Second Wind on the Great Loop and Beyond

Thursday, September 13, 2007. We are happy to announce that Second Wind officially “closed the Loop” at 12:30 p.m. on September 13^th when we passed the red buoy at the entrance to the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. We stopped the boat for a moment to celebrate with hugs, kisses, and a tear or two (or more). What a huge milestone! When we started this crazy adventure last October, we thought we could imagine what this day would mean to us. Suffice it to say that the reality was ever so much bigger than that. WooHoo!

The photo of our battered burgee says volumes. Every single day of our odyssey revealed extraordinary sights and glorious new adventures. (If you've been reading this blog, you know we also experienced lots of wind.) But best of all, we shared the fun and the challenges with a host of warm, friendly people we met along the way. We’ve told life stories over meals and sunset parties, caught each other’s lines as we docked, and endured outrageous weather together. What a thrilling year we’ve had and how fortunate Bob and I are to have done this together.

How can we begin to thank Ron and Eva Stob, who sparked the dream with Honey Let's Get a Boat (and to Scott and the Kammeruds who gave us this book one Christmas); and Fred Meyers, Skipper Bob, Claiborne Young, and the Doziers (Waterway Guides). Their publications have guided us through 6,200 miles of waterways without a hitch. We are grateful to them all and to the Looper Class of 2007. We smile just thinking of you.

Second Wind is currently staying at Aqua Harbor Marina on Pickwick Lake getting some much-deserved TLC. After we bring her to the Fall Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park, she will eventually reside at Goose Pond Marina in Scottsboro, AL. From there we will begin our post-Loop adventures, proudly flying a gold burgee to signify our new status as "Veteran Loopers."

Thursday, September 13, 2007. Having seen many other waterways in the last year, we enjoyed these sights as we cruised along our much-loved Tennessee River. For our last day on the Loop, the water was smooth as glass – pretty ironic considering all the wind we’ve had this year!

Monday-Tuesday, September 11-12. After saying fond, then funny farewells to the Cowhigs (Happy Destiny) and the Elliots (Christine), we pulled away from the Green Turtle Bay dock late Monday morning. (Jane and Joanie were giving us their rendition of “So Long, Farewell . . . .” ) We are now within days of finishing our own Great Loop adventure! Bob is taking it in stride; I get choked up just thinking about it. The prospect of seeing our kids in their new houses, other much loved family members, and old friends is thrilling. At the same time, we will miss terribly the daily adventure and wonderful friends we’ve made along the Loop.

A right turn took us into the entrance of a mile-long canal that connects Lake Barkley on Cumberland River with the Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River. Seeing those rolling hills, limestone cliffs, and cypress trees made us feel right at home. I wanted to jump in the water for old times’ sake. By the time we pulled into Pebble Isle Marina late in the afternoon, we had watched a bald eagle soaring and spotted several deer in the woods. Pebble Isle Marina is located in a peaceful cove, and the staff couldn’t have been more cordial. We hope to come here again later. Today (Tuesday) Bob drove 60-plus miles while I read, napped, and started mentally preparing for a land-based life after almost a year on the water. We are staying at Clifton Marina in Clifton, Tennessee, another friendly, peaceful marina on the Tennessee River. Tonight we will start packing.

Monday, September 10. WooHoo! Tears and rejoicing! When we turned off the Ohio River onto the Cumberland, one mile from where we anchored last night, the Cowhigs officially crossed their wake on Happy Destiny. We began the Loop with these fun and crazy friends, so it was only fitting that we see them finish! Being early risers, September Morn and Christine waited for us down the Cumberland, so a celebratory bottle of wine could be exchanged mid-river via a fish net. When a Coast Guard boat passed a short time later, we all held our breaths in case we had done something illegal. Whew! We weren’t busted; they passed right on by.

Parts of the Cumberland River look a lot like the Tennessee, our home water. We saw herons and egrets (also a few more white pelicans). We also passed a huge gravel processing pit on another part of the Cumberland – quite a contrast to the calm, quiet picturesque scene that describes most of the river.

The Cowhigs led a "Victory Parade" up the Cumberland, through the large, relatively new and impressive Barkley Lock and Dam, then on to Green Turtle Bay Marina in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. The Loop Completion Celebration continued with cocktails aboard Christine, and later we all went to dinner at the famous Patti's restaurant. Congratulations, Paul and Jane! We are right behind you.

Sunday, September 9. Huck Finn was much on our minds this morning as we continued to be swept down the Mississippi River in light rain. Photos can’t capture the turbulence we saw and felt, but I did snap a picture of the smaller whirlpools. Some of the turbulence is caused by wing dams, the Corps of Engineers’ ongoing attempt to control Mother Nature. These dams are submerged (usually) concrete jetties intended to interfere with the flow of water and keep the water stirred up. In this way silt stays in suspension, and the main channel stays clear – or that’s the theory at least.

