Buzzzzz

Thursday, September 22:  We have been anchoring out because there are many coves on Kentucky Lake. But we have to be careful that they are deep enough so our boat doesn't run aground. We need at least 5 feet of water under the boat and the turns and twists to get to those coves can be torturous. We BOTH watch the depth finder. Here's one nice anchorage at the mouth of Hurricane Creek right behind some cypress trees.

All evening it sounded like a bunch of bees all around us with the many, many bass boats buzzing from one fishing spot to the next.  But I did manage to get out on the kayak to take pictures while Kelly fished.

 

Friday:  We only traveled about 30 miles and anchored behind an island. It was miserably hot again so we started the generator and air conditioning to get cool and run the refrigerator. Kelly has a couple small solar panels that keep a battery charged so he hooked up the TV, we found a signal for our wifi and watched the newest Longmire!!! It is a good thing I made us a screen door because the mayflies found us.

Saturday:  Another short travel day to Cuba Landing Marina.  We will have the boat here several weeks while we travel to Memphis to visit our grandson!!!.

All Work and No Play

Sunday, September 18 continued:  Well, the lights were really bright in the Barkley Locks.  And then it was really dark once we got past the upstream lock approach walls.  So we just stayed slightly behind and slightly downstream of 2 federal emergency mooring cells.  We watched the barges approach the locks and there are sharp turns to avoid the sand bars.  Eventually the clouds moved off the moon and it was bright.

Monday: We pulled in Green Turtle Bay about 9 am and had to wait about 4 hours for a slip.  They had many extra boats in the marina for an in-water boat show over the weekend and had to move them out of the transient dock.
                                  
We rented a golf cart to run to the store and ate at the local dairy bar. Nothing exciting followed by washing the boat and watching a group of Loopers arrive in some really nice boats. We kept washing.....
                                                   
The flybridge gear shifter had been sticking in gear, but Green Turtle Bay mechanics were all booked up.  Kelly remembered Todd and Debbie Wright had purchased their boat near here.  Todd was so nice to call the owner and he told us to come on by.  Thanks Todd!!!

Tuesday:  We left GTB about 8:30 and made the 3 hour run to Sunset Harbor Hill Marina.  After lunch, the mechanic Troy worked about 3 hours on our boat.  It ended up being a loose gear linkage support bracket.  He also found a small leak in the steering fluid line and the alternator bracket was loose. Excellent service and a reasonable repair bill.

Wednesday:  Again we only traveled about 3 hours to Paris Landing State Park.  Kelly wanted to buy a Tennessee fishing license and it is miserably hot again.  I will let you know how the fishing goes!

It Was a Full Moon

Friday, September 16: It was a beautiful morning but we did not get up early. After a couple of hours traveling downriver, we saw a big cave in the rock cliff on the Illinois side of the river. Even the town was named Cave-In-Rock

It was an easy run to Golconda Marina. We did not fit under their tallest covered slip so we just parked on the side of it to be shaded from the sun. We then did our usual thing at a new marina: grabbed a beer and walked around looking at the boats and saying hi to people. Kelly gave me the evening off from cooking- he grilled pork chops. Just relaxed for the rest of the evening to celebrate my birthday.

Sarurday: we decided to stay another day and go to their shrimpfest! Very good grilled shrimp, fried shrimp, coconut shrimp, and shrimp gumbo. Many go-fast boats showed up late afternoom with their loud boats and louder music. It quieted down for a couple hours, but the moon was full and bright and they partied all night. We went to bed at midnight and went right to sleep.

Sunday:  we departed about 9:30 am and made it to the Cumberland River easily. BUT we have been waiting about 3 hours and are still waiting at the Barkley Lock and Dam. Another dark o'clock arrival and it is too cloudy for the full moon to help any.

Buzzards, Junk, and a Lighthouse

Tuesday:  It was a long hot run from Madison to Rocky Point Marina, especially since I used all the water to take a shower the night before. The sun beat down on us all day and late afternoon all I could see were buzzards flying over us just waiting for us to die from the heat.

At last we were within a couple miles of the marina and we see a lighthouse. I looked with the binoculars and could see a seaplane in the front yard and some canoes on a rack. Painted on the bottom of one "up shit creek canoe rentals". Hmmm, sounds like it is for us.

We arrive at the marina and the owners come by to hook up the electric and turn on the water and explain a little about the other boat--very interesting looking.

