Despite the low miles we needed to put in today we were up and out early. There were 2 locks between us and Green Turtle Bay, the marina we're getting hauled at, and one of them held us up for a couple hours on our way to the Ohio. Turns out both went swimmingly, doors open and waiting, and little other traffic around. We were docked in a slip by 1 pm. Shortest day since, well, Pittsburgh!
We said farewell to the Ohio River. We splashed into it on June 13th, and depart July 28. We traveled 925 miles both up and back. We saw some cute little towns, had some adventures, saw fireworks on the 4th of July, and ate at a number of interesting restaurants. However, I don't know we'd ever do it again. Mostly the Ohio is made for tows. It wasn't always like that, according to the locals. There use to be lots more marinas and eateries and "boat destinations." But over the years, flood after flood wreaking havoc, many were washed out or destroyed, and never rebuilt.
Sunrise in Golconda.
I didn't get to Paducah. We're hoping to get the courtesy van here and take a drive there over the weekend.
Once we get underway again we're on the Cumberland River. First we get to explore the lake, and the park area called The Land Between Two Lakes. Should be lots of anchoring opportunities, lots of lake-side restaurants, and (with any luck) swimming. We'll spend a bit of time in this area, exploring, while we slowly make our way to Nashville.
Total lock count: 48
This section of the Cumberland isn't all that scenic. All those white dots in the water? Dead fish.
The heat is soaring for the next few days so being in a marina feels good. Not just because we can plug in the boat and roar the AC all night long, but also because we don't have to dinghy the dog to shore in the heat. Much easier to just step off the boat to get her walked. Then hightail it back to the AC.
Hopefully today was last of the long days. But we do have 2 locks to get through tomorrow, one of which is known for it's tow traffic. Fingers crossed. Otherwise, we're only 55 miles from Green Turtle Bay. (Sounds like a cake walk compared to the last 3.)
Absolutely clear all day. No fog. Only one lock, which was opening as we arrived. In fact the only excitement to the day was the finale, docking here in Golconda.
This happened.
So to avoid the "Beverly Hillbillies on the Ohio", I did this. Not bad, for some dish towels and tape.
This is a bollard. It's inset in the lock wall. You tie a line onto it to keep from drifting while the chamber is filling or draining. It then floats. You can see our line on the lower pin. It stands over 6 feet tall -- they are big and sturdy.
The marina knew we were coming, and when. Russ talked to the dockmaster earlier in the day. They close at 4:30 however and we weren't sure we'd be there before then. So they gave us instructions on where to dock. We had options. Option 1 was the fuel dock. Option 2 was a t-head on one of the piers. We decided to wait and see.
You'd think the dockmaster would have mentioned "Oh, and they're dredging as we speak." We didn't get that surprise until we made the turn into the marina. Turns out, options 2 was blocked by the dredge pipes, and the dredge, itself, was between us and the fuel dock. Phone calls were made, negotiations took place, and we were told they'd stop dredging and come by. It looks all smooth in the video, but it was nice and slow in real time.
Needless to say, we're on the fuel dock.
The tow on the left is stopping for a crew change. We go in and immediately
stop ourselves. The working dredge made getting is a bit tricky.
A long day and a long evening which made for a late post. We're trying to get to Green Turtle Bay by Wednesday night for a haul out Thursday. Thus the long days. We stayed at the same marina we did on the way up largely because 1) they have a courtesy van and 2) there's a Costco in town. Thus the long evening. By the time the docking got done, the van got used, and the groceries were made (see "New Orleans Quaint Lexicons") it was 8:30pm when the day was finally over.
We started out in a pea soup. Between AIS and radar we weren't worried much about traffic. Tows are lit like Christmas trees and the occasional bass boat tends to stay out of the channel. But errant log were and always are an issue. So we moved a little slower until we were sure the fog had lifted.
Foggy, foggy, foggy... oh, we can see! Nope, foggy, foggy, foggy...
Two locks were traversed today. Both were a little slow. The first only had the big chamber working, the other was just really busy so we had to wait for the small chamber to lock down a small tow. The 2 locks added another hour to the day.