Entering the Ohio River at Cairo, we saw a record amount of barge traffic and dredges. This is a busy, industrial area. The Ohio River is much cleaner and calmer than the Mississippi, and we are now going upstream, which seems strange. After the floods north of us, this river level is way down. In fact, many tows with barges couldn’t get through Lock 52 because of the shallow depth. After a wait, the lockmaster told us to go ahead and float through the lock without tying off. Lock 52 on the Ohio is really old and will be replaced eventually. We anchored at a place called Cumberland Towhead Island, just at the mouth of the Cumberland River with Happy Destiny (SeaSea and B and B were there too). The Cowhigs came over for spaghetti on their last night before completing Loop. Lots of laughs, but plenty of nostalgia too!

Friday-Saturday, September 7-8. On Friday we took on the Mississippi River! Everything we had heard about this river was present in spades: swift current, plenty of turbulence, and hordes of commercial vessels of every description. We actually saw a bald eagle and some white pelicans too. Two large locks were also on the agenda today; the lockmaster had us float through one without tying the boat to the wall. Second Wind is so light that we had a hard time fending off because the wind kept pushing us right against the side.

Eventually we passed right on through St. Louis, where there is no place to tie up or get off the boat. Still it was a treat to see the famous Arch from the vantage point of Second Wind. Light rain fell most of the day, so by late afternoon we were ready to pull up to the famous Hoppies Marine Services. Hoppies is the only place to stop for many miles, and even though the series of docks strung together is anything but fancy, Hoppies' reputation for service is stellar. Soon at least six Looper boats were there, all happy to partake of Fern and Hoppie’s hospitality. It's common knowledge that Fern actually runs the Mississippi River and generously shares the secrets of navigating it. Several of us took a courtesy car to Taylors Restaurant for dinner. I was tickled to surprise dear friend Teddy Hart with a phone call, but we couldn’t schedule a rendezvous this time.

Although Saturday’s forecast called for periods of heavy rain, we slogged on down the Mississippi River, along with an amazing number of tows pushing large barges. In some places, especially around curves, we experienced turbulence like we’ve never seen before – we even saw a small whirlpool. Our boats could handle it fine, but it is easy to see why there are so few pleasure boats on this river. The current is amazing, boosting our speed downriver by about four miles per hour from normal. Places to pull off are few and far between, but one nook, the Little Diversion Channel, proved to be an excellent place to anchor. Four Looper boats are here tonight: Christine, September Morn, Happy Destiny, and us.

Wednesday – Thursday, September 5-6. By the time we pulled into Grafton Harbor marina, we were more than ready to stop for the day. This is where the Illinois River runs into the mighty Mississippi; we could see rocky cliffs in the distance where the Mississippi flows by. The town of Grafton was small, but several shops and restaurants were within walking distance. Three of us “Admirals” took the marina’s courtesy car to the grocery store, which was combined with the hardware store. Needless to say, the food selection was pretty slim. Because of rain and thunderstorms, we ended up staying in Grafton two nights. This gave me a chance to do some laundry and “house cleaning,” and Bob had a chance to continue troubleshooting the port engine, which still has a minor but pesky overheating problem.

September 4. Here are photos of some Looper boats we happened to see today going down the Illinois River. Except for tow boats loaded with barges heading north, Loopers were just about the only boats on the river today. It seems that after Labor Day most pleasure boats have buttoned up for the season. Loopers, on the other hand, are heading south! Included are Happy Destiny, a sailboat (didn't catch the name), Christine, September Morn, Karma, Winnie W, and Jeanne Marie. The final photo shows the Loopers tied to the Beardstown Barge tonight, all of whom were on these boats earlier.

Tuesday, September 04. After tanking up for the next 170-mile run down the rivers where there is no fuel available, we cruised past the city of Peoria first thing this morning. The Illinois River is still over its banks, and the effect of the flooding is still evident. This would have been a long, relatively uneventful day except for two things: we were able to pass over the Peoria Lock and Dam without having to lock through (in the third photo, we passed to the right of the flood gate where the wickets had been lowered because of flooding to allow boats to pass over the dam), and we spent the night tied to a barge in Beardstown, IL with five Looper boats. Meeting new Looper friends on Time Out and Karma was a treat.

The barge in the last picture (with five boats tied to it) is actually the town dock. The temperature in Beardstown was 103 degrees when we arrived, and we all lamented the “good old July days” on Georgian Bay and the North Channel, where we wore fleece to ward off the chill. We fully intended to cook onboard tonight, but that thought vanished when a group gathering at Henry’s restaurant was proposed. Supper was delicious.

Monday, September 3. The sun was bright, the river still in flood stage, but we had a good, long run today after a 2-plus hour wait for a tow at Marseilles Lock. Since this is Labor Day, we were greeted by lots of people partying at the IVY Club in Peoria. When we pulled up to the fuel dock, I got a standing ovation from the folks at the bar because I managed to lasso a cleat on the first try. Pretty funny because it is a rare accomplishment, but who’s to know! Four Looper boats are here: Winnie W, Jeanne Marie, Happy Destiny, and us. We had fun and a delicious fried chicken dinner at the club restaurant. Everyone has stories to tell.