Investigating Barkley and Kentucky Lakes

October 2, Sunday

Left the slip and went to the fuel dock to take on diesel and get a pump out.  Weather is sunny and clear and by 11:00am we are ready for boating again after a week tied up at Green Turtle Bay Marina.
Passport is traveling with us and we plan to investigate Lake Barkley for a couple of days before going through the Barkley Canal that joins Barkley and Kentucky Lakes and heading south again.

As we begin this day's travel we reach a special mile mark...Southern Belle has traveled 4,000 statute miles since March 13 when we left Hudson, Florida.  Kerm and I shared a well deserved high five.

The Big House

This pretty building overlooking the Lake is the Kentucky State Penitentiary.  Why do cons always get the good views???


We traveled 20 miles today and rafted up with Passport in Dryden Creek.  Mary Morgan and Kerm are both anxious about anchoring so it is good that they have each other to kid.  We let Passport set their anchor and then just rafted off them like a little parasite.  We had cocktails with John and Mary as the sun when down...

Passport's dinghy in Dryden Creek Anchorage

Cocktail Hour on Passport

Warren and John Morgan goofing off

It was a good day and the anchorage was nice and protected.

Good night from Dryden Creek

Monday, October 3

When we woke up it was too foggy to go anywhere and it was a little cold for Kerm...

fogged in

 

Kerm freezing

Fog clearing

We left the creek at 10:40 and only went 11 miles today.  Stopped at the Barkley Lake State Park Marina after a nice short day.

We had a little trouble finding the right slips...marina lady was a little inept...oh well

Undercover at Barkley...it was 'Spider City'

First Autumn colors in the State Park

We went to dinner at 'The Lodge' with the Morgans and pigged out on a Tennessee specialty called "Hot Brown"  which is a hot dish made with Toast Triangles layered with ham, turkey and cheese; then cheese sauce is added and the whole gooey wonderful mess is sprinkled with bacon bits and slices of tomato.  Remember to take your Lipitor when eating this decadent, rich, comfort food gem.
Went to bed with a nice full belly!



Tuesday, October 4


Fog delayed our departure again this morning.  We have slowed our pace down a great deal so these delays are not bothering us at all.  Left Barkley State Park at 9am.  Today we will go through the Barkley Canal that joins the two big lakes together and then stay at another state park, this one is called KenLake Marina.

Along this stretch there are some pretty houses and scenery.

\

At lunchtime we went through the canal and by 4:20 we were happy to see the marina.  Small and few services but okay for a place to lay our heads down for the night. We traveled 47.8 miles today.

View from our slip at KenLake

 Wednesday October 5

Had a nice breakfast with the Morgans.  When we left the marina, I drove the Belle. I drive a lot during the day regularly, but Kerm typically does all the landing and docking.  It was fun and I'd like to do more maneuvering in tight spots as we go along.  Short day today and we got to our chosen anchorage spot by 1:30 after traveling 21 miles.

Fort Heiman Anchorage

Passport and Southern Belle

Kerm put on a wet suit and cleaned off the transducer for our depth meter.  The water was cold.  Very pretty place to anchor out.

Good night from Fort Heiman Anchorage

  
Thursday, October 6

Weighed anchor at 8:55 after a good night's sleep.  Heading for Pebble Isle Marina.  They have the cheapest diesel fuel prices on the Lake, so Passport and the Belle are going to take on fuel. 

Lots of other Loopers here

How is this for a little boat story...

This boat was dreamed up, designed and built by a local man at this marina.  When he died his wife abandoned the boat.  The marina decided to put it out in front of their entrance as a tribute to him.  They say they are going to paint it yellow some day since it looks like a submarine.

Pebble Isle Marina is well known amongst the Loopers not only for cheap fuel but they serve great hot cinnamon rolls every weekday morning... FREE.  Super place and we are staying for two nights.

 Signing off for now
Christie

One week of Luxury

Monday, September 25- Saturday,October 1

We decided to stay at Green Turtle Bay Marina for one week. They have a good deal for Loopers.  The Marina is very splendid, including a spa, condos, yacht club/restaurant, full ship's store, a very cute town within walking distance and courtesy cars for a quick ride into Paducah.

There are lots of Loopers here, some we have met before and some new ones.  All told there must be 20-25 of us.

Loopers Galore

and two special Loopers, Passport and Southern Belle

Lots of sailboats as well as power boats and there was a regatta while we were there but we didn't get the chance to be involved

Free coffee every morning

Warren chatting up the locals

 

I fell in love with this guy at first glance...

Tobias- marina dog extrordinaire

Six month old mutt, looked like a miniature hyena, about a foot tall but a golden personality.  So cute you couldn't help but love him.  Every day, when I went into the office to get free coffee, he would be there to greet me.  I'd tell him in a stage whisper that he would be leaving on the Southern Belle with me soon.  The girls in the office thought it was a hoot and said Bill, the marina manager, might just want to get rid of him...I thought about it...but it's not the right time.  Oh the agony of a love that cannot be!!!   I got to baby-sit him the night before we left and he scampered around the Belle looking darling.

The one that got away!!

They don't call this place green Turtle Bay for nothing

The big one underneath is the size of a turkey platter

 

 

 

 

 

During our week here:

• I pampered myself at the spa, enjoying a massage one day and a good sauna another. 
• We went to dinner with a long lost friend, Bob Shapiro from Dream Quest.  We lost track of Bob somewhere by Oneida Lake in New York.  Bob lives in Paducah so he finished his Loop which, by the way, is called 'crossing your wake'.  It was good to see him and have a chance to meet his lovely daughter, Lily.
• Drove to Paducah with Mary and John Morgan (Passport) to re-provision.  Especially, beer and liquor, since we are in the land of' 'dry counties'.
• Caught up on laundry.
• Got a new phone because my trusty old Motorola Razor bit the dust after years of faithful service.
• Walked to Grand Rivers several times to enjoy the little shops, Patti's Settlement (tourist trap/restaurant) and the IGA grocery store.
• Socialized with lots of Loopers and other marina people who are interested in our travels.
• Finally, and most importantly, Kerm did a lot of boat maintenance. 

