McGees Adventures

DEMOPOLIS-WINTER

2011-11-23T19:33:00.009-06:00

Nov. 19-22, 2011---Keith and I made a trip to Demopolis. Drove my new Mustang. What a fine ride! Had the top down most of the time just enjoying the warm fall days. Someone suggested second childhood. Of course we denied the charge.

Bought the California Special GT on Thursday and went to Demopolis on Saturday.

Installed new anchor to replace one we had to cut loose. Foggy before moving the boat to a covered slip for the winter.

Dream Manor looked happy in the new location next to the main walkway.

Closed all the sea cocks. Put two oil heaters in service in the cabin. Shut off pump and drained fresh water lines. Removed King Dome TV tracker to take in for repairs. It makes an undesireable growling noise. May have a bearing problem. Took it with us and returned to Youngsville, LA on Tuesday. Will start adventures on the boat in the Spring.

MERMENTAU

2011-11-23T19:22:00.003-06:00

Nov. 16, 2007---Took a drive to a marina near Gueydan, LA. The Mermentaus River Marina is located just off the river by the same name. Had limited possibilites as there was no dock available. Would be required to build a dock and then remove it whenever we left with the boat. Water was shallow near the banks and green growth covered the area that would have been available for dockage. Not what we look for in a marina! Picture shows water can be seen in the narrow channel looking past the vegitation covering the available area.

HOME

2011-11-04T21:05:00.006-05:00

Nov. 4, 2011--- Yesterday we accomplished an important task! Pumped out the black water holding tank. It is great that a connection is available on each slip in the new marina.
Today is the 4th day of November already. Drove home to Youngsville, Louisiana. Dream manor will remain in Demopolis for some period of time. Will restart blog entrys when boat travels resume.

Not far out of Demopolis we discovered some Alabama art near the hiway. We called it "Chicken in a Tree"

KINGFISHER BAY MARINA

2011-11-02T16:51:00.002-05:00

Nov. 1, 2011---Came to realize the correct name for this new marina in Demopolis, Alabama is: Kingfisher Bay Marina. Still in development it is already a very nice marina. Performed some maintenance today. Added enzyme treatment to the fuel tanks. Changed out Separ secondary fuel filter on the starboard engine. Changed oil and filter on the 13 KW generator.

PRIMED

2011-11-01T18:27:00.003-05:00

Nov. 1, 2011---Used shop vac to pull diesel through the fuel line from the tank on the port engine. Connected the fuel line and primed the engine. Engine ran a short time and quit again. Found fuel leaking from a seal on the sediment bowl which means it was likely allowing air into the fuel line. Reinstalled the sediment bowel and stopped the leak. Engine runs okay now. Made a trip to Walmart for a few supplies. Captain Tom from "The Thomas B" went with us. Enjoyed visiting with him. Moved our boat from the old marina behind the fuel dock to the new part of the marina.

Looking at the entrance to the new part of the marina. New wash room and showers are nicely done. Slips are laid out well and various sizes are available up to 70'. This is a wonderful improvement for Demopolis. Fred (Marina Manager) has done a great job in getting this project useable and should be very proud. Some additional work is ongoing.

ANCHOR LOST

2011-10-31T18:28:00.014-05:00

Oct. 31, 2011---Halloween! Sure enough the spooks grabbed the anchor. It was stuck in some downed trees or something. Whatever the problem that "blankety-blank" anchor refused to come loose so we had to cut the line and let it go.

As the fog lifted we noticed the Thomas B had raised anchor and left the embayment. We caught up with this beautiful boat at the Heflin Lock. Another 30' down and we continued toward Demopolis.

Along a stretch of the TomBigBee Waterway there are some unusual white cliffs.

Nice shot of the white cliffs reflecting on the water.

Gremlins at it again! About 25 miles before reaching Demopolis the port engine quit running. Continued on the starboard engine. Traveled 54 miles today in 5.4 hours. Columbus Marina looked rather inviting after a tough Halloween day.

Somebody in a kayak watched as we managed to get tied up to the fuel dock. Took on 382 gallons of diesel fuel. Managed to get moved over to a slip with electric power. Changed out the primary and secondary fuel filters on the port engine. Still unable to get fuel to the engine. Blew through the lines with compressed air and still could not get fuel to the engine. Will study more on this problem tomorrow. Enough spooks today.

SUMTER LANDING

2011-10-31T17:48:00.009-05:00

Oct. 30, 2011---Dream Manor seemed quite content at Columbus Marina. Had fog until 9:00 a.m. as it has lifted about the same time each morning. A group of five boats traveled together through the Stennis Lock located just below the marina. Still going down hill as this lock lowered 27'. Next lock is Bevill located 28 miles down river from Stennis. Just before this lock two of the boats separated from the group and went into Pirates Cove Marina.

Lots of big black crows perched on the electric power towers.

Had to pass behind this tug that was holding some barges in position. Lots of turbulance created by his props.

Two boats behind us coming out of Bevill Lock after being lowered 30'.

Traveled 65 miles today in 7.6 hours.

At mile 270 turned starboard into a secluded area called Sumter Landing. Went past the boat launch to the back of the embayment. Dropped anchor and made sure it would hold. Unfortunately it may be holding too well. Settled in for the night. One of the boats that we traveled with today anchored in the same area but closer to the entrance that can be seen in the distance.

ARRIVED COLUMBUS

2011-10-29T19:41:00.013-05:00

Oct. 29, 2011---Fog quite dense in the early morning did not lift until 9:00 a.m. Boat tied in front of us was one of the four that traveled together today.

Could not see very far past the stern of Dream Manor.

Boat in the lead set the travel pace as we departed the dock at 9:10 a.m. taking last position.

Gate was open and we all got into Fulton lock with no wait.
Exiting Fulton Lock just 3 miles down from Midway Marina. Notice all the fog is gone now.

Remember "BB" our boat boxer! He woke up today and provided some entertainment.

Look at the tree with the least bark. A bald eagle is in the middle of this picture sitting just at the top of the open area of that tree.

Gates were open on Wilkins lock so it did not take long to get in and out.

BB looked unhappy as we waited a short time for a tow to be lifted at Amory lock.

As the tow passed BB knew it was our turn for the lock.

Last lock of the day was Aberdeen Lock at mile 357.5

Each of the four locks today let us down 30' for at total of 120' today. Continued to Columbus Marina at mile 335. Total distance today was 59 miles in 7.6 hours.

LAND DAY

2011-10-29T19:22:00.003-05:00

Oct. 28, 2011---Awakend by rain, dark clouds, cold and wind. Chose to not move the boat today. Ken was kind enough to drive Keith & I to Aqua Yacht Harbor to retrieve Keith's van. Ken returned to Midway Marina. Keith and went to Tupelo, MS and rented a small pickup truck from enterprise. We proceeded to the marina in Demopolis, AL. Left the van and returned to Tupelo to turn in the truck. Ken picked us up and we returned to Midway Marina at Fulton, MS. It took about 9 hours of steady driving to relay the van to Demopolis but it was a good day to accomplish that task. Now when we arrive in Demopolis with the boat our ground transportation will already be there. Thanks to Ken for helping us out.

MIDWAY MARINA

2011-10-27T20:34:00.013-05:00

Oct. 27, 2011---Put Aqua Yacht Harbor behind as we started our journey down theTomBigBee Waterway.

Fall colors dressed the shoreline.

Passed two boats along the way.

Passed a third boat enroute to Whitten Lock. A different boat later passed us above the lock. The two of us waited at the lock while the chamber was being filled. Doors opened and we entered the lock on the green light. Secure to the bollard the lock master held the gate open nearly an hour until the first three boats arrived and made secure in the lock. In the lock the water was lowered 84' to downstream level.

It was Keith's turn to put the Dream Manor in position so Allen could catch the floating bollard.
Montgomery Lock lowered us 30'. The group of five boats traveled together. Rankin lock lowered us another 30'. Total drop for the day was 144' in three locks. Took 6.3 hours to cover 54.7 miles to Midway Marina. This was our first time into this particular marina. It was a special stop to visit with Ken and Carol Dean. We originally met them on the Tennessee River in 2009 at Paris Landing. In 2010 we caught up with them on Beaver Creek about 35 miles below Pittsburgh on the Ohio River. They are originally from Pittsburgh but now live on their River Queen boat at Midway Marina outside Fulton, Mississippi. Quite a change in location. Preparing for Halloween they had a cute pumpkin and some lights to dress their boat.

AQUA YACHT HARBOR

2011-10-26T20:04:00.011-05:00

Oct 26, 2011---Last night we had a good visit with Dick and Dixie from Lake Arthur, Louisiana. We originally met them at Green Turtle Bay. They left Clifton Marina ahead of Brother & I.

It was not long before passing them as they were traveling upriver at 6 mph and we were running 11 mph.
They travel slow and steady in the modified sail boat.

Passed a coal barge.

Did not seem to be much traffic, however 2 miles from Pickwick Landing Lock, TOSMO and Dream Manor caugt up with some kind of Govt Barge with a load of equipent. They have priority and we ended up waiting 2 1/2 hours before it was our turn. By then 2 other pleasure crafted had joined us.

Notice the difference in how much lock wall is exposed before getting lifted 55' from Kentucky Lake to Lake Pickwick. Keith did a fine job of keeping Dream Manor secure during the lift.

Kentucky Lake is 186 miles long and certainly a nice part of the Tennesse River. Today's travel was 60 miles from Clifton Tennessee to Aqua Yacht Harbor marina located near Iuka, Mississippi. It took 8 hours due to waiting time at the lock. We are now in the headwater of TomBigBee waterway in the very northeastern part of Mississippi only about 3 miles from Tennessee and Alabama. After traveling and visiting friends, Maryann joined us this evening. We drove to Iuka for dinner. Plan is to leave the van at Aqua Marina as we make way to Demopolis, Alabama. Will then get a vehicle and drive back to here to get Keith and Maryann's van.

RON

2011-10-25T19:12:00.017-05:00

Oct. 25, 2011---Left Pebble Isle at 9:30 a.m. after the fog had lifted. However a few miles up the river there was a fairly thick patch to keep our attention. Followed a boat named TOSMO, it faided out of sight for a short time.

Lots of large white pelicans could be seen through the less dense fog.

After the fog lifted there was nothing but clear blue sky. More activity on the Tennessee River than we had seen since leaving Green Turtle Bay.

A nice view of bridge on Interstate 40.

Two story white house on the cliff was wearing a "for sale" sign.
Keith said an elevator would be needed to reach the water!

Sand and gravel operations near the town of Perryville, TN.

Arrived at Clifton Marina and tied up along the fuel dock at 4:30 p.m. Traveled 62.5 miles today. Upstream speed 9.5 mph at 2225 rpm. Current appeared to be 1 to 1.5 mph.

Hilight of the day was a visit with Ron Friend. We learned from a comment on our blog that he would be traveling today. He is enroute from Dayton, Kentucky (across the Ohio River from Cincinnati) to Tuscon, Arizona. With a cell phone conversations we talked him into stopping at Clifton, TN. He arrived just a few minutes after we got the boat tied to the dock. It was great to see Ron. We had become well acquainted with him last year on our trip up the Ohio River. He lives on a houseboat in Manhattan Harbor where we enjoyed a fine stay last summer. Ron left at dusk to get a little farther west.

