Barnacle II Cruise Day 5 – Wednesday, October 31st, 2007
Leaving Island Harbor Marina, Pine Bluff, AR
We left the marina at 8:00, after a good night’s sleep and leisurely wake-up call. Initially coffee and fruit for breakfast. We refilled the water tank before leaving, and Kenn checked out the engine room. The generator is making oil now, and the Detroit diesels are acting a little thirsty (each one about ½ quart low). Neither engine seems to be slinging it in the engine room, so they must be using a little. Not a bad sign for these diesels, as they have a reputation for being slobbery and/or thirsty.
No fog this morning, but a little bit of haze on the water. The air is cool underway, but about 55 degrees. So we should have a nice day of it. The boat monkey (aka Kenn) had a lot of wipe-down to do; there was a very heavy dew. We’re seeing water hyacinths everywhere, and I haven’t seen any of those since I lived in Florida. I didn’t realize they inhabited the waters this far north. Some of them still had their beautiful purple blooms.
We had passed under the Rob Roy Bridge by 8:30 and were pulling into Lock and Dam 4 (Emmett Sanders). No waiting…let’s hope the next three are that way so that we can make our allotted 70 miles today. The lockmaster was nice and talkative. He said that he would call L&D 3 to tell them we were on our way and have the lock ready. While we were lowering, he came back and told us to take the scenic route at a slow pace. The next lock was working a double tow downstream, and had another double tow coming upstream. That lock is about 16 miles below #4, and the lockmaster there thought he would be working the upstream tow by the time we got there.
The captain decided to treat us to the ‘Barn Brunch’: waffles, bacon and eggs, and they were mighty good. I pulled clean up duty in the galley, but it doesn’t take long in one that small.
As it was, we still made the lock at 10:15 or so, while the upstream tow was still working through. There was a good breeze, strong enough to keep us steady in the downstream current, so we ‘parked’ here at idle while waiting on the lock. At noon, we were allowed to proceed into the lock and tie off to a bollard for lowering. A wait of nearly two hours, but we were locked through in less than twenty minutes.
We knew that we had a huge tow in front of us, and it would take all of the 30 miles to the next lock to catch up to it. So we decided not to push it, just cruise along at a comfortable pace. It’s been short sleeve weather today with the temperature hovering around 75. We got into the Arkansas Canal at about 2:45 and came into our anchorage spot at 3:30. We only made it 55 miles today, but we couldn’t get through the next lock (#2) before dark and find another anchorage. You see, we finally caught up to that big tow as we were approaching lock #2. We’re anchored about 2 miles upstream from the lock.
The plan was to grill chicken for dinner, but as we were relaxing after setting the anchor, Vickie became sick with the stomach bug. No ginger ale or Sprite on board for her, but we’ve got chicken noodle soup, tomato soup and jello when she feels up to it, and plenty of water. So maybe we can keep her hydrated. Hopefully none of the rest of us will pick it up. I certainly don’t want it again…I can vividly recall what it felt like two weeks ago.
We’re anchored in Merrisach Lake in about 12 ft. of water not far from a small park, just outside the canal channel. We’re almost 15 miles from where we get dumped into the Mississippi. Barney, Kenn and I have tried our hand at marlinspiking, rigging up an extra anchor with a chain rode to rope connection, where we had to splice the rope back into itself. Hard work on the heavy anchor line, but we got it done. Kenn has worked on several projects throughout the afternoon and evening, finishing up with resewing the headliner zipper over the helm station.
Even though Vickie couldn’t join us, Barney barbecued the chicken, and I made home-fried potatoes with onions and seasonings. Everything tasted wonderful, like cooking over a campfire on a riverbank. We have a gorgeous night to anchor out, temp in the mid-fifties, clear and calm. One more day to the big muddy.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Day Four - Tuesday, October 30th, 2007
Barnacle II Cruise Day 4 – Tuesday, October 30th, 2007
Leaving Little Rock Yacht Club
I awoke at 6:15 to dark and fog. Kenn was already up and making the first pot of coffee. The captain and Ms. Captain were still snoozing. As daylight broke, the fog got heavier. Kenn took his time checking out the engine room, the fluid levels in both engines, the generator, etc. We had a leisurely coffee and breakfast, and I’m still trying to find an efficient way to upload and share photos on the blog spot on the web. Still fresh out of luck.
