Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:

11:30 Left Columbia Yacht club, powered over to the lock, they require life jackets to be warn by everyone on board.

11:47 entered lock, belly tied to ropes on lock wall. Only about one foot lift, big deal... Started through the bridges, all 28 of them in downtown Chicago. Quite a sight right through the city centre, Wrigley, Sun Times, Chicago Herald, Trade Mart and the Sears Tower buildings. The Sears Tower I am told it is actually 9 different structures in a "cluster", it is topped with 2 radio towers, is the tallest office building in the world and has more people working inside than the population of PEI Imagine!!! Quite a sight from a small boat in the canal below...

12:35 Caught up to the 4 boats with their masts up, who went through at 09:00 today, powered right on by and waved... But they caught up to us at the next railway bridge which was not open because of rail traffic, both ways. It was too low even with the masts down... Eventually we all powered through. Going to have to fuel up soon, down to 5 gallons. Stopped at two different fuel stops, only gasoline... Eventually find a barge to tie up to and empty our 3 x 5 gallon deck jugs. so we now have 20 in the main tank... Will have to fill up everything at the next opportunity.

13:45 starting to get into the oil tank farms. I think every company I have ever heard of is represented here Amoco, Esso, Citgo etc... and lots I have never heard of like Gatx, and Simco. Pass by what looks like someone had a country estate in the old days, a nice area along the canal, with steps to the water a small slip, and old flower urns, but it was all grown over and it did not look like there was any old mansion left around.

15:06 This is one long big ditch, 18 - 24 ft deep, still into oil tank farms. Hester just misbehaved... spilt her rations for the day.. Had to scrub the cockpit floor, the mix was sticky...

15:30 The Sanitary and Barge Canal has taken on a "man made" rock face on both sides if I have a darkness problem I will tie to a tree... There are still leaves on the trees along here...

15:50 Coming up to a tug and double long barge and on a Sunday yet... He toots and waves, at least they are friendly...

16:00 coming up to some activity, overhead bridge and many barges, turns out to be a major transshipment point for Hannah Marine..... Sun in my eyes, very hard to see. Passed the entrance to the Calumet River.. Starting to cool off.

16:10 many barges and tugs along the shore... Deer came along the shore to watch us. We are on the outskirt of Joliet Ill. Pulled into small inlet, tied between two large barges for the night, 13.6ft depth, water temp 58 F, air temp 52F.

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:

06:05 Brrrrrrrrr woke up to a really cold, definitely a 2 burner, morning... Sky looks clear outside, frost on the deck & everywhere, air temp 33F. Canal was busy all night, barges going by at all hours, they were also lining up empties to take back out, I could hear sounds like when they connect railway freight cars together. They do not turn the barges around as the canal is not wide enough, they simply push them the other way!!!

06:15 Got underway, steam coming from the canal hard to see, looks like we are the only ones on the water this early.

Pass a mixed commercial area on both sides, chemical, wood, power, sand and gravel plants, all being fed by the barges.

07:05 Lockport lock, "Channel 14 mon, yuse alone surh?" he says. This lock is a 48.5ft drop into the DesPlaines and Illinois Rivers. Takes 15 minutes to lock through very gentle drop, just held onto one line and down we went

08:25 arrived in Joliet, stopped to pick up VHS tapes and have breakfast. There is a "Hurrah's" gambling casino across the canal. Walked up the street to the shoe store, called a taxi, waited ½ hour, no taxi. Walked back to Hurrahs called another taxi. Lady "Jane" answered, conversation went like this: Me "could I have a cab to Hurrah's?" Jane "where do you want to go?" Me "to a camera store" Jane which camera store?" Me: "any camera store, I want to buy some tapes for my vhs camera". Jane: " cannot send cab unless you know where you are going" Me "I am a visitor on a yacht, I am not familiar with the city, won't the driver know where there is a video or Rad io Shack store?" Jane "no he will not, I cannot send a cab unless you know where you are going" Me: Lady I am a visitor to the city, I need a taxi to pick up some things." Jane If you cannot tell me where you want to go I cannot send a taxi" . Me: "Well just forget it and thank you very much". Told the doorman at "Hurrahs" and he could not believe it. Walk back to the boat and leave. The lesson learned today: just lost 1.5hrs of valuable daylight steaming time looking for stupid tapes. Next time I find some I will buy a dozen!!!! Moral of the story, do not call a taxi in Joliet, better yet, do not go to Joliet period... Air temp 65F

10:05 arrive at Brandon Road Locks, have to wait for a barge coming up the lock, says it will be half hour Ug Ug .

11:10 cleared Brandon Road lock , drop 34 ft. Dresden lock is another 14.5 miles. Depth 12 ft.... Caterpillar plant on stbd looks v big.. Just beyond is a very large gambling boat, a four decker the Empress II ,about the size of the New Abby tied along the shore nose in... there is also a land casino big yellow buildings on shore.... A smaller Empress is on the other side of the pier. They appear to be winterizing them

See red and green buoys again for the first time... remember the old saying: "when I left port the wine was red" we are now in a river system not a canal and the red buoys (the pointy top ones) must be kept to port!!! Many old barges along the shore, just pulled up tied to a tree, identification burned off and left... abandoned barges everywhere!!!

12:10 about 25 active barges tied up along the shore..many deer along the shore. Oil refinery on port .

13:20 stopped at Harbourside Marina, took on $75.45US of diesel

13:40 on our way again. Knot meter caught up with seaweed.

13:55 approaching Dresden Island Lock standing off while they reverse the lock meaning they have to fill it and open the upper gates to let us in... met tug "William C" with her house down bobtailing for a tow.. The wheelhouse on many of the tugs are on stilts and can be hydraulically raised or lowered to go under bridges; all of the tugs on this system are pushers. Getting cooler air temp 60F we are at mile 268.9 of the Illinois River. Have not seen a spruce tree anywhere along this river, deciduous woods on each side, the kind you would expect to see Hiawatha running through, barefoot... 10.5 ft depth 15:00 mile 267.2 Two tugs approaching, one bobtail, the other "Kansas City" with 2 barges wide and 5 deep (the size of a football field) they waved chasing the bobtail down the river. Land is very low, just passed a small community, civic park along the shore, if I have to I will just nose in at one of those, and tie to a tree... but would rather plug in tonight... and get supper...

15:45 mile 261.6 Parkland / campgrounds along the shore, a lot of junk mobiles and campers along the shore, should be towed away... Lots of Blue Herons along here.

16:05 catching up to another pusher,, actually turns out he is coming this way... two tugs and a barge loaded with gear... even a truck... Thousands of purple martins flying along the river heading south???

16:30 sun going down got to go another 4 miles...see lift bridge ahead .

16:37 mile 254.5, passed under Railway bridge and into Seneca Ill a port town, cold... air temp51 F.

17:15 arrived Spring Brook Marina. Battery at 12.8 v Paid $34. US for the night, and their restaurant is closed on Mondays...

Summary of the Illinois River Locks: Lake Michigan is 584 ft above sea level.

Chicago Harbour Lock 2ft

Lockport Lock mile 291.1 30ft

Brandon Road Lock mile 286 34ft

Dresden Island Lock mile 286 34ft

Marseilles Lock mile 244.6 18ft

Starved Rock Lock mile 231 18ft

Peoria Lock mile 157.7 11ft

LaGrange Lock mile 80.2 11ft

Total drop 158 feet from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:

07:35 Woke up late today, to a clear, cool (air temp 39) morning, nice showers. The river is like a mirror out there.

08:45 leave dock, this section of the river has sheep farms on stbd and a v large fertilizer factory, the south side is all deciduous tree forest,, the river is well buoyed along here, heading in a 280 deg direction along this stretch. just in wool sweater, pass duck hunters in blind getting ready to pack up for the day.

09:30 mile 244.6 Marseilles lock, 18.7 feet drop. Miles 245 to 247 is an artificial canal 200 ft wide and 13 ft deep the lock is at the south end, called lockmaster, he says 15 min wait he has to reverse the lock. Cleared the knotmeter, while I was waiting, got good and wet... and also got to scrub the cabin sole... Tug "Michael B" coming from the lower pool 3 wide 4 long, maximum for the lock.

10:30 got through the canal. The lower pool area is all industrial, cranes unloading wood bark chips, have seen a lot of that, must use it in furnaces...

10:45 grain elevators, loading barges with grain, 8 full ready to go, tug hooking tow, big dredge along the shore

11:00 We are now in Ottawa Ill home to many large glass works , see one smokestack "LOF Glass Works".. The Fox River enters the system here from the north. Big mansions on the port side hill, more moderate nice homes along on the stbd shore, the rock face shore is 10' -12' high and some houses have built boat houses into the rock face.

Mile 237.2 back into industrial area. River widens along here many large low islands, with long Pampas grass.