Alternator

2011-10-24T18:05:00.005-05:00

Oct. 24, 2011---After morning cinnamon rolls we learned our alternator was ready to be picked up at the repair shop in Dickson, TN. Thanks go to Barry Watts for giving us a ride. He lives on his Gibson boat in the Pebble Isle Marina and has become a good friend since first meeting him here in 2008. Naturally the 40 mile trip was timed so we could have lunch in Dickson. Returned to the marina and installed the alternator on the starboard engine. Started and checked out both engines. Looks like we are ready to go in the morning. Sunset created wonderful views with reflections on the water. Hills were on the sunny side and Dream Manor was on the shaded side of the Marina.

STILL EATING

2011-10-23T20:59:00.013-05:00

Oct 18-23, 2011---Maryann decided to spend another day on the boat and did not depart until the 19th. She drove to Mississippi to visit friends. Left brother and I on our own! Without supervision we have eaten plenty of cinnamon rolls. It may become necessary to leave Pebble Isle Marina in an effot to preserve the waist line! HaHa

On Friday the 22nd water was so calm reflections were neat to see.

Attempted to move the boat on Friday to a different positon on the dock. Discovered the port engine would not start. Found the battery to be completely dead. It would not take a charge on the shop charger. While checking batteries we also found the alternator on the starboard engine is not putting out the correct amperage. Had planned to leave Saturday but repairs on the alternator will not occur until Monday. Installed a new battery on the port side and started the engine okay. Departure will take place when things are put back into proper working order.

Picture on the right looking toward the fuel dock shows early morning fog.

Canadian couple on the trawler left Sunday Morning.

CINNAMON ROLLS

2011-10-17T18:25:00.005-05:00

Oct. 17, 2011---Specialty of Pebble Isle is cinnamon rolls provided for the transient boaters. Home made and fresh from the oven, they are absolutely outstanding treats! Made a trip to the infamous Wal-Mart to pick up a few supplies while transportation is readily available as Maryann has plans to drive to Mississippi to visit friends tomorrow. Looking toward the fuel dock and restaurant as the sunset painted the clouds pink. A great end to a peaceful day.

LAUNDRY

2011-10-17T18:10:00.003-05:00

Oct. 16, 2011---What a stroke of good luck! Maryann's conference in Nashville ended Saturday night. Sunday she drove to Pebble Isle Marina to join Keith & I on the boat. I say good luck because she promptly tackled the laundry! She does a much better job than we would have done. Meeting other boaters and renewing friendships at the onsite restaurant is another plus. Having stayed here in past it we enjoy being here.

PEBBLE ISLE

2011-10-15T16:13:00.002-05:00

Oct. 15, 2011---Warmer today with less wind. Traveled 30 miles on Kentucky Lake (Tennessee River) to Pebble Isle Marina. Trip took 4 hours. This marina is located in New Johnsonville, TN about 2.5 miles north of Highway 70/1.

PARIS LANDING

2011-10-14T17:01:00.004-05:00

Oct. 14, 2011---Beautiful day---still a little windy but skies are clear and sun is shining. Traveled 24 miles in 3.4 hours to Paris Landing State Park Marina. Upstream speed 8.6 mph at 1600 rpm. We are now in Tennessee. Crossed out of Kentucky at mile 62.5 about 4 miles from the marina. Turned off the main channel just before Scott Fitzhugh Bridge on hiway 79/76 located about halfway between Clarksville and Paris Tennessee. Very relaxing journey.

MOVING

2011-10-13T19:00:00.011-05:00

Oct. 13, 2011---It may look cloudy, but it was a bright day for us! Maryann left yesterday to attend a conference in Nashville. Keith & I moved the boat to the fuel dock and pumped out the holding tank. Said our goodbyes to the folks on the dock and maneuvered the Dream Manor out of the Green Turtle Bay Marina. It was great to hear those diesel engines puurrrrrrr. Traveled a short mile up the Cumberland River and crossed over to the Tennessee River. The canal joining the two rivers is 1.5 miles long. There was about a .5 mph reduction in speed indicating the water was flowing from the Tennessee into the Cumberland. It was a treat just to be traveling in the boat as it had been a year since we parked her last October. This felt like a maiden voyage and being in no hurry, speed was held at 8 mph. Wind stirred the water into waves, but with wind behind us the ride was smooth. It was a pleasant (3 hour) 20 mile ride to Kenlake Marina. After getting acquainted with dock personnel they called for a park employee to haul us to the nearby restaurant for a late lunch. Plan to move on to Paris Landing Marina tomorrow.

Entrance to Kenlake Marina is well protected by a rock wall.

Dream Manor sure seemed a lot happier with today's attention.

Marina was qite peaceful.

GTB-Oct

2011-10-10T13:48:00.012-05:00

Oct. 10, 2011---Dream Manor sits patiently waiting in Green Turtle Bay Marina. If she could speak it would be to ask, why am I still tied up here? Maryann has a convention to attend in Nashville starting Thursday. During her absence Keith & I are going to start traveling up the Tennesse River. It may be an experience as it has been nearly a year since we operated the boat!

Here are a few pictures to show how low the water is now compared to April. Remember the ramp on the left was
downhill to the parking area. The floating dock was wedged up against the bottom of the Yacht Club restaurant.

Water had flooded the ship store on the right and got into the Boat Works office in the background.

Boat works shop was flooded several feet deep.

The travel lift was under water during the flood and all the boats on stands in the yard floated and had to be tied to the docks.

RETURN

2011-10-09T19:40:00.004-05:00

Oct. 9, 2011---The 4 mcgees did not really get to enjoy a "boating season" yet this year. We lived on Dream Manor during April as spring flooding created raging rivers carrying lots of debris. Green Turtle Bay Marina flooded (as did many others).It was obvious high water would be a problem through much of the summer. Therefore we chose to travel on land this year. Keith and Maryann lounged on the beaches in California and entertained their Grandson Max. Perhaps it was Maryann who spent time on the beach! They also made a couple of trips thru Montana and Wyoming to see relatives while driving to and from California. (Max lives in Gillette, Wyoming). Sounds like a lot of driving, but Keith loves to drive and Maryann has certainly grown accustomed to long trips. Allen and Carol traveled from Louisiana to Wyoming three times visiting family and friends. On one occasion the 4 mcgees were in Gillette, Wyoming at the same time. A few thousand miles of driving gives a person plenty of opportunities to see our great nation. Last trip to Gillette in September, Carol and Allen attented his 50th year high school reunion. No idea how it is possible so many years have passed. That's half a century! Oh well, it was a terrific gathering and certainly fun to renew old friendships. That was a really brief summary of this years activities.

Switching to current events----Keith and Maryann left California on September 26th arriving at the boat October 5th. It was just another 3000 miles across country to Grand Rivers, Kentucky including stops in Montana and Wyoming. Allen flew from Lafayette, Louisiana to Nashville, Tennessee October 8th and was picked up by Keith and Maryann. It is a 2 1/2 hour drive from there to Green Turtle Bay. It is great to be back on the boat. Carol is missing out as she chose to stay home. She did not want to be gone during Halloween as passing out candy to the neighborhood children is a special event.

Having been here a few days ahead of me, Keith and Maryann had already washed the boat. I just spent today being lazy (relaxing I meant). We are enjoying some wonderful fall weather and fully intend to exercise the "Dream Manor". The rivers look smooth and we are getting anxious to test the waters.

WET

2011-07-04T11:52:00.007-05:00

July 2, 2011---Anxious moments at at the home of Allen & Carol in Youngsville, LA. Heavy rain nearly ruined the holiday weekend! Rained 4 inches in 35 minutes. The drainage system is not adequate to handle the water. Ditches all fill up and a lake is created in the neighborhood.

Picture on the right is looking toward the drainage ditch across the road. Neither the ditch or road can be seen looking west along the south wall of the McGee home.

Allen and Carol's daughter is observing the situation wih lots of concern. Smiling is not easy.

Waded down the street and took a picture looking back toward the house located across the street from where we live.

Picture of our home in the background.

Look at the debris line on the flower pot and foundation to see how close the water level came to getting on top the slab.

CLOD

2011-07-04T11:24:00.009-05:00

June 30, 2011---It has come to my attention that the 4 mcgees (as well as other boaters) are referred to as CLODs. This term is being applied to those who are not on the water. The term stands for "Cruisers Living On Dirt". It well applies to us, as we have spent a lot of time in the State of Wyoming where we were born and raised.

Keith and Allen are pictured with their Mother "Beth". She resides in Gillette, WY which has been her home for the past 86 years.

The large base instrument appears to have little feet. Actually it is Max behind has new passion. He is learning to play this fine instrument. It is a new inspiration for his Grandparents Keith & Maryann.

Keith & Max enjoying a dip in the pool. This is the closest Keith has been to a body of water in quite some time.

CAPTAIN CLEAN

2011-06-05T19:41:00.003-05:00

June 2, 2011---Look at this freshly shaven kid. New style for Captain Clean!

MEMORIAL WEEKEND

2011-06-05T19:18:00.011-05:00

May 28-30, 2011----Green Turtle Bay is enjoying clear skies with temperature of 90 degrees. Boaters are beginning to move about enjoying the Holiday weekend.

Dream Manor is dwarfed by a neighboring houseboat.

Sailboats can be seen traveling about with a light breeze. Water level in Lake Barkley is down enough now to expose the sandy beach. Many local boaters and visiters enjoy time in the sun on this beach.

Retaining wall that was well hidden during flood stages can clearly be seen in the background past the end of the boat slips..

SIRENS

2011-05-30T18:03:00.007-05:00

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The day started out pretty nice here in Green Turtle Bay with sunshine, warmth, & humidity. Later in the afternoon black clouds started to travel rapidly overhead. That evening we were treated to a spectacular light show complete with thunder, driving rain, strong wind, and tornado sirens! Dream Manor was rocking pretty good! Luckily we were just on the fringes of a tornado which actually touched down by Memphis. Never a dull day on the river!

. The first is a sign at the gas dock. The second is one of the nice, plush rugs in the shower house. That is a fine looking turtle! The third is a picture of the radar screen while we were in the middle of the storm. Lots of red on the screen. Wind gusts reached a strong 61 mph.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL9GekCQXCY

BUSY

2011-05-24T10:58:00.002-05:00

May 23, 2011---Keith stays real busy performng upkeep tasks on the boat. Got the new house batteries installed with some assistance from Boat Works. After much agony and study on the hot water heater he found a broken wire that has been the problem all along. The cook is much happier with hot water readily available in the galley. Keith proudly installed a new American flag on the mast mounted high on the radar arch. With the water level back down to a comfortable level marina personnel are busy cleaning and repairing from the flood damage. TVA reports a water level of 360.1 feet elevation which is down 12.4 feet fro the crest. Anchor and lines we loaned them to secure the docks during high water have been returned. Boater activity is expectd to increase this holiday weekend.

OHIO RIVER

2011-05-24T10:52:00.004-05:00

May 22, 2011---Maryann went to the Cincinnati area for a few days for some Juice Plus+ events and trainings. Before returning home, she visited our boating friend, Ron Friend, at the Manhattan Harbor Marina. As you can see by the pictures, the water is still very high there. B dock is the only walkway that wasn’t covered by the flood waters of the Ohio River.

GTB

2011-05-24T10:50:00.003-05:00

May 17, 2011---Keith and Maryann returned to Dream Manor, still docked where we left her in Green Turtle Bay Marina. As you can see by the photo, our dock walkway has once more re-emerged from the water! The river level here seems to be what it was pre-flood stage. Mother Nature is still alternating between sunshine and rain with frequent thunderstorm warnings.

