Date: September 23, 2013
Day on the Cruise: 156 (Holding)
From: Green Turtle Bay Resort, Grand Rivers, KY
To: Home in Alabama
Statute Miles: 0.0 SM
Time: 0.0 Hrs
Cumulative Miles: 3,984.3 SM (Holding)
On Board: Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut
Having just completed the "Great Rivers" portion of the Loop, I want to provide some thoughts on this portion of the trip.
Starting in Chicago, IL on the Illinois Waterway and the Chicago River portion of the route at its juncture with Lake Michigan, We traveled a total of 643 miles on the Illinois Waterway, the Mississippi River, the Ohio River, and the Cumberland River. I would not necessarily include the Cumberland as a "Great River" except that it connects the Ohio with the logical termination of the Great River segment at Green Turtle Bay, KY. The Cumberland portion of the Great Rivers is only 30 miles.
The Illinois Waterway portion of the trip made up 336 miles of the total. The Mississippi portion was 217 miles. The Ohio portion was 60 miles, and the Cumberland was 30 miles.
It took us 16 days to cover the distance between Chicago and Green Turtle Bay. We traveled for 13 of those 16 days. We were on the Illinois Waterway for 10 days. It took us 3-1/2 days on the Mississippi and 2-1/2 days on the Ohio and Cumberland. The time on the Ohio and Cumberland included about 6-1/2 hours of Locking time and Lock waiting time at the three locks that we transited on those rivers.
We transited a total of 13 Locks, including 8 on the Illinois Waterway, 2, on the Mississippi, and 3 on the Ohio and Cumberland. We only had one real wait at a Lock on the Illinois, and that was for about an hour and a half. We had essentially no waits at the Mississippi Locks.
We stayed at marinas along the way for all but three nights. We anchored on the Mississippi once and on the Ohio River twice.
The Rivers were essentially just below full pools for the entire trip, but were classified as "falling". The current in the Illinois was not pronounced and did not give us appreciable push. The current in the Mississippi generally gave us a push of between 2-1/2 and 3-1/2 statute mph. We fought the current in the Ohio and to a certain extent the Cumberland. I would estimate that the current effect in the Ohio was worth about 1-1/2 to 2 statute mph, with the most effect being from the confluence with the Mississippi up about 10 miles above this point.
One of the unique things about doing the Great Loop is the diversity of the route. The trip takes one into many different types of waterways, and coming out of the Great Lakes into the "Great Rivers" certainly is one of the most notable waterway changes.
We were very glad to leave the lakes, although Lake Huron was a great experience. The tranquility and predictability of the Illinois Waterway, including the Rivers leaving Chicago, was most welcome after our big water experiences on the Lakes. I like structure and predictability in my life, and at least the upper half of the Rivers provided that in greater measures than the Lakes.
Navigating the Rivers is pretty cut and dried. Stay between the greens and the reds. There is little opportunity for using waypoints and the autopilot in most portions of the Rivers. Depths are more consistent and it is pretty much "what you see is what you get". The current plays a huge role in running these rivers, as it can push you along or go against you in the case of the Ohio. Not since the Hudson River have we had to take current into real account.
Other marine traffic is a big issue on the Great Rivers. While encountering other pleasure boats on the Rivers was rare for us, you had better anticipate commercial traffic in great numbers. It is there and it is real, and these guys are doing this for a living and don't play games. The commercial traffic seems to "tolerate" the pleasure craft but not much else. I liked to "take the offensive" with the towboat captains. Hail them first. Let them know you are there. Give them the opportunity to dictate the terms of engagement with you. Be courteous, and thank them for their cooperation. Know the one and two whistle protocol like the back of your hand! We got to the point where we looked forward to dealing with the tows. When we travelled in a flotilla of several boats, we let the lead boat communicate with the tows and the Locks to avoid redundancy.
The beauty of the Rivers is in the eye of the beholder. Certainly it is different than the big water. Certainly there is some monotony in running the Rivers day after day. But engaging the scenes along the banks and from the tows coming at you gives a rare opportunity to see rural Americana and to reflect on the raw beauty of the Heartland of our country. The beauty of the Rivers for me is all about what makes this country run and work. From the heavy dose of industrial reality on the Illinois to the rural farmland replete with amber waves of grain on the lower Illinois and Mississippi, it is raw beauty that draws me again and again to appreciate these Rivers.
These are working man's rivers. Passing the dozens, of grain elevators on the Great Rivers gives structure to the amount of farming that this country produces. To see the number of barges that are used to move the harvest personifies the hard work of America's farmers. Seeing the coal coming and going in the barges makes one think of the effort given in the upper Ohio River regions to mine that coal and move it on the Great Rivers. The dusty "Rock Piles" that are the quarries along the rivers with their huge piles of crushed product waiting for transport in barges show the results of the hard work by the equipment operators and blasters that toil at their trade. And the watermen that ply these Rivers, like the watermen that we saw in the Chesapeake, are not to be taken for granted. These hard working folks tending lines on the barges, or moving the tows through the locks, or skillfully steering the towboats up and down the Rivers are the backbone of the Heartland transportation system in America.
