The sun makes almost everything better. As do “The Beatles.” Play this whilst you read on: Continue reading “Here comes the sun (and I say, it’s all right) 10/13/17-10/14/17”
We squeeze in one final day of summer on the Kentucky Lake, find a hidden water bed on board our boat and then get rudely pushed into fall. Continue reading “Summer comes to an end and Lucky has a water bed (10/10/17-10/12/17)”
Start 9/8/17: Chicago, IL, (Dusable Marina).
End: 10/7/17: Green Turtle Bay, Grand Rivers, KY
Major Milestones:
Finished Illinois, Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Two more to go.
Three states. Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri.
Total miles to date: 2,308.41
Total miles this month: 589.72. Moving out once again. Current on the Mississippi was fantastic! Ohio current? Not so much.
Total moving time: 128.52 hours
Average Speed: 4.6 kts. Speed is hampered by the hours of waiting at locks to get through. Average miles/Day for month: 19.65
Longest Miles in a day: 70.1 Kaskaskia Lock and Dam to Little River Diversion Canal. Mississippi current really helped.
Longest duration in a day: 12:05 Boston Bar (Mississippi) to Lock 53 (Ohio). Includes waiting for six hours to lock through.
Number of nights in marina: 19
Number of nights at lock wall/barge/anchorage: 11
Number of locks: 13
Number of locks we shared with a tow and barges: 1
Number of locks in which we floated: 3
Number of boats in lock 53 that were floating with us: 12
Number of locks and hours spent waiting for locks1:
- On the Illinois: 8/7.2
- On the Mississippi: 2/0.2
- On the Ohio: 2/10
- On the Cumberland 1/0.0
Rental Car miles: 335.
Number of uber/lyft rides: 2
Number of gallons of gas: 99.5
Number of gallons of diesel: 3.7
Fuel usage: .86 gal per hour
Number of oil changes: 1.
Number of pump outs: 2.
Number of times we ran aground: 2. On the same day. In the same place, as we tried to get into the tall timbers marina on the Illinois river. Mud is good.
Number of carp that committed suicide by throwing themselves into the side of our boat: Countless.
Number of haircuts: 1. Again Jan is keeping herself looking good. AJ and I? Notsomuch.
Number of animals on the boat at the end of the month: 2. Not counting spiders.
Number of vet visits: 1. Vet confirmed that Sid not a zombie. Though he looks like a shuffling baddie from TWD
Number of squirrels that Lucky caught: 0 Number of shirts worn this month: Jim, 5; AJ 25; Jan 352
Number of loads of laundry: 15(ish).
Number of family game nights that didn’t end in someone absolutely ticked off at another member of the family: Zero.
1: The Ohio has been voted our number one least favorite river of the trip to date.
2: Would have been four but I spilled tomato sauce down the front of the shirt. Not that I would have changed it, but I was overruled when the shirt mysteriously disappeared after a night of sleep.
Well it took a while, but summer has finally arrived! It hit at 1400 CDT at Sugar bay on the Kentucky Lake. 80+ degree day. Clear fresh water. We went hiking, swimming, paddle boarding. Heaven. Continue reading “A great summer’s day! Finally!! All Hail Kentucky Lake. And Grand Rivers, KY recap (10/9/17)”
Three rivers down, two more to go. And after we leave Green Turtle Bay and Grand Rivers, KY, we get a nice break on the Kentucky Lake. Continue reading “An easy ride and a short break from the rivers (10/6/17)”
The Ohio river has one thing going for it. It is easy to spell. The rest you can keep. Other than Paducah. We like Paducah. Continue reading “Oh How slow It is On this river (OHIO) (10/4/17-10/5/17)”
Three days in which we chew up over 150 miles heading down the Mississippi and effectively bring our time on the big river to an end. Continue reading “Mighty Mississipp’ Days 2-4 (10/1/17-10/2/17)”
Start: Grafton Marina, Grafton, IL, 0902
End: Alton Marin, Alton, IL, 1102
Total Distance: 13.7 nm
Time: 2:30
Average Speed: 5.9 kts
Number of locks: 0
Rental Car miles: 335
We left Grafton, glad to escape the Chaos. It is hot. And will be hot for the next four days. Our plan is to get to Alton Marina, just 13 short miles down the river, and sit by the pool. Alton has a deal for loopers–buy three nights get three free so we are going to take advantage of ALL of those days. Continue reading “Meet us in St. Louis! (9/24/17-9/30/17)”
Start: Alton Marin, Alton, IL, 0640
End: Hoppies Marina, Kimmswick, MO, 1240
Total Distance: 37.2 nm
Time: 5:59
Average Speed: 6.2 kts! OVER SIX KNOTS!!! Including two locks!
Number of locks: 2
Our six days in Alton/St. Louis has come to an end with the alarm going off at 0545 this morning. When it went off, I was already out walking Lucky having gotten up at 5am. Apparently I was NOT as quiet as I thought I was when I left the cabin and I woke Jan. She thought it was time to get up so she got out of bed, did her morning routine and then looked at the time and (I quote her here) ‘had a cow.’ Glad I wasn’t there when she found out it wasn’t yet 6 am. Good news for me–when Lucky and I got back to the boat, there was coffee waiting for us! Continue reading “Mighty Mississip’ Day 1 (9/30/17)”
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