Great Loop Day 055 Oct 22, 2016, Part 2 of 2 Little Diversion Channel to Bean Branch Creek, Ohio River
Part 2 of 2 Little Diversion Channel to Bean Creek Ohio River
“You can’t argue with a river – it is going to flow. You can dam it up, put it to useful purposes, you can deflect it, but you can’t argue with it.“ – Dean Acheson
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Day 55 Saturday, Oct 22, 2016. Part 2 of 2. Last we left you the Sea Marie just traveled out of the thick fog. We have 48 miles of more Mississippi madness. The sun burned off the remaining fog and blue skies and sunshine greeted the voyagers aboard the Alberg 35 Mystic and the catamaran Mucho Gusto. For the last 2 days, I have been trailing behind in conserving my fuel for the big push on the upriver portion of the Ohio River. Remember there are no fueling docks between Hoppies in St Louis and Green Turtle Bay Marina on Barkley Lake in Kentucky. That's a distance give or take 250 miles. Boats must have fuel onboard to make the journey. Boats taking diesel have the option to fuel up at Cape Girardeau about halfway by way of a fuel truck that needs a couple of days' notice and will only deliver 200 gallons or more I heard. I have a gas engine that can take automotive fuel if necessary.
Downriver I travel keeping up with the big boys. Yesterday we passed Chester, Illinois, the birthplace of Elzie C. Segar, the creator of Popeye the Sailor Man.
Trivia question: Can you name all the lookalike nephews of Popeye? Answer below.
Ok, so I have sufficient fuel onboard in my four 5-gallon cans plus my main 6-gallon tank and 3-gallon auxiliary tank. I have to push it much faster and harder to keep up with the other big boats today. The Mississippi was running between 3 and 4 miles an hour. My hull speed is just around 6 mph. The bigger boats have longer hulls and their hull speed is faster. Meaning they can run faster with less demand on their fuel. Plus they have a larger fuel capacity than my 29 gallons total.
There were many unknown factors facing us today. Neither Dave, Scott nor I have ever done this stretch. We didn't know how fast we could travel going upriver on the Ohio River. The overnight anchorages listed in our guidebooks and online sources were unclear about what they are like with the conditions we would be facing. Both the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers have a wide range of river levels and it may be high in one spot and lower in another. Will we have time to make it past the new Olmsted Lock still under construction 16.2 miles up the Ohio River from the confluence? Where can we anchor if not? Not many choices here on the Ohio River. Barge traffic is heavy. They're slow but numerous. These are questions on all our minds while we are working our way down the mighty Miss.
Big Wet Mississippi Kiss
Some sections of the river get narrow. Making for a close call should a tow with barges come through. There's a bend in the river ahead and I see a small tow heading my way. But just behind him a larger tow, the largest I've seen. This large tow has 7 barges in front and is being pushed by a monster tug. The smaller one goes by on my port side. No problem. Now, the larger one. There are some big waves he's generating behind. I take a picture. The waves form hills of muddy water about 10 feet apart 3 ft high right behind the prop. It must take tremendous power to push those barges upstream against this current. We are in one of the narrow channels and I see side waves coming at me. At first, they look unassuming, surely, I have seen bigger waves on the Great Lakes. But as they approach there's something strange and scary about them.
There are only 4 or 5 of them traveling one behind another. I can see them getting bigger and growing taller. That is a huge volume of water that's rising right in front of me. There's nothing I can do but keep the boat pointing right at them and take the hit. The first wave gets under my bow sending it up. The rest of the boat now is being lifted on this wave. She crests the top and like a roller coaster at the top of the first hill slows a little then falls bow first on the wave’s backside in a huge trough. I clearly see the crest of the next wave and it's above my bow as she plunges at high speed into the center of the wave.
Water, lots of water starts to travel down on the deck. Past my anchor locker, over the forward hatch cover closed but not secured to the base of my mast tabernacle over the inflatable dinghy folded on the deck top. Around both sides on the companionway into the cabin and down on top of me sitting in the back of my cockpit. Feeling the wave pushing me back as I hold on tight to the tiller. Got to keep her straight. Three more waves in succession but not as violent, two smaller ones, then smoother waters. It takes a few moments to recollect my thoughts. Unbelievable. That's something I don't want to see again, ever.
Checking for traffic in front I hand the tiller over to the auto tiller. Time for a damage report. Down below the bath rugs are sloshing wet. The top bedding on the port side where I sleep is wet. The cushion under is wet but just the edge. My guidebooks splashed. Going forward, the kitty litter box is wet but only half. Further forward the closed containers and storage bins have pools of water on top. Some loose clothing gets drenched. My Huck Fin jeans with torn knees are all wet. The box holding the kitty food in cans is wet. Further up it looked dry. Out in the cockpit. My Canon DSLR camera got splashed. The navigation equipment is working. The cushions I was sitting on are all wet. And me, I had my wind pants on but my butt is wet. The windbreaker kept my upper body dry but my face wet. Grateful this occurred early in the morning they will dry out by the afternoon. And we have miles to go.
Look at the pretty wake!
At that distance, the waves should dissipate before reaching me.
Waiting for it…
Full-speed submarine plunge…
Quick recovery but the damage was done.
The other boats didn't seem to get the full brunt of these monster waves.
Beth was in the right spot to get those pictures.
