The Long Long Long Wait at 53

 

 

It is Friday the 14th.  We have another early day, 6:30AM and hopefully with luck at the locks and a blessing, we may may Green Turtle Bay Marina today.  What a beautiful sun rise as we were pulling anchor, or should I say attempting to pull anchor.  After a bit of giggling and pulling the anchor loosened and we were able to pull it up and secure it.  Then it was time to do the dingy.  That was a bit harder, but we worked at it and got it back on the swim platform and secured.  I think with a bit more practice's we might just get the hang of it.  Time for and Advil !!!!





 We leave and say good bye to the mighty Mississippi and head up stream on the Ohio River at mile 981.0.  Well not too far any way.  At mile 964.8 we passed the construction of the new Olmsted Lock and Dam.  Amazing to see the construction of such a huge project.  Just after that everything came to a halt.  At Lock and Dam 53 at mile 962.6, we were told by the Lock Master to anchor and wait.  That was at around 9:30ish and it is now 12:35 and we are still here waiting. This time has allowed me to catch up in our Blog.  At least we have Internet service here....Well it is about time, we pulled up anchor and finally got into the lock, some 4 hours later.  We were in the small chamber and once in breezed through with no problems.  So much for trying to get to Green Turtle today.....



Fort Massac

.We got through the lock finally, and continued on to Lock 52, only 23.6 miles. Along the way we passed Fort Massac or our port side, at Metropolis, the home of Superman.  Once there we had to anchor again but only for a short time.  After getting though Lock 52 it was getting late in the day so we had to find a place to anchor or tie up to.  We talked it over with the other boats and headed down a small channel around Owens Island and Cuba Towhead.  Skipper Bob had recommended an anchorage in this area.  After we got in their we found that there was still some traffic in their and to anchor might be risky.  Then Don noticed a rusty, empty barge on our starboard side that was large enough to hold all three boats.  We went in first to check it out and then tied up followed by the other boats.  I feel it was a stroke of luck we found it because it was getting dark.  Cocktails we on our boat that nite, and think that we were all ready for one, or two....





Abandoned Barge by Cuba Towhead

Our Safe Haven

We had dinner later and watched a movie.  We were certainly glad that we tied up to the barge and did not anchor.  There was quite a bit of traffic and a few barges moving back and forth in that little channel.  A nite cap and we called it a nite.