Progress report
September 15 to September 21
Monday, we've got high hopes for 24 miles. We're up early at 5:30 packing hurriedly. Soon, Rose
has coffee ready for Ted and I. We rush through a second cup, and call the Greenup lock master at 7:00. He wants us to
idle on over to the lock since recreation boats are to lock through at 8 am.
Thanks again to John Paul Jones for the handheld radio,
since we used it extensively, especially this morning, receiving communications as to where to move among the long lines
of tows manuevering around the locks.
Confused about one instruction from the lock master, I moved our craft to the exit of the
small lock, thinking it was out of order. Soon the gates opened to reveal a mass of barges filling the lock ready to exit.
Ted and I rapidly backpedaled away from the lock exit and over to the Kentucky shore, trying to hide from the load of barges
that were ready to exit. After the barges cleared the exit the lockmaster called on the radio to ask where we were. I told
him where we were hiding, and he told us to enter the small lock. Our little 16 foot craft was being locked through alone
while the behemoths rumbled around for their positions.
We were out by 8:20 and off on our journey. Soon, a gentle rain began to fall, and we put up
our rain tarp, even though there was a slight headwind. The rain soon ended, but the headwinds picked up. We took down the
rain tarp to reduce resistance. We planned to meet Arlene at Anchor Pad in Portsmouth, Ohio (17 miles) at about noon and to
continue another 7 miles to Shawnee State Park Marina for the day, but by 10:00 the headwinds were gusting to 20 mph. We
took the sail down to further reduce resistance. At noon we were 4 miles from Anchor pad, and beaching the craft every few
hundred yards to keep from being blown up the river. Durning lulls in the wind we would sometimes make a half mile before
being forced to the shore. We finally made it to Anchor Pad Marina at 2:00 and called it a day. The dockmaster, John, said
the water was up 37 feet two weeks ago. I guess our timing was good.
Anchor Pad Marina
The Tuesday morning fog was enhanced with a chill and a light headwind. We delayed our departure
until 9:00. After an hour of paddling the fog lifted. At 12:40 I heard a voice from the shore. A fellow was waving, so I
decided to pull over and talk to him. Larry walked down to the beach to greet us. Soon Phyllis, his wife came down with bowls
of chile, rice, crackers and cokes for Ted and me. Boy, was that a good treat. You meet the nicest people on the river. They
had travelled to many of the places Ted and I had been to on our 1999 river trip. After our break we pedaled until 5:30 and
covered 22 1/2 miles before we camped on the shore across from Vanceburg, Kentucky. We were close to the tow's sailing line
and were rocked a lot that night.
As usual, thick fog blanketed our camp Wednesday morning, and the chill kept us bundled in our
sleeping bags till 7:30. We forced ourselves to break camp and set off by 8:50. The fog lifted by 10:00, and we began to
experience some serious tail winds at 11:00. Finally we were sailing, and our legs got a welcome relief. Our arranged
meeting spot with Arlene, 17 miles downstream and a 1/4 mile up Island Creek, turned out to be a private dock. The cell
phone was in a no service area, and I couldn't contact her. We pulled out and found her waiting at a ramp a 1/2 mile down the
Ohio River. She had a lunch ready for us, and since the wind was good we decided to do another 12 miles to Maysville, Kentucky.
There we set up camp at the Maysville River Park Dock up a secluded back bay off the channel.
pitching the tent at Maysville
Thursday The Maysville Ledger Independent reporter didn't interview us, but took pictures of us
from his truck as we departerd in the usual morning fog at 9:00. At 3:30 we met Arlene at the Augusta River Park, dried the
tent, did boat maintenance, and ate the sandwiches she brought us. We launched at 4:30 to get as close to the Captain Anthony
Meldahl Lock as possible. Along the way, at 5:30, a fellow came out on his dock, so we cruised over to see him. His name was
Mike Hannah, and he gave us refreshments and useful information about the river and campsites a few miles downriver. We pulled
into Crooked Creek, a wildlife refuge near Chilo, Ohio at 6:30. Although boating was discouraged here, this was the only
campsite available before the lock. A serene, twisted passage under drooping trees revealed no beaches, but a fallen tree
and a jutting bank made a perfect mooring. It was an easy step into a small clearing amidst the trees. There we stowed our
gear to clear the boat in order to set up the tent. It was a mistake to arrive so late in the evening since our clothes
didn't have enough time to dry.
Friday, I couldn't believe it. No Fog! No Dew! Only the underside of our rainfly was wet, and
that was from our own breath's condensation. The light of day comes later and later, and it wasn't til 6:30 that we left the
warmth of our sleeping bags. At 8:00 we left for our lockage at the Meldahl lock and dam. We radioed the lock a half hour
before arrival, and fortunately no other traffic was near. The gates of the lock opened before we got there, and we were
delayed only 20 minutes as we were lowered in the chamber. Our push yesterday left us only 16 miles to do this day, and we
pedalled through fluctuating wind conditions to arrive at the Steamboat Marina at 2:00. We had our choice of excellent
mooring sites, and Arlene helped us tie off at a well padded dock.
