Weather forecast for August 2, 2017:
Constance Marina, The Ohio River River, Cincinnati, Ohio
Partly cloudy, low 73 high 90.
Captain’s Log: June 29 – August 1, 2017
The maiden voyage of the good ship s/v Perfect Love was a 1,140-mile, 24-day initiation into the life aquatic for me and my XO, Shirley. It was an educational adventure that taught us many things; some anticipated and some a complete surprise.
I fully expected to learn the nuances of handling the boat. Weighing in at over 50,000lbs and, with the bow sprit and dinghy davits included, having an overall length of 61ft, the boat is bigger than anything that I have handled in the past. I had a fair amount of anxiety when thinking about moving our big girl around in tight quarters.
Now, after 24 consecutive days of being at the helm for at least 8 hours/day, after transiting 20 locks and negotiating a dozen marinas and/or docks, I am much more comfortable and confident in my ability to safely maneuver the boat. Shirley spent a fair amount of time at the helm as well; she too has come a long way. When approaching a crowded marina, a dock or a slip, the mantra is “momentum is not my friend”; it is slow, slow and easy, slow and steady as she goes.
Running aground in a heavy boat was an educational experience, one that left us feeling uncomfortably helpless. We endured two such experiences during our maiden voyage; one approaching the fuel dock in Demopolis, Alabama, and the other just upstream of the Aberdeen Lock and Dam on the Tombigbee River (in the middle of nowhere). At Demopolis we had to be towed off of the bottom by the dock master (whose approach instructions I was precisely following). At Aberdeen a Good Samaritan power-boater towed us off after I misread the channel markers leading to an anchorage marked on the chart. Drawing 6ft, I am now extremely cautious when approaching shallow water.
They say that necessity is the mother of invention; necessity is also quite a motivator when it comes to learning how to maintain a diesel engine. Historically I have avoided working on internal combustion engines like the plague but those days are definitely over. Changing oil and filters, checking belt tension, replacing transmission fluid, inspecting anti-siphon valves and ensuring that we have an adequate supply of replacement impellers, filters and fluids are now a part of the daily routine while onboard. Engine checks every two hours while underway are now performed religiously and I have developed a finely tuned ear for any unusual sound emanating from the engine room.
The beauty, tranquility, power and monotony of the waterway was anticipated but not internalized and appreciated until we were fully immersed in it. The wilderness of the Tombigbee River could become intimidating if dwelt upon but, at the same time, that wilderness was challenging, invigorating and alluring.
Watching endless miles of shoreline pass by at 6mph (when running against the current) was a very effective way of cajoling two Type-A personalities to chill a bit and embrace the B side. I will confess that it took me some time to adjust to the slow pace of travel, to relax and appreciate the world around me. Once I did, I began to see, hear and enjoy things that I had previously missed.
All things are relative; speed included. We were running with the current on the Tennessee River and reached a maximum sustained speed of 11.5mph; it felt like we were doing 85mph in a 55mph zone. I was truly surprised that a full-keeled, displacement hull weighing 25 tons could reach 11.5mph and I learned that momentum can be my friend under certain circumstances.
On our best day we did 101 miles and one lock during an 11-hour run on the Tennessee. In total, we transited 20 locks; we can approach the chosen bollard, quickly secure our boat and keep her completely stable in the lock while ascending or descending; what was once a tense operation is now routine. We have learned so much.
Without a doubt, the most enjoyable and completely unexpected surprise of the journey was the wonderful people that we met along the way.
We caught up with our friends John and Heidi of m/v Jo-Ca at Kingfisher Bay Marina in Demopolis. We first met John and Heidi at Turner Marine in Mobile where John went above and beyond to help me troubleshoot our clogged air conditioning units. John was in the process of interviewing for the marina manager position at Kingfisher and we are anxious to find out what he has decided to do.
The fine folks on Dock ‘A’ at Bay Springs Marina on Bay Springs Lake treated us to an awesome dock-side dinner including home-made jalapeno hush puppies, deep fried onion rings and French fries, deep fried squash and deep fried crappie. Many thanks to Bob & Rita, Angie, Pam and Tim, the owners of Bay Springs Marina and the other folks who made us feel at home; a very special thanks to the heroic ladies who continued to work the deep fryer under tarps during a torrential downpour.
