100 Loopy Days! - Grand Rivers, KY

We can't even believe we're actually on this amazing journey, and here we are celebrating the 100th day!!!

After 6 days without our feet touching land, we are happy to be in the beautiful Green Turtle Bay Marina on Lake Barkley in Grand Rivers, Kentucky http://www.greenturtlebay.com/. We've already made use of the fitness center with an indoor pool, saunas, and exercise classes; strolled over Tortuga Pond on the boardwalk; ridden our bikes over the rolling hills to town to check out the grocery store and antique shops; kayaked in the large marina basin; had dinner at the yacht club and breakfast at the restaurant; and shared stories at couple of gatherings with fellow Loopers.

Before this stop, we were out of range of the Internet, so here's the update:


Day 91 - Hoppie's Marine Services, Kimmswick, MO
We left Alton Marina and dropped a total of 35 feet via the Mel Price and Chain of Rocks Locks. We spent about 6 hours on the Muddy (Yes, it's true!) Mississipi and arrived at Hoppie's Marine Services. This marina consists of barges tied to the rocks on the side of the river.

When several of us walked into Kimmswick to visit the Blue Owl Restaurant, we couldn't resist taking a table and treating our taste buds to the pies. The apple pie looks like it has a missile on top the apples and crust are stacked so high! I had to bring Bob back a small one to enjoy.

Six Looper boats were expected to dock for the night. When they were all safely tied up, Fern, Hoppie's wife who knows more about the Mississippi than anyone, gathered us in an open air "salon" on one of the barges and filled us with information about hazards, anchorages, and other pertinent facts. The one tidbit that made the greatest impression on me was that we should always have protection from an island or wing dams when we anchor because the barges sometimes break apart from their tows and run amok with the current. An encounter with one of those could certainly ruin a good night's sleep!

Day 92 - Kaskaskia Lock and Dam, IL On the Kaskaskia River, boats can tie up for the night on the outside of the Lock approach wall for no charge, so one after another six boats came in and we shuffled the early arrivals to fit in the newcomers. There was no way to get ashore, but we could walk on the jetty to visit with the other boaters. After a lot of laughter, drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and camaraderie aboard Frankly Terryfic, we had a secure and comfortable night, safe and secure between the huge cement buttresses that support the lock wall.

Day 93 - Little Diversion Channel, MO
Little Diversion is a narrow channel that is lushly wooded and filled with the sounds of rustling leaves and cicadas. We nestled in with anchors bow and stern, so we wouldn't swing into the other 5 boats anchored there. The sun said good-by at the end of the day in a blur of red straight up the river from us, and we had a restful sleep. Morning arrived under a heavy mantle of fog which quickly dissipated, and again we were on our way.

Day 94 - Boston Bar, IL
It was a quick 4-hour trip to Boston Bar. We followed Frankly Terryfic and Frances Ray to a spot above the highway bridge and set the anchor for the night.

Day 95 - Little Chain Bar, KY
We entered the Ohio River and crossed our first wicket dam today. These dams have wooden gates that are raised and lowered to control the flow of water. Luck was with us and the wickets were down, so we could float right over them. The water got a bit turbulent in the area, but we didn't have to lock through.
There was a lot of communication between the three-boat convoy we traveled in because Little Chain Bar is under water. We weren't sure it was going to be a suitable anchorage. When we arrived, we found deep-enough water on the Kentucky side. We were right in the river, outside the channel. We pointed our bow into the current and awaited the thunderstorm that had been forecast. We counted the seconds between the lightning and thunder as the storm approached, but they increased again before the storm reached us. No storm, just wind lurching us to and fro while the agitated river slammed incessantly into the transom all night long. The admiral and captain started in the morning with tired, baggy eyes and one of us was a little cranky.

Day 96 - Cumberland Island Towhead, KY
We passed Metropolis where Superman, as you know, was from. I'm sure the Daily Planet had an article announcing our passage.

The wickets were down on our second (and last) Ohio River dam, so again we went right over without locking. As we passed Paducah, the Tennessee River snaked off to our right and tow traffic increased to dizzying numbers. The captain remained remarkably calm as one tow overtook us then pulled off to the side, one ahead warned us not to pass because there was another coming downriver, and there was an additional one inching up behind. A staccato tapping of the foot was his only evidence of tension, as Bob skillfully guided us through the maze of boats.

I have to put in a complimentary word for the tow captains. They have without fail been courteous and helpful, advising us when to pass or not, which side is safer, offering information about what's ahead in the river, and always wishing us a safe journey.

Anchoring that night at the Cumberland Towhead caused your already sleep-deprived captain and admiral another restless night. We slipped in past Frankly Terryfic and Frances Ray about half way along the island, set the plow anchor, and had dinner. Hmmm. The trees seemed to be moving. But, of course, it was Osprey. We set the anchor again and it dragged again. We set it the third time, and before it had time to go AWOL on us again, Bob set a second, danforth, anchor off the starboard bow. He slept on the settee, checking our position regularly on the chart plotter and out the window with bits and bursts of sleep in between.

We were anxious to weigh anchor and get out of Dodge in the morning, but by then the wind and current had twisted and turned the boat enough to create a rat's nest out of the two anchor rodes. Our two companion boats patiently waited while we - Bob mostly - untangled the snarl of chain and rope and the danforth and hoisted it onto the deck.

Maybe it was the beauty and relative quiet of the narrow, scenic Cumberland River, but our sleeplessness was soon forgotten as we watched Osprey, vultures, and eagles glide in wide circles leading us to our greatly-anticipated destination.

One lock to go. One of the Loopers was tied up and ready to be locked through when our three-boat entourage called in. It was our good fortune that the lockmaster decided to wait for us and we sailed right in, put lines around the floating bollards, and were lifted 57 feet. Right around the bend was Green Turtle Bay Marina. We pulled up to the fuel dock. We are so lucky not that Osprey, slow as she is, isn't a fuel glutton; we only needed a pump-out. Before the dock hand had donned his rubber gloves, Riley and I disembarked and were bounding toward solid, not rocking land and grass

When we found our slip, we were delighted that there were fellow boaters lined up on the dock to grab our lines and help secure Osprey to her new temporary home. We immediately called a one-day moratorium on boat chores,took real showers with plenty of hot water, and went out to dinner. We don't plan to move for at least a week.