2021 Wrap-Up...A bit late....

 So again, I'm a bad blogger. Shoot me. Truth is that everywhere we went once we left Cincinnati last year has been blogged about before. I didn't want to bore people. Since then I've run into friends who are waiting for an update...people really do read our blog!! Sooooooo, here goes an update on where we've been and where we are going.

 After Cincinnati we moved pretty quickly back down the Ohio and up the Cumberland to the Tennessee at Land Between the Lakes. From there it was on to Aqua Yacht where we had scheduled a bottom job. We retrieved our truck and drove home for the week the work was being done...which turned into 2 weeks+ thanks to Hurricane Ida which was still tropical as it passed over the area. Once the work was completed we headed back down the Ten-Tom waterway headed to Mobile and salt water again.

Mobile

 Mobile is a very busy shipping port and a bit hairy until you exit the river into the bay and things open up a bit. It's worth the effort just to get to Dog River and the Mobile Bay Yacht Club. The MBYC is home to one of the best Bushwackers on the planet made with homemade ice cream!!

 After Mobile it's on to Orange Beach, AL. and a dinghy ride to the Flora-Bama to sample another Bushwacker.

 Continuing across the panhandle we tried to hit some different stops. One was in Navarre Beach at Juana's Pagoda. It's a bit tight for a bigger boat but well worth the stop.

Next was an anchorage off of West Bay near Panama City.

 And then on to Carrabelle, FL for for fuel before our long Gulf crossing. I'm still trying to figure out if they were sending a message with our slip assignment? 

 We had hoped to do the longer, all daylight, route around the Big Bend of Florida this trip but it takes 3 good weather days...Mother Nature said we had 2. So mid afternoon the next day we left Carrabelle for the overnight run to Clearwater. The winds were light and the seas fairly calm so it was a good crossing.

Sunset in the Gulf

 Somewhere approaching daybreak I noticed a bright light moving in the sky toward the east. 0430 is always the time you start seeing things! It was too dark to get a good picture but as the sky began to brighten I saw this....

 After getting in to Clearwater we found that there had been a rocket launch at the Cape that morning. I guess they blow smoke rings?!?

 After resting up a couple of days we started south for home. It's a pretty short trip but we stopped at a few different places along the way since we don't plan on being back any time soon. We are always amazed by the different types of boats we see in our travels and this trip was no exception.

  A few days later we were back in Ft. Myers at Legacy Harbour, our old marina from our last time here with the boat. It was good to see old friends and also see that the Dockmaster still has a sense of humor based on our slip assignment....

 So we've been back since late October on and off but I'll save that update for another installment. Turns out we have company coming and I should prepare...say hello to Alex...

A Lock Too Far....

 Apologies to the late Cornelius Ryan for bastardizing his title but that's truly what it felt like... 

Our planned trip to Pittsburgh and beyond was dashed when the Corps moved a scheduled lock closure up a week. We could have made it there but getting back would have been an ordeal and several days waiting to get through. We ended up 90 miles short in Wheeling, WV. OK...enough of the whining and on to the trip!

As I said in the last post it was a whopping 8 mile day to the anchorage behind Riverbend Music Center and the Jimmy Buffett show! We were the first ones there at noon and got a good spot.

 By concert time there were more boats and a great crowd inside from the sound of it. We were joined by looper friends on Still Waters II who happened to be on their way back down from Pittsburgh.

And friends at home were watching the concert on the computer and captured a few screen shots of the river. Thanks Bryan & Vickie!!

So the next day we were on our way upriver. Part of the charm of the Ohio above Cincinnati is how many small river towns there are and many have free docks or walls where you can tie up and visit the town. One of the early stops was Point Pleasant, WV. I'm sure you are all familiar with this town and the legend of the Mothman. You have heard of him, right?? We made sure to get to the museum before it closed so we could have at least 30 minutes for the tour...

Outside is the pride of Pt. Pleasant, the Mothman sculpture...

One of the things we were faced with on the way up was debris in the river. There had been rains upriver before we started up and some areas still had logs and such floating down. Below is one example at the Pt. Pleasant dock.

This one was from a different storm but it's an example of what can happen when the streams that flow into the river get a heavy storm. The big "blobs" in the picture are actually round bales of hay floating in the river!!

There are few marinas that handle a boat our size in this part of the river but the ones that we can get into have a ton of charm and "character". From the collection of "dock carts" at Holiday Point...

...to this fine whip we were able to use for a grocery run in Portsmouth, OH.

Another interesting dock we spent the night was an old lock wall. When the Ohio river locks were modernized many of the old locks were turned into parks by the local communities. 

The scenery just kept improving the father we went upriver. The mountains come right down to the river and something new is around every bend.

Passing on the "two".

Speaking of Tows (I am now), we had an interesting experience after passing one heading upriver. I got a call on the radio to ask if I could "help him out". You never leave a boater needing help so, of course, I said yes! Turns out he had launched a crew boat (jon boat) to put a guy on shore and it quit running and was drifting down river. We went back and got a line on the boat...

And towed them back to the tow. I've never done a touch and go with a moving tow but we made it OK and Jill was calm and cool under pressure!!

And this is the price you pay for being a "nice guy". Aluminum and fiberglass don't play well together!

