Great Loop Day 051 Oct 18, 2016, Alton Marina to Hoppies Marina, Kimmswick, Missouri
Great Loop Day 051 Oct 18, 2016, Alton Marina to Hoppies Marina, Kimmswick, Missouri
Alton Marina to Hoppies Marina, Kimmswick, Missouri
The face of the water, in time, became a wonderful book- a book that was a dead language to the uneducated passenger, but which told its mind to me without reserve, delivering its most cherished secrets as clearly as if it uttered them with a voice. And it was not a book to be read once and thrown aside, for it had a new story to tell every day.
Mark Twain, “Two Ways of Seeing A River,” 1883
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Day 51 Tuesday, Oct 18, 2016. Three nights here at Alton Marina and the winds from the south have diminished. For the past 2 days, strong winds have created havoc on the Mississippi. I am glad not to have faced those waves for hours. But now, the weather cooperates, it's time to move on. Untied the dock lines and headed out of the marina and went with the river flow.
This morning the river is calm making it pleasurable to be on the water. 2 locks, Melvin Price and the Chain of Rocks Lock 27 and then in the distance, the St. Louis Gateway Arch will be in view before reaching Hoppies Marina, the last gas stop for the next 250 miles.
"As part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, the Gateway Arch serves to commemorate the accomplishments of 19th-century westward pioneers and celebrate the city's role as the 'Gateway to the West." according to the website.
How about those of us heading south? Do we get a gateway to the south? While we are asking questions why aren't the St Louis Cardinals not named the St Louis Archies?
The Skipper Bob's Guidebook warned us to be on the lookout for lots of barge traffic in this area. With the increased barge traffic around me seeing the Mel Price Lock open to accept this little sailboat was delightful. Having heard boater stories of waiting hours for passage was on my mind. But not this time, not for me. I was the lone recreation craft to enter the smaller of 2 locks that are side by side. And the drop was only about 5ft making for a quick descent. Had a slight problem snagging the floating bollard. 2 attempts failed as the pesky gusts of wind kept pushing the bow away from the lock wall. Reversed the engine, backed up, position the bow, shift forward got it on the third time. The lockmaster radioed me to be aware a tow with barges heading out of the larger main lock was moving toward my direction and didn't want me to be caught between him and another barge near shore. Thanked him for the information and slowed to observe the distance and direction this large tow was taking. I steered behind the tow. When all looked clear ahead I passed on his starboard side.
Back in the Mississippi River. The river here has a 3 to 4 mph downstream current and was going to take full advantage of that. My speed was 8 mph on less than half-throttle. Thought I should be getting more but kept that speed as I progressed trying to use as little fuel as possible and still maintain my position.
The Mississippi River current has a more pronounced effect on the boat than on the Illinois River. I could well feel the pull from side to side and that requires more diligence. The auto tiller steers a magnetic compass course and when the current slowly pushes you 10, 20 ft to one side or the other the auto tiller keeps pointing the rudder on that same course line only now you are pointing to a bridge abutment or anchored barge dead ahead. Another 5 - 10 degree course correction fixes that. Looking at my navigation phone app shows the confluence of the mighty Missouri River entering the Mississippi on my starboard nearby.
The Skipper Bob Guidebook is telling me to be cautious of turbulent waters. As I get closer I feel the boat sway towards the shore on my port. The auto tiller compensates and keeps me on track. This part gets tricky. You see the wide river before you but Skipper Bob says to steer to port and take the Chains of Rocks Canal and Lock 27. Giving a stern warning you better not go straight as there are rapids ahead. As I search the banks I don't see any warning signs. But then, there up ahead is a large sign on an island with an arrow directing all boats to bear left into the canal. Without hesitation, I steer left. The current slows down, my speed slows to 5mph. A little more throttle gets me to go 6mph. That feels fine. Along the right bank are large black pipes floating on small barges. I see a larger ship from the Army Corp of Engineers with workers moving about. My assumption is they are dredging pipes used to clear the channels. I move along this straight as an arrow canal keeping an eye out for upbound tows.