We pulled away from the marina in a deep fog at 8:30, although we could see a hundred yards or so in front of us. Vickie was a nervous Nellie while we were all trying to find the channel markers by site and on radar. We made it slowly to the Little Rock Murray Lock (#7) and came out of there at 10:00. We came through downtown Little Rock and waved at the poor workers in the office buildings.
At 11:00 AM at river mile 114, Kenn spotted another young eagle flying over us. I couldn’t grab my camera until he had landed in a tree top on the right bank. A super long lens on a moving boat doesn’t always make for a clear shot, but I could definitely see his white head and yellow beak. We were being buzzed by C5-As doing touch-n-goes at the time. There were at least 3 planes in the air, and they probably did at least five or six each while we were in the area.
We approached Lock & Dam 6 at river mile 108 at just before noon. It must have been a slow lock because when we got there, the gates were still closed on the rising water to meet us. We had called the lockmaster at least 20 minutes earlier, and there was no upriver traffic to wait on. So I’m not sure what was the issue, but we were out of the lock by 12:30 and had sandwiches made for lunch.
We made it to Lock & Dam 5 (no name, and Vic and I want to lobby the local congressman to have it named the ‘Marvick’ in honor of us two boat queens) just above Pine Bluff (river mile 86) at 2:30. Again, we had to wait on the lockmaster to bring the level up and open the gates. Barney wanted to lower the RPMs on the engines today to try to stretch our fuel to 1 mile to the gallon, and we’re not going to be able to make it to river mile 20 today like he had originally wanted. It looks like we may make it to mile 40 before dark if the locks cooperate with us.
How quickly things change. When we got to mile 71, we signaled ahead to the Rob Roy railroad bridge to raise it. There is only a 17’ clearance in the closed position, and it’s too low for us to go under. As we were approaching the bridge, we called ahead to the lock just a mile beyond it to see if we could lock through. The lockmaster told us that we had at least a 2 hour wait since a big tow was locking to the upstream side and he had to break the barges apart and lock through a few at a time. We discussed the situation and decided to turn around and go back upstream 3 miles to the marina at Pine Bluff. Vickie wanted to do some laundry, and we decided it wouldn’t hurt to spend another night tied up to a dock.
We tied up to the fuel dock at the marina about 4:00 PM, making an early day of it. We only made 60 miles today, but it really puts us in better shape to hit the Mississippi River. We should be able to get to the end of the Arkansas/White River tomorrow afternoon, or within 15 to 20 miles of it and find a good anchorage before dark. Then on Thursday, we should have an easy day of getting into the Mississippi, then on to Greenville that night. We can refuel there and should have enough to get us to Baton Rouge. It’s too far to New Orleans from Greenville to make it on the fuel we carry, and our only other shot at refueling is in Baton Rouge.
So tonight, I sat Kenn up on the dock and gave him a much-needed haircut. That really fascinated Barney…I know, he thinks there’s no end to my talents. Yeah, right! We were also able to get our laundry done. We weren’t really hurting for clothes, but we have more room to stow clean clothes than dirty. I noticed that it feels like we’ve gone into another season. It is much warmer here than at home, or even at Little Rock. To me, it felt 20 degrees warmer tonight than last night, and I was burning up for once. Probably hot-flashing, but it felt good to sweat a little.
We had snacks and cocktail hour on the back deck, then had pot roast, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, carrots and cucumber salad for dinner. We were tied up to shorepower and in the middle of cooking, the dock and the boat went dark. The boat queens for the day (only because we found some parts that Kenn was missing for a project) thought at first that we overloaded the shorepower connection with the cooktop, microwave and other kitchen appliances, but the breaker wasn’t tripped. So the generator was cranked and we switched back over to house power to finish cooking. We found out later that most of this end of Pine Bluff was without power, so we didn’t burn up a power line upstream somewhere. Whew! Whatever caused the problem was resolved in 45 minutes or so, and we switched back to shorepower for the night.
The weather is really pleasant tonight, back to short sleeves. There is a slight wind blowing, so maybe no fog in the morning. The boat is running well, comfortable to operate and live on. But the galley is only big enough for one person to work in. If someone walks by to grab something out of the fridge, the door hits the cook in the butt. Heaven forbid if she’s washing dishes in the sink…she can end up trapped by the door while someone is deciding what they want to snack on.