Pretty clouds in the sky, and nifty reflections on the water.
They were unloading this barged. I don't know what the contents were, but the dust flumes made it look like there was a fire. You can see the stuff on the banks. So... talcum?
Just beyond the second lock was a dredge. For whatever reason there were a cluster of tows coming, going, and waiting by it. We heard all sorts of traffic on the radio as we approached but once we got there we saw the issue: There were tows swapping out barges full of dirt and whatever got dredged and replacing unloaded barges for use. They were working so close to the channel, however, that the incoming tow kept drifting into it. Tows trying to get by (as we were) kept hailing them. "You gonna move that soon?" We managed to skitter by on the far side and stayed out of everyone's way.
The last lock and the dredge. Always somethin' on the water.
Out early this morning. Not only did we have a long day but we wanted to beat some of the tow traffic. The first (and only today) lock is just a mile from Louisville. We monitored the traffic and picked a "go" time, right around 7 am.
Our weather apps all warned of rain, but it never happened. It was a little overcast most of the day, clearing to hazy, then sunny. But hot! Temps in the high 80s and low 90s. When we woke at 6 am it was 80 degrees.
The Derby dock. Perfect for now. Wouldn't want to be here for a tornado, tho.
We did have a bit of a wait for the lock while they were turning it from having locked down a tow. We ate breakfast during that time. Otherwise, the trip in and through it was fine.
We passed a LOT of upbound tows in the first 2 or 3 hours. Then we were alone for a long while, having the river mostly to ourselves. We don't often play music since we want to be able to hear anyone hailing us, but today we did.
Russ put eyes in a couple of new lines. He'll swap them out for our current ones once we're off the Ohio River. They are getting stiff and a little frayed. They're sized larger than they need to be for our boat, so we're not in any risk. They are, however, tough to handle.
Most all the towns on the river have a marker post indicating past floods. Here, the most recent was 2018, as high as Russ's elbow.
When we left Louisville the plan was to anchor out at Sinking Creek, which we did on our way up. But Russ read about a small town dock in nearby Derby, just a few miles up river. We do like to do new things. Reviews were mixed, some liked it, some thought it was rickety, and most everyone complained there weren't enough cleats. We decided to take a quick spin by first to assess.
It's longer than most, about 100 feet. But it's tucked between a large cement landing and some old cells. So you have to approach it directly, then spin to get onto it. Sadly, it took us a couple of attempts. The cement landing mucked with the current enough that inQuest didn't behave they way I thought she should. But we did get it done.
From the helm looking out at the "landing."
This was a big win, though. The dock is next to a park, which makes easy dog walking. And the only restaurant in town, The Derby Tavern, was open. So we got a cooked meal and a beer, which is nice after a long day.
We waiting longer than I like. In fact I was sure they forgot about us.
Turns out the drop is 34 feet. So it took a while to fill the chamber.
After our long day we agreed we'd spend a day here. That way we'd get to walk across the 4 Brothers Bridge again and eat pizza in Jeffersonville. Fun fact: It was named after Thomas Jefferson (you may have heard of him) who helped architect the town layout. He recommended a checkerboard grid, where every other plot was parks and trees to help keep the air fresh and healthy. Ahead of his time, if you ask me.
Russ got a drone a while back. While he's played with it on land, this is its first
test on inQuest. We're very leary of it. See, if it loses it's signal it's programmed
to "go home." That is a GPS location. And if the boat's moved... you see where
I'm going with this. So, while docked in Rising Sun, he made this.
inQuest is on the right, in the city marina.
We have an appointment to get the boat hauled in Green Turtle Bay, which is at the top of the Cumberland River. That is Thursday. Which means we need to arrive there Wednesday night. So we have 4 days to get 400 miles. So, some long days ahead. The days will be hot, too, so being in an AC cooled boat isn't a hardship. We are hoping for some big currents.
The heat's gonna kick up again. That will play havoc with us later this week, we're sure. But for now, we're plugged in and very close to downtown. We're not at the same marina, this one is run by the city. Upside: close to everything. Downside: zero security. We're not worried about us or the boat but that does mean anyone and everyone can walk around the boats. Last night, an over-zealous looky-loo wanted to take a selfie... on our boat. We were not amused.
