Day 103 & 104: Cumberland Towhead to Green Turtle Marina

 Day 103: October 29: Rainy and cold again. It seems strange, we put miles and miles behind us heading south, but we just can't seem to get out of the cold. An unusual cold spell it seems. At the same time back home has had some great weather; 80 one day from what we were told. Indian summer at its best. 

We pulled the anchor at about 8:30 and headed back onto the misty, dreary Ohio. We dodged barges for most of the day, still chasing 80; otherwise the trip was uneventful. 

At Mile 935 is Paducah, Kentucky. Here it becomes decision time for folks traveling the rivers. You can either continue up the Ohio and join the Cumberland River at Mile 923 or enter the Tennessee River at Paducah at Mile 935 and proceed via the Tennessee. The route via the Cumberland is longer by about 25 miles but can be preferable, as the route via the Tennessee includes the Kentucky Lock which is renowned for long delays waiting on commercial traffic. We will be taking the longer route via the Cumberland. 

Knowing there are not really any good anchorages on the Cumberland we decided to stop short of the Cumberland River Junction at the Cumberland Towhead Island anchorage. Turning to starboard, we entered the small inlet and dropped the hook in about 16' to 17' depths with good holding. 

We traveled 33.5 NM equal to 38.551 statute miles in 4.38 hours UW. 

Day 104: October 30: I feel like a broken record. Another cold, dreary, drizzly day. As we look out from our anchorage we see sea smoke swirling around the river; no worries as far as traveling goes. We have seen our share of fog back home and this is nothing compared; but the dampness adds to the chilly, uncomfortable temperatures. 

It rained all night so we had to bail the dinghy before hauling it up. Next task was to wipe off the vinyl, usually my job but for some reason John decided to attend to it. Oh how I miss the days when, no questions asked, the vinyl windows are up and open to the warm breeze and bright sun. Those days are coming soon so i've heard. 

We proceeded out of the anchorage the same way we entered last night as there is a wing dam that, at times, is only just submerged and perhaps hidden. When we got back onto the river we passed the dam, easily visible with the river so low. 

At Mile 2.0 the Ohio meets the Cumberland. This is called the Kentucky Chute; there is quite a bit of turbulence at this junction. We turned onto the Cumberland, noting the Smithfield Lock to our port further up the Ohio. 

The Cumberland River flows almost 690 miles through Tennessee; the navigable portion is 381 miles and ends at Celina, TN. Our journey will take us along the river for only about 33 miles. We enjoyed the change of pace once we entered the Cumberland. It snakes its way through a pretty region and feels much more peaceful and gentle than the Mississippi and Ohio. 

We passed through several bridges including the Lucy Jefferson Lewis. This bridge is going to be demolished soon; it will be replaced by new construction downstream. I didn't notice any work going on although we were told segmental work was supposed to have started in October. 

Barge traffic decreased tremendously along the Cumberland. We did pass one dredge operation going on in a narrow section. With great skill Captain John cruised by effortlessly. The eagle population seems to have increased also. We saw many gliding directly overhead, thrilling us with their presence. The white of their heads and tails is hard to miss but difficult to capture on film.

We approached the Barkley Lock, normally a 57' lift and contacted the lockmaster who instructed us to keep on coming. He evidently follows NEBO or at least watches for AIS vessels as he noted there were two other boats behind us also heading his way; he would probably wait for them to catch up. We entered the lock and tied off to the floating bollards, alerting the lockmaster we were secure. We then waited for awhile for the other two Looper boats to arrive. Doors closed and up we went. This is the only lock we will have on the Cumberland. 

As soon as we exited the lock, David and Sandra headed to Green Turtle Bay Marina in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. Today is the day they cross their wake. To celebrate they were picking up the couple (Laura and Bogue) they bought Zendeavor from in January here at the marina. The plan was to then travel out of the marina for about 1 mile where they would cross their wake. We traveled around them, snapping pictures of the celebration as they raised their gold flag and cracked open the champagne! 

We then turned into the marina where we are planning on spending two nights. 

After docking we walked over to Zendeavor where the celebration continued with champagne and margaritas. The six of us then went to Patti's 1880's Settlement for dinner.  What a place! It is a recreated historical log cabin village complete with an animal park, gold mining, gardens, streams, mini-golf, gift shop and a multi room restaurant. The entire restaurant was lit up and decorated for Christmas. I'm not sure if this is always the case or the decor changes with the seasons. After a fire destroyed much of the settlement before 2019, Patti's reopened, grander than ever. Steaks are a favorite although Patti's is best known for its two-inch seasoned pork chops. I ordered one, ate about 1/4 and brought home the rest. Guess John will be eyeing it for his lunch tomorrow. 

Back to the boat. We made our way to our spot at the end of Pier 5 (all covered dockage). I swear it's about 1/2 mile walk. All lit up at least! A beautiful moonlit sky welcomed us as we arrived at the boat, added layers and crawled under the fleece blankets. 

Today's travel was 31 NM or 35.674 statute miles. Underway for 4.50 hours. 

It's still really cold (going down into the 20's tonight) but we have high expectations and are still chasing 80.