Daydream's Great Loop Blog!

Pat Anderson":1xzlqkt6 said:
JamesTXSD":1xzlqkt6 said:
Hi Pat. With all the Irma news, do you have anyone in Florida to look in on your truck and trailer?
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We just received a general update from River Forest Yacht Center in LaBelle where the truck and trailer are parked, and they report no boats or buildings were damaged, so we are reasonably confident our truck and trailer are OK, so we are hopeful!
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Good news! Travel safe!
 
I read that the Ohio River is closed at Lock and Dam at Brookport, IL, due to work being done on the lock. Sounds like traffic is stopped until Sept. 17th, with the potential for that work to extend another 18 to 24 days. The Great Loop Cruisers Association is recommending loopers not proceed past Alton/Grafton/Port Charles. This would explain all those tugs/barges on the shore.
 
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District is expected to resume locking at Locks and Dam 52 by Thursday evening Sept. 14.
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This is the latest post on the COE web site.

An option if necessary, is to ask around to see if anyone in the area, has a trailer to portage around Dam 52. This sounds like a very old dam, which should have been replaced with modern construction long ago.
 
thataway":2391m985 said:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District is expected to resume locking at Locks and Dam 52 by Thursday evening Sept. 14.
Click to expand...

This is the latest post on the COE web site.

An option if necessary, is to ask around to see if anyone in the area, has a trailer to portage around Dam 52. This sounds like a very old dam, which should have been replaced with modern construction long ago.
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Bob, we are at Hoppies Marina right now. We just attended Fern Hopkins daily session. She talked to the LOCK MASTER at Lock 52 this morning. He said he is still locking pleasure craft through except deep draft boats. So maybe the COE District Office knows what it is talking about, maybe not, but for my money I will go with what the LOCK MASTER says, who is the person who actually decides if you get to lock through or not!

The Olmstead Lock will replace Lock 52, but that is still a bit into the future.
 
Wing Dams. Watch out for them! We just came back from the Clinton IA gathering, and all the wing dams between Dubuque and Clinton are just under the water. I.E. none showed. But your photos on the blog are great for showing folks just what they are so you can imagine the damage they can do if you hit one. And as you mentioned, not all are plotted on the older charts! Being over cautious, I've always approached the Mississippi shores in unmarked areas, very slowly, and perpendicularly. Although some wing dams can be at an angle. At least in the upper channel, it's not wise to go outside of the cans unless you know for certain a wing dam doesn't exist. Enjoying your blog. Sounds like a great trip! Colby
 
One comment I made on the blog, is that we like to bring all of our lines back to the boat, so we have control from inside the safety of the boat. We just take the simple turn of 180* around a cleat, bollard, ring or bull rail which is available for mooring, and cleat the end back on the boat--instead of on the deck. This way, if you have to leave in an emergency, at night or in a hurry without help--you have full control.

By using 4 lines: bow breast, forward spring, aft spring and stern breast lines, you can control the "attitude" of the bow facing into the current directly, or more out against the current, so when you are ready to go, the boat is properly aligned.

Another "trick" we have used, is with a lightweight kedge anchor, in some situations we have used that to work the boat directly off a dock, lacking bow and stern thrusters--as some other fancier boats have...And yes, widely spaced twins can also allow you to turn against a current and work the boat off quickly.

Well done by Pat to get out of a difficult situation, with another larger boat directly astern.
 
Pat, if you have time, and can find transportation, over on the other side closer to Kentucky Lake Dam State Park, is a restaurant I would highly recommend if you like catfish. That's Catfish Kitchen in Benton.

http://www.genuinekentucky.com/catfish-kitchen-kentucky-lake/

It's got weird hours, as in too many times driving thru the area they haven't been open when we were near there, but it's worth getting too if you can. Just call first to ascertain their hours. Colby
 
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