The day started off a bit dense. Lots of fog. We ran on instruments for quite a ways, AIS and radar, and kept an eye out for logs and trees in the water. A while ago we bought some "night time" glasses for the RV; very yellow lenses. They help tremendously in foggy conditions.
Foggy start to the day
By the time we got to the only lock of the day, the fog had lifted. The small chamber was broken so we had to wait for the big one, which was being loaded from below as we approached. The lock master said it would be an hour or so. I stood station by the cells while Russ made us 2nd breakfast, some soft boiled eggs.
Sunset in Louiville.
We did have a slight panic sitch in the lock. Recall that these locks have floating bollards. We tie a line from our beam onto the bollard which keeps you on the wall as you go up or down. But we are aware that, every now and again, bollards don't work. A branch might catch, causing it to jam, for example. We became aware the lock was emptying. Instead the line was tightening and the bollard was not moving. We'd been in locks where folks had to cut lines to free the boat, and they literally fell into the water. Not something we'd like to experience. Quickly, Russ managed to untie it (catching it early enough to do so) before we needed to cut our line. Just as he did, the bollard began to sink with the waterline. A-ha...
You can't see it from here due to the camera angle but for a moment
we were a little worried....
Every pool's table can vary. And at times the water is so high it fills, or even overflows, the chambers. In which case they close the locks. But the bollards float, and no one wants them to pop out of their notches and float downstream, or even land on the lock's decks. So they have stoppers on them, a massive bar across the top that keeps them from getting too high. We like do call it "ringing the bell", like the game in fairs when you hit the peg hard enough. In this case the bell had been rung, the bollard was pegged due to the high waters. We just didn't notice it. Trust me, we will now. We tied back up and rode without any more drama.
Sailboat, pulled by a tiny boat
Now a little sad story (spoilers, not about about us, we're fine) ...
Yesterday, while docked in Rising Sun and watching Mac fly his seaplane, we saw a sailboat coming down the river. That is noticeable since there are very few sailboats around these parts. As it came closer we realized it was being towed by a very small boat. They passed us, continuing down river. The sail boat looked pretty nice, but it appeared that it's engine just didn't work. The towing boat, however, looked woeful for the task.
Fast forward to the lock today. As we entered the lockmaster chatted with Russ, telling him there would be a small delay since we were waiting for a sailboat.
OMG! Sailboat with little boat rafted to him.
Yes. That sailboat. In they came, but now the little boat was rafted to the sailboat instead of towing it. They slowly maneuvered onto the lock wall, and down we all went.
We got in late (for us), around 5:30 pm. The delay at the lock, waiting for the tow then the sailboat to get in, cost us over an hour. We were tired. We ate some dinner, we took a walk, and we went to a nearby brewery. A nice evening. We went to bed around 9 only to be woken up by fireworks around 9:45, which we came up to the sky lounge to watch.
... and in they came. That poor sailboat, rafted to his underpowered motor aid, passed us in the dark of night and headed to the other marina. I felt so bad for them. THAT's a long day.
We're over half way down the Ohio. So far it's taken us about half the days as it did to get up.
We do have a small leak on the boat. Recall Russ replaced the water pump on the port engine? Well, now the starboard engine's pump is leaking. I hear you asking, why doesn't he just replace that with the spare one he ordered? And that is the difference between you and Russ. He did have a plan. He ordered a rebuild kit to simply fix the old pump, and -- if the starboard one didn't fail quite so quickly -- we would have a spare. He's ordered another pump AND another kit, so we'll have more pumps than we'll need in another 5 years. Hopefully.
Sunrise today. A tow is headed up river.
Only one lock, Meldahl. When we came up this is the lock that held us up for 4 hours. We monitored traffic as we approached. No tows were down bound, as we were. But several were up bound. The timing was perfect -- as one of the big tows left the chamber, we got to go in. The little chamber wasn't working.
Another great travel day. Highs in the low 80, nice breeze, and no haze or fog, like we've had for the last couple of days.