12:10 mile 231.0 Starved Rock Lock, see a 3 wide 4 long entering the lock ahead, lockmaster says we will have a 45 minute wait before he comes back up for us. Starved Rock derived it's name from the time the Potawatomi Indians chased a tribe of Illiniwek up unto the rock and isolated them there with no food or water, until they starved to death. Now that is the trivia for the day...

12:30 large bobtail tug "Milton J Roth" looks new, three stacks, also waiting to lock down, hope they let me in the lock with him.. From here there are no more locks until Peoria, the half way point of the Illinois at mile 163

13:30 cleared the lock, 14 ft down. Lower pool is busy, the coast guard setting buoys, and a working dredge. Many native people fishing all along the shore. Pass a barge anchoring area near Peru, 30 loaded barges waiting for bobtails to pick them up. At mile 223.9 Actually passed a tug "Mallard" with 3 wide 3 long loaded with gravel, speed 6.32 @ 1750 rpm, hard to believe!! can still see the "Milton J Roth" up ahead, the one we came through the Starved Rock Lock with, thought he would leave us in his smoke...The big industry is steel here.

14:45 mile 221 South Shore Boat club have all their docks up for the season, have to stop early tonight, need some supplies.

15:00 mile 219.9 about 2 miles of sandy beach on stbd, looks like large summer campground area .

15:16 pulled into Spring Valley Boat Club, tied to fuel dock, the members tell me that in spring, the water level is 15 ft higher, and one spring flood, 18" of water covered the clubhouse floor. Bet our SYC Heather would like that... The members here are very helpful, borrowed a vehicle picked up groceries, but no tapes. Spent the evening finding out about the area.

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks: 06:30 air temp 40 F topped up the engine water level, will have to pick up Rotella T next stop. Used 4 qts so far since home.

07:15 cleared dock. There are 3 grain elevators in Spring Valley loading barges with grain, beans and corn, all heading for New Orleans to be loaded unto freighters. The valley is a big flood plain in the spring all the low lands flood for 50 miles or more. There are no homes or cottages anywhere. flat calm, air temp 55 at 08:00 looks like it will be a warm day... steaming at 6.27kts 08:09 Large cement plant, steel mill and large coal burning power plant on south shore. Strong sulphur smell in air.

08:35 mile 210.3 Pass entrance to the old Illinois to Mississippi canal, being kept up as a heritage site

09:00 mile 207.5 arriving off Hennepin Ill. River starting to get busy, three grain elevators loading barges, small tug takes loaded ones and builds raft, large tug picks up raft and heads down river, I can see 4 ahead of me.

A real big one headed this way, river is wider here, the "S/R Chicago" looks big because they are all empty coming back for fill up. Farm land on the south shore, seems to be getting cooler air temp 50 Starting to blow up, 15K on the nose!!!

09:38 abeam Lower Sister Island, book says good 8' anchoring spot, many fallen over trees along the shore all along here

10:20 mile 198.2 approaching Henry Ill. The north shore is a high bluff with factories, looks like chemicals, the south side is still flood plain and woods, passed about 15 boats with guys out getting their wives supper...

Have not seen any barge activity since Hennepin, not even dead ones on shore.

10:45 mile 196.0 Henry Harbour is a "no go" touched bottom at end of dock, will have to pick up Rotella T somewhere else.

11:37 mile 190.0 Big tug "Nan" approaching, passed her under the "Lacon" bridge, barges loaded 5 long and 3 wide. looks like a new little marina in there. There are many duck hunting blinds in the side pools, large enough to put their outboard boats inside... and they have ramps for the dog to climb back inside, pretty elaborate, wonder if they have TV?? Hester working impeccably today, all I have to do is push her buttons +10 -10 +1 -1. There is enough firewood lying along the shore here to keep all of the U.S.A. warm for several winters!!! All kinds of eagles ( but only see the females) flying around on the north side I can count over 25 nests in about one acre, just 50 yards away..

12:57 mile179.9 abeam Chillicothe Ill. passed a "barge farm" on stbd, literally at least fifty barges in various stages of repair at a welding place... even an old Mississippi River paddlewheel steamboat, and there looks to be a second one in behind !!!

13:12 mile 177.0 entering lake Peoria, Tow coming , right out of the sun, hard to see.. 2 wide and 3 long, it turned out to be "Mallard" the one we passed yesterday coming back with empty barges. Many summer and year round homes along the north shore,, South shore only wooded. . Lake about 1 mile wide, and shallow, 18" chop on the nose, about 2 miles to go the Illinois Valley Yacht Club, but could not get into their marina, Tried "Wharf Sales Marina", had to plow my way in the channel mud, no diesel, says I should go to "East Port Marina" across the river. Call on Ch 16, yes they have diesel, 3 yr old new city owned marina, channel has 5.6ft + . Filled tank 17.65 gal $28.23, and filled the fresh water tank, and had a steak in the restaurant. An Irwin 37 "Ketch My Drift" came in behind me. Dave and Betsy recently bought the boat in Chillicothe, turns out they were in a marina in behind the "barge farm", and are also heading for the Tenn-Tom, they are waiting on crew. They also have a van here so, Wall Mart had the VHS C tapes, Rotella T and the 9 pin serial cable!!! Shopping done.

Thursday, Nov 18, 1999. Sunny fine but blowing like H !! Decide to stay here until early tomorrow, spend day, replacing bilge pump circuit breaker, laundry and all that stuff. Air temp 74F tee shirt weather, but still not shorts!!! Invited to dinner on "Ketch My Drift", we go over the charts for the next 160 miles.

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:06:30 air temp 48F, forecast is for 30% chance of rain, high winds later on this afternoon. Took a good look at the ramp here, there are 3 aluminum sections each the size of SYC main ramp, and the decking is 1" x 6" teak!!! what a waste. Filled up propane tank, $9.36US, filled my Nissan coffee mug just 31 cents!!! at a Hardees. East Peoria is where they make Caterpillar Tractors

11:35 left marina, many thanks Holly in the office, with her friendly disposition and hospitality, and Shawn for hooking up the water hoses and helping get us away from the dock in the 30K wind. Along the Peoria side, there are 2 gaming ships, a large stern wheeler "Spirit of Peoria" and also an old converted pusher tug, and on the east side the modern gambling ship "Paradise". Betsey on "Ketch My Drift" tells me she was a card dealer there for 15 years... back when the ship had to untie from shore before the gaming started.

13:10 pass a malt factory, wondered why the air smelled so sweet, turned out to be the " Blue Ribbon Malt" factory, and of course a Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery alongside. passed tug "Mr Toad" barges loaded with coal, we saw him two days ago going the other way empty.

13:30 Mile 159, abeam "Kickapoo Bend Light" and right after "Fitzpatricks Landing", a tavern / Lounge along the river. Lots of tug traffic along this stretch... a real variety of tug names "Rusty Flowers", "Big Mack", "Florence Ann", "Little Nan", "Mr Toad II". Have to watch out for the small "builder" tugs, the ones that move the barges around building tows for the larger tugs, they sometimes are pushing barges sideways toward the shore leaving a big prop wash sideways to the river, and when we pass their stern Whitecap takes off for the opposite shore!!! The trick is: quickly jump over the console, disconnect "Hester", and hand steer to get straight again, then reconnect "Hester", jump back over the console, push the "auto" button and we are on our way again... Sit back in the companionway to catch the heat from the propane stove on its way to the great beyond.

1415 cleared Peoria Lock 8 ft drop. This one was easy, Dave and Betsy's first one, Whitecap's 78th.

15:05 mile 152.5 Abeam Pekin . Windy, cooler air temp 50 F, all kinds of grain elevators loading barges all along the shore 15:32 mile148.5 abeam "Turkey Island", sandy beach on each shore, part of valley flood plain. Winds picking up, good 20+kts 18"chop on the nose, got my first sight of a dyke / levee from mile144 all along to Canton Landing. Only have about 1 hr of daylight left... Looking for a place to hole up for the night. Found an abandoned lock on chart at mile 137.1, "Copperas Creek Lock" abandoned many years ago, inched our way in, old original stone walls were crumbly but safe and there is10.2 ft water along the south face, tied bow and stern to trees over the stone wall on shore, Ketch My Drift tied outside of Whitecap, even the devil could not find us in here. What a business opportunity, this would be a great place for someone to open a small marina, could make a good living on transients as there are not any places from Peoria to Beardstown a distance of 80+ miles...

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:

06:35 Left our sheltered spot Copperas lock the same way we came in, nice spot, someone should do something with this place, 7.5 ft + water, air temp 39 looks like a real good day, no wind, eagles in the trees on stbd. Picking on tug "Richard C Young" up ahead loaded, we are going faster... passed him to port. They cannot go fast, but they can push!!