We added it up and so far we have traveled 3999.3 statute miles.  Not bad!! 

Take care all, and I'll catch up with the blog soon.
Christie

Three days anchoring out

Thursday, September 22

We departed from Hoppie's Marina at 6:30am with fellow Loopers, Maine Visions and Passport.  This may be a long day

Captain getting ready to cast off

Captain communing with the Mississippi River before starting the day

We passed the tow 'Daniel J Wise' at 7:04am.  It was four barges wide by five long, not that huge for the Mississippi River but it was one of the biggest we've seen so far.

The Towboat, Daniel J Wise

Fern at Hoppie's had warned us of three very disturbed areas in the river caused by deep waters and fast flowing water.  At 9:09am, we passed the first area of notable turbulent waters located at mile marker 130.  There were whirlpools and wild rapids that threw the Belle around but we made it through okay.

Pretty scenery on the Mississippi

Someone's castle

Cape Giraudoux

Our first possible anchorage spot was a bust due to shallow water so we pushed on to Little River Diversion Channel.  We arrived at 4:30pm and found lots of other Looper boats in the anchorage but there was room for us, too.  We rafted up to 'Gullwing' and then 'Passport' rafted up to us on the starboard.  Getting in to the anchorage was very thrilling because the current was running very swiftly. You had to pass by the narrow opening, then turn up into the current and power your way in, keeping an eye on the depth all the while. 

We traveled 110.5 miles today...our longest distance traveled in one day.

Looking north in the anchorage

We had cocktails with Richard and Nancy on Superior Lady, along with Bill and Phyllis from Gullwing and John and Mary from Passport.  Bill had to take their dog to the bank for a comfort stop and we all laughed at his antics.

Bill and Savannah returning from a potty run on the bank

  Friday, September 23

We were all ready to go by 6:30am but the fog was not ready to let us out.

Mary, from Passport, swabbing the decks...waiting for the fog to clear

Warren staring into the fog, trying to dispel it with his laser vision

Laser vision not functioning...have coffee instead

 Fog finally cleared and we departed at 9:51am. 

Southern Belle under way (courtesy of Superior Lady)

 We left the muddy Mississippi River and joined the Ohio River at 2:29pm. There was a distinct demarcation in the water but we couldn't catch it on camera.

Ohio River, very busy barge traffic

Olmstead Lock, under construction

 Our second night out was spent on the Kentucky shore south of Lock #52.  We rafted with Sweet Pea, Passport, Black Tickle, Oopik, Awe-Spray and Nauti Nel.  As we were having cocktails two young men came by in a canoe.  We found out that John and Ben were on a mission to paddle all the way down the Mississippi. They stayed the night on Passport's flybridge.

We traveled a total of 67.1miles today

The innards of the canoe

John

Saturday, September 24

We left the raft at 7:00am.  

Ben

At 10:19 we passed Metropolis...Home of Superman!!!  Did not see him.

Arrived at Lock#52 at 11:05am but had to wait for an hour before we entered.  Cleared the lock at 12:48.
Cleared the busy area around Paducah at 1:22pm.  There was a ribfest going on in town and we could smell it even on the river.
Reached Cumberland Towhead anchorage at 4:00 and we rafted up with the same group as last night.  It was very difficult to raft up in this spot because the current was running so quickly.
Traveled 42 miles today.

Rafting at Cumberland Towhead

Sunday, September 25

Departed the anchorage at 6:47am, in the rain.  It was cold, too, so a little grumpy this morning on the Belle.  Within the hour we were clear of the Ohio River and entered the Cumberland.  We had to hold up for a barge coming towards us to clear a corner.   The Cumberland is much more narrow and twisty than the Mississippi or Ohio Rivers.  I thought it was very pretty.

Someone's spread

Scenery along the Cumberland River

Cumberland River

Right as we approached Doom's Landing, 20 miles along on the Cumberland, our engine cut out while I was driving.  No bangs, no pops... just nothing.  We got the anchor out quickly.  It was fortunate that we were not swinging into the bank and that no tow boats were coming along.  We called Passport, our 'buddy boat', to report our problem.  Kerm went down in the engine room and checked the racor filter...it was okay...so he said he had to bleed the fuel system.  At this point, Passport had returned and it started to rain.  The engine refired after bleeding.  Then we had some trouble getting the windlass to work properly and raise the anchor.  We got it working and the whole episode was about one hour long.

Although John and Mary in Passport didn't help us in any physical way their presence was reassuring.

I was anxious to do the right thing and help Kerm but at no point was I really scared. I have great confidence in my captain.  By 12:11 we were under way again.

The irony of our problem occurring at Doom's Landing was not lost on me!!

By 1:20pm we were secured to the wall of the Barkley Dam.

Barkley is a big lock

We cleared the Lock at 1:42pm and entered Barkley Lake.  We were safely slipped at Green Turtle Bay Marina/Resort at 2:16pm, after traveling 34.9 miles.  We got slip #2, very close to the bathroom/showers and the laundry room.  We were happy to see clean, big showers with good water pressure.  The marina is a big complex with over 400 slips, condos, two restaurants, health club, ship's store and a major boat works.

After 3 nights of anchoring out, braving the Mississippi and handling our rogue engine problem we were happy to be in relative civilization again...but we had a good time anchoring out and are looking forward to doing more as we explore the Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake area.

Take care all.
Christie