September 23 - October 1, 2011 . . . Kaskaskia to Pebble Isle, Tennessee

Following passage from Hoppie's to Kaskaskia, the ten boat planned a Looper-get-together on the lock wall; rain showed up and we all squeezed aboard DOCKERS INN.


Those present and on the way to Little Diversion Creek and Green Turtle Bay are:

OCEANUS and VISITOR

SONATA

SALTY PAWS tucked in behind SONATA

DOCKERS INN

ROCK CHALK and LAST CHANCE

LAST DANCE, ERICA LIN, and CONFETTI

We all departed on the 24th after the fog lifted and turned south into the swift flowing Mississippi.

With light fog on the river the group travels with the current . . . with tugs and barges coming upbound on the river.

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where tugs stop but there are no facilities for boats like SONATA to stop. It is strange that on the Illinois, Mississippi and Ohio there are so few opportunities to stop and shop, visit the river towns . . . be a land tourist.

SONATA turns into Little Diversion Creek off the Mississippi and the others from Kaskaskia follow in to join us in the overnight anchorage.

Sunday, September 25, underway for the Ohio River.

Very heavy rains pound us on the Ohio where the river is up. The weirs are down at Lock 53 so we by-pass the lock and travel over the dam in the sailing line. As we approach Lock 52 the delay causes to anchor for the night in the middle of the river behind the Lock 52 dam.

Following the overnight anchorage SONATA entered auxiliary lock 52 following GO FOURTH (first seen in Harbor Springs, Michigan) and locked through with DOCKERS INN, ROCK CHALK, and SALTY PAWS.

Passed Paducah without a stop at their "do-not-stop" dock.

SONATA leaves the Ohio and enters the Cumberland River . . . past the turtles sunning . . . and then into the Barclay Lock for the travel up to Barkley Lake and Green Turtle Bay Marina.

Into Green Turtle Bay Marina for a two day stay. First night at Patti's for the 2" pork chop. Second day we met up with TERRI MAR and SALTY PAWS.

First stop after Green Turtle, Paris State Park, gave us a great dinner at the State Park Lodge, salad, pasta, desert, coffee; only $9.95 per person. SONATA also took on nourishment . . . 400 gallons of diesel at $3.89 a gallon. A looper boat, BUBBLES II, first seen by us in Cape May in 2007, arrived next door to SONATA.

Out of Paris and up the Tennessee River passing the an abandoned building which was built so well that when the Tennessee River was flooded by the Kentucky Dam . . . attempts to destroy the building failed . . . so officials decided to leave it. Past the changing fall colors and into Pebble Isle Marina where we were greeted by a fox on the shore.

With so many boats present at the marina Andy and the staff at Pebble Isle sponsored a Looper coctail hour and provided the appitizers. The boaters present are: Bonnie and Charlie Burke of SONATA; Mike and Gail Preston, HAPPY HOURS V, from Cairns, Queensland, Australia . . . here in the USA to complete the loop; Bob and Ellie Ackley, SUNSHINE LADY; Randy from Canada, aboard BLACK TICKLE; Murray and Leight Reid, DAS ENDLICH; Ted and Marcia Miller, INTERLUDE; and Grant and Christi Ziebell, SWEET FREEDOM.