Barnacle II is performing better than anticipated on this trip, and we’re all thankful for that. There has been a minor issue or two, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved in a few minutes. This is the longest trip she’s ever been on, so her legs are getting stretched for once.
Leaving Little Rock Yacht Club
I awoke at 6:15 to dark and fog. Kenn was already up and making the first pot of coffee. The captain and Ms. Captain were still snoozing. As daylight broke, the fog got heavier. Kenn took his time checking out the engine room, the fluid levels in both engines, the generator, etc. We had a leisurely coffee and breakfast, and I’m still trying to find an efficient way to upload and share photos on the blog spot on the web. Still fresh out of luck.
We pulled away from the marina in a deep fog at 8:30, although we could see a hundred yards or so in front of us. Vickie was a nervous Nellie while we were all trying to find the channel markers by site and on radar. We made it slowly to the Little Rock Murray Lock (#7) and came out of there at 10:00. We came through downtown Little Rock and waved at the poor workers in the office buildings.
At 11:00 AM at river mile 114, Kenn spotted another young eagle flying over us. I couldn’t grab my camera until he had landed in a tree top on the right bank. A super long lens on a moving boat doesn’t always make for a clear shot, but I could definitely see his white head and yellow beak. We were being buzzed by C5-As doing touch-n-goes at the time. There were at least 3 planes in the air, and they probably did at least five or six each while we were in the area.
We approached Lock & Dam 6 at river mile 108 at just before noon. It must have been a slow lock because when we got there, the gates were still closed on the rising water to meet us. We had called the lockmaster at least 20 minutes earlier, and there was no upriver traffic to wait on. So I’m not sure what was the issue, but we were out of the lock by 12:30 and had sandwiches made for lunch.
We made it to Lock & Dam 5 (no name, and Vic and I want to lobby the local congressman to have it named the ‘Marvick’ in honor of us two boat queens) just above Pine Bluff (river mile 86) at 2:30. Again, we had to wait on the lockmaster to bring the level up and open the gates. Barney wanted to lower the RPMs on the engines today to try to stretch our fuel to 1 mile to the gallon, and we’re not going to be able to make it to river mile 20 today like he had originally wanted. It looks like we may make it to mile 40 before dark if the locks cooperate with us.
How quickly things change. When we got to mile 71, we signaled ahead to the Rob Roy railroad bridge to raise it. There is only a 17’ clearance in the closed position, and it’s too low for us to go under. As we were approaching the bridge, we called ahead to the lock just a mile beyond it to see if we could lock through. The lockmaster told us that we had at least a 2 hour wait since a big tow was locking to the upstream side and he had to break the barges apart and lock through a few at a time. We discussed the situation and decided to turn around and go back upstream 3 miles to the marina at Pine Bluff. Vickie wanted to do some laundry, and we decided it wouldn’t hurt to spend another night tied up to a dock.
We tied up to the fuel dock at the marina about 4:00 PM, making an early day of it. We only made 60 miles today, but it really puts us in better shape to hit the Mississippi River. We should be able to get to the end of the Arkansas/White River tomorrow afternoon, or within 15 to 20 miles of it and find a good anchorage before dark. Then on Thursday, we should have an easy day of getting into the Mississippi, then on to Greenville that night. We can refuel there and should have enough to get us to Baton Rouge. It’s too far to New Orleans from Greenville to make it on the fuel we carry, and our only other shot at refueling is in Baton Rouge.
So tonight, I sat Kenn up on the dock and gave him a much-needed haircut. That really fascinated Barney…I know, he thinks there’s no end to my talents. Yeah, right! We were also able to get our laundry done. We weren’t really hurting for clothes, but we have more room to stow clean clothes than dirty. I noticed that it feels like we’ve gone into another season. It is much warmer here than at home, or even at Little Rock. To me, it felt 20 degrees warmer tonight than last night, and I was burning up for once. Probably hot-flashing, but it felt good to sweat a little.
We had snacks and cocktail hour on the back deck, then had pot roast, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, carrots and cucumber salad for dinner. We were tied up to shorepower and in the middle of cooking, the dock and the boat went dark. The boat queens for the day (only because we found some parts that Kenn was missing for a project) thought at first that we overloaded the shorepower connection with the cooktop, microwave and other kitchen appliances, but the breaker wasn’t tripped. So the generator was cranked and we switched back over to house power to finish cooking. We found out later that most of this end of Pine Bluff was without power, so we didn’t burn up a power line upstream somewhere. Whew! Whatever caused the problem was resolved in 45 minutes or so, and we switched back to shorepower for the night.
