Second Wind on the Great Loop and Beyond

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.