Traveling the Great Loop

Sept 24, today’s run : 55 miles

Leaving Louisville, we leave behind the pleasure boat area of the Ohio River. There will be no opportunity to refuel within the next two hundred miles.

We past miles of forested shoreline, several power plants and Caesars Casino, operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

There is no shortage of barge traffic, and while about to exit the McAlpine Lock (mile 606), we were surprised by a five-barge tow, three wide, loaded with coal, a few metres from the monster-sized opening gates.

The tow had left enough room for us and another boat to veer starboard on our drive out. We got the message: ‘time is of the essence.’

To be capable of stopping a train of barges so near to the gates, was most impressive. It can take nearly three miles for a tow to bring a string of full barges to a stop.

Shortly after clearing the lock, another barge approached. McAlpine Lock is known for holding cruising boats up for hours waiting for commercial traffic to clear, but we waited only thirty minutes. It was at this location in 1937, the flood waters rose to 85 feet.

Old Blue River Island

Maneuvering around river curves is challenging business for tow captains. Increasing the push on one side of the barge, it heads in a new direction creating an angle between tow and barge. The barge appears to slide sideways while heading to the opposite side of the river. The towboat slows speed or may throttle in reverse. Once the barge is around the bend, the tow captain presses forward with turbo-charged engines. His wheel wash (wake) bubbles and boils and we have witnessed it shooting a metre or more in the air. There are stories of cruising boats being swept ashore with such a wash.

When meeting oncoming barges during this maneuvering, and when overtaking, it is difficult for us to determine how to stay out of the way. It is customary to radio each oncoming vessel to enquire which side he wants us on, and when overtaking, which side he advises us to pass on. ” Marie Thompson, this is the overtaking southbound pleasure craft off your stern. Which side would you like us to take you on? ” The answer comes back either ‘one whistle’ (port to port) or ‘two whistles’ (starboard to starboard). In the case of oncoming barges, we might be directed to the opposite side of the river even though they appear to be headed in that direction. Our job is to stay clear and out of the way.

Our anchorage for the night was Old Blue River Island,is hardly an anchorage reflecting its’ romantic name. For one thing, Old Blue River itself, is on the far side of the Ohio river, opposite side to where the anchorage is, and a nearby sandbar, currently underwater, is hardly an island. Every stop-over would be an adventure. We loved it.

We were anchored inside of two red buoys noted on the chart, but were in fact, missing in the water. Buoys often get dislodged by barges and flood waters. They were positioned there to warn barges of shallow water.

The Army Corps of Engineers travel the river replacing buoys or relocating them when currents shift the sediments to new locations. Anchoring inside of red buoys, reduces the chance of being in the path of towboats.

Mike got a surprise today when a barge radioed Baccalieu II directing him to pass on the two whistle (the opposite side of the river to where we were). (We have AIS: Automatic Identification System which displays an icon of our vessel including name on navigation screens). Mike thought the radio call had come from the southbound barge directly in front of us, the one he was planning to overtake. But the call had come from an oncoming northbound barge from around a curve which we couldn’t see. The result was that we overtook the barge on the two (whistle) as instructed by the northbound barge but because the barge we were overtaking was also on the two whistle for meeting the oncoming barge, we were closer to shore than we would have liked to have been. (Deadheads often get stuck in shallower water in those locations.) It was while passing that we first learned of the northbound barge coming towards us. We keep learning! In this case, we should have scrolled up on our chart to see beyond our immediate area, before passing.

Apparently, we passed Fort Knox Military Reserve today. According to Readers Digest it is considered the most guarded place in the world. There were no signs announcing its presence, and we only knew of its location because we had read about it.

We first met Riversong at the Four Seasons Marina in Cincinnati. They are also doing the Loop. They left a day before us. We have met up a couple of times since since.

Riversong joined us at Old Blue River Island where some locals stopped by to chat.

A dark and quiet night at anchor. Only a few rolls from night traveling barges.