The weather is really pleasant tonight, back to short sleeves. There is a slight wind blowing, so maybe no fog in the morning. The boat is running well, comfortable to operate and live on. But the galley is only big enough for one person to work in. If someone walks by to grab something out of the fridge, the door hits the cook in the butt. Heaven forbid if she’s washing dishes in the sink…she can end up trapped by the door while someone is deciding what they want to snack on.
Barnacle II is performing better than anticipated on this trip, and we’re all thankful for that. There has been a minor issue or two, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved in a few minutes. This is the longest trip she’s ever been on, so her legs are getting stretched for once.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Day Three - Monday October 29th, 2007
Barnacle II Mate's Log - Cruise Day 3 – Monday, October 29th, 2007
Leaving anchorage at Russellville Marina on Lake Dardanelle
I awoke at 6:15 this morning for the last time. Kenn and I are always anxious on our boat when we anchor out the first night. Last night was no different on Barn & Vic’s boat. We were awake at odd times during the night to look out the portholes on either side of our berth, just making sure that we weren’t dragging anchor. The wind came up about 2:30 AM, enough of a breeze to change the harmonics of the water slapping the hull. It shifted our position and blew us back over our stern anchor. It didn’t foul it completely, but it made it difficult to pull up and clean.
Fog out on Dardanelle this morning, especially where the tail waters of Nuclear 1 flow in. It was a good thing that we anchored about 3 miles east of it. Barney talked to the lockmaster at lock #10 about 3 miles away, and he said that fog is thick on the river. We got to the lock and tied off at 8:55 and we had been lowered 54’ by 9:10. The lockmaster told us that there were a couple of tow boats headed upriver but they were halted by fog. By the time we passed through the town of Dardanelle, it appeared that the fog had mostly lifted.
I had gotten chilled while Kenn and I were lifting and washing off the anchor and chain, so I went below to shower and warm up. While in the shower, I felt the wake of tow boats, so I knew they were moving upriver again. As I came out of the head, Kenn yelled “Eagles!” So I grabbed my long lens and snapped off shots of 3 eagles feeding and fighting on the river bank. One was immature, and the other two were fully feathered, so I suspect it was a nesting pair and their young. That was at river mile 194 about 10 miles below the Dardanelle lock.
We made it through lock #9 by noon (at river mile 177) and lock #8 by 2:00 (river mile 156). Number 8 is Toad Suck Ferry lock near Conway. We should be in Little Rock Yacht Club around 3:30.
Beautiful scenery and beautiful homes scattered along the bluffs above the river, with some derelicts stuck in here and there. The weather is sunny but cool, little wind. We have had to stay in double layers of clothing today, except for He-man Kenn, who insists he won’t wear long pants until Thanksgiving. We’re about 2 weeks away from seeing the brilliant fall colors that we were hoping to see on this trip. A small price to pay to give the farmers the kind of rain they needed for their crops this year.
At about 3:15, at river mile 140, we saw a small boat in the distance to the far right of the channel. On closer inspection with the binoculars, I discovered that it was a canoe about 17 ft. long with a flat stern. The guy on board (who we have since named the River Gypsy) was paddling from the stern, using a long kayak paddle. He had a homemade platform mounted in the center of the canoe, and it had outrigger floats extended on either side of it for stability. On the platform he had 4 large Rubbermaid containers lashed side by side. The front of the canoe was stuffed full of camping gear, bags and what looked to be a mountain bike. Talk about Huck Finn-ing it – but he’s on the wrong river. He was paddling downstream, so he could be heading to the Mississippi. That is cruising in it’s simplest form.
We’ve been buzzed all afternoon by C-130’s out flying maneuvers. The sun has been shining brightly all day, and it is really warm when you’re standing in the light and out of the wind. Approaching Little Rock Yacht Club, Kenn noticed the 3 pyramids (mountains, one of which we think is Pinnacle). But we had never noticed the formation from land before. They line up in a row, just like the Great Pyramids in Egypt.
