October 1:

So sorry to have been slow in posting.  Not good Internet.  Long busy days with all hands on deck at helm, navigating/observing, cleaning/meals etc.

Summerside II left Illinois River and entered the mighty Miss at Grafton, ILL.  Think I blogged about the 6 MPH currents with us and debris.  We got to Cairo and turned into the Ohio River for 50 miles or so and stopped at Padducah.  After that we went down the Cumberland to avoid a sloe lock on the Tennessee and reentered the Tenn River at top of Lake Barkley in KY and stayed at Green Turtle Marina where we discovered a water pump problem and had to lay up basically for 4 nights awaiting parts and installation.  Fortunately Green Turtle Marian was very nice with 3 bars/restaurants and while bad weather got to know several loopers we had met earlier.

We then left and came through a short 2 mile canal over from Lake Barkely to Kentucky Lakes/Tenn River and started down the very long 150 mile or so Kentucky Lake.  Several marinas and locks in the lake/river. All down the Tennessee we were going against a strong 2 MPH current due to river flooding in eastern Tenn state and coming to west into the river as the Tenn flows north into the Ohio and we were headed south.

At bottom of Tenn River we had to get into the Pickwick Lock where the dam was releasing a large volume of water at 104,00 Cubic feet per second and we had been told would be very turbulent and a 6 MPH current against us and that we should wait a couple days.  We had a great spaghetti dinner at this marina with all of our looper friends.  But after thinking over 3-4 boats followed us out at 600AM in dark and we braved it.  Turned out to be 2.5 MPH current most of the 50 miles there and as we approached dam/lock got to 4MPH but not to bad and we were able to get into lock approach and lock through fairly quickly like an hour. 

After Pickwick Lock we stopped at Harbour Marina at top of Tenn Tom Waterway and had champagne with our looper friends that crossed their wake.  Ont heir 47 foot Bayliner.  He went to WSU Medical school and practiced in Atlanta till retiring.

We have not been in many towns despite our best efforts to find an interesting one.  Tonight we are 50 miles down the Waterway so 400 miles to Mobile.  This is a very woodsy rural marina at Fulton, MS but great people.  Fulton downtown is really struggling but strong by X-Way.  We borrowed a courtesy car to go into town but when we got downtown it broke down.  Mayor saw us and gave us a ride back to marina where we got another car and went back and had barbecue at a sports bar.

Some pictures:

John Paul and Jim

                                                    Tenn Tom Lock 84 Ft Drop

                                          River Houses on Tenn River

                                         Top of Tenn Tom Waterway Mile 450 with Coconuts

                                         Paul and Jim at Green Turtle Restaurant

                                          John in Tenn Tom Canal

Summerside II departed Peoria on Wed Sept 19 after the three of us returned  from Lansing arriving about Noon at Peoria.

We ran 6 hours from Peoria and arrived at town of Havana, ILL nice little dredged out marina off the river.  Although riverboat spotlights shined in sometimes. Little town struggling but hanging in there,  Had dinner at Townhouse and had great conversations with the owner and young waitress.  We bought 3 bottles of Fourteen Hands good wine for total of $15.  Walked around town after dinner.  Extremely hot all night.

On TH we left at 600AM and ran 12 hours to Dockside Restaurant dock on lower Illinois River at Hardin, ILL.  Restaurant kind of acted as a community center.  We walked half mile to new Dollar store for supplies of beer, wine, diet coke, lunch meet, cheese, and breakfast supplies.  the town is very thankful to have a Dollar General store.

On FR we left at 800AM and ran 20 miles to the Big M Mississippi River at the confluence of the Illinois and Miss.  When we entered the Miss River our speed increased from our normal 7.5KN per hour to 11.3 Knots per hour.  The Miss River is truly mighty and the currents and eddys are scary.  We are at a very unusual for Sept flood stage on the Miss at Grafton where we reached the Miss River.  We went by Grafton and Alton which are very cure looking little towns up on hills especially Alton.  As we went downriver we went through two locks very quickly as they had a small rec lock and so no delays.  When the Missouri River joined us the current picked up even more and incredible big logs in river and other debris.  We went by St. Louis and kept going till 500PM when we arrived at Kimmswick and the Hopies dock which is private and 3 barges tied together that we tied up to, and note a 4th barge that sank by mistake just off the others.  I did a masterfull job of coming back up river and angling into dock and allowing a tie up in very rapidly moving water with currents and eddy's that were very powerful.  After exploring the old town a half mile away we had a few beers and returned to the boat to here the lcoal experts daily briefing on the River downbound as there are no marinas for 200 miles and after we enter the Ohio River and make it to Padducah.  Tomorrow night we will need to anchor out.  the Miss River is very fast and at flood stage and the Ohio is running at 4 MPH so we can only make 3.5MPH for the 50 miles in the Ohio.  This is a very dangerous run with only small anchorages behind sand bars and some of them are flooded out.  Also wingdams just below the surface and most bouys have been moved out of position by flood water.  Some are submerged and can pop up any time and currents can suck you into them.