0745 abeam mile 129.9 Liverpool light and day marker. At mile 128.8 there are several homes behind a grass dyke and a boat ramp the first houses we have seen along the river since Peoria.

08:35 mile123.6 abeam Chautauqua Bend light. Duck hunters along shore, here there are only trees along shore behind that farm land over the dyke on the north side, south side is all game preserve / refuge called Quiver Lake.

08:45 abeam of Quiver Beach, and behind the peninsula is the start of "Havana' there are houses all along the shore on the buff and a nice white sand beach down to the shore. Eagles in the shoreline trees on the north side, mostly males now.

Downtown Havana, on the south shore has a very large simulated side wheel paddler, a four decker gambling ship, called "Belle of the Night", Port of Havana. There are also four grain elevators and a large power plant, looks like there is decent wall dockage just past the bridge. Hundreds of barges tied to shore on the north side, "Danny H" building rafts and the "Ruth D. Jones" getting ready with a full barge load.. Coal fired power plant up ahead, 11 stacks.. Big tug, "Bob Koch" preparing a tow , signaled us to pass to his stbd he waved as we passed. They do not always do that...

09:35 mile 116.3 passed "Devils Elbow" light and day mark. Picking on a 5 x 3 up ahead "Kansas City" as we pass, a 35' Hatteras sport fisherman "Wiskhert" from Racine Wi. passed us, lots of wake. Passed "Cooperative Mariner" stopped along the shore with a full compliment of barges. River is like a mill stream today, speed 6.39 on the knotmeter, SOG says7.1 so we have some river current in our favor... Dykes along the north side, there are periodic villages over there on the high ground,, looks like the dyke was built from dredging of the river. Eagles in the trees watching us go by. They are easy to spot, there are no leaves. Deer hunters in orange on the south shore, just as we pass, heard 3 shots, maybe they got their deer..

11:13 mile 103.6 Sharps Landing day mark, air temp 50 F can see where the dyke was recently reinforced. Hester working great, have arranged to pick up 2 spare belts at West Marine in St Charles, just above St Louis, just in case. Trying to catch that tow ahead, he only has 3 barges on, all empty. Three old houses by the river on stilts look abandoned at least have not seen paint in a long time... On the north side the dyke stops and turns away from the river at mile100.5. Finally had a chance to pass , but at the same time the "JC Tantout" was coming towards us with 5x3, let him by first then made our move. "Chicago" did not want us to pass, laid on the steam, we put Mercedes up to 2000 RPM and inched by.. Halfway into our pass the Hatteras went by again, after refueling, and gave us his wake for the second time!!! Dicey!!

12:30 mile 94.3 13:00 almost at Beardsville, "Helen Lay" passed going up stream with a 5x3, all empty.

13:25 mile 87.0 dykes on both sides here

14:15 arrived La Grange Lock, mile 80.1 Lock has 9' drop, locked out at 14:35 Whitetail Deer along the port shore. We are now on a heading of 160 to 170 all along this section "Jack Flahaut" pushing a 5x3 loaded with coal just went by, got in his propwash and gained a knot for a few minutes...The "Lois Ann" another 5x3 passed going upstream under the Meredosia Bridge loaded with caustic soda.

16:30 the "Ann Brent" goes by loaded with 5x3 barges of styrene and benzene.

16:40 mile 62.7 sun going down but full moon coming up, clear sky, found a spot behind railway bridge abutment 10 ft.

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:06:30 got underway, air temp at 06:00 33 F light frost on deck. Several large trains went over the bridge last night. Heard all of them , Dave says there was one at 5AM, did not hear that one!!!

07:40 passing Pillsbury docks, wonder if this is where the dough boy is from? Village of Florence behind the dyke.

07:45 mile 55. Getting into hilly farm country,, herds of cattle on the pastures. Starting to get the limestone cliffs on the north shore Rail tracks on the dyke on the south side flood plain. Hazy, but sun is out will probably burn off. 40' sport fisher "Chore Skipper" passed us at full speed leaving quite a wake.

08:25 mile 48.7 Passed village of Bedford, along north shore, about 10 houses, and one foundation with a chimney and full fireplace left standing, a US flag was flying in the middle of what was a house that obviously went in the flood...

09:15 mile 44.9 high limestone cliffs on north side beyond flood plain, approaching RR bridge.

09:45 14 summer places all on stilts on north side, nice sandy beach along shore, called "Pearl Island". Marshland behind all the way to the buff.

10:00 mile 39.9 Big old bald eagle walking in water along shore of Wing Island, about 25ft away, he flew off with a nice size fish in his claws, over to a tree where his friend was. Air temp 50 F. Starting to blow up 10 - 12 kts, 1 ft chop on nose.

10:30 mile 36.3 hills change to rolling about half mile away on north side, south side still flood plain. SOG 6.28 kt. No barge traffic today, Sunday. Starting to see small villages along the stbd side, about two miles apart, highway along the river, only the shorefront houses are on stilts.

11:00 mile 32.2 Passed Kampsville ferry, just a flat barge with a ramp pushed by a tug, "Miss Illinois" he just pushes the barge unto a paved slope and drops the ramp, 5 vehicles on board and 5 waiting for next trip. The villages are getting bigger, this one has a Legion. Air temp 55F. Miles and miles of corn fields on south side, north side is scrub woodland.

12:15 mile 22 river widens to 1/4 mile after "Diamond Island" (because of it's shape), looks like a good anchorage behind. Coming up to Hardin Bridge, mile 21.5, 2 not bad tie up docks downtown, for customers of "Illinois Riverfront Restaurant", bet that is good for business... Half the trees have foliage along here. Mile 18, Mortland Island, looks like a good anchorage behind there.

13:42 mile 12 Raised cottages along south shore, that is different, people living there, burning leaves and all the stuff we do in October at home.

14:30 mile 7 Arrived "Pere Marquette State Park". Electricity shut off!!! Damm need to charge those batteries... Tightened alternator belt but only charging sometimes, found out the belt is slipping.

Went up, to the Lodge for hot tub, shower and supper, had the "country style cat fish", and a glass of Chardonnay, $12.65US. Linen napkins and tablecloths. Beautiful facility, rooms are $91.00US. No charge for marina tie up for the first 24 hours.

Pere Marquette was a Jesuit missionary, who departed "Ste. Marie-sur-Les-Hurons" in Midland Ontario with the explorer Louis Joliet, just before the massacre. They did the Illinois R. founded a fort at Joliet and continued to the Mississippi River.

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:

07:15 air temp 54F We are now getting the benefits of the Mississippi River Valley, added 8 oz of cooling water and 1 qt of Rotella T the 5^th since we left home, not bad oil consumption!!!

08:05 leave Pere Marquette Park, nice free facility they allow 24 hr free dockage, no unattended dockage, destination today Alton, Illinois only about 17 miles, not a long day for us, but the next facility from there is 68 miles, and there are two locks to go through on the Mississippi R. on the way. Duck hunting blinds, these also have ramps for the dogs to climb up, I count 7, along the south shore, about every 500 yards or so, have been there for a long time, my chart is 20 years old and they show up there. Construction crew building permanent dyke on north side, closing off "Swan Lake" leaving only a spillway.

08:35 Mile 3.6 Brussels Ferry, again 2 barge ferries, one on each side, going 1/4 mile across, two shore ramps one for each ferry. Busy place!! Still see bald eagles on the tree tops, they seem to pick the dead trees!!

08:50 mile 2.1 North side all flood plain, many lakes behind the trees we see, Silver Lake, Swan Lake, the south side is all limestone hills. Coming into Grafton, Ill on port side, several large mansions on the cliff, must be a beautiful view!!!

09:15 see sign on shore advertising diesel "last chance" for $1.39US that is highway price, last stop we paid $1.59US. Hope there is not too much water in it!!! We take on 31.95 gal for $41.82US to top off our tanks. Ahead is the Mississippi River.

10:00 left Grafton We now enter the Mississippi River at mile 218, Missouri is on starboard and Illinois is on port . 300 ft high limestone cliffs on the Illinois side, called the "palisades", and on the Missouri side, flood plain and low islands

10:45 cross over to the Missouri side, passed "Our Lady of the Rivers" a statue honoring mariners on the river, get some pictures, there is a line on her skirt about knee level showing the flood line in 1993. Pass an Ericson 23 out sailing, waved, must be new to the water, he had his fenders out on stbd side while sailing!!!