We made it to LRYC at 4:30. Refueled (334 gallons diesel), pumped out the holding tank and refilled the water tank. We’ll be ready to head out at full light tomorrow morning. So far, we have traveled approximately 218 miles since Saturday afternoon.
As a side note, the River Gypsy rowed into the State Park next door to the marina this evening. We thought about tracking him down to see just what his story is. Maybe we’ll have time in the morning before we leave. At the marina, Shawn has been very helpful in refueling and taking care of our every need. He even allowed us to use his truck to drive to dinner. We went to Capers for a fine and relaxed meal, the first one we’ve had off the boat since last Friday evening.
Leaving anchorage at Russellville Marina on Lake Dardanelle
I awoke at 6:15 this morning for the last time. Kenn and I are always anxious on our boat when we anchor out the first night. Last night was no different on Barn & Vic’s boat. We were awake at odd times during the night to look out the portholes on either side of our berth, just making sure that we weren’t dragging anchor. The wind came up about 2:30 AM, enough of a breeze to change the harmonics of the water slapping the hull. It shifted our position and blew us back over our stern anchor. It didn’t foul it completely, but it made it difficult to pull up and clean.
Fog out on Dardanelle this morning, especially where the tail waters of Nuclear 1 flow in. It was a good thing that we anchored about 3 miles east of it. Barney talked to the lockmaster at lock #10 about 3 miles away, and he said that fog is thick on the river. We got to the lock and tied off at 8:55 and we had been lowered 54’ by 9:10. The lockmaster told us that there were a couple of tow boats headed upriver but they were halted by fog. By the time we passed through the town of Dardanelle, it appeared that the fog had mostly lifted.
I had gotten chilled while Kenn and I were lifting and washing off the anchor and chain, so I went below to shower and warm up. While in the shower, I felt the wake of tow boats, so I knew they were moving upriver again. As I came out of the head, Kenn yelled “Eagles!” So I grabbed my long lens and snapped off shots of 3 eagles feeding and fighting on the river bank. One was immature, and the other two were fully feathered, so I suspect it was a nesting pair and their young. That was at river mile 194 about 10 miles below the Dardanelle lock.
We made it through lock #9 by noon (at river mile 177) and lock #8 by 2:00 (river mile 156). Number 8 is Toad Suck Ferry lock near Conway. We should be in Little Rock Yacht Club around 3:30.
Beautiful scenery and beautiful homes scattered along the bluffs above the river, with some derelicts stuck in here and there. The weather is sunny but cool, little wind. We have had to stay in double layers of clothing today, except for He-man Kenn, who insists he won’t wear long pants until Thanksgiving. We’re about 2 weeks away from seeing the brilliant fall colors that we were hoping to see on this trip. A small price to pay to give the farmers the kind of rain they needed for their crops this year.
At about 3:15, at river mile 140, we saw a small boat in the distance to the far right of the channel. On closer inspection with the binoculars, I discovered that it was a canoe about 17 ft. long with a flat stern. The guy on board (who we have since named the River Gypsy) was paddling from the stern, using a long kayak paddle. He had a homemade platform mounted in the center of the canoe, and it had outrigger floats extended on either side of it for stability. On the platform he had 4 large Rubbermaid containers lashed side by side. The front of the canoe was stuffed full of camping gear, bags and what looked to be a mountain bike. Talk about Huck Finn-ing it – but he’s on the wrong river. He was paddling downstream, so he could be heading to the Mississippi. That is cruising in it’s simplest form.
We’ve been buzzed all afternoon by C-130’s out flying maneuvers. The sun has been shining brightly all day, and it is really warm when you’re standing in the light and out of the wind. Approaching Little Rock Yacht Club, Kenn noticed the 3 pyramids (mountains, one of which we think is Pinnacle). But we had never noticed the formation from land before. They line up in a row, just like the Great Pyramids in Egypt.
We made it to LRYC at 4:30. Refueled (334 gallons diesel), pumped out the holding tank and refilled the water tank. We’ll be ready to head out at full light tomorrow morning. So far, we have traveled approximately 218 miles since Saturday afternoon.
As a side note, the River Gypsy rowed into the State Park next door to the marina this evening. We thought about tracking him down to see just what his story is. Maybe we’ll have time in the morning before we leave. At the marina, Shawn has been very helpful in refueling and taking care of our every need. He even allowed us to use his truck to drive to dinner. We went to Capers for a fine and relaxed meal, the first one we’ve had off the boat since last Friday evening.
