Sea La Vie: Green Turtle Bay (KY)

The Great Loop

This web site is an attempt to provide a quick and easy way for our family and freinds to keep up with us on "The Loop"

The Great Loop is a 6000 mile jouney down the Tennessee River and the Tombigbee Waterway to Mobile, Alabama. From there around the coast of Florida via Key West with a side trip to the Bahamas. Back to the coast of Florida we head up the east coast to the Chesapeake Bay. From the Chesapeake we continue up the east coast through New York Harbour, up the Hudon River, and across the Erie Canal. Through a series of canals we go across Lake Ontario into Canada. We will spend a month in Canada. Back to the US, we will cross Lake Michigan to Chicago. Following the Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, and Cumberland Rivers back to Tennesse.

LOOP CLOSED: 8/12/09: 310 days, 6170 miles, 107 locks, 3 countries, 16 states, 85 different marinas, 10,050 gallons of diesel fuel, thousands of photos, countless new friends, and priceless memories...

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Green Turtle Bay (KY)

Fog again when we tried to leave Little Diversion Channel. We didn't leave until 9:00, as the fog began to lift. Long day planned today, about 130 miles. We will end our journey on the Mississippi River after 50 miles, then travel 50 miles on the Ohio River, and finish with 30 miles on the Cumberland River taking us into Kentucky.

Here is the boat that was anchored in Little Diversion Channel with us last night. They left in the fog but we soon caught them since we travel much faster than them. The boat, "Easy Pace" is from Lancaster, PA and started the loop in June.

Here is the bridge in Cairo linking Illinois to Missouri. This is as we are about to leave the Mississippi.

Here's the bend from the Mississippi to the Ohio River...

This is Olmsted Lock on the Ohio River is under construction, due for completion in 2013.

How about this lock! What lock?? The lock is actually underwater. You may have seen on the news the flash floods in Louisville, KY. This has caused high water on the Ohio River. We actual took the boat over the top of the dam.

High water on the Ohio River...

All kinds of debris and strong current from the flooding upstream. Unlike the Mississippi we are now going against the current (3-4 knots).

Metropolis, IL...where is Superman?? The only thing we could see in Metropolis is the floating casino.

Here is the other lock on the Ohio that was under water. Again we just followed the buoys right over the top of the dam. These 2 small locks will be eliminated when the Olmsted Lock is complete.

Can you believe we went between this tug and the bank?? We called the tug captain on the radio and he told us to pass his stern. He was turning this barge on the Cumberland River.