11:23 mile 208.4 "Theresa L. Wood" passed us going up river, her tow was 3 x 4, barges are larger and the tugs , still pushers, are much larger and more powerful, and... leave a bigger wake... (got a 2 kt push behind Theresa L. Wood for 2 minutes)

12:00 abeam Alton, Ill just passing a "tug farm", about 50 tugs in various state of repair, this is the first tug repair depot we have seen. Bridge up ahead, hope the pictures turn out..., beautiful.... the Alton Marina is under the bridge, double back around the breakwater, back under the bridge into the marina. Water, power, cable TV, phone, showers, swimming pool price is 80 cents /ft. Total cost $27.20. The swimming pool is floating in the marina, they say it is the only one in the world. Called West Marine about our parts, have not arrived yet. Decide to leave at 06.00 tomorrow and have parts shipped to PEI for next crew change. There are no harbours or stops, between here and "Hoppies" 68 miles south so we cannot stop. Even the City of St. Louis has no facility!!! Imagine!!!

20:50 air temp 65F, tee shirt weather, cooked up Mandarin Chicken breast , rice Pilaf, Chardonnay and Monday night football, time for walk , shower and bed.

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:0545 air temp 60F, raining the first in 32 days, head for Alton lock 3/4 mile away, lockmaster says use small lock, tug Atlas comes in also, pushing empty 2 x 2, finally get out of there at 0645 drop 24'. Nice lock all modern. Rain gets heavy in lower pool, lots of dead barges and stone levees all along the Missouri side, the Illinois side, to our port, is a busy shipping area floating dry dock barge / tug repair. Passed "American Beauty" with a 5 x 3 she had 4 stacks and looked new and awful powerful. Vis about 1 mile or so. Pictures in St. Louis may be iffy on the way by...

0735 Rip tide where the Missouri River enters the Mississippi just before St. Louis, river is boiling, boat speed picks up by 1.5 kts. SOG up to 10+ for short time. Vis really bad, rain and more rain.

0750 large sign "Canal all boats enter here", a by-pass for a bad section of the Mississippi R. called "Chain of Rocks Canal".

0800 mile 193.5 in the ditch, rain is off and on, winds are less in here, behind a large tug "James F Neal", he says to pass on his stbd side, beautiful tug must be new. Two large bridges up ahead, actually turns out to three, a twin pair in matching green and a single about 1/4 mile further in battleship grey.

0825 finally passed tug, this ditch is 11 miles long, It runs from mile 184 t0 195, (a taste of the Tenn-Tom???) and ends up in Granite City, Ill. Cannot see anything, the dykes are 30 - 40 ft high on each side. Got "ignoble" (laptop), out here in the cockpit, but keep her under the dodger, covered with a towel, it is raining cats and dogs .

0845 come to a wide area in the ditch, an oil refinery on port side, can see Granite City, lock #7 up ahead,...

0915 locked through 25 ft drop, we are now heading for St. Louis, which we can now see directly ahead... rain has stopped for now, still cloudy. Mile 184.1 canal stops, we are back in river. Air temp 65F. Another fast flowing river coming in on the Mo side, bumps our SOG up to 8.1kts. Can see the big Stainless Steel arch St. Louis is famous for up ahead. The buoys here have bow waves...all kinds of activity on the Mo shore, a crane picking up scrap with a magnet, dumping into a barge, a mountain of bluestone in another place, gravel, coal, sand, wood chips, barges/tugs, everything moving...

0940 still in industrial section SOG 7.9, boat speed shows 5.52kt, so we have 2.4 kt current in our favor. Approaching 3 bridges (turns out to be 5) the centre one is RR, there are opposing competing gambling ships, one on each shore, on the Illinois side, a gaudy neon lit 4 deck side paddler, "Casino Queen", and on the Missouri side an unnamed one!! Pass the big SS arch, quite a sight, get some pictures. Pass a "barge farm" and a raft of barges loaded with grain, there are 1000's of pigeons all over them, eating the spilt grain on the top cover... Coming up to another one of those, just covered with pigeons... Barge traffic everywhere, on both sides of us, can see why there are no yacht facilities here, not wide enough and too busy... and you cannot go anywhere anyway.

1015 industrial area again, cement, oil tanks, old coal burning power plant, and just ahead a giant suction dredge, "America", spewing sand onto the Illinois shore, blocking off 3/4 of the river, we have to hug the Mo. shore, barges and barges of wood chips, have seen them all along the river, just figured it out, they mix chips with coal in the power plants!!!

1055 SOG 9.5kts!!! and a 20 kt wind on the nose!!

1125 mile 164.9. . We are going much faster than we thought...something very sweet smelling in the air, cannot place it. Coming into something, large homes on the buff on the Mo. side. The smell turns out to be Betsey's bean soup, brewed up while they were up ahead, I had a bowl after fueling up, ate the rest of last night's chicken and a tomato for supper with Chablis and a scarey movie on TV. We are tied up at Hoppies, at Mile 159, on the outside face of his barges, 13.3 ft depth, each time a tug goes by we get the wake, but there is enough current that if we lock the rudder to port, we stay off the dock, rocky but comfortable, just like a hammock. This is our days run, top up the diesel , used 8 gallons diesel in 64 miles since Grafton. Kimmswick, Mo. is a small re constructed 1800's village. Walked up the road, there is a beautiful un-occupied old home just two properties away, the yard is filled with 100 + old T-Birds (even suicide door ones), Lincoln (again some suicide door ones), Corvairs, Corvettes, old Chryslers all in various states of decay. I inquired, Hoppie tells me, the owner is an eccentric antique buff, collected but refused to sell. They all were under water in the 1993 flood, which reached 43 feet here, so they are only worth the price of the chrome, everything else is ruined.... The old home is termite ridden and full of never cleaned up mud from the '93 flood. What a waste... There are no more marinas or fuel for the next 200 miles, we will have to anchor when we stop from here all the way to Paducah where the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers meet, the start of the Tenn-Tom Waterway.

Big Pusher just went by after we docked, with a 5 x 5!!!, turned out not too bad, spring lines kept her off the dock.

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:0630 air temp 45 F Left Hoppies, the German couple we have been chasing are now 2 days ahead not 3. Hoppie says stay in the channel, they have been dredging, and they dump the spoils back into the river along the shore, but the river just puts it back out somewhere else.. He calls it "job preservation"

0730 mile 149.0 The Illinois shore is flat flood plain , the stbd side Missouri, is all cliffs and hilly 200 - 300 ft

0745 two tows approaching heading up, pushing 5 x 5's. The closest one "Peters" is passing the other one... SOG 8.6

0830 two different piles of red and greens (buoys) stacked up on the shoreline, must be Coast Guard. Put belt dressing on Mercedes belts this AM, we still have 13.5 v in the system, with the fridge on, looks like it is working...

0925 mile 130.6 large sand island in river from Mo shore 3/4 across to the east side "Sarah Elizabeth" pushing a 4 x 6 heading up, styrene, molasses and benzene. We can smell the molasses. A few minutes later the "Valda" pushing two loaded with combustibles and at 0940 passed a giant rock quarry, loading 4 barges at a time along the riverside, each one for different size stone, they even have their own barge repair facility.. About 50 barges are anchored together in the river waiting for loads..

0950 mile 126.1 the "Seminole Brave" pushing a 7 x 4. All empty green and grey tops and at 0955 a large suction dredge "Alco", pumping on the Missouri shore This is a busy spot.

1042 mile117.3 just passing the Kaskaskia River mouth, can see lock just up stream, Quimby's says it is a good overnight spot. Just passed "Lydia E Campbell" going up 3 x 3 loaded with caustic soda. Another one coming half mile behind. The river is not very wide, only about half the way between Pinkham's house and ours if that. The "Larry L Strain" pushing a 6W x 5L just passed all, empty. Two young male eagles along the east shore, have not seen any for several days.

The "Bobby Jones" pushing 3 barges of anhydrous ammonia, hope he arrives safely...

1125 mile 110.2 passing Chester city, "the Popeye City" home of Minard Maximum Security Prison on the port shore waved to the warden??? on the way by...passed under the bridge 100' clearance.

1300 mile 99.4 passed "Wayne P LaGrange pushing a 6 x 6 all empty heading up, on a turn on his stbd gives him room.

1420 mile 80.2 passed under oil pipeline bridge There is almost nothing to speak of on either shore , water depth is about 24 ft avg , a summer campground on port shore... That's it... Getting some islands in the river. Passed the "Peggy Griffin" pushing 1 x 4 dangerous cargo but no cargo name.

River heading south now 194 M, just passed a flock of about 8, wild turkeys on the Illinois shore... just walking along.

1545 mile 66.6 "Trail of Tears State Park", breakwater small basin not supposed to be any water in here but we have 9.6+ Ketch My Drift went in and dropped his Danforth, Whitecap came in and rafted, only 60 ft wide. Dave put out a stern anchor.

Thursday, November 25, 1999 0630 air temp 45 cloudy overcast, Barometer 30.6 & holding, wind cool 5kts west F took half hour to retrieve two anchors, bent a stantion in the process, ah! that Mississippi mud, and then, had to tow Ketch My Drift by the bow to get her pointing out the channel , too narrow to turn.

