Once again we were up at the crack of dawn to get underway. We were anxious to get off the Mississippi River and knew we had a long day of travel ahead of us. We were happy to hear that the Mississippi River was open after a tugboat sank yesterday causing the river to be closed to navigation. When we went by the area where the tugboat sank we didn't see anything, but there was a very strong smell of diesel fuel in the air.
At the end of the Mississippi we were really flying with the current and were traveling at 17 mph. It was amazing to see where the Mississippi meets the Ohio River. The water drastically changed from muddy & turbulent to clear, blue & calm. We were now traveling upriver & our speed decreased to 8.9 mph.
We went past the construction zone for the new Olmstead Lock & Dam, which when finished will replace locks 52 & 53. Since the river water was still elevated due to flooding the wickets were down at lock 53 and we were able to go right through.
We heard there was a big delay at lock 52 so we had planned to find a place to anchor near the lock, and hopefully be able to go through first thing in the morning. We decided to find a place to stay in the town of Metropolis which was near the lock, but there weren't many good options. We were afraid that we wouldn't get there before dark so we ran wide open for awhile to make it to Metropolis. We got there right at sundown. We set a new record for distance traveled today. We went 140 miles, and it took us from sunrise to sunset. We originally tried to anchor but we weren't happy with the location since it was too close to the channel. There was a small floating dock for the launch ramp at Fort Massac State Park. It wasn't meant for a boat like ours. Al took the dinghy over to the dock to check it out. He stuck a stick into the water by the dock and figured it was at least 5 ft. deep. He came back & we decided to bring the boat to the dock. We slowly made our way to the dock & tied up. There were 2 guys fishing on the dock. Al gave them each a beer so they wouldn't be mad since we just parked in their fishing spot. They turned out to be really nice & spent a long time talking with us. Since we were out of alcohol and new the next marina was located in a dry county, we asked our new friends if there was a liquor store nearby. They said there was one a block or two away, just go up the hill and make a right then left, so Al went there by bicycle. It turned out that their directions were pretty far off. The store was actually 2.5 miles away. Al had a long bike ride and Metropolis doesn't have any street lights. He saw a fox cross his path on the way. When he got to the store he met some more locals and got one to drive him, his bicycle and all the beer & alcohol that he bought back to the boat. Now his new friend came over to the boat and spent a long time talking to us. These guys were really rednecks, but were all super nice and friendly. One guy was concerned about us and told us to watch our depth carefully as the river level could drop 2 ft. overnight. Al then went back to town to get burgers and shakes at Sonic. It turned out to be a super long day, but our time in Metropolis turned out to be a great experience.
Tomorrow we'll be up before dawn to get ready for lock 52.
Sunrise on the Mississippi
That's a diving bouy. Because of the strong current on the Mississippi, the buoys are pulled under the water.
The bouy is pulled under & then pops up. There's still plenty of debris in the water, lots of trees & logs.
Al & Hooper standing watch on the bow
The town built a giant cement wall to keep the Mississippi flood waters out
Finally, a sandy beach, instead of just mud on the shore
The biggest tow we've seen yet. It's 5 barges wide & 6 barges long, for a total of 30.
Leaving the Mississipi River & entering the Ohio River. What a difference! The Mississipi is muddy, brown & turbulent. In the distance the Ohio is glass calm, blue & clear.
Cruising on the Ohio River. So much more relaxing. It looks pretty, and there's no more debris or diving buoys. It looks nice, but is one of the most polluted rivers in the U.S. We are now going upstream into the current so our speed has slowed to 8.9 mph.
A new lock & dam under construction. When finished it will replace locks 52 & 53.
Small floating dock in Metropolis at Fort Massac State Park. We arrived after dark and were happy to have somewhere to tie up. This is where Al made friends with several locals.
Fort Massac
Sunrise in Metropolis
The water level dropped overnight, but we were still floating.
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