Day Two - Sunday October 28th, 2007
Barnacle II Mate's Log - Cruise Day 2 – Sunday, October 28th, 2007
Leaving Goose Harbor/Emerald Bay Marina, Van Buren, AR
Kenn was up about 6:00 AM, but it was still too dark for me. I made it out of the berth about 6:45. He was scrounging around the galley for coffee filters and making a ton of racket, and he woke Vickie up, too. She had to show him where she stashed them, in a Ziploc way under the sink. Breakfast was coffee and fruit. I took a walkabout around the marina and park. There were still all of the derelict boats that I remember mixed in with some nice ones, typical of this marina. But Frank is really trying to make a go of it. He is such a nice guy, I hope he doesn’t give up.
9:00 AM – Untied from the dock and are continuing downriver. Frank came by before we shoved off. The people on the old Captain’s Lady (steel hulled pleasure boat that was featured in the SW Times last week) came over to look at the boat. They were interested in the portable ramp/boarding ladder that Barney bought and Kenn installed. It really looks great and works wonderfully on any type of dock. It makes loading and unloading so much easier.
9:40 AM – Approaching Barling Lock 13. The lockmaster has been called and has everything ready for us to lock through. We were down and out in less than 20 minutes. Beautiful homes upriver from the lock at the end of Free Ferry in Fort Smith and at Massard Crossing. Lots of dredging and work barges around river mile 276. Work tug asked us to slow to ‘no wake’ speed (5 mph). I had been driving the boat for the last 15 to 20 miles, so I turned it back over to Cap’n Barn. Kenn decided to go below to the engine room and check everything out while we were at almost idle speed and the noise level was down. He came back up to the steering station to tell us that he found a small fuel leak in an old line section on the starboard engine. This was one of the few areas that hasn’t been replaced.
So the menfolk left the women in charge of the helm while they went back below to check it out. It’s a weep in a high pressure fitting from the fuel filter to the engine, a flared fitting of aluminum against brass. After some time, Kenn was able to tighten it to the point of no more drippage, so we got back up to cruising speed of 10.5 knots. That was at the mouth of the Mulberry River at high noon.
During lunch of soup and sandwiches, we saw 2 flocks of white pelicans. We came upon the town of Ozark at 1:10 and were in the Ozark lock by 1:25. I shot several pictures of the bluffs and the beautiful old span bridge there, and a picture of 2 guys living in a cave by the railroad tracks at the bottom of the bluffs. Took pictures of the bed & breakfast where we spent my 45th birthday over 5 years ago, and the Ozark railroad depot. They’re both right on the riverbank.
Ozark Lock & Dam 12 has a 32’ drop, and we were out of the lock by 2:00 PM. We continued downstream, considering how far we would travel today. The consensus was Russellville so that we could have an easy day into Little Rock on Monday. The plan is to anchor out for the night at Russellville State Park. That will give us some practice for when we have to do it further downriver.
Got to Russellville Marina and State Park at about 6:20, anchored and secured. We went below, made dinner and relaxed for a few minutes, then called it a night. It was a very good day of traveling. The boat is operating well.
Leaving Goose Harbor/Emerald Bay Marina, Van Buren, AR
Kenn was up about 6:00 AM, but it was still too dark for me. I made it out of the berth about 6:45. He was scrounging around the galley for coffee filters and making a ton of racket, and he woke Vickie up, too. She had to show him where she stashed them, in a Ziploc way under the sink. Breakfast was coffee and fruit. I took a walkabout around the marina and park. There were still all of the derelict boats that I remember mixed in with some nice ones, typical of this marina. But Frank is really trying to make a go of it. He is such a nice guy, I hope he doesn’t give up.
9:00 AM – Untied from the dock and are continuing downriver. Frank came by before we shoved off. The people on the old Captain’s Lady (steel hulled pleasure boat that was featured in the SW Times last week) came over to look at the boat. They were interested in the portable ramp/boarding ladder that Barney bought and Kenn installed. It really looks great and works wonderfully on any type of dock. It makes loading and unloading so much easier.