KNOXVILLE & PORTLAND TENNESSEE

2011-05-24T10:42:00.006-05:00

May 16, 2011---On Monday Keith and Maryann drove to a Harley dealer in Knoxville, where Keith bought a new pair of boots. While there, they also bought a raffle ticket on a new HD Street Glide motorcycle. Representatives of the Winston-Salem HOG (Harley Owners Group) chapter said they actually donate the raffle proceeds to the program that flies WWII Veterans to Washington, D.C. to see their Memorial. Keith & Maryann said they would happily give them some PR on the 4 McGees’ boating blog. After leaving there, they drove to the Gibson plant in Portland, TN, to pick up four new house batteries for Dream Manor. It was nice talking with the Gibson owners, but the depressed economy is hitting the houseboat business hard.

NORTH CAROLINA

2011-05-24T10:34:00.012-05:00

May 14-15, 2011---Keith decided to take a side-trip to North Carolina on the way back to Dream Manor, just because he had never been there. He and Maryann spent the weekend in Winston-Salem sight-seeing. On Sunday they attended a Greek Festival, where they ate yummy food, shouted Opah! while watching costumed children dancing, and toured a beautiful Greek Orthodox church. Maryann snapped a picture of the Wake Forest University Medical Center, which is currently investigating the effects of Juice Plus+ on nutritional status and various markers of cell health. The research is being funded by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

NOMADS ON THE MOVE AGAIN

2011-05-24T10:23:00.012-05:00

Keith and Maryann got antsy after being in Louisiana awhile and decided to head north to check on their Memphis property and Dream Manor. They left Youngsville on May 12th and stayed the night with friends in Mississippi. The next day, Friday the 13th, turned out to be “lucky” for them, as they discovered that their home on Mud Island in Memphis had NOT been affected by the flooding MS River! What a relief! Included are some photos of the low end of the island plus some surrounding areas.

HOME

2011-05-04T19:47:00.015-05:00

May. 4, 2011---Overnight the water level rose another .50 feet to an elevation of 372.50 feet. That makes a total rise of 13.85 feet since I started keeping track nine days ago. Dams are releasing more water as the levels are near the top. Barkley is releasing 90,300 cuft per second and Kentucky dam is releasing 187,000 cuft per second. Huge volumes of water as there are 7.48 galllons per cuft! Since it is expected to take two or three weeks for the water to receed we decided to load up and return to home in Youngsville, Louisiana until the marina has an opportunity to return to somewhat normal. It will certainly take some time as water even got into their maintenance office which is located above the ship store. Notice Maryann is waiting in the boat which is being used to ferry folks across to shore. The temporary board walkway is rather risky to cross. Maryann pulled on the rope to guide the temorary ferry into position for unloading. Put the supplies in Keith's van and we made the 658 mile trip to Youngsville. Arrived at 9:45 p.m.

A quick picture of water flowing from the Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River. Downstream is just a froth from all the turbulance.

Typical view of water along the road. This was taken just outside Memphis. The Mississippi River has spread out covering lots of farmland and causing severe flooding problems.

HIGHER WATER

2011-05-03T20:17:00.011-05:00

May 3, 2011---Water elevation at 372.00 feet. Up 1.25 feet from yesterday for a total of 13.35 feet. Man in the water working on the board crossing said it was @#!--># cold!

Getting closer to the top step.

Dream Manor just pays no attention to the water level. Only the crew notices looking out the cabin window we are higher than the cars on land.

Larger boats that were in the dry dock area began to float.Last of them were moved and tied to the floating docks.

Dry Dock area looks empty now.

Remember when Keith was standing under the Yacht Club. Now the floating dock is forced up against the concrete supports.

Another view of the Yacht Club.

Ship store now has water inside.

Ship store sign looks lonesome in the water.

RAIN RAIN

2011-05-02T20:43:00.004-05:00

May 2, 2011---Two photos for water level camparison. Elevation of Barkley Lake is now 370.75 feet. An increase of .70 to a total of 12.10 feet. Dream Manor now seems to be above the parking area. Keith's two seater bicycle is waiting for warm weather. It rained most all last night and today. Still raining as this report is written. Barkley and Kentucky Dams are both releasing more water attempting to control the lakes near the current level. Still the level increases due to heavy rains.

Even the Great Blue Heron seems unhappy about the dreary weather.

Water level got so high that boats on jacks in "dry dock" began floating. Marina employees used a small work boat to push the floating boats over to dock slips where they were tied down for control.

PADUCAH GROC

2011-05-01T20:55:00.010-05:00

May 1, 2011---TVA report shows water level at 370.5 feet an increase of 1.10 ft in last 24 hours. Total increase of 11.40 feet since first recording the data on Apr 26th. The planks are still serving okay as a walkway.

Getting closer to the bottom of the elevated structures. Should be okay though as the dams are releasing more water and the level is more stable.

Drove to Paducah for groceries. crossed over the Ohio river into Illinois to check out the flooding. The large bridge crossed the river but all the low lands on either side are covered with water nearly up to the road.

This older power line is not far above the water.

Short trip into Illinois.

Returned to Kentucky. Checked out the retaining wall in Paducah. All the gates are in place and there is no way to see how high the water is behind the wall. Must be some pressure because there was a place where the water was coming up thru a crack in the side walk. It looked like a little fountain.

Baby geese seemed unconcerned that it has rained off and on all day.

HIGHER WATER

2011-04-30T16:06:00.015-05:00

Apr. 30, 2011---A ride in the dinghy provided an opportunity to take pictures that show the change in the water level. Notice the island is covered and the entrance sign is looking smaller. Soon the turtle will be swimming!

Morning shot of the walkway shows people crossing on planks. In the past 24 hours water elevation rose another 2.35 feet. TVA reported elevation at 368.95 feet. Readings being used on this blog are those taken at 9:00 a.m.

Dream Manor is now looking even with the parking lot.

Ship store is soon to have water on the inside of the building. Merchandise has been picked up from the bottom two shelves and stored up higher.

Another look at the Dream Manor shows the relationship to the parking area.

Another comparison shot looking at the Yacht Club behind the fuel dock. Previous photos show how much deeper the water on the stairs.

Took this view under the Yacht Club to see how it compares in the next few days. If water level continues to rise as predicted the floating dock will be wedged up against the concrete support.

Boat Work's building is looking more submerged. Boats in "dry dock" may be in danger of floating off their stands.

Another view of boats on stands.

Boat on stands.

Sailboat behind Boat Work's shop appears to be sunken.

MORE WATER

2011-04-29T22:08:00.008-05:00

Apr. 29, 2011---Morning water level check. Keith is showing the ramp leading to the stairs is now a downhill slope to the point where it is hinges at the shoreline. Water rose nearly 3 feet in the past 24 hours. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) reports the reservoir elevation behind the dam in feet above sea level. The morning of April 26th elevation was 358.65 feet. This morning, 3 days later the elevation is 366.60 feet. That is an increase of 7.95 feet.

Notice all the anchors on this pontoon boat. Marina staff members have been working hard to secure the docks as the water level rises. Anchors are being set at the ends of the docks to help to secure them in place. We loaned them our spare anchor and an additional line. Other boaters have also made some of their equipment available.

Veiw behind the fuel dock.

Looking toward the Boat Work's shop, water now covers the open parking area.

View from the backside of the shower house.

RISING WATER

2011-04-28T18:09:00.012-05:00

Apr. 28, 2011---Compare this first picture on the right to the similar one taken yesterday. Notice the rusty looking vertical pipes (spuds) that hold the dock in place are no longer visible.

It is difficult to imagine the volume of water that is being held back behind the dams. Water level has risen 6 feet in the past 2 1/2 days. (Rose 1' in past 7 hrs). Keith is looking at the walkway to the stairs. It is nearly level instead of inclining upward.

Dream Manor simply floats with no realization that Lake Barkley is 134 miles long, Kentucky Lake is 184 miles long and are joined together about 1 mile from Green Turtle Bay. Water level here is expected to rise another 10 feet or more. Just imagine how much water it takes to raise these lakes that much!

Walkway behind the fuel dock is already going under.

Water is starting to come up on the land in front of Boat Work's shop. Travel lift will soon be sitting in water.

Channels where the travel lift moves in and out over the water to pick up boats are no longer visible. Looking across the bay, Dream Manor is facing the large tree on the left.

Found a loose connection on the davit wiring. Now that it is functioning okay it was time to check out the dinghy. Found the battery was dead. Got it charged and reinstalled. Put the "Little Dreamer" in the water and held our breath when the ignition button was pushed. Wow, the 20 HP Honda started immediately. Took a ride around the marina to observe the rising water. Island where the sign marks the entrance is beginning to go under water. Behind Keith the retaining rock wall can barely be seen. The Blue Heron sitting on the retaining wall will soon have wet feet.

QUILTER QUEEN

2011-04-28T17:49:00.006-05:00

Apr. 27, 2011---Maryann at the Senior Community Center, Grand Rivers, KY. She is smiling because of the "Quilter Queens".

Picture on the right is taken looking east from the Dream Manor. It is intended to be a reference for judging the rising water. Because of downstream flooding on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers water flow from the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers is being reduced by closing gates on the dams.

QUILTS

2011-04-26T18:59:00.011-05:00

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

During today’s lull in rainstorms, Maryann went to the Community Center in downtown Grand Rivers to set up a display table during the 13th Annual Quilt Show. (According to the locals, this quilt show has entrants from all over the U.S. and is held at the same time as the one in Paducah.) Maryann heard that one of this year’s Grand River quilts was the Grand Prize Winner last year in Paducah! Here is a sampling of some of the quilts that are being displayed. The Quilt Show starts tomorrow, April 27, and continues through Saturday, April 30. The entry fee is only $3, and it gives you a chance to win a beautiful quilt! Besides quilts, there are many other handcrafted items for sale that would be great gifts.

No, Maryann has not taken up quilting. Here is a shot of part of her display. She is educating folks about improved nutrition and sharing a business opportunity with those who are interested. If you are in this neck of the woods, stop by and say “hi” to her and enjoy all the lovely quilts. (There is even a rumor going around that the sun will come out later this week!)

Blessing

2011-04-23T20:12:00.005-05:00

Apr. 23, 2011---A litttle more active today. Still a cloudy day with threats of rain. Therefore many of the boats did not venture out and were blessed in their slips. "The Blessing of the Fleet" is an age old annual tradition. About 11:30 a.m. the Pastor came to bless the Dream Manor to keep her safe at all times. At 2:00 p.m. we attended the Variety Theatre in Grand Rivers. The afternoon matinee "Big Band Show" is excellent. Terrific music and wonderful singing. First half of the performance was great. During intermission the MC announced a strong storm rapidly approaching. City alarm sirens had sounded for a tornado watch. Many folks in the audience went to a nearby Church for protection. We drove quickly back to make sure lines were extra secure on the Dream Manor. Air was very still and then the front hit. It blew and rained rather hard for a few minutes and the front passed quickly. Radar showed us to be on the edge of the storm. Most of the harsh looking clouds stayed north of our position and continued east. All are safe here. Blessing of the Fleet could not have come at a better time.

