Day 13 - The Maytag Repair Man — Captain Father John

Miles cruised 54, fuel purchased $0, dock fee $54

The Olmstead Lock reopened at 6:00 pm. The glut of tow boats finally started to move. The good news is they will travel all night and hopefully reduce the backlog in the morning so we can get though relatively quickly. The bad news is we are anchored with no protection from the river so we get gently rocked by every tow that goes by up-bound and down-bound.

We awoke to a chilly overcast day. After 13 sunny days in a row we were due for a change in the weather. The river banks were clear of tows. They all moved up-bound during the night. I called lock #52 and spoke with lock master Susanna. She advised the dam channel was wide open and we could pass up-bound any time we please. We hauled the anchor and set off at 8:45 am. Lady KK was already gone. The current on the Ohio River was still strong so our cruising speed was only 6 mph. After passing over the dam we cranked it up to 30 mph to put a few miles behind us before we reached the Cumberland River. Once we get into the Cumberland River it is 30 miles to the Barkley Lock and Dam.

We are looking forward to meeting some friends at Green Turtle Bay. Tony and Susan Forns will meet us for lunch on Sunday and Mark Sholtes will bring his boat on Sunday night and take us fishing on Monday. It is a four hour drive from where they live in Louisville so we are very appreciative of them taking the time to meet us.

We phoned ahead to the Barkley Lock and the lock master advised he had no activity at the lock (Maytag repair man) but he could see a down-bound tow heading his way. “Call me when you see the lock.” We did and he locked us through a 57′ lift up to Lake Barkley. The Green Turtle Bay Marina was only a mile ahead on the right. We are tied up at slip #10 on a dock with at least 20 other Looper boats. We will be here for three nights and depart on Tuesday for the Tennessee River. There is a large sign on the shops store stating – Welcome Loopers.

The weather continues to be damp and cold today but a warming trend starts tomorrow. We have turned on the heat on the boat for the first time and I am wearing socks.

Carl (Chef) Wooden – quote for the day.

“I keep sailing on in this middle passage.
I am sailing into the wind and the dark.
But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full.”
Arthur Ashe.

There are so many barges moored in the Ohio River they look like a steel island

Entering the Barkley Lock for a 57′ lift up to Lake Barkley

Changing Latitudes at the Green Turtle Bay Marina after three nights on the hook.