Home 08/28/2021

Our son Tony drove down on Friday night and spent the night on the boat to drive us home to Cincinnati on Saturday.  It is good to be home, but strange not to be planning some part of the boat trip.  Hard to believe that we are now Gold Loopers.  

Several people have been asking about various statistics of our trip.  We have included some of the most asked and some of the standard statistics below.  If you want more detail, just let me know.  PS - you will get better response if you offer a beer.

Departure Date                                  09/11/2019

Completion Date                               08/23/2021

Total Days                                          712

 

Days on Boat                                      303                       During trip – Does not count time spent in FL during Covid

Travel Days                                         147       

 

Total Miles                                         7762

Average miles per day                        53

Longest day                                        234                       Spanish Wells, Bahamas to North Palm Beach, FL

Shortest day                                      4                            Tween Water Resort to South Seas Resort, FL

 

Total engine hours                            697

Average hours per day                      4.7

 

Gallons of Diesel Fuel                        9,989

Average fuel (mpg)                           0.78

Highest $ per Gallon                         $ 5.11                  Bimini Blue Water

Lowest $ per Gallon                          $ 1.99                   South Seas Resort

Average per Gallon                           $ 2.96

 

Total Locks                                         90

Total lift bridges                                35                         

 

Anchorages                                        5

States                                                 18            OH, KY, TN, MS, AL, FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, DE, NJ, NY, MI, IN, IL, MO

Countries                                           2              USA, Bahamas  (Canada closed due to Covid)               

 

Bourbon Bottles                                8

Beers                                                   Who knows – more than a 6 pack, less than a truck load          

Major Waterways:

Ohio River, Cumberland River, Tennessee River, Tenn-Tom Waterway, Mobile Bay, Gulf Intracostal Waterway, Gulf of Mexico,  Atlantic Ocean, Lake Okeechobee, Atlantic Intracostal Waterway, Chesapeake Bay, C&D canal, Hudson River, Erie Canal, Oswego Canal, Lake Ontario, Welland Canal, Lake Erie, Detroit River, Lake St. Claire, St. Claire River, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Calumet Canal, Illinois River, Mississippi River

Green Turtle Bay - CROSSING OUR WAKE 08/23/2021

Monday 08/23/2021

Day Miles: 44

Total Miles: 7761

Travel Days:  147

Total Days:  299

When we complete our loop today, it is called "crossing your wake".  Theoretically it is where we complete the circle and if our boat wake were still there, we would have crossed it.

We had travel delays consisting of, wind, waves, rain, etc.. but we actually never had a fog delay.  Until today!  Our last travel day.

 

It did not last long and we cast off after about 1/2 hour delay.  We traveled up the Ohio river where we turned off to enter the Cumberland River.  This is where we officially crossed our wake and completed the Great Loop.  

How it looked on the GPS Chart Plotter

 How it looked from the flybridge.

We continued up the Cumberland river and locked through the Barley Lock.

We entered Green Turtle Bay, got fueled up and into a transient slip for the next few days.  We had fellow Loopers take our picture with our now GOLD burgee, replacing our white one.  White burgee is for people doing the loop for the 1st time.  Gold is for when you complete your 1st loop.  If you do 2 or more loops you get a platinum burgee.  I don't think we will be getting one of those.

Lucy also earned her picture with the gold burgee.

Not to be left out, Cluck wanted in on the action as well.

We had did some cleaning on the boat and then had a short docktails with a few other loopers here.  It was hot and humid so no-one stayed out too long.  I did celebrate with a couple of bourbons and cigar on the bridge that night though.

Tuesday we cleaned some more on the boat and lined up some maintenance work.  The plan is to leave the boat here for awhile and get some work done and then figure out where we want to move it to.  Met with a buff/wax guy, electronics guy, boat yard, and Volvo guy.  

On Wednesday we did some more chores and then went to the pool for a couple of hours.  Lucy is happy not to be traveling anymore.

After the pool we got cleaned up and made plans to meet old friends Dan and Angie Frick, who we boated with in Cincinnati years ago and who completed their loop in 2015.  We went to Patti's for dinner, home of the 2" pork chop.  It burned down a few years ago, but is now rebuilt and open.