So, as I said before, Wheeling was the end of the trip for us. One bonus that helped ease the sting a bit was that we got there just in time for their annual Italian Fest held right on the riverfront!

 On the way back we stopped in Marietta, OH which is a cool little town with a rich steamboat and river history. We took the dinghy a few miles up the Muskingum River to the first dam. The locks are some of the few hand operated locks still operating in the US.

 On the way back downriver we tried to stop in the towns we didn't see on the way up. One morning we had a bit of delay due to fog. Even though we have AIS and radar it's supposed to be pleasure boating. The tows don't stop running in the fog and it would have been pretty stressful. Do you see the tow in the picture?

So we're back in Cincinnati for what has been another way too short visit. We didn't get to see people we had hoped to visit but hopefully we'll catch up with you all soon. We're heading out tomorrow for the run down the Ohio and back to the lakes of Kentucky and Tennessee before, eventually, continuing south to Florida for the winter. Tune into the tracker and NEBO to follow along...

BTW, the Mayflies are back in Cincinnati.

Green Turtle Bay to Cincinnati

 We left Green Turtle Bay on Lake Barkley bright and early since we knew we'd have a push against us once we hit the Ohio and headed upstream. My sister Kathy joined us for the trip up. We made good time through the first lock and down the 30 miles of the Cumberland River. Once we made the turn onto the Ohio our speed dropped to just over 5 mph since we were right below the Smithland Dam. Above the lock we were able to get back to about 8.5 mph and made our first stop at a little floating restaurant in Elizabethtown, IL. Glad that there wasn't another boat there already....

 The next day we made a long run to Evansville, IN. and spent one night in each of their smaller marinas. We topped of fuel since we wouldn't have many opportunities until Louisville. Inland Marina has a small floating tiki bar and we had plenty of entertainment on a Saturday night.

The next day we met back up with our friends on Best Mate for a short day to a free dock in Owensboro, KY. 

A bit above Owensboro we were reminded of why you don't want to travel when the rivers are running high. A bridge we passed collected plenty of the bigger debris that is in the river and you don't want to find.

The next 2 nights we anchored in small rivers just off the Ohio. There aren't many marinas in the stretch below Louisville. With 2 boats each of us dropped anchors in opposite directions and we tied our sterns together. There isn't much room to swing in these spots.

It was in the 90's during this part of the trip so it was nice to spend a few hours floating in the water and cooling down before turning in early. This little fells seemed to enjoy our ladder for a rest...

We had a wait of a few hours for the lock just below Louisville and it rained hard while we were waiting but cleared up just before we got into the lock. It was nice to spend the weekend of the 4th in Louisville since there was plenty to see and do.

One interesting event was the annual hatching of Mayflies. One morning we awoke to quite a few covering the boat but that night at dusk they came out for real. I know the picture just looks grainy but there are thousands if you zoom in.

  It was 3 more easy travel days to our old home town of Cincinnati. We were very lucky to have family and friends along the riverfront to document our triumphant return! From the top if the Bengals stadium...

From the Kentucky shore...

And the riverfront park...

We were able to get a spot in our old marina and, amazingly, got all of our old E Dock crew together for a fantastic Sunday Funday!! I'll admit that I was a little hurtin' this morning. E Dock still rocks!!

So tomorrow we start the next leg of the adventure. It'll be a short day to anchor behind Riverbend Music Center for the return of concerts and Jimmy Buffett to town! It's always a party in the parking lot and on the river. I'll be sure to get some pictures for the next update. And yes, cheeseburgers are on the menu!

The Fog Lifts....

 While it's frustrating waiting out repairs while we want to be moving it's just part of boating. In the end we were delayed just under 2 weeks, no big deal. The last thing you're supposed to have on a boat is a schedule. With the rain having finally stopped (we got over 10") we enjoyed a nice sunset before heading out last Thursday.

We were underway early to be sure the repairs were all good before heading through our last lock on the Tennessee.

As we approached Pickwick Lock the gates opened and we were tied up in no time. We did have to wait a bit for 2 other boats but it wasn't long. We were soon down and let the other 2 out first since they seemed to be traveling faster than us.

So other than being hot it was a pleasant 3 day trip to Green Turtle Bay on Lake Barkley where we would catch up with friends and pick up sister Kathy for the trip up the Ohio. Along the way we passed a new paddle wheel cruise ship in it's first year of operation. 

The last day was a Saturday and the lake became alive the closer we got to GTB.

Sunday night we had dinner at the club to be sure Chasing 80 was still hiding behind the bourbon...it is!

Tomorrow we'll set off for the Ohio River. After making good time traveling down the Tennessee it'll feel pretty slow as we turn into the current. 

I'll leave off with a few pics of the work we did this year before heading out. We were so happy with the non-skid from last year we decided to tackle the fly bridge. It's a much smaller area but there were still plenty of holes to fill first.

 We also put a top coat on the teak so it will hold up in the summer sun.

And finally, we added some new lighting to complete the flybridge update. It's always fun to add a bit of bling to this old girl...

So tune into the tracker or NEBO starting tomorrow as we start up the Ohio. We're planning about a week to Louisville where we'll spend the 4th of July weekend.