Steamboat Marina
I soon met Joe Vogel, the dockmaster, who was very friendly and helpful. We stopped here
versus the Landing Dock since the moorings were better here. We ate a very good supper here, and then met a reporter from
WKRC Cincinnati who filmed a report that is expected to be aired tonight. We left Ted set up for the night, and I returned
with Arlene to the motel to catch up on email and make internet updates. We were disappointed with the report that aired
on chnannel 12 after 11 p.m. They used none of Ted's narration, and said he was travelling in a kayak. The 15 second broadcast
left much to be desired.
Saturday the fog was thick, and the current at 3 mph. I didn't dare leave under those conditions
for fear of suddenly arriving at a line of moored barges and not being able to get around them before the current swept us
under. We drove off to get breakfast at 9:00 When we got back the fog had cleared and we departed at 10:30. After a little
while one of the paddles on the port paddle wheel began clicking as it glanced off the frame. It had been acting up in the
past. I tried to bend the spoke a bit and ended up breaking off the paddle. We had planned a short day so I figured I would
be carving a new one soon after we landed. It didn't stop there. Soon another paddle was clicking on the frame. I pedalled
gently hoping it would hold up till we arrived at our stop.
A pontoon boat passed us and then returned to our side. A fellow came to the rail and told us
that they had been following us for two years. It turned out he knew someone in Elyria, Ohio who told them of Ted's plans.
Brad and Mick had been expecting us and had come out to greet us in their modified pontoon boat. In ways it was similar to
our craft in that it was a multi year engineering task to create a special craft suited to their purpose. They had used it
for a trip from Cincinnati to New Orleans, learned a lot, and had since made further modifications. They followed along with
us as we limped onward to our destination. (Rivertowne Marina) We passed the Four Seasons Marina (where their slip was) and
a 1/4 mile further entered the bay which housed our Marina. Arlene was waiting for us, and she reported that the folks here
were not very friendly, so we took Brad's advice and decided to go back to the Four Seasons Marina. Brad offered to tow us,
but I hoped that we could pedal back even though it would be against the current. Clack! The paddle wheel was so far out of
line that it was jammed and wouldn't turn. Brad said that I had come to my senses when I accepted a tow.
At Brad's slip we found that the inner shaft on the hub which slides into the crankshaft had
broken in two near the hub. I had extra hubs, but it was going to be a challenge to remove the remaining broken aluminum
tube from the inside of the crankshaft. Arlene took Ted to off for a shower and to meet his son Jim and get to church.
Brad, Mick and I scratched our heads at how to remove the broken tubing. An ingenious solution was finally implemented, and
we got the tightly fitted broken tube out of the end of the crankshaft. Then, Mick heated the broken hub's spokes which
allowed us to remove the swollen wooden blades from them. Soon Arlene arrived back with the spare hubs. Our problems weren't
over. The insert tube on the replacement hub was a larger diameter and wouldn't fit into the crankshaft. Brad used my
hacksaw to cut a lengthwise slot down the tubing allowing it to be compressed to a smaller diameter and be fitted into the
crankshaft. At 6:30 Ted returned with Jim and selected a new sleeping bag that was not so tight. I had been filing down a
canoe paddle shaft to fit into the hub spokes, and I left it with Ted to finish. We still had a lot to do to get our craft
ready, but I decided to wait till Sunday to continue. To sum up the day...When we are in our hour of most need the angels
come to our rescue. I am doubtful that we will get anywhere tomorrow.
Sunday morning I slept till 7:00. With a fresh head, I feel better and have decided that the
routine task of draining the hulls could be easier. Several times during this trip Ted and I have dragged the boat up onto
shore to get the rear drain plugs out of the water. It usually takes at least an hour and is physically demanding even with
the assist of a double block. It also puts a lot of stress on the hulls. Yesterday Mick wondered whether we could use the
sump pump from their craft to do the job, but it was permanently mounted. I suspected that our deck inspection ports were
allowing water into the hulls, so I had coated them with silicon caulk. Now, I think I will make them removable, use
vasoline as a thread sealant, and acquire a hand pump to remove the water from the hulls. If I can't find a pump we will
bail them with a cup. We still have a lot to do today, so we may lose a day.
We arrived at the marina at 9:30. Ted had already eaten a breakfast fixed by Mick and Brad. Ted
continued work on sizing the paddle blades to the new hub, while I removed silicon and cleaned the hull inspection ports
so they could be easily removed and reinstalled. Arlene went off to do laundry and get some vaseline for the hull ports. Mick
and I went to the marine store where he bought a hand operated sump pump and donated it to Mission Cure ALS. At about 1 pm
Mick cooked some hamburgers for our lunch, and then we took a break from work to go on a 3 hour ride on their boat.
(the Guppie)
Brad, David (his son) and Mick on the Guppie
Cincinnati from the Guppie
When we got back we hurriedly finished pinning the crank and paddle plades. A little later Mick
and Brad moved their boat back to the river to camp, leaving their slip vacant for our use again. Their generosity and
consideration was remarkable. By the way, Brad and Mick shared much tactical advice for navigating the lower Mississippi
River. I am back at the motel updating the webpage and working on logistics. (A time consuming part of our voyage)
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