We switched jobs docking. Russ handled the boat while I handled the lines. We both could use the practice doing the other job and the conditions were perfect for getting it done. Russ did better than I did, sidling inQuest up to the dock. But my line skills are woeful.
Just because I thought that sunrise was so cool...
Lots of bridges through Cincinnati. I do love that town. Very San Francisco-esque.
Russ docks, while I do the lines.
While in Rising Sun, Mac's Seaplane was getting a work over. He didn't quite
get airborn in this try, but eventually he was flying up and down the Ohio.
Clearly, we're slowing down a bit. No locks today, so as this pool drains and the levels drop, we're not going quite as fast as we had been. Still over 9 knots. And there's still high water below us. Once we pass the next lock I suspect we'll speed up again.
Just past the Portsmouth is the Shawnee State Park. We stayed there on the way up with the intention of fueling up. However the depths were too low for us to get to the pump, which added to our frustrations later about not getting diesel. However, the river is high now. We called them and confirmed, yep, they got both depth and fuel. We stopped and tanked up.
Hazy days of summer.
The rest of the day was pretty dull. We were on the water for a long time again, but making really good progress. Decided we needed to eat some meal on the boat, so stopping in Augusta, a place we'd already explored, made sense.
Augusta, right from the boat.
Besides the constant dodging of large chunks of wood and trees, we didn't have too much excitement
When we came up I had an entry saying we stayed in Portsmouth. Technically, we were close, staying in a state park, but it was too far to get to town. This private boat club is right outside the town walls. The flood walls here are known for their murals. They are some of the best we've seen, but pictures didn't do it justice. Google them!
Long day, nearly 9 hours. But the water and air were pleasant, and there was just a little haze which kept the temps down.
The day started a little foggy, turning into hazy. There's a lock out there, somewhere.
For whatever reason the water remains high. In fact, it's 10 feet higher than its normal pool in Portsmouth. That means we get great speed with a small amount of fuel. We're motivated to put in a couple of extra hours daily and getting twice as far as we did when we came up.
Got through 2 locks today. The first of which was easy except for the entry light. We approached the lock in the fog, so we could just make out the red light and slowed. Typically that mean the doors are shut. When we got there, the fog lifted a bit, and we clearly saw the doors open and waiting. Yep. I rolled my eyes.
The second, however, was a near bummer. As we got within 3 miles of the lock, our typical distance to hail them, a tow wanting to be locked up (Bruce D) hailed them. We could tell by our AIS that another tow, Fritz (still the best boat name), was already in the chamber (which would be the BIG one). The lockmaster asked how big Bruce was, and it was settled he could fit in the small chamber. DRAT!!!! Knowing that meant we'd have to wait for him to come up before we could lock down we immediately hailed the lockmaster in case the chamber happened to be on our side already. Alas, he told us it would be a while.
This is a mixed message. The first lock had the doors open, but if you look to the left the red light is on. In the fog as we approached, we only saw the light.
We slowed down, hovering a ways from the lock since we knew Fritz was coming out eventually. The lockmaster hailed us, telling us to stay near the cells (big round structures meant for barges). We'd were just beyond them, so we turned back. We came up with ideas how to tie onto one and hang off. They are really nasty, and not at all meant for little boats. We decided we'd be better off standing station for the next hour or so.
Fritz had made it up and was coming out of his chamber. Meanwhile, Bruce D wasn't anywhere near the chamber. Tows move very slowly getting into and out of the lock. Watching the AIS and Bruce's painfully slow entrance, the lockmaster hailed us again. No tows needed to go down anytime soon so he offered to lock us through in the big chamber.
Russ is pushing off a tree. These were coming down the river all night in Point Pleasant. We finally moved the boat around 9 pm behind the dock and onto the wall to avoid being rammed with trees all night long.
Woo hoo!
So we only had a half hour delay or so. We got in and docked without any other issues.
Total lock count: 40
We can't see the lock until we're close to it.
Then the red light confused us...
We get called off, turn around to check out the cells, which we hated.
Once called in we passed Fritz on his way out, and take the BIG chamber.