So, after dealing with structure and predictability, we were thrust back into a bit of the unknown again after leaving Hoppies on the Mississippi River in kimmswick, MO. It was a treat to get to meet Fern at Hoppies. She is a Mississippi River icon. Truthfully, and some other Loopers echoed this, Fern may have put more fear of the unknown into our souls than really helping us be prepared to deal with what we would encounter. The stop at Hoppies did not have a whole lot of value for me.
Below Hoppies and to Green Turtle Bay, you are on your own. I wish we had known more about Wing Dams, and we are really thankful that we met Bob and Patty Mitchell in Alton, who gave us a heads up on how to negotiate these structures. But on the Mississippi below Hoppies, Wing Dams are what will get you the security to spend the night on the hook. Forget the diversion channel and Angelo's, I am convinced that it is much easier to stick your nose in behind a good Wing Dam structure and check it out for an overnight off the channel. There are hundreds of wing dams, and they are very visible, unlike what my perception was before seeing them that they are submerged.
I was disappointed in Little Diversion Channel that everyone raves about. No one tells you that it is in a heavy industrial area of Cape Girardeau, MO with abundant tugs and barges in the vicinity.
The absence of refueling opportunities on the Rivers below Hoppies is real. Kidd's Fuel Dock at Mississippi River MM 51 is the only fueling opportunity available. This is Cape Girardeau, and is 107 miles below Hoppies. He delivers fuel to farmers, contractors, and vessels and is very busy. He wants 24 hours notice and his minimum with our flotilla was 75 gallons. We called him in the morning and he couldn't get us the fuel until the following afternoon. This puts a monkey wrench in your travel plans. Our flotilla bypassed Kidd's and had plenty of fuel to make Green Turtle Bay.
We were not prepared for what we saw on the Ohio. The amount of tow traffic on this River was way more than we anticipated. Cairo was unbelievable with the number of big tows and strings of barges. Thankfully the River is very wide here and that made it easier to navigate around the fleet.
Anchoring on the Ohio was more of a challenge than we thought. Luckily we found a good place out of the channel, but it was more by dumb luck than having expert knowledge.
The Locks on the Ohio are old and decrepit. Lock 52 is probably the worst Lock we have transited on the entire Loop, both in terms of infrastructure, and sadly, attitude. They no more wanted to see four upbound pleasure craft pull up to their Lock than they wanted to see a no notice Army Corps of Engineers IG inspection. We are nonetheless thankful that they sucked it up and put us through, but it was not something I have fond memories of.
Paducah has so much potential as a Looper friendly River town. The small town dock might be a start to attracting boaters to the downtown area if they could get their act together, but alas, on the day that four Looper boats wanted to stay there, it was not to be. There has to be someone in that town with the foresight to develop something for boaters!
Cumberland Towhead was a marvelous experience for us, but finding the anchorage from all the guidebooks was ambiguous at best. No one bothers to point out that there is a very large Cumberland Island and a very small island that is actually the towhead! It took a lot of deductive reasoning to figure this out, but we made it and enjoyed the quiet night up inside the anchorage.
Highlights of the Great Rivers? Cruising through downtown Chicago. Maybe better than coming into New York Harbor! Heritage Harbor Marina. Downtown Ottawa, IL and seeing the Park where the Lincoln-Douglas debate was held. IVY Club in Peoria and the pleasant and welcoming members and staff at the Club. Tying up to the barge at Logsdon Tug Service in Beardstown. This was just a neat experience and the staff could not have been nicer. Grafton Harbor Marina. Alton Marina. Both great places! The Reubling Hotel and Restaurant in Grafton. Bob and Patty Mitchell and their hospitality and information. Mac's Restaurant in Alton. Blue Owl Restaurant in Kimjswick, MO. The Cheese Shop in Ottawa. Cruising into St Louis and seeing the Arch! Meeting Fern Hoppie. Cruising with four other great Looper boats in Always Five O'Clock, Entree', Reunion, and sometimes Journey. It was like a family sharing all the experiences together! The great dock hands who met us at the marinas. Seeing a bald eagle on the Cumberland. Pleasant towboat captains. Getting a pump out when you REALLY need it.
Lowlights of the Great Rivers? Seeing neat towns with no facilities for boaters, hence said boaters could not stop in neat towns. The ugly odors on the Chicago River outside of downtown Chicago. Old rusting bridges outside Chicago. Flying carp. The Landings at Henry, IL. No marinas below Hoppies. Lock 52. The backup of tow traffic at the Ohio River Locks. Navigating through St Louis. Hoppies Marina. Dealing with whirlpools and standing waves on the Mississippi.
I am very glad to have the Great Rivers behind us. I appreciated our experience on these Rivers. Now, on to the Southern Rivers!
Thanks for Reading!
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