Year 2 Day 172

Today is Tuesday, September 18th and we arrived at Green Turtle Bay, Kentucky yesterday afternoon - finally!  After we left Hoppies we only traveled about 4 1/2 hours to a place recommended by Fern to tie up.  It was on the wall next to the Kaskaskia Lock.  Actually, there was a Corps of Engineers barge there and we tied up on it.  We expected other loopers to be there but we were the only boat there.  The lockmaster told us to keep our VHF on channel 14 all night in case he needed us to move due to the release of water from the dam but it wasn't necessary and we had a peaceful night.

The barge we tied onto

Queen Kathleen tied on barge

The dam in the background

After leaving this spot we headed back out into the Mississippi River which by the way was the worst cruising we've experienced.  The scenery wasn't attractive, the river turned and twisted so much that you couldn't look away for a minute and the barge traffic was incredible! 

A typical barge we passed

You can see how low the water is

by this rock

 The one good thing about it is the current pushes you so you gain a few knots in speed.  We had read about this in all our cruising guides so were expecting it.  Also, there are very few anchorages or marinas along this stretch so prior planning is a must. 

Our first anchorage after leaving the lock was at a place called Angelo's Towhead which was near the intersection of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.  Actually, this wasn't such a bad spot and another boat joined us later in the evening.  We left at 6:30 AM and headed up the Ohio River against the current.  The first lock on the Ohio was dicey as the lockmaster seemed to need a Xanex - he was wired and screaming at all 3 boats waiting.  In this lock, each boat had to raft up next to the other because the walls were cylindrical rather than straight.  We were glad to leave and headed to the next lock.  One of the boats was a fast boat and once they got to the next lock they had to wait for us.  I'm sure they weren't happy about that.

Finally we reached our next anchorage at a place called the Cumberland Towhead.  Once again we were the only boat there.  This was a beautiful and peaceful anchorage and the only negative was somebody shooting in the distance but that didn't last long.

Mike on bow at Cumberland Towhead

Sunset at Cumberland Towhead

We left early once again and headed into the Cumberland River from this anchorage.  This River was very beautiful and serene and the only negative today was the weather - overcast, cool and drizzly. 

Heading into the Cumberland River

Small church alongside river

Fisherman holding up his catch to show us

We had one more lock to get through before reaching Green Turtle Bay - the Grafton lock. 

Preparing to go through the lock - cute?

Entering the lock

Holding on to the bollard inside lock

We have paid for a one month slip here at Green Turtle Bay Marina and plan to fly to Washington, D.C. on Friday to pick up my car at our son-in-law's house and drive it back to San Antonio.  I have appointments with 3 surgeons to discuss knee replacement the week of October 8th and once this is done, we'll make a decision about whether to finish the loop now or later.