LAZY

2011-04-23T10:07:00.004-05:00

Apr. 20, 21, 22, 2011----Apparently three days have gone by since the last post. Just peaked at the height of laziness. We have devoted a great amount of time and energy to watching Net Flix and playing games on our individual computers. What a life on the water. Just enjoying the pleasure of being here. Weather has not been great as there has been wind and rain every day. Certainly a fine time to hide inside. Still not much activity in the marina. Boating season generally kicks off at the end of April and early May when the kids get out of school. If you care to see the marina from a web cam, go to http://www.greenturtlebay.com/ and click on the camera in the upper center of the home page. Dream Manor is not in the picture as we are in a slip too far left from the fuel dock. The fuel dock is in the center. It is a lower building with the tall blue roofed Yacht club building behind the fuel dock. There are several empty transient slips left of the fuel dock. We are located farther yet to the left. The picture refreshes rather often so boats can be seen at times coming and going to the fuel dock. May not be quite so lazy when the weather conditions improve.

SOME SUCCESS

2011-04-19T19:51:00.003-05:00

Apr. 19,2011---Yipeeee----two things now seem to be working okay. Finished installing the ground fault breaker for the ice maker on the flybridge. Once the unit started running a water leak developed. Pulled the unit out to get into the back where a small line was out of it's connection. Reinstalled and began making ice. Made another trip (30 miles each way) to Paducah. Found the brass fittings at Home Depot to get the water heater back in service. Again spent time in the crawl space that we call the basement. By the time the hot water tank was refitted and put into service, Keith and I both had sore knees and elbows from the ackward working space. However, Maryann is very proud of us for making hot water available on the boat for doing dishes and other cleaning. Yipeeeeee

WATER HEATER

2011-04-18T20:46:00.009-05:00

Apr. 18, 2011---Maryann took a few photos today so our readers can see the Dream Manor does still exist! A little windy but quite a pleasant day with temperature reaching close to 80 degrees. Keith and I made another drive to Paducah for a few supplies we needed to finish a project or two. Managed to get the correct fuse for the voltage tester. Not bad for the second trip. May yet get the GFI changed out on the flybridge to put the icemaker back in operation. Picked up a little plastic funnel extension so we could dump the gasoline out of the dingy fuel tank into his vehicle. Want to start with fresh fuel when we get around to running the dingy. A little old gasoline mixed in brother's vehicle surely won't be a problem! Back at Green Turtle Bay we picked up the heating element that we had on order for the hot water heater. Have not had hot water since getting on the boat last week. Figure the element was damaged when the power was first on and no water in the heater. Turned out to be a major event as the plastic drain valve was badly cracked and leaked water any time the valve was opened. Finally had to disconnect the upper line from the heater to get air in the vessel so it would drain at all. After making a good mess we had to completely disconnect the heater and move it away from the wall to get enough leverage with very large water pump pliers to remove the broken valve. Once the valve was removed, more mess was created from bottom sludge draining out on the floor of the crawl space. After working in tight quarters and getting up and down numerous times the last trip up the cutty stairs with a full pan of the dirty bottom fluid must have been too much. As I fell backwards from the stairs I left the pan setting on the cabin floor and fell backwards into the edge of the open door to the lower bathroom. Damaged the door and felt quite foolish from the clumsy maneuver. No I am not hurt. Just a red line down my back made by the door edge. We connected hot and cold water lines together as a bypass around the water heater so water service could be restored to the boat. Still no hot water of course! Will require another trip or two into town for supplies! The saga will continue.

SHOPPING

2011-04-17T21:00:00.003-05:00

Apr. 17, 2011---Sunshine and a light breeze. Sure felt good to get outside. Performed a few chores on the boat. Drove to Poducah for some shopping. Needed light bulbs, fuses and of course groceries. Walked through the mall and located a very large rabbit. Returned to the boat and put away the supplies. Quite an enjoyable day.

MORE WIND

2011-04-17T20:41:00.002-05:00

Apr. 16, 2011---Another cloudy, drippy, windy day. Great day for more computer projects and of course the entertaining TV. Uncomfortable here, but fortunately nothing violent like was experienced in other areas. Tornadoes are very scary and create so much sudden devastation. Our hearts go out those who struck by such storms.

WEATHER

2011-04-15T19:42:00.002-05:00

Apr. 15, 2011---Awakend by the rain making various noises as it hits the sundeck and flybridge, then pours down onto the walkways. Rain stopped mid morning but the wind howled all day. Dense clouds caused a loss of signal for direct TV. Not a problem as we connected my computer to the TV and watched streaming Net Flix movies all day. Keith had several conversations with folks at XM radio before they finally got our system back in service. As darkness fell the rain returned. Perhaps tomorrow will be more pleasant.

SHOWERS

2011-04-15T08:57:00.004-05:00

Apr. 14, 2011---Not so busy today. Spent time getting acquainted with local services. Found the showers have been completely redone. They are great! Also the new washer and dryer in the laundry room are a nice improvement. Had lunch at Dockers located here at Green Turtle Bay. With full stomachs we made a grocery run to the local IGA store. Will be nestled in for the rain that is expected tomorrow. Still having electric problems. Switched to another pedestal on the dock to see if that would help. Also found the ice maker on the flybridge will not start. Ground fault breaker will not reset. No telling what else may be discovered as we continue to get the Dream Manor back in full service. No hurry though as we plan to stay right here for a month or two. Rivers are raging from snow melt.

POWER PROBLEMS

2011-04-15T08:06:00.005-05:00

Apr. 13, 2011---Learned something about inverters. Boat Work mechanic explained the inverter will not operate if the house battery voltage is below 9 volts. Apparently over winter the batteries went dead. He connected an external charger. While waiting for the batteries to charge we ran a water hose through the window so Maryann could do a little cleanup in the galley. Getting reacquainted with storage areas is always entertaining as we find places to put all the things we hauled from home. Seemed like a lot, but certainly not as much as previous years. We have learned what is really important to have on the boat. There is a balance between comfort and excess. Boat Work Mechanic (Jeff) performed what he calls the summerization service. He checked out the engines and got them all started. House batteries now above 9 volts. Turned on the inverter. Low & behold it began to function! Thought power problems were over as electric equipment began to operate. Water pump now working, so Jeff purged the fresh water system to remove the antifreeze treatment. Keith & I installed new filters in our water system, put salt in the softner and then filled the fresh water tank. Next step was TV. No signal from the boxes. Keith had to call to get them reactivated. Even though the bill has been paid every month the service is shut off when there is extended lack of usage. Inverter panel shows house batteries to be fully charged. Should be good for 2 or 3 hours. However when external power is shut off the control board immediately goes dead. Learned about this problem when power was disconnected from shore. We drove the boat from in front of the travel lift directly across to a slip where the transient boaters park. TV and internet----life is good.

SPRING AGAIN

2011-04-14T18:26:00.006-05:00

Apr. 12, 2011---How quickly winter has faded away. (At least in Louisiana). The 4 mcgees traveled in various directions the past few months. Keith and Maryann spent a lot of time in California with travels to Montana and Wyoming. Carol and Allen spent time in Henderson, Nevada. Allen was in Gillette, Wy the months of Dec and Jan. After driving many land miles visiting with family and friends it is time to change the pace. Keith, Maryann and Allen loaded some supplies in Keiths vehicle and we departed Youngsville, Louisiana at 7:00 a.m. Carol stayed behind to finish the dreaded taxes and will join us at a later date. The three of us made our way to Grand Rivers, KY. A 12 hour day covering almost 600 miles. Upon arrival at Green Turtle Bay Marina it was great to see The Dream Manor. The staff at Boat Works had just put the boat in the water after being stored on land for the winter. They had the shore power connected. What a wonderful sight. First order of business was to get our cart off the boat. We made several trips hauling supplies from the vehicle to the boat. Put some water in the fresh water tank and then found the pressure pump would not run as well as other things. Found the inverter was not functioning. With the house batteries not charged there was no power to the circuit that handles the refrigerator. Made a quick trip to a store for ice to help keep some of the food items cool through the night. No power for the TV's! Not quite a disaster as we were all plenty tired. It was not a problem to turn in early, knowing the next day is going to be another busy one.

2011-04-14T18:26:00.001-05:00

MISSING

2010-10-08T14:41:00.003-05:00

Oct. 7, 8, 2010--- Have we only been home two days? Already missing the boat. Comparing the Ohio River to the Tennessee River is an easy judgement call. The Tennessee is far more pleasant to travel and there are many more marinas to handle pleasure craft. They are also better equipped to handle repairs. There are lots of miles on the Ohio where there are no travel lifts to take a boat out of the water for prop changes and other service that may become necessary. There are some cities along the Ohio with river front walls where boats can dock overnight. We really enjoyed stopping at the small towns to walk the historical streets. Upper end of the Ohio from Marietta to Pittsburgh is more open to pleasure craft (last 172 miles). Not many of the marinas on the Ohio have 50 amp electrical service. Sometimes we had to function with a single 30 amp connection. No matter what, we sure enjoyed the experience!

LOAD TO LOUISIANA

2010-10-06T09:27:00.006-05:00

Oct. 5, 2010---Finished loading the rented mini-van. Loaded it was! Just barely had enough room to bring our wives along. Picture on right is the skyline of Memphis, Tennessee. Made a brief stop on Mud Island to check on a property that Keith and Maryann own.

Turned west on I-12 in time to see the sunset. Just 107 miles to go. Makes one think there is light at the end of the tunnel! At Baton Rouge we merged on to I-10 and contined on to Lafayette and then home at Youngsville, Louisiana.

Unloading the mini-van keith is saying "who does this stuff belong to?" It was a good travel day. It took 11 1/2 hours of very steady driving to cover the 665 miles. Keith did the driving to minimize the number of stops. It was a relief to get out of the vehicle at the end of the endurance trip. It won't be long though before we miss being on the Dream Manor.

PACKING

2010-10-04T20:43:00.005-05:00

Oct. 4, 2010---Said goodbye to Carl and Ricki Guthrie as they are on their way to do the "Great Loop". They are wonderful people and the 4 Mcgees certainly have enjoyed becoming friends with them. They will make many more friends as they travel for about a year. Sure wish them the best. Felt a little jealous as we watched them leave Green Turtle Bay. On the right side there is a link for Questontheloop. Follow their blog from here or save it in your favorites and keep track of them on the big adventure as we will be doing.

Busy day packing. Things seen in these pictures is only part of what we plan to load in the rental mini-van and haul to Louisiana.

It will be a challenge to make it all fit.

The Dream Manor will sigh in relief and float higher out of the water!

NUMBERS

2010-10-03T17:54:00.006-05:00

Oct, 3, 2010---Spent the day sorting through items stored on the boat. There are a number of items (boxes) that will be taken home. Still learning just what is really necessary. The ladies think since this was our third season, they should carry a lot of the clothes home and start with a new batch in the spring! Speaking of three seasons, figured some readers might be interested in the cum numbers. Following information is the cumulation of data since April 2008. Total engine hours 911. That amount of time covered 6913 miles in 543 days. Total fuel used is 6267 gallons. Average fuel consumption 6.88 gph or 1.10 mpg. Average speed 7.59 as compared to 6.74 this season. That season was .85 mph slower and mpg increased to 1.18 compared to the 1.10. Overall the year by year numbers are very similar. One other piece of information--we have now anchored a total of 33 times and done 2 soft landings.