Kelly tried to put water in the port tank, but it wouldn't go in. We fill the starboard tank, get showers and relax for the evening. 

Wednesday:  A quick breakfast so we can get fuel. I get down in the rear cockpit and check for problems with the water tank and the valve was closed for the port tank!  I did not use up all the water!!!!  Kelly just wanted an excuse to not take a shower. We walk across the street to the store hunting for bread and lunchmeat. They had none. We got everything we really needed though:  donuts for Kelly and beer (Not Your Fathers Vanilla Cream Ale) for me!!!

Ready to go, but some guy comes by with a camera, he likes taking pictures of boats. Kelly chatted with him for a little while and I got off the boat to meet him. Jack built the lighthouse a few miles up the river! He and his wife were professional water skiers way back.  He gave us a CD of his boat pictures and we pulled away from Rocky Point.

So we  arrived at Evansville at 9 pm dark o'clock. Another couple came out of their boat when they saw the Great Loop burgee on our boat. Rick and Monica on Moni Jean are the first Loopers we have met! They gave us helpful tips and advice. We may run into them this fall in Florida.

Thursday: we managed to leave Evansville about 9:30 and traveled 9 unevenful hours to anchor out behind Cincinnati Island near Shawneetown, Illinois. It is now beer o'clock!

It's In The Air, or NOT

It was clear and cool Sunday morning leaving Aurora, Indiana. As we passed by Rising Sun a plane buzzed over us. Loopers Dan and Angie on Seahorse wrote in their blog "you never know what you are going to see on the river" about amphibious planes in Rising Sun. Kelly has his private pilot's license and flying a seaplane was first on his bucket list! So for his birthday last year, Kelly received flying lessons on a seaplane at Rising Sun.

Kelly 

Mural painted on the stairs to the river

Several hours later, Kelly  pointed to the sky once again. This time the DirecTV blimp passed overhead. Apparently, just like Kelly, they fly IFR (I Follow River) as their GPS. We couldn't keep up with their speed.

We found a shady spot just down river from Madison, IN, so we lowered anchor and relaxed for the evening. Of course, we picked a spot with no cell service or wifi !!!

Monday:  we didn't get up early--8 am, ate cereal, pulled the anchor, and down river we went. We went right on past Louisville to anchor out again for the evening. There are no cities on this long stretch of the Ohio so we plan on anchoring out at least 2 more days to get to Evansville. IN. Maybe we will find one of those "you never know what you are going to see on the river".

Short Travels



We have traveled leisurely, not traveling a great many miles or hours on any day.  We left Ripley Thursday and tried to rent a slip at Four Seasons in Cincinnati just because we like that marina. But they were full for the weekend so we stopped at Skippers in New Richmond just upriver from Cincinnati. 

It was raining Friday morning so we watched the rain until noon. When it cleared we took off. We decided to go on to Aurora, Indiana. About 8 miles short of our destination we found this debris covering the entire width of the Ohio River.  There must have been a flood up the Great Miami River that washed this all debris down river and directly in front of us. It took several hours to slowly plow through it, including a stop to clear the raw water strainer.

Debris in the river

Lighthouse Marina has been a nice stop to wash laundry and visit with friends from Holiday Point. Don, Anna, Bruce, and Beth drove down to take us to lunch at Applewoods for juicy burgers, fries and chips.

Another severe thunderstorm today with wind gusts that pulled a cleat out of the dock that we were tied to. Thank goodness for fenders that prevented any damage to the boat.

Believe It or Not

We are in Ripley believe it or not. It is Ripley, Ohio that is, not the weird and unusual odditoriums ran by Ripley's Believe It or Not.

It is still very hot and humid for traveling. Hot enough for the cows to head to the river  to cool off.  We opted not to anchor out and passed by Manchester Island. Straight to Ripley for electricity and air conditioning!

Cows in the shade and the river

Beautiful wrought iron railings in Ripley

We Have Finally Started

In Deep Ship

It has taken us many years to finally push away from the dock.  We purchased our trawler in 2005 because it looked like a comfortable boat for traveling on America's Great Loop.

We lived on the boat before--we downsized houses 9 years ago and it took us 3 months to find a new house. It was a pleasant summer looking for a new home while we lived on the boat. And through the years we have taken many 10-day vacations on the boat.

This loop vacation however, may take us more than a year and we plan on taking our time. I hope you enjoy our trip and follow along with us while we learn to blog!

Leaving Holiday Point Marina, Franklin Furnace Ohio