A friendly local took this pic of us in Parkersburg. Thank you, Shawna Bolin!
You make a lot more progress when you go fast! This day's map shows our path in red because we averaged over 11 knots most of the day.
This comes with a price, however. We're rocketing because the water is high. In places, as far as we can tell, 4 -5 feet higher than when we were here 2 weeks ago. What's odd is, yes, we had a couple days of rain, but not all day long. It's amazing how the water accumulates in the river. No wonder the big floods are so remembered.
So, all the problems we had a week ago where "we can't get to a wall due to lack of depth" are now "we can't get to the wall because it's underwater." Go figure.
We did put in a longer day, to be honest. Nearly 8 hours. When we docked last night in Parkersburg we noticed the ferry's exit strategy and then used it ourselves. Hey, learn from the professionals, I say. Spin hard, keeping the nose on the wall (well, we have a fender there) and pull the stern away, then back out until you can finish the turn down river. It worked well.
Pomeroy, when we came 2 weeks ago. Note the water line.
Pomeroy as we went by today.
Us and Chasin' 80 on the town wall of Point Pleasant. First time in a while we shared a dock with anyone!
I confess, while all the cities and town on the Ohio have been quaint and cute and historic, the lack of "boat infrastructure" is frustrating. True, we're spoiled living near the loop, where every marina has fuel and water and pump-outs. We got pumped out in Marietta yesterday, which was an accomplishment, but now we need some fresh water. We called a number of places we passed but no one has water. When our water pump broke we bought a palette of spring water for drinking and doing dishes, so we do have a back up for a while. But, fingers crossed we're more successful tomorrow.
Why didn't we just get water when we pumped-out? Because... reasons...
From departure to the first lock. Most of the "jigging" you see us us avoiding
logs and trees in the river. In fact, we had to push past a massive cluster
Not many times we can say, "It was a great day!" All around. The storms had passed, the air was both cooler and dryer, locks, tows... all just perfect.
... but if I had to nitpick ...
We hoped to spend a couple of days in Marietta again. We really enjoyed that town, and while there we thought we'd get another top off on fuel to take us the rest of the way down the Ohio. However, the boat club yacht that we used last time (recall, we ordered a fuel truck to deliver the diesel) put a boat in the spot we'd need. Moreover, we really wanted to go eat again at 740 Social which had the most amazing Buffalo Cauliflower Wings. But they were closed Sunday and Monday. We took that as a sign that we weren't meant to repeat things we'd already done. We needed to pump out, so we got that accomplished then continued down river to Parkersburg.
Parkersburg has a flood wall. Note the flood marks.
Got on the wall without a problem. I'd been craving pizza for a while so we found a place that delivered. About an hour later they showed up with the wrong pizza, but the right salad. We ate that while waiting for the replacement 'za. Which was dang tasty.
We did get hailed by another tow captain who liked the looks of our boat. That's the third or fourth time on this trip. Russ thinks it's because inQuest's profile is a little tow-boat like, and they seem to like that aesthetic.
Total Lock Count: 36
Looking back up the Ohio from where we came.
This floated by while we were on the wall. You can't tell but it's a tree. Submerged.
When we came down this way about a week ago we tried to get on the town wall at Sistersville but were unable to due to the depth (specifically, lack thereof). As we made our way the next day there was a regatta in New Martinsville, which wasn't that much further. If we knew about it we would have just shot for New Martinsville and watched the races. How cool would that have been? (Our biggest frustration with the Ohio River is the lack of information about it, everything from fuel, to eats, to town walls and anchorages are missing. Future boaters, Quimby's isn't all that useful. Just sayin'.)
Armed with this knowledge we made a point of stopping here on the way back. Someone had mentioned great pizza here (thank you, Kim King), which was an enticing lure, but we opted for the Dos Hermanos Mexican restaurant which over looked the river. They had Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo. Not the best we've had (the winner is still Owensboro, which I'm looking forward to having again), but very good. They had a covered patio outdoors which allowed us to watch the storms go by.