As the day wears on Mystic and Mucho Gusto power ahead. I watch as I look for cut short to shorten my travel route to save seconds. I am hugging the inside of the turns while staying in the channel, avoiding the unseen shoals the best I could. There is a series of long bends before entering the Ohio River. We pass a few tows as they twist their slow way and I carefully work the corners.
Then ahead I see my buddy boats make a sharp turn to port. They must be in the Ohio River. I watched as their speed cut in half. We were told to take a wide turn into the Ohio River. There's shoaling at the point. I see the red navigation buoy. I cut it inside closely watching my depth. Was it going to be deep enough for me? There is only one way to find out.
Mucho Gusto with Scott at the helm and Mystic piloted by Dave have made the turn into the Ohio River.
We had plenty of water above us! We shaved off a few minutes going inside but I now feel what the buddy boats have felt. That Ohio River current is trying to push us to New Orleans and that is not the way we intend to go.
The Sea Marie and her occupants are officially on the Ohio River!
Goodbye, you muddy Mississippi, and no thanks for the big wet kiss.
The Ohio River is noticeably flat with no ripples no waves. And barges as far as the eye can see on both sides of the shore. But the current can be felt. Like going from a slippery waterslide to crawling in molasses. The more throttle I give it only gains a small fraction of forward speed. Eyes out for moving tows. Hard to find those moving from among the barges tied up on shore. These tugs are much smaller than the ones on the Mississippi. Looks like they just move barges around from one side of the river to the other and then back again. I keep moving watching my navigation app and looking for movement to avoid any collisions. Several miles upriver the barges thin out. The shoreline now has more vegetation. My buddy boats are but white dots out in the river ahead. I can't go any faster.
I make out a structure that goes across the river. We're nearing the new Olmsted Lock and Dam still under construction. Mystic and Mucho Gusto have stopped ahead and I can now catch up. We are waiting for the signal to continue thru the lock. A medium-sized barge is ahead of us and starts to enter, Scott follows. Dave goes ahead and I'm right behind. Because of the high water locking is not required. Just enter and power thru. The current is strong. I throttle up. Once out of the lock my speed increases but not by much.
Now it's a race to get to Bean Branch Creek and anchor before nightfall. Hour after hour watching the sun setting behind us. I have the GPS set for the creek. The anchorage is not inside the creek but alongside the shore in unprotected waters. We are fortunate the winds are not against us and what little breeze is felt is dying. I start to see Scott turning toward shore. There's a power-generating plant with tall stacks on the Illinois side on the left and vegetation on the Kentucky side with a couple of other tall smoke stacks on the Kentucky shore. The water appears calm but you feel the current. Getting darker now. The sun has set and still a long mile to go. Never anchored in the dark and I don't like to start now. Finally, Dave in Mystic sets his anchor on the port side of Scott in Mucho Gusto. I glide on Scott's starboard side. I'm in 10 ft then 9ft, time to slow down. I walk to the bow while the outboard is in neutral. Toss my anchor and let out the anchor line or rode to about 70 feet. Secure it to the bow cleat I return to the cockpit and go in reverse. There the anchor sets tight. I throw out the stern anchor as far as I can, slowly bringing in the rode until it’s tight. Tie it off on the stern cleat. It's an insurance policy for me, I can quickly see if there's slack then the bow anchor is slipping. Both are holding well. I set to secure my navigation equipment, set the anchor alarm on, and settle into the night in the cabin below. Just enough light to see. My bedding is damp but not saturated. Most of the other stuff was drying out except the rugs, Ugh! But, now it's Miller time. What a busy day but rewarding. Now for a relaxing dinner of beans and franks with a salad and to listen to how Mickey’s day went. Fair winds and gentle seas...
Geared up for maximum nighttime visibility on the Ohio River.
Popeye’s nephews. Pipeye, Peepeye, Pupeye, & Poopeye
Visit Beth’s Blog as she shoots the shots of the Sea Marie smashing the wave.
Cruising - Team Rogers: Kaskaskia Lock & Dam ~ Little River Diversion Canal
Comments from 2016:
Pogo Bob Sounds like you'll miss the Miss as much as I miss the Miss.
Good job, Cap'n. Life's fixin' to get easier!
Henry Krzemien RN Thanks Bob, plans changed again. Doing the Cumberland River. The lock on Kentucky Lake's reputation warrants this change. The Ohio River current got stronger going into the Cumberland island towhead. Managed 3.4mph for avg the last couple of miles. So glad I got that extra 11 gal gas in Metropolis.
Pogo Bob That's the way we went, too. Green Turtle Bay is quite convenient from the Barkley Lock.
Camille Sandrock Henry, I love following you and your journey; so exciting, and also a welcome distraction from this political nonsense!!!
Bob Meredith What Camille said.^^
Tim Hagan
Riding down the river with you is so interesting and exciting. I assume this will become a book. Thank you again for sharing. You are leaving me with plenty of fuel to make the journey.
Henry Krzemien RN Thanks, Tim. A book? Could be. I'd like to do this trip again, focusing on the people who make these rivers their home. Everybody has stories to share. This is middle America. These people have rich histories that go back generations. Their lives depend on these rivers. As I work my way deeper south I'll try to focus more on the people their culture and what they think will make America great again. Yes, I'm deep in Trump's country, but I'm getting a grasp that they know he's a con artist and they do not trust politicians in general. More to come.
David Myers Henry, are you sailing through Kentucky or Tennessee?
Pogo Bob, I can answer that David: Yes. Both. And before long, Mississippi and Alabama as well.
David Myers Well, I know Henry said he is sailing the great loop.
