Join us as we travel North America’s rivers, waterways, and canals; visit U.S. and Canadian cities, historical landmarks, national parks and river towns. We may even take you to the Bahamas.
Welcome to my blog. Baccalieu II, a Back Cove 41, was built in Maine, commissioned at RCR Yachts in Buffalo, and shipped to Cincinnati, Ohio where she was launched into the Ohio River. (More later about why we started on the Ohio River). After her launch, we took her a few miles downriver to the Four Seasons Marina where we began our travels south.
Note, in the blog: ‘Mile’ following the place name and date, refers to River mile markers. ‘Today’s run’ refers to the number of miles travelled that day to reach our destination. How fast we travel is currently dictated by the fact that some marinas in the northern states close in the fall. At some point, refueling might become a challenge. What there is to see at stops, and fuel efficiency are the main three factors how fast we go. 1050 RPMs ( 10mph) is our most efficient speed; 1600RPMs (15-16mph) is the next option. The boat is capable of 32 mph flat out; cha ching, cha ching. Diesel engines like to run hard but they don’t pay the bills.
Ordering a fuel truck is an option when marinas close
The Ohio River: (‘Ohio’ Iroquois word O-Y-O meaning great river), 981 miles (1582 km) long, starting at the confluence of the Allegheny and the Monongahela Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and ending in Cairo, Illinois, where it flows into the Mississippi River. There are 21 locks on the river. Barges run up and down the river 24 hours a day. There are approximately 160 towns along the river; not all of them have public docks or nearby marinas.
CINCINNATI, Ohio: Before leaving Four Seasons Marina in Cincinnati, we met other boaters who had either completed the Loop, dreamed of doing it, or were the same as us, just starting. Like the Cincinnati couple with an Albin 33 trawler Riversong who started the Loop one day before we were to leave. They were helpful getting us started with Nebo, an online log, tracker, and much more. You can download Nebo to follow us. While traveling, Loopers fly the AGLCA (American Great Loop Cruiser’s Assoc.) burgee. The burgee is a signal to other Loopers that we have a common interest. Often other interested parties offer friendship and advice. For instance, Scott who has travelled the Ohio River at least seven times to and from Florida. There is not much information about boating on the Ohio River and his knowledge was invaluable. Prior to leaving home, we had talked with boaters who live on the Ohio River. The AGLCA forum is another source of information.
Four Season Marina, Cincinnati, Ohio: Sept. 19, mile 464; todays run: 9 miles. Typically, the Ohio river floods each spring and fall, but in 1937, excessive rains caused the river to rise to 70 feet (21 m) in this location. In other places, it rose as high as 85 feet (26 m). This event was called the Great Flood of 1937, and we will hear stories of flood damage as we move down the river.
This picture was taken from the upper lot, note how high the lot is above the water.
Four Seasons restaurant, yacht club and office, were constructed on an old barge.
The barge rises and lowers on pilons.
LIGHTHOUSE POINT YACHT CLUB, Ohio River, Indiana: Sept 20, todays run: 30 miles. The marina, a former gravel pit, is located near the city of Aurora.
EN ROUTE:
We were still feeling our way handling a new boat. Leaving the marina the next morning, the steering was abnormally loose and the depth sounder not registering, hardly what you want when avoiding other boats and traveling through a narrow, silted-up entrance. But we sorted all that out within a few hours.
FLORENCE, Indiana, Ohio River; Turtle Creek Marina: Sept 21: mile 529; todays run: 30 miles.
Once a mill town with busy barge harbour, now a village with a small, quiet riverside marina. The nearest store is located 7 miles out of town. Marina keepers Doug and Jay, shared stories of living there.
They told how the towns of Florence and Vevay, 20 minutes south of Florence, once rivaled each other for the town seat of Indiana. Vivay won and today it has a population of 2000; the population of Florence is 68.
While tearing down one of the village homes for rebuild, they discovered that the foundation had previously been a weigh-scale used in a former mill.
During the flood of 1937, the town, including the bank, were underwater. Today, a wall of the former bank’s vault supports a small building in the village.
Following the fire of an eclectic general store across the river in Rabbit Hash, named famous because every four years one of the village dogs is elected mayor, the wood from the bank in Florence was used to rebuild the general store to it’s former eclectic look. The store continues to attract visitors because of its antiquated look and in some minds, serves the best soup in the county.
Today, a Florence resident owns and runs several houseboats as B&Bs. The houseboats never leave the marina and recently, following the rescue of a discarded sailboat, and after repainting the hull pink, ( inspired by the movie Barbie), it was added to the list of available rentals. Apparently, the owner does a booming summer business.
Two nearby casinos support the area due to state requirements that the contractors construct fire stations and upgrade the sewage system before receiving permits to build.
Post Office since 1827
The upstairs open-air BBQ area at the marina had everything you needed: gas lighter, utensils, even a flashlight for after -dark cooking.
Even a pair of binoculars laid on the high-top table for visitor’s use.
Cincinnati boat owners build personal cabanas at the end of their docks to enrich boating life while at the marina.
Before I Go:
An amusing anecdote to Baccalieu II’s arrival at Washington Marine in Ohio where she had been launched. The event took place while she was on the marine-yard’s trailer. Two workmen were standing in the cockpit when they lifted a packing blanket to find a small snake, apparently, a very unhappy small snake! I’m glad it was them and not me who discovered it. Fortunately, they caught it before it could slither away into a hiding space.
Traveling the Great Loop 
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