Yes, surprisingly I got the 2" pork chop!

They are also known for their pies, and we were celebrating - right?

Tony is driving down on Friday and he will take us and a car load of stuff home on Saturday.  We are looking forward to taking a break and resting up.  Also can't wait to see everyone.

Some have been asking about stats, so I will put together a list of some of our stats in the next post.

 
 

Kimmswick, MO - Anchorage - Paducah, KY 08/20 - 08/22/2021

Friday 08/20/2021

Day Miles: 42

Total Miles: 7511

Travel Days:  144

Total Days:  296

Saturday 08/21/2021

Day Miles: 138

Total Miles: 7649

Travel Days:  145

Total Days:  297

Sunday 08/22/2021

Day Miles: 68

Total Miles: 7717

Travel Days:  146

Total Days:  298

Friday:

We could see the 1st lock on the Mississippi from our slip at the Alton Marina.  I called them on the radio and they said to come on down.  We cast lines and had a nice smooth lock experience for our 1st lock on the Mississippi.    One thing about the Mississippi is the Wing Dams.  Basically stone walls that come out from the shoreline for about 100 yards or so.  I had heard about these and thought I would see a few along the way.  We actually saw a few hundred, they were everywhere along both shores all the way down the river.

Leaving Alton Marina

Wind Dam

About 10 miles below, we passed the Missouri River and entered the canal for the Chain of Rocks Lock.  We hailed them and after about a 10-15 minute idle speed the upbound tow exited and we went in.  Only 2 locks on the Mississippi and both were very smooth.  On the 2nd lock we had another 1st, where we did not tie off, but instead just floated in the chamber.  A little bit of wind but no turbulence.  

Missouri River

Missouri River

You do not want to go right, maybe in a kayak, maybe.

After the lock we idled past the St. Louis Arch.  It is bigger in person than in pictures.

If you look, that is Boyle-n-Water going by the arch!

There were some nice views on our way to Hoppies Marina.  The other thing about the Mississippi River is barges.  They are everywhere also.  They even just anchor them out in the middle of the river.

Passing the Budweiser Plant.  I raised a toast to Dad later :). 

Anchored barges

Wing dam

We stopped at Hoppies which is a landmark for Loopers.  It is the last place to get fuel for 205 miles.  It has struggled over the last couple of years, so we were happy to get fuel and tied up on one of the barges.  We walked up into town to eat lunch at the Blue Owl.  They are known for their pies, so even though we had no room after lunch, we still got a to go piece.

Nice stone wall and house

Our pie for dessert.

Saturday:

Our plan on Saturday was to anchor out for the night instead of trying to run the 205 miles and 1 lock to Paducah.  The 1st option was about 95 miles to Little Diversion Creek.  With the rain that they had the night before, it did not look like a good option.  We went onto Brown's Chute which was 138 miles.  Long day but we got safely anchored behind Brown's Island out of the channel.  It was nice that we were getting a 3mph push from the Mississippi current.

Our anchorage for the night

 The anchor held well in the current and we did not have any issues, but we also did not sleep very well either.

Sunday:

We left early and were anxious to get back onto the Ohio River.  

Leaving our anchorage.

Entering the Ohio River

The lock on the Ohio is a Wicket Dam.  With the high water, we had to wait until the gates were lowered and current was not raging through the dam.  We then proceeded through the middle of the dam over the wicket gates.  The 3mph current help on the Mississippi disappeared and we were now fighting a 3mph current going the other way.

Fort along the river.

We made it to Paducah and got cleaned up.  It had been a long few days.  Paducah is know for it's murals painted on the flood wall.

We walked up to Braussard's Cajun house for dinner.  Not much for Marcia to choose from on the menu, but I had multiple options.  I settled for the gumbo and Jambalaya.  Both were very good.

Tomorrow is a HUGE day for us as we will "cross our wake".  Thirteen miles up the Ohio river, we will enter the Cumberland river where we turned off the Ohio almost 2 years ago.  Wish us luck!