A Sunny Day on the Ohio River & Locking in the DARK!

What a different day today was from yesterday with plenty of sunshine all around us!  The big challenge today was getting through two locks...# 53 & #52 on the Ohio River.  It's not hard to do this but the wait time is hours because of commercial barge traffic.

We began at 730a with coats on...wonderful chill in the air! The anchor chain must have been buried by the constant current last night as every bit of it, not just the anchor itself, was straining as I pulled it up. It was necessary to wear our headsets so I could direct the Captain which way to move the boat to try to free up the chain. But finally it was up and not very muddy... of course our overboard wash down system was using the Muddy MS river water to wash it down! LOL

Last night before Walter took his shower he kept hearing a noise that could only be heard in the aft head (bathroom). I was sure it was coming from the barge across the river from us that stopped for a long time to let others pass him coming from opposite direction. But outside he could not hear this noise. He started opening up all the hatches... found nothing UNTIL he opened the engine hatch and we both saw it: The port engine shaft was turning!! Yes! The current was so strong that it turned the prop on this shaft. I thought it would be okay but Walter said there is no lubrication for the transmission without the engine running and the bearings for it would soon burn up. So he took a pipe wrench and locked it on the shaft to stop it and then tied the wrench handle so it would not turn.

So glad for this amazing man but tell me, WHY can the Captain hear this soft whirling noise and can't hear me in the same room?!

Less than 10 minutes back in the Channel of the Mississippi River and two barges passed us.  Even the barges looked prettier in the sunshine.

First bridge at Cairo, IL (pronounced “Karo” in these parts).

 and the second bridge

At Cairo we took a left turn and got on the Ohio River and SLOWED down because of strong winds and current running against us.  Our normal speed is about 7.5 knots and on the MS river we were doing 9 to 10 knots due to a pushing current. On the Ohio we are at our fastest at 5 knots but sometimes we saw less speed.  When we passed a construction area that required absolutely NO wake for two miles we were doing about 2.5 knots. At least it was not negative!

At one point the Captain said he could walk faster than the speed with which we were passing this buoy!

When you turn onto the Ohio River there are three changes, two of which you had best take careful notice of.... 

1. The channel markers change, RED on right instead of left and GREEN on left as going up river on the Ohio you are considered returning from the sea.             

2. There are masses of barges every where....

All you can see for miles are barges... they actually look like they are blocking the channel there are so many.  But this is their the “Fleeting” area for the Ohio River... kinda like a staging area for the barges.  We managed to work our way around these big boys and got through Lock #53 by 1230p. When asking how they wanted us to pass them two tugs told us to go OUTside the markers to give them enough room in the curves of the river....... we were relieved to find good depth there also.. no problem!

3. The third thing that changes is the color of the water.... it goes from muddy brown to muddy green.

We now had the state of Kentucky on the starboard side of the boat and Illinois now on our port side.  It was a sunny day in Kentucky along the river.

At the first lock (#53) we were taken right into the smaller chamber with no delay... amazing because of delays publicized.    We rose up 5 feet in the lock to continue on the Ohio.  Approaching Lock #53 and entering it.

Then we came to the Olmsted construction area where they wanted no-wake for two miles. They are building a new lock & dam here that will take the place of both locks #53 & #52.  They have been working on this for 10 years.  Today they were setting concrete and wanted no waves!

Approaching lock #52 we could see how busy it was today.  Barges south of lock waiting to lock up river like us.

Barges lining up north of lock to come down river & tugs and barges in the locks.

We were told to anchor off to the left side of the dam out of the channel... and that we would be number three to lock. The Ingram website which is a tug boat company said at lock #52 there were 28 boats waiting to lock (all barges) with a 49.5 hour delay! WOW! There is a rule that the lock masters have to take a pleasure boat every three lockings but it is still up to them.   We figured it would be at least 3 hours before we got to enter the lock... hoping not to run out of daylight. 

Just before 6p the Captain called the lock and told them we would just stay at anchor where we were and lock through tomorrow knowing it would be dark soon.  But the lock master said it would be better for us to go through his lock now and anchor on the up side of the lock by the bridge.  He said time he got the barge in the lock now up he would lower the water and take us right in........We had now waited nearly three hours and no telling how long tomorrow before we could get through this lock.  So we hauled up the anchor and worked our way over to be right in front of the lock gates.  I threw the line over a high bollard on the wall outside the lock and we waited AND we watched it get dark!!

When we were finally called into the lock Walter could not even see the lock wall! The lock guy turned his light directly in my eyes! I hollered at him not to do this so I could see to throw him my line. I missed the first time and had to gather it all up out of the water but hit my target.. him.. the second time. And so we were tied and rose up 12 feet in this lock. The worse was yet to come... the barges entering the other chamber going the other way had bright spot lights that were in our eyes so feeling our way out of the lock was hard. THEN we had to anchor in the DARK.  Walter turned on the radar to keep from hitting anything, even markers. This took a long time as we moved ever so slowly. When he thought we were far enough above the dam and out of the channel he let out the anchor while I stood in the dark with a flash light counting the feet we were letting out...there are bright yellow marks on the anchor chain every 20 feet.

Amazingly, we are out of the current enough that the chain alone, 120 feet, seems to be holding us.  We praise God for His safety and protection this night during our NEW Adventure!