0710 finally underway, catch up to and pass "Peters" with 5 x 7 , four chemical barges were empty the rest were full, this is the same tug going up river yesterday. Heading for Cairo (pronounced Ca a row) Il., only 24 miles as the crow flies but it is mile 0 of the Upper Mississippi, so that will be 66 miles for us, a good days work, from "Trail of Tears" Park.

0815 mile 55.2 farmland on the Mo side, flood plain scrub woodland, swamp on the Illinois side, Cape Girardeau at two o'clock, and the town of the same name 2 miles ahead. SOG 8kts meeting the "Mary Ann" with a 5 x 6 all empty going up stream, right on the turn, we will go over to the wrong side of the channel to give him more room to turn the corner.

The town is protected by a cement wall all along the waterfront. They are building a new bridge over the river, and, there is a large tug building shipyard here.

0900 getting ready to pass "John Rivers" with a 4 x 6 loaded heading south. "Stonewall Jackson" pushing a 5 x 7, comes around the turn up ahead and puts her nose to shore, we thought he was just being nice, but turns out one of his barges was on fire...

0930 mile 42.9 The river seems to be changing, no more swampy flood plain, here we have higher ground on both sides, and there are suddenly rocks floating in the river on both sides, cannot stray from the channel around here...

Passed a nice ranch style home brick along the shore, the lady came out to wave, they have several horse corrals and are building a new home farther up the slope,

0955 mile 39,2 SOG 9.6kts. on our port side we are passing a tow staging area, the tug "Sally Archer" a 5 decker!! Looks new, pusher, 3 stacks, it looks like they are building her a tow.

1055 mile 29.8 large (600 acre or so) sand island on port had to go around. The river is boiling along here, SOG is 9.8, boat speed is 6.2, no traffic along here, of course it is American Thanksgiving today.

1125 have not seen any traffic for awhile. Then suddenly, met "Sharon Wildman" pushing 3x6 empty and just behind the "Carrie Mays" with a 1x 2 empty cement barge and right behind at the bend the "Midland" with a 3 x 6 loaded with coal all going up... And shortly after those we have a 1 x2 being pushed by "Bill Wolter" and behind him the "W. T. Toutant" pushing 5 x 6 all empty. And all this in a space of about 3 miles!!!

1250 mile 10.7 The river is a little wider and deeper along here, the sides are bolder, and the current a little less. It is cold, air temp 45 and still overcast, no sign of the sun. Passed the "Show-me-state" going up pushing a 3 x 6 all empty..

1325 mile 4.4 "Crimson Gem" with a 4 x 7 all empty grain bar barges.

1348 mile 0.8 From here, the Lower Mississippi turns to the right and heads to New Orleans 932 miles away, and we turn left, heading of 322M, into the Ohio River for 46 miles and then the Tennessee where the distance to t5he Gulf of Mexico is only 730 miles. We now have Illinois on our port side and Kentucky on stbd there are barges everywhere must be 1000 between the mouth of the Ohio and Cairo Ill.

1550 we are well on our way up the Ohio, there are absolutely no places for pleasure boars below here, heading for Lock 53. 1 x 2 approaching "Grebe", carrying Benzene down river, barges all newly painted black with red tops , another one the "Walter Brunson" approaching a 3 x 3 some empty others with wood chips

Large steel walled wharf, very high, transshipment docks maybe? A 2 x 5 of coal going down through Lock 53, locked through and tied up for night around corner of small lock behind wall, in 5.7'

Talk to lockmaster, what we thought was a transshipment wharf is actually a temporary coffer dam, they are building a new modern lock inside, which will replace #53 and #52. Also learn about knock-off and breakaway tows....

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:0710 start, beautiful day, cold, air temp 28 F. Frost everywhere... Left wine on deck, well chilled... Yesterday we did 18 of the 46 necessary Ohio River miles. Kentucky is on the south bank.

0750 Mile959.2 of the Ohio R. So far today, the only barge traffic was at lock #53, "Heloise", "Martha Lynn", and "Leila Schirer" all 3 x 5 breakaways loaded with coal. Grain elevators and coal fired power plants, on both sides of the river. Very few homes, when there are some they are mobiles, the houses were swept away in the 93 flood. One brick ranch, on the slope, horse barns, corrals. The Ohio River water is green, not mud brown like the Mississippi R.

0905 an actual village on the Illinois (north) bank, really the first we have seen along the shore. The Ohio is wider than the Mississippi, about 3/4 to 1 mile. 0945, Large power plant, count over 40 empty coal barges waiting for pickup, and "Emerald" coming in with 3 x 5 to unload, here they use a giant vacuum, to suck up the coal from the barges to the conveyer belts. Air temp 45F.

1015 mile 942.1 passing under RR bridge, large paddle wheel gambling ship "Players Island Casino" tied to shore at Metropolis, Il. This is the home of Superman, there is a large Superman statue in the parking lot, all I can say is the guy who invented the comic character had a lot of imagination, Chicago maybe??? certainly not Metropolis, Il. Loaded coal barges all along the shore, there are several, large industries here that burn coal. Two highway bridges up ahead, Lock # 52 in at the second bridge. "Sunflower" loaded with Benzene, propylene oxide, ethylene glycol, nosed up to shore resting. Lockmaster says he has tug the "Stephen K. Venable" with one empty barge, will put us in behind. "Bonnie" is going up in the large lock, to port, with a 3 x 7 knockoff.

1125 cleared lock #52, lift 8', the staff there brag, it is the busiest lock in the US.

1210 arrive mile 934.5 of the Ohio River is also mile 0 of the Tennessee River, at Paducah Ky. The Tennessee River is navigable for 650 miles, all the way to Knoxville and beyond.

We take the channel behind "Owens Island", Paducah is to our Stbd with a cement wall protecting the city, pass "Cuba Towhead" to stbd, many supply services along the shore, even diesel, should have topped up. In retrospect lesson learned, when you see a sign that says "diesel" always stop and top up.... Many barge and tug repair facilities along the shore, count 8 dry-docks, very busy spot.. the river is only 500' wide.

Mile 7, pass under state highway #60 bridge, many v expensive homes on the buff, really the first waterfront homes we have seen since Lake Michigan, everyone has Purple Martin houses in the yards. Mile 8 just passed the factory where they make the fibreglass barge covers, thousands piled up in the yard ready to be shipped... by barge of course... The river is about as wide as our SYC Marina is long. Pass under twin highway bridges ... in matching grey.

1515 Arrive at Kentucky Lock and Dam, lockmaster tells us to wait for a breakaway tow to clear, and he will lock us up. A breakaway tow is one where the tug pushes part of his tow into the lock, breaks away the excess that will not fit , and waits for the lock to drop or lift the first part, come back up for the tug and other barges and locks them through. He hooks back up to his load and continues on his way. Only problem is no one else can lock through while he is in the system, because his breakaway barges block the entrance. We had to circle for 2.5 hours before we locked in. Lift 58' , the highest so far on our trip, and not very smooth, fenders took a bad beating, of almost 100 locks so far, this one was by far the worst. The lockmaster had a lot of tows in the upper pool and only us at the lower one, just happened we were on our way up...... but grateful to be in Kentucky Lake

1850 cleared lock, already dark, headed for mile 24, Lighthouse Landing Marina, Grand Rivers Ky. (Kentucky calls itself the "Commonwealth of Kentucky"). Ketch My Drift grounded on rock ledge outside entrance, Whitecap enters marina to look for help. On docking, no reverse, not the same sound as in Frankfort, this time a different one..., but still no prop... things always happen on a weekend. Met a couple visiting for the weekend, Steve and Shelly Johnson, who had visited PEI last summer, Shelley knew what PEI meant on my jacket!!! Steve had his boat here and after an unsuccessful attempt at a stern tow, we were able to tie unto Ketch my Drift's main halyard, and lay her over while she powered off. When we all cleared away, Steve and Shelly invited us to their rental cottage for dinner, she said leftovers, but away better than Whitecap latest normal fare for sure. Gave Shelley a Whitecap sun visor, and presented Steve with a Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Pennant for his den. Many thanks Steve and Shelley, what hospitality!!!.

Saturday, November 27, 1999 0800 air temp 50F clear skies. Check into marina office $.50/ft. This is the first marina since Alton Il. full of boats, here they are 90% sail and they mostly stay wet all winter. There is even another Morgan 34 "Osprey" here. Temperature reached 75F today. Started to strip engine to lift into cabin, Dave helping. I can now disconnect the engine in 1.5 hours and only require someone to pass me tools. Will lift engine and remove transmission on Monday, Ketch My Drift, Dave and Betsey, have decided to stay here with us, very thankful for their help. Went to the IGA for wine, none available, this is a "dry" county, not even any of my non-alcoholic 0.5 beer!!!