We met up with Shirley’s sister Janie and her husband Wayne at Grand Harbor Marina on Pickwick Lake. Janie and Wayne treated us to a great meal at Viv’s Sports Bar in Counce, Tennessee and then drove us to the grocery store to re-provision.
During a horrendous thunderstorm on Kentucky Lake I had to wear swimming goggles to see through the spray caused by the rain hitting the hardtop while Shirley waited for the storm to pass safe, dry and warm below deck. I remain very happy that Shirley did not have her camera at hand during that little adventure.
After the deluge we spotted several small sailboats anchored deep in a creek off of the main body of the lake; we decided to investigate and eventually dropped anchor in beautiful Ledbetter Creek. Shortly after dropping the hook we retired to the quarterdeck couch to enjoy strong waters.
While sipping my bourbon I happened to notice a pontoon boat full of young men slowly approaching. I waved to them and the lone adult onboard stated that they were a Boy Scout troop learning to sail and were admiring our boat. We later learned that the boys were participating in the ‘AquaBase High Adventure Sailing Program’ and Ried Parrish, their Scout Master, was taking them to the smaller sailboats that had originally enticed us into Ledbetter Creek.
I told them that if they tied up next to us we would give them a tour of our fine lady. They quickly accepted the offer and soon we were ushering four scouts at a time through the boat. Shirley was stationed below deck while I handled the tour topside.
After the tour the boys headed for their boats but soon returned bearing gifts. We were presented with an AquaBase burgee, T-shirts and a detailed map of Kentucky Lake. Upon their departure they stood at attention and presented the Boy Scout salute to us. These young men were very respectful, inquisitive and a pleasure to converse with; it was a great experience for us.
We spent two days at Green Turtle Bay where we caught up with our friends Cynthia and Byron Miller of m/v Bright Angel. We first met Cynthia and Byron at Turner Marine and were very happy to see them again. The Millers introduced us to Scott and KC of m/v Jet Stream and the six of us enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the famous Patti’s Restaurant in Grand Rivers, Kentucky.
At mile marker 889 on The Ohio River you will find the hamlet of Elizabethtown, Illinois. We tied up at the E-Town River Restaurant for the night and, after securing the boat, enjoyed a greasy burger and fries for dinner. Later we took a stroll through the town and, while investigating the historic Rose Inn, met two 50-something gentlemen who were cycling across the United States. They were 32 days into what they thought would be a 40-day journey; they were from Boston but started their odyssey in San Francisco. As a beautiful full moon rose over the mighty Ohio River and while his companion iced his swollen knee, we conversed with Tom who was following in his father’s footsteps. Tom’s father had crossed the continent on a 1-speed bike back in the late 1950s.
Elizabethtown is a small community that is struggling for survival; struggling to remain relevant. Coal mining and farming are the only local occupations and the mining industry under the Obama administration has been squeezed to near extinction. One restaurant, three saloons and the historic Rose Inn were the only establishments open; almost everything else was boarded up. We left E-town sobered by the reality of the locals.
Mount Vernon, Indiana is roughly sixty miles upstream from E-town. The Fraternal Order of Eagles occupies a large Victorian house with a huge, wrap-around porch overlooking the river and the docks. After tying up at the Mount Vernon courtesy dock for the night we strolled past the FOE and were quickly invited onto the porch by the usual suspects who gushed over the beauty of our boat.
Jim, a crane operator for Consolidated Grain and Barge Company, James, a farmer, and Tony, occupation unknown, instantly befriended us. After a short conversation on the porch we were invited inside where we sat at the bar and met more new friends. A farming couple, names unknown, and their best friend Tim, my age and a Vietnam vet with PTSD, sat to my right. Shirley was to my left sitting next to James and his wife. Overruling my protests Jim bought us drinks (I learned that non-members are not permitted to buy drinks at the FOE. I wanted to repay Jim for his generosity but I also learned that no money is permitted to be exchanged, for any reason, on the premises of an FOE). Regardless, Jim would not have accepted it.