Great patio at Dos Hermanos
We got through 2 locks today without incident or hold up. As we approached each of them the doors were opening. We did notice a lot more tows today. In fact we'd say it was a record. On two occasions we held back a bit while one tow passed another before we made our pass, and those happened within an hours time.
Our only adventure of the day was at moment one, when the port engine would NOT start. Russ checked the battery; nope, not the problem. Then he checked the starter relay. This happened on Cat-n-Dogs once, and on the very same engine. He jumped it, it started. He even has a replacement relay which he installed in the evening.
The kids left today, disembarking their river cruise with us to fly to Europe. Like many, they believe they will be called back into the office in September, so they're fleeing to get in some global travel. We wish them the best. They were great guests.
After much changing of minds -- whether we should explore the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers or not -- we opted for not. We really want time to explore the Tennessee River, and we're concerned the weeks spent up here would mean not enough time down there. So. Back down the Ohio we went.
I can barely see where we're going.
The current runs with us now, which is exciting. We're getting 9.5 knots without really trying. Our gas mileage should greatly improve.
While the weather was great when we left thunderstorm plagued the day. We managed to get through the first 3 locks without dealing with rain. Recall those were the odd "use your own ropes" locks. All of them went perfectly, doors open or opening as we approached.
The fourth lock of the day, New Cumberland, had a downbound tow waiting (The Olivia Rose... what a great name). We were told after they got locked through they'd flip the lock for us. Right about that time the weather took a bad turn, with winds kicking up into the mid-20 mph, lightning, and rain. I heaved a sigh... nothing like standing station but to do it in a deluge was not my idea of fun.
Tied in front of the Olivia Rose. If you look you'll see two men huddled under the covers of the barge to stay dry.
The lockmaster hailed the Rose and told them they may close the lock of lightning gets to be a problem. Understandably. Then he asked the Rose what he was pushing. Only 3 barges, no "red flags", meaning no hazardous material. "Would you mind if the rec boat locks through with you?" (That would be us.) "So long as they leave the lock first that would be fine." "inQuest, did you get that?" Oh, boy, howdy, did we!
Olivia Rose slowly made it's way into the chamber, and we followed, keeping a safe distance behind. The weather worsened. I could no longer see the lock. I could see the lights on the Rose and some lights on one of the lock walls. I was thankful they let us follow the tow in largely because I wouldn't really know where the heck we were.
Lightning flashed a couple of times. The lock called the Rose, telling them to tie up on the wall then send their crew inside. We were going to wait this out. "That goes for you, too, inQuest. Tie on the long wall." Copy that.
On the wall, Russ is talking to some kayakers who came down from Pittsburgh too.
We waiting about 20 to 30 minutes while the storm passed over. Then they called us into the lock. The Rose was already tied off and good to go.
For whatever reason I failed to recall I was slowly making my way past a massive engine. Suddenly inQuest lurched to the right. Russ called, "Go faster!" I didn't see the churn the tow was giving off and it nearly pushed us into the starboard wall. We managed, no damage, we really didn't even get that close, but it was a stark reminder of how powerful those boats are. And just a little scary.
We aim for our favorite pin, #4. We count them out as we enter the chamber, and there are 6 in total. The Rose is on the port wall, and take up most of it, so we're on the starboard. As we approached the pin, however, Russ realize there was no bollard there. We move forward to the next bollard, but THIS chamber only has 5 pins, and that last one is really close to the doors. Russ notices that the one right in front of the Rose is available. So we take it.
Otherwise, the lock went smooth as silk and the weather passed. We had another 15 miles to go or so before our destination, the town wall in Wellsburg.
This movie starts at the 4th lock of the day. You can see a bit of bobble passing the tow.
Trust me. It was more than a bobble! You can also see how rainy the day was.
Pittsburgh, as seen from the top of the Duquesne Incline. The Incline is a funicular car that goes up a very steep hill.
Up the hill you go, as the other car comes down. The 2 cars are connected, pulling each other up.
Russ and I have electric scooters. Brie and Harsh rented Spins. Great way to see Pittsburgh.
The Point is where the water fountain is, and marks the location of Fort Pitt. This river is the Allegheny. inQuest is just in the pic, on the far left.