Sunday, November 28, 1999. Kentucky Lake is a man made lake about 1.1/2 miles wide and 60 miles long, Lake Barkley is just 1 mile east and was created by the same dam. Both of these lakes are part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. In between the two lakes is what is called "The Land Between the Lakes" pretty obvious eh!! All the LBL properties were expropriated, and the people moved up the hills on the other side of the new lakes, several villages were also moved higher up. It was flooded to create hydro dams all along the connecting valleys in the 50's, the flooding and dams also created a giant navigation system in mid America. At mile 67 we will cross from Kentucky into the state of Tennessee. The next lock is at Pickwick Landing, Mississippi, where Mile 215 of the Tennessee River is also mile 450 of the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway, and where we will turn to starboard to go down the Tenn-Tom for 12 more locks and 412 miles to Mobile, Alabama, on the Gulf of Mexico.

1530 Just a few minutes ago, the lady from the restaurant in the village where I have been going for breakfast, brought me 2 loaves of her homemade fresh bread!!!. a few minutes later, Dave came over from "Ketch my Drift" to ask me who the lady was who brought him bread, says she knocked on their deck and asked "if they were the ones helping the nice gentleman from Canada?" when they said they were, she gave them four loaves of bread... That tells me 3 things, the local people are friendly, at least some think I am "nice", and at least one considers me a "gentleman". The whole village (pop 400) is dressed in Christmas decorations, the streets, the stores, there is even a horse drawn carriage ride you can rent, and it is all lit up, even the poor horse had a red flashing light on his nose!!! They are having a boat lighting Christmas theme contest here next weekend, and many boaters are here today doing their thing. The prize is a free winter get-away. weekend in one of the Marina's cottages.

At the highway entrance to the marina there is a sailboat being used as a flower planter, I went over to take a close look, it is an actual 25' Paceship "Eastwind", with the cabin top cut off and filled with soil, what a waste!!! .

Monday, November 29, 1999. Wished myself a Happy birthday!!! First one I ever celebrated alone. Hope Jean Chretien has the proper mailing address for my monthly cheque. Frost on the deck this morning, but by 0930 the temperature is up to 55 F. Engine lifted out and in cabin as before, only took 3/4 hour using the mast crane. Found the problem, same as before, female splines on the clutch plate completely chewed off, on close inspection, we found out why, the male splines on the transmission were also worn, allowing movement where it should be tight., something we missed in Manitowac, darn... The new parts, transmission and clutch plate, are available in stock from Mastery Inc. a marine engine and transmission place in Florida, and by FedEx will be here either Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning. We can be mobile again in about 4 hours after the parts arrive. Big trick will be to drop her back in before the staff leave for the night.

Going out to the buffet supper at the "Pattie's Settlement" to celebrate tonight...only $8.95 cannot afford not to ..

Tuesday, November 30, 1999. Air temp 45F at 0800. There was a small block of ice under a leaking tap on the dock, we had an overnight low of 28F. Stepped the masts and tightened up the rigging this morning, bent on the sails and sail covers this afternoon. Had a long chat with local sailor Dennis and his kind wife Debbie, about the trip from here to Mobile, they told us about all the good anchorages and places to stop. The Tennessee is a clean river/lake, the water is green but not clear, there are more anchorages and places to stop overnight, from here down, for pleasure boats, but I have learned that if you see a sign that says "diesel" stop and top up, because the next one may be a long ways away. Debbie also volunteered to do a run to the wine store in Paducah, 30 miles away, the next wet county. A Hunter 36 "Chara" is tied up alongside, skipper Dan and crew Wayne took their mast down today, and are leaving at 0600 tomorrow for the Tenn-Tom and then Florida. Their mast is 3/4 rig and 53' off the water, there is one bridge at 52' on the way. Whitecap is OK at 48' off the water, we checked all the charts last night.

Wednesday, December 1, 1999. Really cold last night, frost on the sail covers, but by 0900 the air temp was 45 F. Cleaned up around boat, laundry day. Parts arrived at 1030, towed Whitecap over to mast crane, finished taking parts off old Velvet Drive, and started to assemble replacement, by 1330, we were ready to attach the transmission to the motor. After a quick lunch, attached transmission, and started the motor lift back into the engine room. By 1800 everything finished, and connected but the shaft did not turn!!!!!!!! Checked everything, shift leaver throw, fluid level, engine alignment , still no shaft turning. Shut down for the day.... Quite a disappointment, went for a hot shower, and took Dave and Betsey out for supper, really appreciate their help, but I did not want to hold them up any longer, we are here for 4 days already, they have things to do and have to be in St. Pete by Christmas. Reluctantly they decide to leave tomorrow. Many many thanks Dave and Betsey for your help over the past few days. We will meet again in the Caribbean I am sure.

Thursday, December 2, 1999. 45F at 0800 today, clear sunny but winds are west at 15k. Started to dismantle the engine again, if it is not working, not much use having it in there. Talked to Marty in the office, tried to call Scott at Mastery Transmissions, no luck. Marty sent one of his handymen, Barry down to help, by 1100 we had lifted the engine back into the cabin and had the new transmission off. Checked the measurements for the clutch plate spline and everything we could think of, no luck, everything seemed OK. After lunch, Marty called Velvet Drive ( 508-979-4800), which turns out to be in New Bedford, Mass. I talked to Mark, I am sure their most knowledgeable technician, he says the "pump index" is incorrectly set. Mark tells me that at the front of the transmission there are four bolts and opposite arrows at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock, Mark says to remove the bolts and turn the casting to set the arrow which coincides with the engine rotation at the top (12 o'clock). Checked the old transmission and sure enough the new one was set opposite... It was very simple to change, Barry and I reattached the transmission, and proceeded to put Mercedes back in her hole. By 2100 everything was hooked up and after starting the engine, putting her in gear... voila!!! we had forward and reverse, like we never had before!!! I guess the "KISS" (keep it simple stupid) method, always works. Barry lives with his parents, went home to a late supper, he told me he was only 2 years old when his parent's land was expropriated on "the Land Between the Lakes". By 2200 I had the boat shipshape again and took a long hot shower; my ribs will never be the same again from laying over the engine 3 days in a row... and it will probably take a month to get my hands and nails clean again.

2300 Air temp, 60F Plan early start tomorrow, Pickwick is 2+ days from here, have to pick up son Richard and grandchildren Ben and Michelle arriving at New Orleans airport on Sunday, will have to rent a car.

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:0700 Overslept this morning, air temp 58 F, rain overcast, windy 20 -25 on nose, 118" chop. Many thanks to the Lighthouse Landing crew, especially Barry, for their help solving the transmission problem. On clearing the breakwater met "Sonny Ivey" with a 2 x 5 loaded with coal headed to Lake Barkley, on the east side of the "Land Between the Lakes". The bottom of the Lake Barkley turns into the Cumberland River, a navigable river stretching easterly for 380 miles. Barkley Canal, a half mile long man made canal, connects the two large man made lakes at mile 25.4 of the Tennessee River.

0745 abeam Barkley Canal, looks like it is trying to clear up ahead. Boat speed 4.3

0815 raining very hard, winds 25+, seas 3+ ft. Taking green ones over the bow, vis 3 - 5m.

0920 mile 33.4 abeam Peggy's light and day mark. Had front hatch open under dinghy, now I have to dry my bunk!!!

0940 turned into Duncan Bay, squally, rain, just plain dirty., anchored CQR and 30' chain in 8.5 ft 10 ft from bank, deer on east shore 100 ft away.. Laid down and slept, "relief exhaustion" I guess...

There are many deep bays all along the LBL shore making convenient anchorages, very much like the Bras d' Or lakes at home. Kentucky Lake does get shallow (5 ft) down the centre in some places, the shipping channel is on the east side.

1545 Rain stopped, winds down to 10 -15 pulled anchor.

1615 mile 37.9 abeam Widow Reynolds light and day mark.

1650 cleared under State Hwy 68 bridge, 65 ft.

1720 mile 42.1 Kenlake Marina, closed, tied up to gas dock. Air temp 62F., Heater on drying front cabin. Baked beans tonight, took long walk, listened to TV news (no picture just sound) and went to bed...

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:0645 Raining, overcast, bright up ahead looks like sun wants to come through clouds.

0707 mile 44.2 Abeam Highland light, most of the green lights have osprey nests on top depth 63 ft. Dirty weather up ahead. , we now have Tennessee and LBL lands on port. Stbd is still Kentucky. Small sand bar behind Newburg light, looks like it was a hill that just wasn't high enough to be an island. Many bays and coves all along the LBL, there are creeks: Turkey, Redd Hollow, and bays: Rhodes, Barnett, Sugar and Higgins, and then there are rivers: Blood, Sandy Big Sandy etc...