After drinks, dinner and great conversation with these fine and simple people we took a stroll through the town. Mount Vernon is considerably larger than E-town and has taken significant steps to ensure a sustainable, if not vibrant economy. Riverfront revitalization, complete with apartment construction and an attractive public park, make Mount Vernon a picturesque little town… with very friendly people.
Up river from Evansville, Indiana we discovered the Owensboro Marina; better known as the Redneck Yacht Club. The RYC was perhaps the highlight of our journey. The facility itself is nothing to write home about. The docks are dilapidated, the head boat is a hulk of rust, tangled wires and confused hoses and the fleet is second class at best. The people of the RYC are first class!
Danny, the village idiot, met us as we approached the dock and immediately began a conversation that was both everlasting and non-intelligible. We later learned that Danny, a very likable guy, used to work on microwave towers and suffers from a significant overdose of microwave radiation. During the late spring, summer and early fall Danny lives at the marina on his beat up 22ft Catalina sailboat. During the winter months Danny puts his boat on a trailer, parks it in the lot of his employer and lives on it there.
Danny escorted us up the walkway to the bank-side patio where several other RYC members were casually drinking and conversing. Danny introduced us to Randy and Booker who explained to us how the RYC operates. Bill and Kathy Reid, owners of Reid’s Orchard and hosts of the annual Apple Festival, showed up as did Allen, a prominent local attorney. Everyone treated us like family.
The RYC is a ‘cooperative’ of sorts; the members maintain the facility, which includes the marina, the patio and several acres along the riverbank. Every fall the members disassemble the entire marina and move it to higher ground for the winter; in the spring they reassemble it. The paved patio, which boasts a large and impressively stocked refrigerator, an industrial grill/griddle, a huge ice-making machine and a large trailer full of beer and moonshine, has a metal roof and a large railing with bar stools facing the marina. Members ensure that everything remains stocked and have unlimited access to the food, spirits and facility.
Booker gave us a jar of black cherry moonshine and we liked it so much that be bought two more jars from him. Randy showed us how to operate the grill and, after insisting that we use our own food, we cooked chicken breasts and baked potatoes. After dinner the group bestowed upon each of us the title of 'Honorary Member of the Redneck Yacht Club' and filled our pockets with RYC koozies.
Later that night, after everyone but Danny had departed, Shirley and I decided to take showers on the foredeck. Shirley, hair washed and rinsed and snugly wrapped in a towel, was heading for the cockpit when Danny came down the dock. I was still butt-naked and full of soap. Danny begins (or continues, I’m not quite sure) his never-ending monologue as I continue to soap up, rinse off and then dry myself. Obviously, Shirley got a huge laugh out of my predicament. Danny didn’t seem to notice that he was talking to a naked man.
At mile maker 646 we discovered the City of Brandenburg, Kentucky. A tall granite obelisk, surrounded by well-groomed grass and a concrete walkway, stands isolated on the left descending bank. Upstream from the monument stands an old brick building with black steel bars on the windows. A two story, light blue building trimmed in white with seven small porches across the second floor, each overlooking the river, sits next to the brick structure. A beautiful park with a ramp and a nice dock in 11 feet of water continues upstream for about a half of a mile.
Brandenburg looked very inviting so, after making a slow pass of the dock, we decided to tie up for the night. After securing the boat Shirley and I grabbed a couple of Corona’s and headed up the ramp with the intention of exploring our new, temporary home.
While securing the boat we noticed two people sitting in what looked to be a golf cart at the top of the hill. The golf cart retained its vantage point as we ascended the ramp so I decided to approach, introduce myself and ask a few questions about Brandenburg.
Don and Linda Blair, a retired couple in their mid-60s, own the blue building and live in one of the seven apartments. From their porch, with binoculars in hand, they watched our slow progress up the river and, once it was obvious that we intended to dock, assumed the role of the 'Brandenburg Welcoming Committee' and headed our way.
Their golf cart turned out to be a 4-person, pedal-powered surrey (complete with fringe) that Don had recently enhanced with an electric motor. Don and Linda quickly offered their guide services and we lost no time climbing in. A running commentary began as they drove us to their apartment. We traded the surrey for an SUV and off we went. The Blairs drove us all through the town, explaining everything that we saw.
