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
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