0805 mile 50.9 abeam Clyde Light, rain stopped for awhile. Many large homes and estates on Kentucky shore. At Blood River, the TVA property only goes to the bank, the land behind is private so they can build along the shore.

0845 along miles 55 to 56.5, there are many sand bar treed small islands, in the centre of the lake, duck blinds all along, in between, can see two hunters taking in decoys only 500' away. First tow of the day, a 3 x 5 empty going north. SOG 6.

Mile 62, can see Fort Heiman of the buff, this is the border of Tennessee, we are no longer in Kentucky. Chart says the land in behind is "coaling lands". Called "Paris Landing Marina" inquiring on diesel. Will make a stop before the US hwy #79 bridge. Arrived at 1045, took on 43.6 gallons @ $54.66, not quite highway prices!!! Just ahead was a 42' Chris Craft "Sojourner" from Wisconsin, the owners just retired, sold their home and belongings, and were heading south. Dockmaster tells me they came in about 3 weeks ago, took on water and fuel and left to anchor bow, in a cove just downstream. A yachter noticed the boat had not moved in several days. Police found them both asphyxiated with CO, they had a detector but it was powered at the key!!! There was a crack in the exhaust of their Generator, which had run its tank dry, figured it happened the first night, and they had been dead for a week. He was doing a crossword and slumped over, she was in the bathroom, They both had just turned 65.

Met Howard and Sarah Freeman, they have a "Merrill" finished 37 ft steel hull which they plan to cruise. Sarah is also a zipper club member, same branch as me, used exactly the same artery, same month and year too...

1230 passed under hwy #79 bridge, lake splits in two here, Big Sandy River turns to the west and is navigable for 200 miles, and the Tennessee goes straight through. . Sunny, rain stopped, air temp 70. We are now past the southern end of the LBL lands, there are many beautiful homes on the east shore buffs. Passed "Winchester" with a 3 x 4 all empty, going north.

1420 mile 78.3 Danville Landing ferry just crossed up ahead, passed old dismantled "Louisville and Nashville" RR bridge, and an old abandoned partially submerged building, which was an old loading wharf before the lake flooding.

1520 mile 85.2, Turkey Island light, starting to get dark, won't make "Birdsong Marina", only 2 miles away, but long winding channel, where I can get a rental car to pick up Richard and the kids tomorrow. Ah well, haste makes waste!!!

1640 mile 100, called RR bridge on VHF, asks me how much height I need. Request 50 feet. Bridge lifts, we clear adjacent hwy #70 bridge also. Turn into 50' wide channel on port side parallel to hwy approach, speed 1.5kts, get halfway to the town and ground on mud bank, 8.7 ft at the bow, stern on mud bank !!! not stuck very hard, just needs turning.

1800 dropped the 35 lb CQR and 25 ft chain, decide to spend the night. Someone will come along in the morning.

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:0700 overcast, rain winds have gone down. Air temp 58. Checked around boat several times during night, no movement, winds hit 40kts during night, boat heeled to 20 at times, had trouble staying in the high side bunk. At least now it is daylight, so I can see what is around us, stake in mud about 10 feet to stbd. Pulled anchor and chain back aboard, seems to be deep water on fwd port bow. Talked to Richard in Toronto, when I get out of here, the new plan is to head for "Birdsong Marina", get a car and pick them up at Memphis airport. Try to attract attention to my plight, not much luck, I can see a restaurant, launching ramp and some houses in town about 1/3 mile away.

0830 Duck hunters going by, full speed, on my starboard!!! that is where I thought the mud bank came from. Boat bounces off bottom. Duck hunter comes back after he drops off his 4 companions, tries circling the boat to make waves, she bounces and moves but not far enough, so we tie onto the Spinnaker halyard The hunter is apprehensive, but I tell him to lay her over to the rail if he has to. One heel and we are off, I thank him profusely and head out, only to go aground again on another mud bank!!! Duck hunter comes back, we repeat the procedure, this time we get back in the river. Hard to imagine how we got in there last night in the dark... Call Birdsong Marina, Bob tells me there is a squall coming through, which I can plainly see up ahead, turn off the river at mile 103.5 and into Birdsong Creek, the marina is 1 ½ miles up. Pass many duck hunters in their blinds only 25 feet away, guess I spoiled that part of their day!! The office opens at 1300, and I borrow Bob's Lincoln for the drive to Memphis. US #40 takes me strait through, 133 miles. Richard, Ben and Michelle have rented a car in New Orleans and have a 5 hr drive north on US #55. They arrived at 1830, we had a snack and arrived back at Birdsong about at 2230.

Hi everyone from Michelle! The plane didn't crash and I didn't get lost yet, and mom there are not any weird-os hiding in the bathrooms waiting to get me and take my kidneys for $3000.

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:0930 Topped up fuel, $11.00 for 6 gallons, and holding tank pumpout, picked up one more life jacket, the lockmasters from here on require everyone to wear their vests during locking. Headed out the river, again past the poor duck hunter from yesterday.

1115 mile 116, passed under US #40 bridge. Clearance 65' Tug and 3 x something picking up on us from behind, we are doing 6.59kts,, air temp 51F up from this AM but without any sun today it is cold in the cockpit.

1130 "Ocie Clark" pushing a 3 x 4 coal overtook and passed us, we are doing 6.59kts at 1950 rpm, he really has the steam on...

1230 mile 124.1 Denson Landing, cottages mixed with permanent homes, along the dyked east shore.

1300 mile 128, just passed Cherokee Landing on stbd shore, a lot of very expensive homes on the buff, must be a town somewhere in behind, these are not cottages. There is a suction dredge working the port shore, looks like he is taking pure sand off the bottom.

1405 mile 135 passed under state hwy #412bridge, Perryville, Tenn passed tug "Aberdeen", heading north with a 1 x 2 loaded with benzene. Another sand sucker dredge just ahead.

1510 mile 143.2 Eagles End and Kelley's Island, good anchoring spot if it were later, will try to make Clifton at mile 158.

1555 mile "Yahu City" just passed heading north with a 3 x 6 empty,, beautiful homes on the stbd cliff about 200 ft up.

1635 Mile 153 abeam Jeter Towhead, sun gone down over the hill behind.

1655 Annapolis heading north with 1 x 2 benzene getting dark only 2 miles left to go.

1730 Talked to Clifton Marina on VHF, he says he only has 2ft water at entrance to marina, impossible to get in , decide to anchor in river, found a spot 25' from shore off channel in 15ft, paid out CQR and 60 ft chain. Bed by 1845.

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:

0630 looked out, fog fog fog. Cannot see shore only 25' away, turn on stove definately a 2 burner morning!!! Put qt oil in Mercedes, and topped up cooling water, 1 cup.

0730 cleared up enough to start out, only to turn back a few minutes later by fog up ahead. Bacon and biscuits morning.

0800 started out fog lifting, 0830 pass under newly constructed bridge, chart only says proposed bridge, we have ½ kt current against us, net "Barbara K Taylor" pushing a 3 x 4 empty, the fog must have slowed down barge traffic also.

0900 mile 163 abeam Eagles Nest Island really good anchorage at both ends, would have been better then last night.

0955 barge traffic is picking up" Robert C Loedding" with a 3 x 4 empty heading north. Starting to get warm air temp 60

pass fisherman tending nets, only about the 3^rd one since the river start.

1030 abeam Swallowtail Island, looks like someone is developing, bulldozers and stuff working, then Dicky's Towhead and a power cruiser up on the sand bank, in the middle of the river, abandoned and looks like stripped..

1200 mile 181 large suction dredge, Armstrong working the east bank, loading directly on barges, cheap sand!!

1355 mile 190 Passing under I 64 hwy bridge 84' clearance. Savannah, Tennessee.

1500 mile 196 SOG 4.7 BSP 6.5kts we are losing almost 2 kts to the river... abeam Diamond Island, 2 miles from Shiloh National Military park. Ben is excited, it is part of his Hardy Boy book.

1625 Locked through Pickwick Lock, 58 ft and entered the lake. This is the highest we will go, we are now at the top, from here each lock goes down. Found our way to Pickwick State Park Marina, at the end of the second cove south of the bridge, on the way across the lake, we disturbed a flock of ducks, first thought it was a sandbar in the middle of the lake, until they started squawking and taking off... Tied up, and walked up to the Inn for supper buffet, $7.50US, Michelle had catfish!!! thought it was chicken.

Tied up, and walked up to the Inn for supper buffet, $7.50US

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:

0720 mile 208 air temp 42 F, there was frost last night but not as heavy as the night before. Cleared cove and crossed lake before turning east. Many new homes on the cliffs on the NW shore, Lake is 1 mile wide, and anywhere from 8 to23' deep. Plan to stop at Tenn-Tom Marina for fuel at mile 449.7.