Several miles down this canal I make out the dam and Lock 27. I switch the handheld radio on to channel 12. A woman's voice is heard. A few minutes later I realize she is the lockmaster directing tows for a double-lock channel. I call on the radio. No response, call again, no response. I call on the phone using the phone number in the guidebook. A female answers, it's the same voice as on the radio. I tell her I'm a sailboat heading downbound and where would she like for me to go. Take the left lock, and float inside. The floating bollards are too high for me to use. A quick look behind me and I see a barge coming down. There's chatter between the lockmaster and that barge. Appears there is another powerboat behind him. The lockmaster alerts the barge she is going to let the powerboat in the lock with me. The barge captain agrees and slows down. The powerboat enters the lock and like me is told to float near the center of the lock away from either wall. The upriver gate on this lock is operated by huge chains and doesn't swing but raises and lowers the gate. There's a rumbling noise coming all around and the rear upriver gate rises a few feet above the water level. Water is released and we go down.
A few minutes later the front swing gates slowly open. This drop was about 5 ft. The signal is sounded and we can depart. I leave first and the powerboat soon follows. As we clear the lock channel the powerboat passes me and I see the name, Bob Tale on the transom and is flying a looper burgee. I've seen this boat before on the Illinois River near Harding some 4 days ago. I continue.
Bridges ahead and just beyond the St. Louis Gateway Arch come into view. Now the river from the rapids meets the canal I'm in and my speed increases to 9.2 mph on little more than a quarter throttle. Sweet! Camera out I'm ready. Several tows are heading my way but the river here is wide. We all stay clear of each other.
The Gateway Arch comes into view. I want some part of the Sea Marie to be in the picture, I line up my angle sitting in the back of the cockpit and I get my shots.
The river is getting a bit cantankerous, winds pick up from the south, and waves are forming. Using the current and adding my boat speed, I blast thru them getting sprayed every now and then. The city of St. Louis is leaving behind me. What a quick hello and sudden goodbye. Now to look out for these barges. They are everywhere. Most are moored but some are moving. The river is wide enough to avoid them and I continue on for it is 15 more miles to Hoppies.
At 3 miles from Hoppies Marina I give them a call on the cell phone. A woman answers and they have room for me. She tells me to make my turn at the center of the long dock. You have to approach Hoppies going upstream. The fuel dock is visible as I disengage the auto tiller, turn the rudder hard to starboard, make my 180-degree turn into the current and maneuver just above the pump. It dawns on me how much this current has been helping me now I am doing everything to fight against it as I struggle upstream to go alongside the fuel dock. More throttle, a little more. I'm moving forward. Ray is there to catch the bow line and ties me off. I hand off the stern line to another person and together they walk the boat back to the pump.
Dock lines secured I can now stop the outboard motor. I reach down and take out the main tank and top it off with marine gas. 42 miles and only used 2.3 gallons. I'm pleased. I make arrangements to spend the night. I ask if it's alright if I can dock on the inside dock and Ray agrees. It's very rocky when a tow passes by and sends out the waves. However, this is a floating dock; the same thing will happen on the inside dock but with slightly less trauma. With some help from a few people standing on the dock, I bring the Sea Marie around to the inside dock. I add an additional fender to the starboard side and tie off my usual lines, bow, stern, and 2 spring lines. Still rocking like crazy. Another stern line goes on. I plug my shore power cord into a strange-looking receptacle I question and the microwave beeps with joy and the boat fan spring to life. We have electric power.
The dock is incredible, much like something from Mel Gibson’s post-apocalyptic Road Warrior movie. Pieces and parts of steel barges cabled and welded and squeaking and clanking like no tomorrow. Never seen anything like it. I heard the dock pieces were found in a scrapyard. Old rug remnants line the sides. Welded steel plates over where these floating barges meet.
I take a self-guided tour of the shore facility. No showers. No wifi, the restroom is up a long ramp onshore in a darkened corner of a dilapidated garage/storage building, sink with no running water, and hasn't seen any in years. The sign over the only toilet reads, “Don't throw toilet paper in the toilet. Septic.”
Back on the floating dock, the dock cleats are made from a mishmash of welded metal. I don't think there are 2 alike. Behind the old gas pump under a metal awning are various mismatched chairs and a coffee table if you want to call it that with an ashtray full of old cigarette butts. Off to the side is an old telephone booth. One of those with a folding glass door. No phone, used for storage of what I can only guess.