We are now in Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn territory and looking for them as we need them. for guidance.  We think we saw their raft go by with a guy named Jim and are looking to have a drink with them tomorrow when we are on the sandbar. 

                                          Three of us at Hoppies, Kimmswick, MO

                                         River Briefing at Kimmswick,MO

                                                    Hoppies Dock at Kimmswick, MO

                                                    Paul on boat above.

                                          Above is Paul departing us in Chicago outskirts industry area.

                                          St. Louis

Hello:

Summerside II has been making steady progress going down the Illinois River.

She left downtown Chicago on Wednesday and we dropped Paul Pfeiffer on a small barge tied up on shore so he could walk up and get an Uber at Marine Salvage business and get going to Colorado.  Jim and John continued on to Harbortown Marina on Tuesday afternoon and stayed there.  It is a great little marina with good restaurant Jim and I had been at before when we drove the shore for carp marine research project for Mich Attorney General Office.  We went through Navy Pier Lock and then two others at Brandon Roads and at Lockport with minimal delays of say 1.5 hours at the latter two.

The next day TH Summerside II had a bad day due to delays at the Marseiilesis lock where we had to wait 6.5 hours to lock through and with 5 other looper boats.  We ended up locking through with Coast Guard Buoy Tender vessel.  There had been a 15 barge tow in the lock most of day due to having to lock 8 barges and then 7 barges and also due to them running out of hours of service for the key officers and needing relief crews so they sat in lock.  As result we only made it 30 miles out of planned 60 miles.  We also tried to cock at dusk at Ottawa City Dock but Coast Guard vessel had already nosed in there for night and as we approached he told us the entry to docks themselves was very shallow and to be very careful and so we went back upriver 3 miles to Heritage Harbour north of Ottawa City.  Saw some beautiful white pelicans on water marshes.

Note when we are running downriver we get 8.2 knots often which is .7 more per hour than normal 7.5.  In Mississippi we are told possible 5 knot current so we would get 12.5 knots per hour which is 15.0 miles per hour so smoking.  But in Ohio and Tennessee we will be against current so down to 5.5 knots per hour at best.

Friday morning Summerside II left for Peoria at 630AM with 80 miles to get there and one lock at Starved Rock and the lock was not bad at 1.5 hours.  We again went through with the other 5 loopers.  We made it in great time to Peoria's Illinois Valley Yacht Club where we got to know the 3 guys on Haley Rose and the husband and wife owners of Miss Utah and yes she was Miss Utah.  HMS Vagabond was with us to and a beautiful tug yacht but did not join us for dinner.  We hope tos ee them down the road.

Saturday morning Jim and John did various boat chores and packed up to leave boat and pick up our rental car (took Uber to go get it) from Enterprise. We then drove Sat afternoon back to Lansing.  We will be there couple days and pick up Paul to drive back to boat to resume trip.

Crew of the Summerside II

Summerside II set sail today from Michigan City, IN and arrived in the Port of Chicago near Navy Pier at 1145AM CDT.  Summerside II will depart Chicago at 700AM CST Wed AM and proceed some 50 miles down the Chicago River to Harbourside Marina.

We are staying in New Buffalo Sunday and possibly Monday because of high winds and waves in Lake Michigan. Waves up to ten feet or so reported in Chicago area. Our plan is to go late Monday or Tuesday to marina near Navy Pier in downtown Chicago.

Hello - here is a picture of Jim and Paul at Manistee - we stayed there all day as there were big waves as you can see - John

Hello- Picture of Paul on the boat - John

Captain at New Buffalo, MI

Hello - Over last few days we have come down the Lake from Muskegon - We arrived yesterday at St. Joseph with pretty good weather and minimal waves - this morning we left St. Joseph for New Buffalo and encountered some significant waves (4-5 footers) at the start but then it settled into 3-4 foot swell for the 3 hour run to New Buffalo and we arrived here about 1100AM - we may be here till Tuesday morning as there are up to gale force winds between us and Chicago - but we are looking foreward to leaving the Lake and entering the Chicago River - we took advantage of the layover here to clean the boat outside - John

Manistee

The crew spent yesterday in Manistee as the waves were pretty high.  They left Manistee this morning. John reported a 4 foot swell most of the way south, now passing Pentwater on their way to White Lake.  Waves diminishing.

Downtown Manistee

Yup - it was pretty rough.  7 foot waves reported.  Quiet in the river marina.

Girls  Party

Beginning the Loop Labor Day Weekend 2018

We know our trip will be full of adjustments.  The Summerside left Elk Rapids on Sunday morning and we (John and Paul) had an easy trip to Leland.  Dinner in Leland with friends and spouses and then we were planning on a Wednesday departure from Leland with all three crew.  However the weather looked good today (Monday) and not so good maybe on Wednesday so we left today, Labor Day.  Heading to Manistee. Jim will be joining us there.

Leaving Elk Rapids MI

Heading west in East Bay

Arriving Sunday in Leland MI

Overnight in Leland

Friends helping us go Monday morning.

Labor Day 2018

John and Paul 

We are getting ready for the SummersideLoop 2018 trip.  At Elk Rapids wearing our new crew shirts and making last minute preparations for our departure next week.