1030 refueled, at Pickwick Tenn tom marina 25.3 gal $29.07, had breakfast thanks to their no charge courtesy van, picked up some groceries and we are on our way again. Switch to red buoys on port from here on.

1120 mile 443.5 passed under hwy bridge #25, and entered the first man made "ditch", 24 miles of dyke on each side. As the book says, "boring, but better than rolling dice on the Mississippi". We have two bald eagles flying over head of us as we speak, a male and a female. No other traffic, we are the only ones in the system.

1336 mile427.5 abeam of the location of Holcut, the only town which had to be moved during the construction of the Tenn-Tom ditch in 1984. There is a monument on the top of the dyke. The land is higher all around us, there are slough drainage ditches with water running down into the Tenn-Tom.

1345 Caught up to and passed Pam C pushing a 3 x 2,

1445 mile 419.5 SOG 7kts entering Bay Springs Lake marking the end of the first of 24 mile divide cut, Bay Springs Marina turns to stbd just before the Lock at mile 412. Nice to get in before dark for once!!!.

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:

0715 headed for Bay Springs Lock now called Jamie Whitten since the politicians have taken over 0800 locked in 84' , drop the largest of the trip, and also the smoothest, the fenders did not even touch the lock sides!!! Called lockmaster to congratulate him on the smooth ride, locked out 0825. Passed under the "Natchez Trace hwy bridge

0910 mile 406.7 Whitten Lock, already open and ready, guess it pays to be nice to the lockmasters!!!cleared at 0925

landscape is different along here trees to the bank, houses only a few feet from the water level, guess there is no threat of flood. They are at the top.

1032 mile 398.4 "John Rankin Lock" 30 ft drop, lockmaster asked how far we were going so he could alert the others. Proves it pays to be nice to the lock masters. Cleared at 1045hr. Sun out, air temp 68F, winds at 10 - 12 on nose.

1153 mile 391.0 entered Fulton Lock, cleared in 20 minutes!! Lockmaster says not to stray from the channel in the next pool, no water on either side.

1235 passed large crane on shore, looks like a "Preying Manta", picking up large piles of whole trees and dumping them into a large wood hopper, they come out the other end as wood chips and are conveyered directly into waiting barges.

No traffic anywhere today, almost like a national holiday or something.

1410 mile 376.3 Wilkins Lock. Lockmaster asked where PEI was. Told him Prince Edward Island was a Canadian Province in Atlantic Canada, and that we were now 79 days out, 2600 miles from home. He was impressed!!!

1530 cleared lock, next section is a 5.2 mile long divide cut, dyked on both sides, straight line to Armory Lock .

1505 mile 370.6 Armory lock, cleared at 1525. Our 5^th lock today!!! The first one 84' and four more at 30', total 204' down.

1610 mile 366.6 met Mary B Young pushing a 1 x 3 of cement powder. This is the first traffic we have seen all day, basically we have the waterway to ourselves!!! Imagine.

1620 mile 363.4 Met "General Washington" pushing a 3 x 3 knockoff with wood chips and empties. Second tow today.

1735 mile 358 Already dark, when we arrived at Aberdeen Marina, fueled up diesel 17.31 gal $23.02, not bad for 2 days steaming, borrowed courtesy car, newer version of "Mississippi Cadillac", went out and treated ourselves to supper.

Looks like it will be impossible to make Demopolis, another 137 miles, in less than 2 days, cannot go any longer than dawn to dusk. This is a very sheltered marina at the end of a winding slough, and after talking to Becky and Buddy, here on a work contract, and living on "Destiny" their Southern Cross 31, we decided this would be a logical safe place to leave Whitecap until our return on Jan 6, 2000. Went to bed with heavy rains, 40kt winds and news of a tornado watch for this county, glad we were not still out in the river!!! (It hit and took roofs off only 25 miles away!!).

Friday, December 10, 1999. Spend day cleaning hull and deck, installed an exterior on /off bilge switch and a second higher automatic bilge pump direct to battery, (just in case), and generally getting Whitecap ready for a 3 week well deserved rest.

Saturday, December 11, 1999. Finished cleaning inside and out, did all the laundry, even scrubbed the cabin sole!!! Turned up all the cushions, shut off all electrical except for fridge and bilge switch, left the shore power connected. Becky and Buddy, besides volunteering to watch over Whitecap, drove us to the airport to pick up a prearranged rental car for our drive to New Orleans, such hospitality and generosity... Many Thanks...

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:

Arrived at Aberdeen marina Jan 6 @ 1930hrs, visited with Destiny and Ketch My Drift. Dave and Betsy had arrived in Aberdeen after we had left for our 3 week Christmas break at home, and waited for us to return, it turned out that Whitecap had passed them at Paris Landing State Park Marina where they had stopped for repairs, and we stopped for fuel.

Turned in early, long, day started at 0300 from home.

Jan 7. Spent day re-installing instruments and getting boat ready for the last half of Tombigbee. Went out to dinner in Columbus with Buddy and Becky, Dave and Betsy

Jan8, 0800 depart Aberdeen Marina, had to wait 25 minutes for "Dover Brooke" locking up with a 2x3, noticed birds on dead trees on east shore, turns out on closer inspection to be about 150 Bald Eagles just sitting there watching us, must think there will be a big feed maybe?? lockmaster insisted on life vests for line handler, 30 ft drop, about 20 minutes. Buddy and Becky were on the lock taking pictures.... Waved good bye again and headed out. Air temp 52F boat Spd 5.9, SOG 6.4, water temp 46, flock of 8 turkeys along shore.

1134 mile 343.7 Hounds chasing something along the shore, heard a shot after we passed by, probably decorating someone's hat by tomorrow morning, poor coon. Pouring rain, foggy, not a nice day at all, this dirt was not expected until tomorrow.

Lockmaster tells us we will have a 2½ to 3 hr wait at Stennis (Columbus) Lock, says a breakaway locking up, owner of marina called on ch 14, says we are welcome to come in there, turns out to be new marina just being built, no power, no showers, no garbage etc, and also no charge... owner he says they will be ready this spring with 450 slips. Will be called Columbus Marina. Hope he does well, we were his first customers. Days work 22.8 miles

Whitecap's Cruising Log

Notes and Remarks:

0700 Sunday Jan 9, Called Stennis Lock, says to come over right away and he would have the lock opened for us. Cleared lock at 0815.

0845 mile 337.8, met Nicole Brent at turn of river and just behind him Eva Kelley each with 1 x 2 of xylene.

0924 mile 323.5 General Washington pushing 2 x 2 empty heading north.

1000 mile 318 air temp 62F. We are now in Aliceville Lake, several small islands all around, looks swampy, good for ducks but not boats, stick to channel.

1030 mile 314.5. Arundel with a 1 x 2 of xylene, wonder what they do with all that xylene around here. Many homes and cottages along east shore, not on stilts, it cannot flood at the top of the hill, river depth 38 ft.

mile 314 crossed over into Alabama 1^st time.

Mile 313 back into Mississippi Lowndes County.

Mile 312.5 back into Alabama 2^nd time, Pickens County.

Mile 311.4 Back into Mississippi again, this time in Noxubee County.

Mile 310.6 Back in Alabama 3^rd time for good, all in about 10 minutes!!! Coming to Tom Bevill Lock, water lilies everywhere, islands of them, too much work to dodge around so we just cut through, one island turns out to become 6 smaller ones, must be pretty when they are all in bloom. Pass under highway I-86 bridge and we are at Tom Bevill Lock, the Interpretive Centre on the hillside, and the sternwheeler snagboat "Montgomery"on display. Too bad we do not have time to stop.

1130 Prancer locking out with 3 x 2 wood chips, northbound.

1202 Cleared lock, drop 34 feet.

1220 mile 306 Scat headed up river with1 x 2 caustic soda. River covered with yellow foam SPD 6.08kts air temp 64F.

1320 Bob Helton, 3 x 2 empty caustic soda barges, northbound.

1400 Marsh Master passed with 3 x 3 empty going north.

1620 Overtook and passed Kenny Faughn 3 x 3 crushed gravel, and Susan Elizabeth with a 3 x 3 stopped along the shore.

Getting dark, have to make Heflin Lock north pool, there are no good safe anchorages anywhere along here.

1710 mile 266 Heflin Lock, Gainesville Alabama, waited for Kenova with 3 x 3 wood chips coming out. Had to wait for Kenny Faughn and locked through behind one of his barges. Anchored rafted for night in old Tombigbee river just below lock.. 16 ft depth, used 60 ft chain and 35 lb CQR. Air temp 60F, wind nil. Days work today 68 miles.

Whitecap's Cruising Log