It was a beautiful warm day for traveling. By early evening we dropped anchor at the Cumberland Island Towhead along with fellow loopers on the NanseaAnn.

After a big day of cruising, we deployed the dinghy to visit the small town of Smithland. (2 miles upstream)  Returning at dusk we excited a school of Asian Carp - one ahead of us, two along side, and hundreds behind us in our wake!  Sheli screamed and Steve said "I warned you, but you wanted to go anyway!"  We were lucky not to be hit or land one in the dinghy. We heard about one looper who had their porthole open and a carp jumped through and landed in their stateroom without their knowledge. They later went down and found a bloody mess! Yuck! Another looper found 27 dead carp in his dinghy hanging off the back of his boat! Double yuck!

On Wednesday morning, we left our anchorage with the NanseaAnn and Freedom pulled in behind us. We headed up the Cumberland River. This is a much more narrow river and very senic.  We traveled thirty one miles to the lock and dam at Barkley Lake. We lifted 57 feet!  Shortly after clearing the lock, we arrived at Green Turtle Bay Marina. This is the home port of the NanseaAnn. Congratulations to them for crossing their wake and completing their loop - after 23 months!

On Thursday, the folks from the NanseaAnn let us use their car to drive to Paducah for groceries and oil change supplies. Late after noon we went for a dinghy ride on Lake Barkley. At night we enjoyed dinner at Patti's Settlement with our friends from the NanseaAnn, Freedom and Just Us to celebrate the NanseaAnn's accomplishment.

 Queen of the Mississippi 

 We passed a mining operation using trucks similar to what we saw at the CAT Visitor Center in Peoria.

 Sheli reading to enter the lock!

 Freedom and a tug in the lock. Going up!

 NanseaAnn crossing their wake

Mississippi River - Sept 21 - 23

Sunday morning by 7am we left Grafton for our beginning run on the Mississippi River. We left with five other boats, the NanseaAnn, Just Us, Freedom, SnailMail and Late Date. The captain on Late Date is a licensed captain running a boat to Florida. It was great following his experienced lead. The river is running fast with lots of debris so traveling is a tedious task. Our destination today is Hoppies Marina located by the city Kimmswick, Missouri. (60 miles from Grafton). It was awesome passing by the arch in St Louis mid morning.  Hoppies Marina is a very common stop for Loopers. This is the only place to get fuel for the next couple hundred miles and the only marina for the next 228 miles. Dockage is at three 100 foot barges tied to the river bank with cables. 

Boy do these barges rock when a 18-barge with a three engine tow pushing up-current passes by.

Our boats along with the barges we were tied to, rocked for over an hour after this passed.

Hoppies is owned and operated by the legendary Fern and her family.  Fern is an elderly woman who has spent her entire life on the river. She gives a daily briefing on the river and advice on how to proceed.  Since we were there on a Sunday, we were invited to the weekly potluck with the family.

Monday morning we left Hoppies by 6:30am for a big day on the river. We traveled 110 miles to reach the anchorage at Little Diversion Channel.  It was a long travel day - dodging logs and handling the current - so we were happy to have our anchor set by 5pm. We threw the dinghy in and went boat to boat to visit our fellow travelers before grilling out on the Pura Vida.

Tuesday, the anchor came up before the sun did. (This is getting crazy!) We were back on the muddy Miss by 6am.  48 miles later - by 10am - we made a turn to our port on to the cleaner waters of the Ohio River.

We decided the 2 happiest days of a boat owners life are the day you buy it and the day you get off the Mississippi River!

 Leaving Grafton

 Our Lady of the Rivers Shrine

 St Louis!

 Check out the debris in the lock.

 Note sign on right. It it critical to follow the route to the left as it is a bypass around rapids on the Mississippi.  

 Logs in the river

 All day.... Logs

 Not the Pura Vida!

 Briefing at Hoppies.

 Fern

 Steve fueling up at Hoppies. 

 Hoppies Marina

 Sunrise on the Mississippi.

 Coast Guard resetting buoys that have been moved off station by barges or desbris. Go Travis!

Grafton - Sept 19 & 20

Friday morning we took the marina van into Jerseyville to pick up some supplies.  In the afternoon, we biked 5 miles up hill and against the wind to see the small quaint town of Elsah. Whew. The return trip (down wind and down hill) was much I more enjoyable.  Great exercise and views! 

The marina had a potluck for some local loopers that just finished the loop.  It was fun meeting more of our fellow travelers (and the food was great).

After working around the boat Saturday morning, we took our bikes a local "biker" bar for lunch where we were the only bikes with pedals.  Sheli tried to trade up, but no takers.  At night we hung around the campfire with a group of loopers including the Canadians traveling via canoe. They had many stories to share including how the Lannings and Lansers (friends of Sheli's parents) helped them while in Pentwater.  Small world!

 Canoeing couple

 Tenting at the marina. Not for us!

 What a ride! Whew!