SUMMARY

2010-10-02T16:36:00.017-05:00

Oct. 2, 2010---From normal pool elevation of 302' below Smithland lock to normal pool above Emsworth lock of 710' at Pittsburgh, there is a change of 408'. That is the sum of the elevation change made possible by the 18 locks in that part of the Ohio River over a distance of 923 miles.
Total distance traveled on inland waterways this season was 2486 miles. Diesel fuel consumed by the twin 315 hp Yanmars was 2103 gallons. Total engine hours was 311.8 making average fuel usage 6.74 gallons per hour or 1.18 miles per gallon. Time spent warming up the engines the first start of the day, time waiting at locks and docking time reduces the average speed. Spent 164 days on the boat. Anchored out 7 times and made 2 soft landings. Went thru a total of 50 locks. Not easy to compare fuel consumption going up the Ohio as to coming back down. Going up river at 1800 rpm the speed was about 8.5 mph comsuming 5.9 gph. Down river at 1800 rpm the speed was about 10 mph with fuel consumption still 5.9 gph. This late in the season there was not as much helpful current as one might expect. There was conversation about so little rain the locks were considering going to a 2 hour schedule to reduce the number of times the lock would operate letting water go downstream. In other words water is being held back to maintain each of the pool levels. Overall the fuel consumption coming down was nearly as much as going up. Dodging debris going up and operating at lesser rpm's. Coming down the water was much cleaner and we pushed harder to get back. At 2300 rpm coming down river the speed was 11.5 mph consuming 10.5 gph. It has been a great boating season! May not have seen all the sights, but we sure saw a lot of them. The 4 McGees really had a good time. Would liked to have extended the boating season but we have some land obligations that need to be done. Meetings to attend and familiy to see.

Sunrise at Green Turtle Bay.

Commonwealth Yacht Club at the marina is a fine place to eat.

There are decorations all around the grounds.

Fall is definitely in the air as temperature tonight is expected to only be 42 degrees.

GREEN TURTLE BAY RETURNED

2010-10-01T22:53:00.010-05:00

Oct. 1, 2010---Sunrise caused a glow on the stairs leading up to the bridge that crosses over Lusk Creek. Made way down the Ohio to Smithland Lock at mile 918.5 with a 22' lift down. This is our last lock on the Ohio. There are 18 locks to this point and 2 more downstream before the Ohio reaches the Mississippi River. We came up through those locks in 2008 so we have now been through all 20 locks on the Ohio.

At mile 923.8 turned to port into the Cumberland River. There was a tow pushed against the point and we had to pass around behind the tug to get started up the Cumberland.

Several places along the bank tree roots are very much exposed. Many of those trees will probably be washed loose during high water next spring.

There are several rock operations along the banks of the river. Passed several barges loaded with course rock.

This barge is being loaded by use of a dump truck.

Traveled 30.6 miles up the Cumberland to the Barkley Lock. This lock raised 57 feet to the level of the lake above the dam. Lake Barkley is a wonderful lake that extends 118 miles. Just past the lock is the turn to port into Green Turtle Bay Marina. Trip today covered 54.7 miles in 6.6 hours.

GOLCONDA

2010-09-30T20:50:00.017-05:00

Sept. 30, 2010---Beautiful sunrise and calm water. Turned out to be a fine anchorage six miles up river from Old Shawnee Town, IL. First order of business was to sweep and wash May Flies off the boats. May flies! Isn't this the last day of September?

After separating the boats Carl Guthrie finished washing the top of his.

Quest is looking good!

Traveled 50 miles today in 5.4 hours. Turned starboard into the Golconda Marina at mile 902.5 and tied up on their B dock. The Quest arrived about an hour later and tied up behind Dream Manor. Looking from the dock, stairs can be seen that access the bridge over Lusk Creek. That is the walking route into the small town of Golconda.

Ricki and Maryann walked to town looking for a bit of history. Found a sign that said Sarah founded the Town of Golconda orignially called Sarahville. She established the first ferry across the Ohio at this location.

These figures honor the various armed forces.

Lewis and Clark were in this area the fall of 1803.

One of the many old structures in the town.

The ladies indicated there were a few stores, but hardly any were open.

This old saloon was probably a hot spot in its time.

ANCHORED AT 852

2010-09-29T17:11:00.018-05:00

Sept. 29, 2010---Backed out from the fuel dock at Inland Marina at 6:30 a.m. Departed early as the two boats that had tied up behind us last night needed fuel. Did not want to hold up their progress down the river.

Athilean is the name on the cruiser facing this way. Trawler facing away is the Quest.

Evansville, Indiana in the morning light.

Sunrise causing a reflection from the water and windows on Dream Manor makes it appear as though a person can see through the boat. Just a mirror image!

Two tugs appearing in the fog. Neither one pushing any barges.

At times the fog was rather thick, but still able to see okay.

This picture taken looking toward the sunny side of the boat made the fog appear even worse. It was certainly much better when it all lifted about 8:30 a.m.

Approaching the mouth of Wabash River. Lots of sand piled along the shore on the Indiana side.

Mouth of the Wabash River. Center of the river is the border between Indiana and Illinois. At times the Wabash flows with great velocity. Lots of sand is deposited as the flow meets the Ohio River. Many dead trees are stuck in the sand.

Continued down the Ohio to mile 852. Made a total of 61 miles today in 6.5 hours. Selected an area outside the green bouys that was suitable for anchorage. Set the hook in eight feet of water at 1:15 p.m. Quest arrived at 5:00 p.m. and tied off to the Dream Manor so we could enjoy eating with Carl and Ricki Guthrie. Had a great evening together.

Looking on a map you would find we are anchored 6 miles up river from Old Shawntee Town, Illinois.

EVANSVILLE, IN

2010-09-28T21:46:00.006-05:00

Sept. 27, 2010---Windy day, Dream Manor was shoved hard against the dock with a tight fit between two boats. We felt like a day of rest anyway after the long haul yesterday. Spent some time in the engine room doing a little clean up and maintenance on the primary fuel filter for the port engine. Keith fixed a large batch of popcorn and we spent a lot of time watching movies. Then of course Monday night football has priority over any other activities. It was a good game between Green Bay & Chicago. However Green Bay beat themselves with penalties.

Sept. 28, 2010---Traveled a great distance of 35 miles today in 3.5 hours. Tied up at the Inland Marina fuel dock in Evansville, Indiana at mile 792. (This means we are now 792 miles from Pittsburgh). Took on 426 gallons of diesel. Dream Manor was a little thirsty! First order of business after that was to call Casino Aztec and have the courtesy van come pick us up and haul us to the casino. Lunch at the buffet you know! Spent all we wanted to at the slot machines and returned to the boat. Will continue down river in the morning.

LONG DAY

2010-09-26T18:42:00.010-05:00

Sept. 26, 2010---Looked like fish scales in the sky as we raised anchor at West Point, Kentucky.

Got an early start as we planned to make some miles today.

Sun was shining brightly on this spot creating neat colors.

Since there were no signs to indicate crossing the time zone from Eastern to Central. I am sure it took place in line with the tree that has the straight, bare trunk! That is mile 681.3 on the Ohio River. Time line actually follows the river for the next 8 miles. Fully across the line at mile 689.3.

Someone has quite a view from this house perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the river.

Definitly had a big travel day. Covered 127 river miles from West Point, Kentucky to Owensboro, Kentucky at mile 757. Started to feel like an endurance contest. Also had one lock, "Cannelton" at 720.7 miles. Let down 26'. Total 11.6 engine hours. Good thing there was an extra hour of daylight as a result of the time change. Also got more practice docking in the wind.

WEST POINT

2010-09-25T15:43:00.010-05:00

Sept. 25, 2010---Changed oil & filters on the main engines. Enjoyed a fine breakfast at River Edge marina. With no wind it was easy to back out from the end of the fuel dock where we were bow forward and parallel to the boat ramp. Bob Conrad and his wife put out a lot of effort for boaters to have a good experience at their marina (502-552-7829)

Someone launched a boat while we were there.

Cruising was very pleasant today. Sunshine and calm water. Went past Louisville to the McAlpine lock at 606.8 mile mark. Went into the small chamber as a tow was entering the long chamber. Since there was half as much water to let out of the short chamber to lower 35' we got out just ahead of the tow. Continued down the Ohio to mile 630 and set anchor across the river from West Point, Kentucky. West Point is located just outside the border of Fort Knox Military Reservation. Town of Fort Knox is located ten miles south of here. Traveled 5.2 hours today and covered 45.4 miles. Not bad for a mid morning starting time.

What a sunset! Red sky at night, sailors delight.

This is the way it should be when anchored for the night.

WILD & WINDY OHIO RIVER

2010-09-24T15:33:00.017-05:00

There is an old saying "Red Sky in the morning, sailors take warning." Must be something to that, as contending with the wind today made yesterday seem like just a breeze. One of the readers commented that we got to learn to drive in the wind. Sure got nine hours of practice today.

Markland lock at mile 531.5 had the small chamber out of service doing repair work. Had to wait one hour for a tow to be brought up. Lock master wanted us close to cut in behind the tug to get in the lock quickly. Trying to save time. The strong wind was enough of a problem and then getting into the churning water behind the tug made it plenty difficult to transition into the lock chamber. After getting secure we still had to wait on two smaller boats coming down the river. Went down 35' to the next river level.

Glad to let the two smaller boats rush ahead.

Passed Turtle Creek Harbor marina at mile 529 where we had enjoyed a few days stay going up river.

Passed by Vevay, Indiana at mile 537.5 where the town name is painted on tall pilings.

Had planned to stay at Madison, IN. When we arrived the docking area was quite full. Attempted to dock, they quickly waved us off as all spaces were reserved. Managed to back away in the strong wind without getting into trouble. Found out later the annual Madison Chataqua Festival of Art was taking place this weekend. Must be a major event as we met about 20 boats that appeared to be headed that way. Most boats we have seen traveling on the river for quite some time.

Water was rough all day.

Arrived at Rivers Edge Marina at mile 584.6 and tied off on the end of the fuel dock. Near the community called Charlestown, IN.
Having traveled 78.6 miles in 9 hours we were ready to shut down.

RISING SUN

2010-09-24T09:12:00.027-05:00

Sept. 23, 2010---Ron Friend got up early to bid us farewell. He went out to the point to take pictures as we left the marina.

Beautiful morning as we pulled away from the fuel dock.

Making way on the Ohio River.

Another view leaving Manhatten Harbor marina located in Dayton, KY. Thanks to Ron for these photos.

About two miles from the marina is a view of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.

Great American Ball Park. Home of the "Reds".

Paul Brown Stadium just a short way down river from the baseball park is the home of the "Bengals".

Thought this was a little unique. Fed Ex at river mile 477.6 crossing on the Anderson Ferry from KY to OH.

Made a short stop at Aurora Landing at Aurora, Indiana, mile 497.

Had lunch at the Acapulco Restaurant.

Caught a window shopper in action. Look farther and see Keith moving briskly toward the camera with Maryann trailing behind.

Walked around town looking at the many neat pictures painted on the buildings. The town is mostly in an area about six blocks long parallel to the river and extending back about four blocks.

Continued down the river to Rising Sun, Indiana. Tied up at the courtesy dock for the night.

Huge welcome sign painted on the wall just above the dock.

Grand Victoria Casino is about a mile back up river from the dock.

Keith found Maryann sitting in a large chair. Taking a break on their walk back from the casino.

Sure we went to the casino! Left only a few dollars for Indiana, but had a fine dinner at the buffet. From the fourth level of the casino the Dream Manor can just be seen along with a few smaller boats at the courtesy dock.

Stores in Rising Sun have fall decorations nicely displayed.

Video below was taken just down river from the mouth of the Great Miami River and I-275 bridge. The border between Ohio and Indiana is between the bridge and the river. This is another point where there are three states, as Kentucky lays from the middle of the Ohio River to the south. Traveling in the middle of the river we were surely in all three states at the same time!