We learned that the beautiful monument on the riverbank was originally funded by the Daughters of the Confederacy, back in 1885, as a tribute to the Armies of the South and that it stood on the campus of the University of Louisville for over a century. Sadly, as the University caved to the phony self-righteousness of political correctness, the monument was taken down. Brandenburg quickly requested, and was granted, ownership of the monument by the State of Kentucky and it now proudly adorns the city’s riverfront. We also learned that Morgan’s Raiders, the famous confederate force that ventured into Indiana during the early months of the Civil War, launched their raids from Brandenburg.
We learned that the brick building with the black steel bars on the windows was originally the infamous Brandenburg Jailhouse (it is now the home of Jailhouse Pizza, a very popular dining destination that regularly draws people from Louisville). Legend has it that several hangings were conducted in the jailhouse and it has been featured in an episode of ‘America’s Most Haunted’.
Later, after Shirley and I took our leave of Don and Linda, we toured the jailhouse, saw the heavy iron bars of the second floor, death row cell and peered through the thick, clear plexiglass that covers the trap door at the foot of the gallows. After dinner Shirley and I returned to Don and Linda’s apartment for margaritas and more conversation.
Shirley and I were quite anxious to reach Louisville. Having spent the final six years of my working career in Louisville the city is like a second home to us. We spent our first night at RiverPark Place just up river from ‘The Lawn’ and the downtown riverfront.
That evening we met up with my former business colleague Todd and his wife Amy for a wonderful dinner at Doc Crow’s. The next morning we enjoyed a nice, long walk through the city, revisiting some of our favorite places. My sister Julie, her husband Mark and their son Tommy happened to be in Louisville for the day and visited us at the boat in the early afternoon. Later that day we departed RiverPark Place and headed upstream to The Captain’s Quarters where we tied up for the night.
The Captain’s Quarters (CQ) is one of our all-time favorite places. While working in Louisville I would regularly go to CQ, sit in one of the hurricane chairs on the lawn, enjoy a bourbon on the rocks and watch the Wednesday evening sailboat race. While dating, Shirley and I would often go to CQ for drinks and dinner. Whenever my adult children would visit we would inevitably end up at CQ. Tying my boat up at CQ has been a bucket list item for me for many years.
CQ sits on the Ohio River at the mouth of a creek that leads to a large marina. Boat traffic in and out of the marina, especially on summer weekends, is heavy, and the concrete wall at CQ is prime docking space. The day before we reached Louisville Shirley contacted the general manager at CQ to see if we could tie up for the night (a Saturday night) on the wall. Working her magic, she somehow coaxed the manager into letting us stay for the night, which CQ rarely allows.
We were Rock Stars! The size and shear beauty of s/v Perfect Love was like a magnet for the boating community that frequents CQ. Dozens and dozens of people came down to admire the boat and to ask questions. It felt like everybody at the restaurant knew who we were; even the bar tenders knew our names and treated us like celebrities.
Brad, my former boss, and his wife Kathy met us and, between fielding questions about the boat from complete strangers, we had a wonderful time enjoying drinks and great conversation. It was a long day and a late night, but a terrific day!
Upstream from Louisville we cruised past the beautiful mega-riverboat American Queen with her bow tied to the right descending bank at the public landing of Madison, Indiana. The very picturesque town of Rising Sun, Indiana, was our last stop before reaching Cincinnati. After securing the boat at the public dock we caught a shuttle bus to the Shooting Star Casino where we checked out the surroundings and spent a few bucks on the slot machines. Neither Shirley nor I are big gamblers and, after winning a whopping $14 at the slots, Shirley cashed out and we walked back to the boat.
We were greeted by friends and family at Constance Marina, mile marker 478 on the Ohio River, around 1:15pm on Monday, July 17th. Our maiden voyage saw 1,139 mile pass under our keel. We transited 20 locks. We burned approximately 350 gallons of diesel and put almost 200 hours on our new engine. It was quite a trip!
Until next time, may your tomorrow bring fair winds and following seas!
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