9:40 AM – Approaching Barling Lock 13. The lockmaster has been called and has everything ready for us to lock through. We were down and out in less than 20 minutes. Beautiful homes upriver from the lock at the end of Free Ferry in Fort Smith and at Massard Crossing. Lots of dredging and work barges around river mile 276. Work tug asked us to slow to ‘no wake’ speed (5 mph). I had been driving the boat for the last 15 to 20 miles, so I turned it back over to Cap’n Barn. Kenn decided to go below to the engine room and check everything out while we were at almost idle speed and the noise level was down. He came back up to the steering station to tell us that he found a small fuel leak in an old line section on the starboard engine. This was one of the few areas that hasn’t been replaced.
So the menfolk left the women in charge of the helm while they went back below to check it out. It’s a weep in a high pressure fitting from the fuel filter to the engine, a flared fitting of aluminum against brass. After some time, Kenn was able to tighten it to the point of no more drippage, so we got back up to cruising speed of 10.5 knots. That was at the mouth of the Mulberry River at high noon.
During lunch of soup and sandwiches, we saw 2 flocks of white pelicans. We came upon the town of Ozark at 1:10 and were in the Ozark lock by 1:25. I shot several pictures of the bluffs and the beautiful old span bridge there, and a picture of 2 guys living in a cave by the railroad tracks at the bottom of the bluffs. Took pictures of the bed & breakfast where we spent my 45th birthday over 5 years ago, and the Ozark railroad depot. They’re both right on the riverbank.
Ozark Lock & Dam 12 has a 32’ drop, and we were out of the lock by 2:00 PM. We continued downstream, considering how far we would travel today. The consensus was Russellville so that we could have an easy day into Little Rock on Monday. The plan is to anchor out for the night at Russellville State Park. That will give us some practice for when we have to do it further downriver.
Got to Russellville Marina and State Park at about 6:20, anchored and secured. We went below, made dinner and relaxed for a few minutes, then called it a night. It was a very good day of traveling. The boat is operating well.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Day One, Saturday October 27th, 2007
Barnacle II Mate’s Log – Day One, Saturday October 27th, 2007
12:30 PM – Left Applegate Cove Marina on Barnacle II, a 1981 45’ Chris Craft Motor Yacht. She has twin Detroit 8-71 diesel engines, and plans are to cruise her at her most optimum speed of 1800 RPM, between 10 & 11 knots. The boat is bound for Key West, FL from Kerr Lake on the Arkansas River Navigation System in Sallisaw, OK.
We waited on the Lockmaster at Lock & Dam 15 (lowered 44’) to pass a tow boat & barge through. Tied up in the lock at 3:15 PM. Waited nearly 3 hours just 2.5 miles away from home port. We were still stowing stuff from our fast departure. We had to wait on a UPS delivery this AM of 2 new engine water pumps. Kenn and Barney (referred to as Captain, the boat owner, grand master, etc.) discovered during a shakedown run on Friday that both water pumps’ rear seals were leaking at running speed, but not at idle or low RPM running. Barney ordered them from Ft. Lauderdale on Friday PM with assurances from the supplier that they would be here by Noon today. Kenn worked late last night getting the old ones off, Barn cleaned up the tube ends for new gasket material.
Barney and Vickie ran into town early this morning while we were doing last minute stowing and getting ready for the new boat parts. The UPS truck came rolling in at 9:10, and we grabbed the pumps and ran down the dock with them. Kenn was able to get the engines back together with help from Barn while Vic and I were still doing last minute packing and stowing of boat parts. People parts and food were already taken care of. It was a last minute dash to get everything on board, but we were finally on our way.
Barney is in hog heaven playing with his new toys – Garmin Radar system with integrated GPS, weather, magnetic compass, etc. Once we got into L & D 15 and tied off to the bollard, the lockmaster lowered us after he delivered Kenn’s sail repair/sewing kit that I left on our boat. I had called Rhoda at the marina to ask her to grab it off our boat and bring it down to us. We paid the lockmaster for his trouble in Halloween candy.
There was a flotilla of U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary boats heading downriver with us, but being small runabouts, they ran off and left us. We cruised by Bryant ‘Big Country’ Reeves house on the river bluff making 10.2 knots over land and gaining about 1 to 1.5 knots with the river current. It was 12 to 15 miles to the next lock at Muldrow/Spiro (Mayo Lock 14), and we made it there at 4:50 PM.