WINDY AT MANHATTAN

2010-09-22T14:49:00.018-05:00

Sept. 22, 2010---Quite a travel day. Left Augusta, KY at 7:45 a.m. It was not long before we had to dodge around floating debris. Reached Meldahl Lock at mile 436.2 and promptly learned the big chamber was out of service. This means long tows have to be split to get through the small chamber. After waiting 1.5 hours the lock master let us in and down the 30'. Felt fortunate that he worked us through, as there was a tow waiting on the up side and one on the down side. There was plenty of debris on the inlet to the chamber and a tug against the wall with engines churning the water. We had to pass the tug and work thru the mess. It was a bit of a challenge, but made it okay. The closer we got to Manhatten Harbor marina at Dayton, KY the harder the wind was blowing. Still working around debris. Dream Manor was crabbed to stay on course. Reaching the marina it was obvious our only hope was to get tied up at the fuel dock. Took some maneuvering, but we got secured safely. A little like old home week as folks there recognized us and gave us a warm welcome back. Traveled 40.2 miles in 5.8 hours. Again remember the hours reported are always just engine hours.

At mile 453 about three miles down river from New Richmond Ohio is a power plant, Cincinnati Gas & Electric Company's Walter C. Beckjord Station. What really attracted attention was smoke.Getting closer it could be seen that coal in one of the barges was smoldering.

Personnel on the tug were showing concern.

Looking back we could see the tug was moving. Probably to get the other barges separated from the one that was burning.

Looking over the bow toward Cincinnati. Wind blowing dust clouds off the levee where trucks and dozers are working to raise the height of the levee behind the marina.

Stayed at the fuel dock.

Last two pictures on the right show the flags sticking straight out from the high wind.

Last two pictures on the left are just before dark. The wind quit blowing and I nearly fell over because of leaning into the wind.

AUGUSTA, KY AGAIN

2010-09-21T18:21:00.017-05:00

9/21/10---Shawnee State Park at mile 363.2 on the Ohio side about eight miles from West Portsmouth.

This marina is very well protected on all sides.

This drainage is called Nace Run. Look how still the water is looking out the mouth of the creek where it enters the Ohio River.

Dream Manor on the still water waiting to travel down the river.

Fog in the distant hills blends in with the clouds.

At mile 404.7 is located a power plant on the Ohio side. This is the Dayton Power & Light Plant, J.M. Stuart Station & Dock Fleeting Area. A fleeting area is where barges are tied along the bank. Often tied to mooring cells.

A look at the coal scoop which rotates continuously when unloading a barge. There are so many power plants along the Ohio River that only a few have been mentioned on this trip.

Town of Maysville Kentucky at mile 408.5 as we pass under the Maysville-Aberdeen bridge.

Looking back beyond the bridge can be seen the power plant.
Continued down river another 18 miles to a familiar stopping point at Augusta, KY. Tied up at the nice concrete city dock and promptly walked about two blocks to "The Plantation Inn" to once again enjoy a terriffic buffet. Spending the night at this dock. Total engine hours today 5.6 covered 63.8 miles.

SHAWNEE STATE PARK

2010-09-20T19:25:00.018-05:00

Sept. 20, 2010---Departed from Huntington, WV at 8:45 a.m. Totally overcast and very hazy. Not far down river this tow was crossing the river taking up most of the room. Slowed down and gave him plenty of time to clear the area.

Both sides of the river are nearly lined with barges and tugs for about 9 miles.

A lot of the barges are fluid barges (probably chemicals). Many of the tugs belong to Marathon. Big Sandy River at mile 317.5 on the port side is the dividing line between West Virginia and Kentucky. On the right descending bank is the town of South Point,Ohio. On the left is the town of Kenova, West Virginia. As the state line is crossed Cattlettsburg, Kentucky is on the left.

Passed the town of Ironton, OH at mile 327. There are many small towns on both sides of the river. This one just happened to have the name painted on the flood wall.

Disturbed the Canadian geese.

At mile 335 there is a pair of beautiful weeping willow trees on the Ohio side.

Small town of Riverton, KY is directly across the river from the two willows. At mile 339 turned starboard and went just off the main channel to Holliday Point Marina for fuel. took on 330 gallons of diesel. The credit card made a squealing noise when it was run on the machine!

Left Holiday Point and went two miles to the Greenup Lock at mile 341. The gate was open and we got right in. However there was a tow entering the long chamber at the same time we entered the short chamber. Tows have priority and it was handled first. Lock master delayed closing our upstream gate until the tow was secure and starting down in the chamber. After we were lowered 30' the down stream gate was kept shut until after the tow had exited the long chamber. Out of the chamber sexy legs cleaned the fenders.

About 5:30 p.m. the sunshine on the water created a reflection that was hard on the eyes. It looked like a bed of sparkling diamonds.

Reached mile 363.2 and turned starboard to Shawnee State Park Marina at 5:45 p.m. Tied up and plugged into twin 30 amp electric power. Did not see any people at the marina.

Engine hours today was 5.8 but it took a total of 9 clock hours to make 54.7 miles distance with delay getting fuel and delay in the lock.

HUNTINGTON, WV

2010-09-19T21:13:00.016-05:00

Sept. 19, 2010---Thick fog held up the boaters for a while. Everyone was busy coiling up electric cables and making preparations to leave. Sternwheelers left as soon as they could.

Took a while to get all the boats on their way to free up the Dream Manor. Patty looked sharp as she pulled away in "Blue Chip II".

"Max'd Out Again" is on the way down river.

"Dach Holiday" headed home.

"Hardly Dangerous" headed out.

When enough boats had cleared away that we could safely leave the dock, there was hardly a boat left on the river front at Pomeroy, Ohio. As we look back, the festival was a lot of fun. We also had a good time showing off the Dream Manor as it attracted nearly as much attention as the sternwheelers. We made a lot of new friends who welcomed us to return again.

Traveling along we passed the Faris Wheel stern wheeler.

Caught up with a lot of the sternwheelers near the mouth of the Kanawha River at Point Pleasant, WV. (mile 265.5)

Looking up the Kanawha River a tow hauling coal was coming out into the Ohio River. According to the radio chatter the stern wheelers were waiting for the tow to clear so they could start up the Kanawha. Several of the stern wheelers were rafted together and needed room to stay together.

Had one lock today at mile 279.2. The gate was open when we arrived. Went straight into the Robert C. Byrd lock & in a short time was down 23'. Todays travel down the Ohio River was 6.7 hours. Made 58.3 miles and tied up at the city dock in Huntington, WV.

Notice the hills are not nearly so high or steep now. There has been quite a change in the landscape as get farther from the mountainous areas of West Virginia.

Beautiful sunset over the bridge that joins Huntington, WV with the small town of Chesapeake, OH.

FESTIVAL TALENT

2010-09-19T15:48:00.005-05:00

CHILI & TALENT

2010-09-19T06:33:00.014-05:00

Sept. 18, 2010---Final day of the Sternwheel Riverfest in Pomeroy, Ohio.

First event of the day was a chili cookoff. Carol & Keith tried them all.

A talent contest was held. These two young men did an outstanding rendition of the Blues Brothers. Turn up the volume on all the videos to get best results.

Bob did a good job of playing the spoons.

Sexy Legs contest was a lot of fun for the audience. Allen was awarded the 2nd place trophy out of 15 participants. Some boaters will do nearly anything to show off!

Carol threatened the ladies with a soft blow up bat. She announced it was okay for them to look only.

Dream Manor is surrounded.

Busy water front. Folks really enjoy the annual Sternwheel Riverfest. Maryann's video taken from the Blennerhasset Sternwheeler gives another look at the waterfront. She & Keith went for the one hour pleasure ride to get pictures and relax.

The event ended with fireworks. It has been quite a boating season for us as we have been in the right places to see fireworks several times in various cities.

Note: Bruce Gibson was one of the boaters rafted to the Dream Manor for the festival. Enjoy the video as he was very entertaining. Again it will be necessary to turn up the volume on the videos.

STERNWHEEL FESTIVAL-POMEROY

2010-09-18T12:24:00.011-05:00

Sept. 17, 2010---Another festive day at Pomery, Ohio. Meigs High School band entertained the crowd.

Girls on the team did a great job of handling the colorful flags.

Now there are six boats rafted to the Dream Manor. Get to meet lots of boaters this way.

Lots of wiring and cables along the wall providing power to the boats.

Four man band called "Still Standing" provided afternoon entertainment. They were followed by country western singer "Simba". Final band of the night was a group of four high school boys called "South of the Bend".

Sternwheelers: Pearl Anne, Faris Wheel & Dresden Belle

Jaunita, Lida Ann, Skinny Bill and Hobby III

Venders set up and waiting for the crowd. There was a good turn out in the evening.

LAZY-POMEROY

2010-09-17T06:45:00.009-05:00

Sept. 16, 2010---Cloudy, rainy and dreary until late afternoon. Most everyone stayed hidden in their boats until the rain passed. Looking out the starboard window there are 5 boats rafted to us. Directly south across the Ohio River from where we are in Pomeroy, Ohio is the small town of Mason, West, Virginia.

Looking forward from the Dream Manor.

Everyone wants electric power to their boats. This is a look at some of the temporary wiring.

Late evening as the weather cleared the lighting became much better. Vendors setting up for the festival are located in the parking area above the wall.

In the distance is a sternwheeler backing out from shore with passengers aboard for a dinner cruise. The sternwheeler is pushing a party barge set up with tables. Name of the boat is Blennerhassett. It is the one used to ferry people to the Blennerhassett Island from Parkersburg.

Sun shine!

Weather cleared and the "Southern Accent" band was able to get set up and play from 7 to 10 p.m. Just before the band began their performance the fire truck parade drew lots of attention. If you like lots of sirens be sure to view the video. Not long after the parade a number of the units got busy as a tornado touched down about 17 miles north of Pomeroy. A few people were injured and several houses were destroyed.

POMEROY-FESTIVAL

2010-09-16T10:29:00.016-05:00

Sept. 15, 2010---Had not mentioned in previous writings that as the festival started to break up Sunday morning the 12th, a spot became available at Marietta Harbor. Weighed anchor and moved to the dock. Maryann and Carol looking up the steep walkway but glad to have electric power without running the generator. Notice the long sleeves. Suggests it is time to continue south.

Dream Manor is faced up stream in the Muskingum River. Behind us the LST 325 can be seen facing down the Ohio River. They left Marietta about 8:00 a.m. and we departed at 9:45 after returning the rental vehicle and taking on fresh water.

Down the Ohio 13 miles we passed Parkersburg, WV. Fort Boreman is on top of the hill to the right.

Blennerhassett Island covers about 500 acres. Mileage on the river is from 186 to 190 or four miles long. Looking thru the trees this may be the re-built manson.

Another glimpse of the manson or some of the other buildings on the island.

Kraton Polymers is a large facility located in Rockland Ohio across the river from Blennerhassett Island.

Sabic plastics plant located about one mile past the island on the West Virginia side.

At mile 203. 9 is the Belleville Lock which lowers the boats 22' going down river. Could not see the LST as they were already down and out of the chamber. This picture of the LST 325 is in the Racine lock at mile 237.5 which is another 22' drop. Had to wait until they were down and gone for our turn. Will not see the LST for a number of days until we pass them at their home port in Evansville, Indiana. It is just interesting that our travels have brought us close to the ship so many times this summer.

Reaching our destination for the day at Pomeroy, Ohio it looked crowded. Little did we know their Sternwheel Riverfest takes place this weekend.