You got to love this place! Yes, it's crude, steampunk, but you get the feeling it was put together with love.
Word is getting out among the boaters Fern will be coming down to the dock.
Fern Hopkins and her husband Hoppie are living legends among the great loopers. Once a year Fern and her husband or her daughter Debbie will travel this section in a houseboat or in a boat she owns and travel to Green Turtle Bay Resort to collect information and conditions on the river and presents it to the boaters going downriver. It's over 250 miles and help is very limited. There are no fuel docks between Hoppies and Green Turtle Bay Resort and that is the main reason I have onboard four 5-gallon gas cans along with the 6-gallon main and 3-gallon auxiliary tanks. Once you hit the Ohio River all the way to Green Turtle it will be upriver and you better have enough fuel to get you there.
This is where Fern Hopkins comes down in her golf cart to give the boaters a briefing on what to expect going down the Mississippi River, up the Ohio River, up the Tennessee River, or up the Cumberland River to Green Turtle Bay Marina. There will be at least 5 or 6 nights of anchorages before that. Fern, at the age of 79, knows this river and has by the looks of it for the past several hundred years. Heed her words well, sailors.
A heavy smoker, Fern has the mental vitality and wherewithal of a person half her age. Her face is carved by the character of this river. Her voice is sure and steady as the boat she pilots through the turbulence of life's misgivings.
She gives us a heads-up on the submerged rocks, underwater wing dams, and whirlpools. Whirlpools??!!! The Sea Marie has seen her share of submerged rocks in Lake Huron, and wing dams on the Illinois River but whirlpools? No sir, we sure haven’t had any encounters with whirlpools. Fern told us how to take them on and survive and we all were grateful for the knowledge she bestowed on us.
Soon after the briefing, the riverboat American Queen silently rolls past us as she makes her way downriver from her berth in Alton.
The adventure really starts at this point. Everything prior was a prelude, a warm-up, and an easy-peasy shake-down cruise. What I did right and what I did wrong will now be tested in actual combat situations. Alliances among the loopers on this dock will be formed for better or for worse. For the next 5 or 6 days, this band of boaters will travel together, anchor together, share knowledge, tell stories, encourage, support, and help each other with the common purpose of reaching our destination, Green Turtle Bay Resort. Water-bound pilgrims on a quest. Determined crusaders seeking sanctuary. We are now buddy boaters.
There are 3 other boaters here, all loopers. The powerboat, Bob Tale, an Alberg 35 sailboat, the Mystic with her mast lashed down on the deck, and a large catamaran Mucho Gusto with no sail, no mast. Some will leave tomorrow and some, like me, stay another night till the storms pass on Thursday. More about the Captains and Admirals that inhabit these vessels later. There are a number of things I need to prepare for this part of the journey so until later... Fair winds and gentle seas.
Comments from 2016:
Ed Kowalski Looking good! Good thing you waited. Patience is key.
Henry Krzemien RN Thanks, Ed. Learned a lot about patience from you during our rock climbing days. And never ever take unnecessary risks.
Bernie Sokolowski Wow! So cool. Be safe!
Henry Krzemien RN Thanks, Bernie! Safety is priority one.
Sherry Thaler Hey Henry, love the photos of the St Louis arch. Enjoy the fall scenery on your journey & continue to be safe. BTW how's Mickey doing, getting more used to the waves & wind?
Henry Krzemien RN Thanks, Sherry. Well, I reached an area where the water never freezes in the winter.
Henry Krzemien RN Btw Mickey's doing fine. Constantly exploring each new dock we tie up to. Have to watch him all the time.
Sherry Thaler, You know the saying about curiosity & cats.....LOL. BTW checked the Weather Channel app for Imperial Mo & saw the radar & assuming you're hunkered down today, yes?
Henry Krzemien RN Yes. Might be some severe storms. NWS asking weather spotters to report any damage. Got my tarps up on the boat. Ready to watch the debates tonight.
Scott Stanley Sikorski Hoping the weather stays warm for you until you get farther south.
Henry Krzemien RN So do I! Scott. One good thing Ray from the Marina says the water never freezes here. Must be below the frost line.
Sea Marie settles in for the night. Mickey was fine staying on board and sleeping most of the time.