There was an open area along the wall that was too short, but when we showed interest in docking, a fellow boater moved the little boat for us to get in and tied up. Once we got secure the cruisers started rafting off to the Dream Manor.

This picture was taken before other boats started rafting to ours. Sternwheelers are docked with bows to the shore. Pomeroy is located at mile 250. That means we traveled 78 miles today in 9 hours and handled two locks.

FORT BOREMAN PARK

2010-09-15T22:23:00.010-05:00

Sept. 14, 2010---Fort Boreman Park is located on top of a hill that overlooks Parkersburg.

At the highest point is a cannon and shooting walls. Little action took place here. The site was used primarily for surveillance of the Ohio and Kanawha rivers.

Great view of the Ohio river and Parkersburg. The near highway bridge crosses the Kanawha River. To the right of the highway as it enters town is the Blennerhassett Museum. A block further past it is the Oil & Gas Museum.

Looking south at the Kanawha River.

Large brick building in front is the Blennerhassett Museum. Past it and a little left is the Oil & Gas Museum. Brick building with windows blocked off with plywood painted white.

More of downtown Parkersburg.

Blennerhassett Island seen from Fort Boreman Park overlook.

BLENNERHASSETT MUSEUM

2010-09-15T22:11:00.012-05:00

Sept. 14, 2010---Inside the Museum is a sign that references the island which is located in the Ohio River about 1.5 miles down the river from Parkersburg. This museum is in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Blennerhassett's is a story of riches to rags as they only got to live on the island for 8 years.

Hope you can click on the written material to get the details of the family. Harman Blennerhassett was a wealthy aristocrat from Ireland. He and his wife bought the island in 1798. They built a magnificent mansion and estate. In 1806 Harman became entangled in a mysterious enterprise with Aaron Burr. Blennerhassett's fled the island never to return. Harman was captured and spent time in the virginia State Penitentiary. He was later acquitted and released, but his life was ruined.

The mansion was accidently burned to the ground in 1811. Archaeologists rediscovered the foundation in 1973. Through careful historical and architectural research the mansion has been recreated for visitors. It was rebuilt in the late 1980's. We did not have an opportunity to go to the island.

Here is an artists concept of the house and grounds.

Beautiful cadillac.

There is a great collection of arrowheads and other Indian artifacts that were found on the island. Research indicates the island has been inhabited for some 13,000 years.

Bones and teeth of the mammoth found on the island.

A traveling display of old washing machines was in the museum.

Many old rifles on display.

OIL & GAS MUSEUM

2010-09-15T22:01:00.015-05:00

Sept. 14, 2010---Oil & Gas Museum located in Parkersburg, West Virginia. A large mural is painted on the outside of the building. Lots of very old oilfield equipment setting outside.

Parkersburg was where the oil came to for refining and was the base from which the early exploration and finances for the industry emanated.

Inside Keith was looking at the Civil War display.

Parkersburg Rig & Reel Company developed the pumping units and much of the other equip used in drilling and producing the wells.

First boom of the area was in 1860. Most of the oil at that time was found 25 to 50 feet below surface. It took about 30 years to learn about making various products and creating markets. Refineries were built to handle the crude.

By the 1890 boom technology had advanced to where drillers were capable of going to depths of 2000 feet. This capability brought the second boom to the Burning Springs field. Old picture shows how concentrated and congested the oilfield looked.

Early 1900's gasoline price.

Interesting old pump that was manufactured in Marietta, Ohio.

On top of this truck are sinker bars that were used to tag bottom on the wells for depth measurements. They are made out of hard wood.

One of the first oil companies was named after two of the prominent rivers in the area.

Red unit is a steam engine.

Spence, Smith & Kootz gas engine manufactured in Parkersburg in the 1920's.

With the developing oilfields Parkersburg became a major hub for the famous Baltimore and Ohio railroad. Parkersburg was also the target and center of much of the Civil War activity in the surrounding counties. Burning Springs is located about 25 miles south of Parkersburg. During the war in a raid across West Virginia General Jones burned the oilfield and all of the oil in 1863. It took time to rebuild the oilfield which still remains productive today.

HENDERSON HALL

2010-09-15T21:53:00.012-05:00

Sept. 13, 2010---Henderson Hall is located in Williamstown, West Virginia.

George W. Henderson built this mansion in 1836 before the Civil War.

It was home to five generations of Hendersons. George was active in the West Virginia statehood movement. He remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. He was elected to serve in the re-organized Virginia legislature which ran West Virginia from 1861 to 1863. He voted for creation of the new state which was then approved by congress and President Lincoln.

Just some of the staircase in this 3 story mansion.

Large table setting with original pieces.

Bed and clothing in the girls bedroom.

Master bedroom. Nearly everthing in this house is original. The house has only been open to the public for three years. Artifacts are still being found in the building. Generations of savers makes this a very real portrayal of time past.

Library is full of old books. Writings show the Hendersons drilled one of the first oil wells in West Virginia in 1860. They operated one of the largest oilfields in the 1890's.

FENTON GLASS

2010-09-13T19:07:00.019-05:00

Sept. 13, 2010---Rented a vehicle and drove across the river to Williamsburg, West Virginia. Went to Fenton Art Glass to see the process of creating beautiful things with glass. Fenton is one of the few production facilities remaining where much of the work is done by hand instead of being automated. Very specialized work is done here.

Glass is 71% sand, 15% soda ash and 9% lime. Color additives make up the other 5%. Very likely some of the piles of white material we have seen along the river being loaded on barges was lime.

Rotating the hot glass in a frame is called "blocking". Purpose is to make sure the glass is smooth.

Decorative cups were coming out of this oven.

Putting finished lamp shades in the oven for final heating.

Here the main body lamp shade is being inspected.

A view of some of the ovens. Most of the glass is heated up to 2000 degrees.

Artists painting various items.

Here the guide is explaining there is one more step to completing the lamp shade. The bottom is still solid. Proper size hole has to be cut for the base to set on a fixture.

A pallet of shades being prepared for shipment.

Sample of the beautiful work that is done here. There work is shipped and sold all over the country.

More examples on display in the gift shop.

Pieces that are very special. Layers of glass are sand blasted and etched away to create the frosted shapes. Price tag in front of the bears on the right is $1950.00.

STERNWHEEL RACES

2010-09-13T06:56:00.017-05:00

Sept. 12, 2010---Final day of the Sternwheel Festival in Marietta, Ohio. It was fun to see the boats back out from the shore and get underway for the competition. There were 17 fine sternwheelers divided into four groups for the competition. It was like watching in slow motion as they are really not very fast. Each group ran for one mile and crossed the finish line at the barge with the stages on it at the foot of the bank below the old Lafeyette hotel. As they passed by the crowd it ended the festival and the boats continued on to their home ports. After the sternwheelers departed the crowd drifted about three blocks to the car show. Lots of cars to see. Funny thing though, some of those now called antiques look like the one's we drove as youngsters! Look at the slide show on the right to view some of the cars.

Fine looking pair!

STERN WHEELERS

2010-09-12T16:56:00.020-05:00

Sept. 11, 2010---View of Marietta from where we are anchored.

Took "Little Dreamer" (dinghy) to shore for more entertainment at the Sternwheel Festival. Several bands played throughout the weekend.

Look past and left of the bridge piling to see the Dream Manor at anchor.

There were several other Gibson boat owners in Marietta for the activities. Here are three rafted together.

There was a good crowd. There were many vendors set up on the streets to feed the hungry people. Keith & I located the ice cream right away!

Stern wheelers seen from the shore.

Additional view from shore.

Stern wheelers as seen from the water.

They were all lined up along the bank for folks to see as everyone listened to the bands.

Beautiful boats that remind everyone of the history of the Ohio River and the important part that stern wheelers played in bringing people and supplies to the various ports.

LST 325

This ship as well as many others like it, landed at Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Other boats look small as they passed along the LST for a good look. There were lots of people on land lined up to tour the ship.

STERNWHEEL FESTIVAL

2010-09-11T08:27:00.031-05:00

Sept. 10, 2010---Knowing it would be another long travel day we got up at 6:00 a.m. planning to get an early start. Fog was so thick we could hardly see the length of the boat. Waited until 9:30 a.m. to start down the river. Fog was still lifting in front of us.

American Coal Sales Company at mile 110.8

Loading coal into the barge. There were many loaded barges tied along the bank waiting to be towed to the power plants when needed.

Ohio Power Company was the nearest plant located at mile 112.5 just downstream from the coal loading facility. There are lots of power plants located all along the Ohio River on both sides. This particular plant is actually on the West Virginia side.

A beautiful weeping willow tree near the water reflecting in the stillness.

Geese in the water. Hilly country with smoke from a power plant rising above the hills.

At mile 126.4 we waited at the Hannibal lock with 9 other smaller boats. All of the pleasure boats are headed to Marietta, Ohio.

Lock master requested everyone move out of the way for the tows to exit the lock chambers.

In the lock three of the boats were tied along the wall in front of us. Others were tied to floating mooring bits where they could.

After lowering us 18' we exited the lock.

These 2 young men were behind us in the lock. They were in the last lock with us yesterday & spent last night at the city dock in Moundsville tied up in front of us. Enjoyed meeting Dale & Andy.

Neat cars painted on the side of this building in Newport, Ohio at mile 156.

Passed Steve Steel in his 50' Gibson. We traveled together and went through Willow Island lock at mile 161.7 with a 20' drop. Continued on to Marietta, Ohio. He had reservations at a marina. We will look for a place to anchor.

About 3 miles from Marietta a chopper was towing a beautiful American Flag. It is always heart warming to see the Flag proudly displayed.

It was about 7:00 p.m. when we arrived in Marietta at mile 172. Boats are in the evening shadows but you can see there are a number of them along the bank and out in the water.

The opening ceremony for the 35th annual Sternwheel Festival was taking place.

Again we caught up with LST 325. Having left Pittsburgh this was a planned stop for them to have the ship on dispaly during the festival before returning to Evensville, IN. We turned port and went behind Marietta Island out of the main channel and found a place to anchor. We are probably anchored in West Virginia as we are closer to Williamston which is directly across from Marietta. We are just past the Williamstown-Marietta Bridge and still in sight of Marietta. Took the dinghy down and went to the festival. Listened to the music and ate at the various venders along the street. The festival continues thru Sunday. We plan to stay until Tuesday or Wednesday. Need another break after traveling 70.2 miles in 9.2 hours and two locks.

RETURNED TO MOUNDSVILLE

2010-09-10T20:58:00.026-05:00

Left Jeffries Landing at 7:45 a.m. Went down the Beaver River past the town of Bridgewater, PA.

Waved at Ken and Carol Dean. Thanks again for their hospitality during our stay in this area. Just a short distance past their boat slip we turned into the Ohio River. An interesting note about the junction of the Beaver River and Ohio River. This is the farthest north point on the Ohio. From here going down river we gradually get farther south.

In the Montgomery lock at mile 31.7 Keith is tending the line to keep the Dream Manor secure in the lock. Notice the line running along the top of the lock. There are no floating mooring bits in this lock. The person has to pull or let line out as needed. Let us down 17' to the lower pool.

Pennsylvania Power Company at mile 34.

Just below the power plant is Midland-Shippingport Highway Bridge on State highway 168. The bridge nearly fades into the clouds above the tug because of the covering. I said "you know this is a cold area when they have to enclose the bridges to keep them warm". Actually there is some major repair work taking place and the cover protects the personnel as well as water traffic passing underneath.

This may not look very important. It is only a reference because there were no road signs to let boaters know about this spot. This is mile 40 where we crossed the Pennsylvania state line. The middle of the river divides Ohio and West Virginia. This means at the exact point in the river we were in all three states at the same time!

Ohio Edison Company plant is located just above New Cumberland lock at mile 53.8

There is an interesting feature about this plant. Highway 7 runs underneath the plant along the water behind the wall as seen above. In the picture on the left lights can be seen that light the tunnel thru the plant. The plant is located near Stratton, Ohio.

Second lock of the day at mile 54.3 was New Cumberland that lowered us 21'. Notice the clouds. The entire day was mostly overcast but no rain.

Stopped for lunch at Pier 12 restaurant at mile 74.5

Spoke briefly with a worker on one of the tugs. He said there is a connection here where they take on fresh city water for the tugs from the city of Wellsburg, West Virginia.

Pier 12 can be seen on the roof of the restaurant as we pulled away from the dock.

Went thru 3rd lock of the day (Pike Island) at mile 84.2 with 18' down and continued to our next stop at Wheeling, West Virginia. Wheeling has a wooden dock located along a concrete wall at mile 90.5. Walked a few blocks in town and found the information center. Learned a little about the local history.

Carol, Keith and Maryann

Dream Manor with bridge in background that crosses over to Wheeling Island.

The word "Wheeling" is the Indian name for "head".

Some blue sky began to show as we left Wheeling. What a day! Traveled 76.5 miles in 8.3 engine hours. But with 3 locks and 2 other stops it took 10 1/2 hours to reach Moundsville, WV. Tied up at the same city dock where we had spent the night on our way up the river.

JEFFRIES LANDING

2010-09-08T22:05:00.008-05:00

Sept. 8, 2010---Spent a peaceful day in Bridgewater, PA making a few final preparations to continue down the Ohio. Thanks to Carol Dean for providing transportation to the laundromat yesterday and Walmart today.

Parked at Jeffries Landing.

Looking down Beaver River where the bridges cross over just this side of the Ohio.

LEFT PITTSBURGH

2010-09-07T20:23:00.012-05:00

Sept. 7, 2010---Beautiful sunrise over Pittsburgh. No wind!!!
Look how calm the Monongahela River is this morning.

Reflections in the water are always neat to see. Passing "The Point" of Pittsburgh reminded us this is where the famous Lewis & Clark Expedition started July 5, 1803.

Left Station Square at 8:45 a.m. First lock of the day is Emsworth just 6.2 miles down the Ohio. This lock lowered us 18'.

Looking back from the lock, Pittsburgh's skyline can be seen in the distance. A coal fired power plant is located just above the lock. Leaving the lock there was a lot of debris in the path of travel. Unfortunately some heavy rope was mixed in with the floating debris that got tangled around the prop on the port side. Had to shut down that engine and operate only the starboard. Continued to the Dashields lock at mile 13.3 near the town of Coraopolis, PA. Lowered us 10' and down the Ohio River we continued to mile 25.5. Familiar area as we turned up Beaver River to Jeffries Landing.

Got a diver to go under the boat and check out the problem.

After several trips under water holding his breath, he got the rope cut so it could be unwrapped from around the prop blades. It was twisted to about 6' in length.

Appeared to be a frayed line from a barge.

Should not be any damage as the line never got tight enough to kill the engine. Won't know for sure until we get out in the river again.

Happy to carry this mess to the trash.

DAY TRIP-TWO RIVERS

2010-09-06T19:19:00.024-05:00

Sept. 6, 2010---Morning sun shining thru the Smithfield bridge.

Nice day for a local boating trip. Looking back at Station Square it just didn't look quite the same without the Dream Manor parked there.

About 6 miles up the Monongahela River there is a large water park. looked empty today as the weather has been a little cool. It was 48 degrees this morning.

At mile 11.2 is Lock & Dam #2. This is as far up the Monongahela as we had chosen to go. Turned around and went back down river to "The Point".

Turning around the point to enter the Allegheny River first thing that stands out is Heinz Stadium. Look at the line of people along the river walk. They are facing to the right away from the stadium.

Next picture shows more of the line. Nothing to do with the stadium.

These people are lined up to visit the LST 325. This is the same landing ship that we visited in Evansville Indiana. The old gentlemen who operate the ship brought it up the Ohio River to Pittsburgh for Labor Day. They will be returning to Evansville later this week.

It was great to see such a turn out!

Del Monte Foods has a large facility between Heinz Field and PNC Park.

You have probably noticed a number of boats in the last several pictures. There was more activity on the Allegheny River than we have seen anywhere around Pittsburgh.

Some fans in the park watching the Pirates play Atlanta Braves. final score was 3 to 1 in favor of Pittsburgh.

Giant scoreboard showed the game was just in the second inning when we went by.

This shot is to give some idea of how many bridges there are over this river. With bridges over the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers it is said there are 930 ramps in Allegheny county. Don't know how many bridges there really are in the count.

Heinz 57 can be seen on the stacks.

Home of Heinz where many of their products are produced.

Very likely each of us uses one or more of their products every day to enhance the taste of various foods.

Become A River Liver caught the eye.

This shows the apartment complex that used to be some kind of old factory building. What a great idea!

Skyline of Pittsburgh seen from the Allegheny River.

It was a fun trip. Went up the Allegheny to Lock & Dam #2 located at mile 6.7. (That is correct--both locks today were #2.) Totaled 35 miles today. Made our short trip on the two rivers in 5 hours. Tied back up at Station Square for the night. Plan to begin our journey back down the Ohio starting in the morning. Will likely take about 3 weeks as there are some places to stop on the return trip that were skipped on the way up.

QUIET TIME

2010-09-05T19:23:00.010-05:00

Sept. 3, 4, 5, 2010---Wondering what happened to the 4mcgees? We finally wore down to a crawl. Just spending time lounging on the boat and visiting with other fellow boaters. Listening to the many trains that pass thru Station Square.

Weekend got rather busy for a while. A 70' Pluckebaum slid in perpendicular to us with the use of thruster. Looks like a very close neighbor. The boat is registered in Pittsburgh.

Young ladies admiring the boat from the elevator look-out platform. They were very curious about "BB". With the boat rocking from all the traffic on the Monongahela River they were having a time trying to decide if the dog was real.

Some of the Clipper fleet can be seen on the left side of the picture. Those boats stay busy hauling passengers to see Pittsburgh from the water.

Another view of Pittsburgh.

STEELERS

2010-09-03T11:13:00.025-05:00

Sept. 2, 2010---Rode one of the smaller Clipper ships called "Duchess" from Station Square to the Heinz stadium. Great way to transport people to the games. Return trip after the game was on the largest of the Clipper fleet called the "Majestic".

Looking up from the landing at the south entrance into the stadium. That is the backside of the big TV screen.

One of the fans has gone all out having painted their vehicle with the Steelers colors!

East side of the stadium.

On the east side of the stadium a "Rib Fest" was in full swing. Lots of fans lined up to try the ribs. This activity looked familiar as we had been to the "Rib Fest" in Huntington, West Virginia August 13th.

Allen standing behind a carved wooden pig. Lots of folks in the background.

Inside the stadium the big screen was showing some pictures of downtown Pittsburgh. Sites that have become very familiar.

Since we arrived more than two hours before game time we had an opportunity to not only enjoy the rib fest, but to look around inside the entrance area. There was a band playing and plenty of other folks looking around too.

Attached to the ceiling is a steel structure shaped as a helmet. There is also an area dedicated to players who have made it into the Hall of Fame.

Allen and Carol finding their seats in the fourth row up from the field near the 45 yard line.

Keith and Maryann look a little bit alone in this photo. Not so as game time neared and much of the seating was filled with an attendance of just over 52,000. Not bad for the last pre-season game. Regular season begins next week.

Seated on the visitors side we had a good view of the South Carolina players.

Random shots of some of the game plays.

Pittsburgh Steelers won the game rather handily with one touchdown and four field goals with a score of 19 to the 3 points the Carolina Panthers had scored with a single field goal. We really enjoyed the game. Sights and sounds of the crowd make it exciting.

Video shows a couple of plays when Panthers have the ball and two plays when Pittsburgh is playing offense. Look closely on the last play to see one of the referees was knocked down by a Panther player.

DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH

2010-09-02T12:41:00.017-05:00

Sept. 1, 2010---Walking trip in downtown Pittsburgh is a great way to see some wonderful buildings. Allegheny County Court House is a grand old structure.

The courthouse covers a lot of area.

This is the City-County Building.

William Penn Hotel is said to be the oldest in Pittsburgh.

Interior of the hotel is quite outstanding, but difficult to photogaph.

Fountain across the street from the hotel.

Another view with the PNC building in the background.

One of the PNC buildings. This one is notable because of the Pittsburgh steel used to construct the exterior. It is going to rust and that reddish look will be the color of the building.

Took the Steel Street subway back across the Monongahela river to Station Square. Before boarding a dinosaur was spotted at the second level underground.

PPG

2010-08-31T22:17:00.012-05:00

Aug. 31, 2010---Downtown Pittsburgh in the vicinity of Fourth and Market there are six new buildings situated on 5 1/2 acres of land. They appear dark and yet reflect everything around them. All of them have the same pointed features on top.

Carol likes the shiny dinosaur sponsored by PPG. More of their buildings in the background.

Hienz dinosaur is in the middle. See PPG buildings around market square.

Check out the reflection of the cameraman.

The plaza features quite a fountain.

In this picture the pointed features on top can readily be seen.

Kids really enjoy the fountain as the temperature was about 90 degrees.

Station square with a train passing along the Monongahela Rtver. Click on the picture to enlarge it. Dream Manor can be seen on the right. Click the back arrow to return to the blog.

HEINZ MUSEUM

2010-08-31T06:44:00.025-05:00

Aug. 30, 2010---Rode the subway to downtown Pittsburgh. Locals refer to these as the T-Train. A large "T" is painted on the buildings where the subway stations are located.

John Heinz History Center is a huge six story building. There were five of the floors open with exibits well positioned throughout.

Goal posts planted in the sidewalk outside the museum are from the old "Three Rivers Stadium". Steelers won about 70% of their home football games in that historic stadium before it was torn down and replaced with the new Heinz stadium.

Horse drawn carriage typical of what was used in the early years to distribute Heinz products. Originally started out by selling horseradish.

Pittsburgh is steel country. It is fitting there would be a stainless steel car on display.

Oil was used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes. It had no commercial value until 1854.

Hope you can read this old advertisement. Crude oil was used for chest, windpipe and lungs, burns and scalds, deafness, sore eyes and apparently anything else that needed treatment.

First oilwell was drilled in Titus, PA.

Sports section in this museum is very large. Many champions in all different sports have come from this area. A large number of famous quarterbacks have come from the surrounding area. Joe Montana, Joe Namath, and Dan Marino to name a few.

There are so many exibits throughout this old warehouse that it is not possible to even provide samples of the many things to see. Part of the old building was originally used for ice storage.

Arnold Palmer is one of the golfing greats that came from around Pittsburgh.

Manufacturing of glass started in Pittsburgh and is still a major industry here today. There was a section dedicated to some of the early glass blowers and the story of how windows were first produced.

Perhaps some of you may remember "Morris" the cat.

Morris was the "spokescat" for 9-Lives cat food, a brand that was owned by the Heinz Company.

Heinz sells products all over the world.

veryone has very likely heard of Heinz 57.