By that time we had caught up with the tow boat that had slowed us down at the Kerr Lake lock, the Ana Louise from Vicksburg, MS. He was carrying hazardous cargo (red flag), so it was questionable whether the lockmaster would let us go through the lock with them. We got permission from the lock master and tug captain, so pulled into the lock as far forward as we could go after the tow had secured their barges to the port side of the lock. He had to break apart and bring up one barge and the tug on the right side of the lock behind us. There were just inches to spare between the other barges and the lock wall. In my past experience, it was unheard of to lock through with a hazardous cargo vessel…I don’t recall that I have ever done it, but their willingness to do so saved us about 2 hours in getting to Goose Harbor/Emerald Bay marina at Van Buren.
Rolled under the Garrison Street/Hwy 64 bridge into Fort Smith at 6:40 PM. There was a Civil War enactment and camp at the park with a new Toyota pickup sitting in the middle of it (so authentic), and dang it all, I forgot to snap a picture. We pulled into Goose Harbor at way past dark-thirty. I forgot to look at my watch, but it was probably 7:15 to 7:30. Kenn was out on the foredeck with a spotlight while I was back at the helm with Barney relaying hand signals and helping navigate. Vickie decided to stay below and work on the salad for dinner. Good plan because it would have only made her nervous. We tied up at the fuel dock at the marina and hooked up to shore power. We made a couple of boat drinks to settle the nerves of the boys and relaxed for a few minutes.
Barney grilled steaks while we girls finished the salad and made mashed potatoes. Good dinner. Kenn barely made it through he was so beat. He fell asleep on the aft deck while Barney was tending to the steaks. I washed dishes and everyone went to their appropriate ends of the boat, cleaned up & hit the sack after having a nightcap of Ibuprofen for the tight and sore muscles.
All in all a great day. It was a wonderful start to this cruise. Kenn has worked his butt off on this boat, worried and fretted, and he was able to relax today even though he was still working like mad. Today showed the fruits of his labor. We were all in the good and capable hands of the captain.
12:30 PM – Left Applegate Cove Marina on Barnacle II, a 1981 45’ Chris Craft Motor Yacht. She has twin Detroit 8-71 diesel engines, and plans are to cruise her at her most optimum speed of 1800 RPM, between 10 & 11 knots. The boat is bound for Key West, FL from Kerr Lake on the Arkansas River Navigation System in Sallisaw, OK.
We waited on the Lockmaster at Lock & Dam 15 (lowered 44’) to pass a tow boat & barge through. Tied up in the lock at 3:15 PM. Waited nearly 3 hours just 2.5 miles away from home port. We were still stowing stuff from our fast departure. We had to wait on a UPS delivery this AM of 2 new engine water pumps. Kenn and Barney (referred to as Captain, the boat owner, grand master, etc.) discovered during a shakedown run on Friday that both water pumps’ rear seals were leaking at running speed, but not at idle or low RPM running. Barney ordered them from Ft. Lauderdale on Friday PM with assurances from the supplier that they would be here by Noon today. Kenn worked late last night getting the old ones off, Barn cleaned up the tube ends for new gasket material.
Barney and Vickie ran into town early this morning while we were doing last minute stowing and getting ready for the new boat parts. The UPS truck came rolling in at 9:10, and we grabbed the pumps and ran down the dock with them. Kenn was able to get the engines back together with help from Barn while Vic and I were still doing last minute packing and stowing of boat parts. People parts and food were already taken care of. It was a last minute dash to get everything on board, but we were finally on our way.
Barney is in hog heaven playing with his new toys – Garmin Radar system with integrated GPS, weather, magnetic compass, etc. Once we got into L & D 15 and tied off to the bollard, the lockmaster lowered us after he delivered Kenn’s sail repair/sewing kit that I left on our boat. I had called Rhoda at the marina to ask her to grab it off our boat and bring it down to us. We paid the lockmaster for his trouble in Halloween candy.
There was a flotilla of U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary boats heading downriver with us, but being small runabouts, they ran off and left us. We cruised by Bryant ‘Big Country’ Reeves house on the river bluff making 10.2 knots over land and gaining about 1 to 1.5 knots with the river current. It was 12 to 15 miles to the next lock at Muldrow/Spiro (Mayo Lock 14), and we made it there at 4:50 PM.
By that time we had caught up with the tow boat that had slowed us down at the Kerr Lake lock, the Ana Louise from Vicksburg, MS. He was carrying hazardous cargo (red flag), so it was questionable whether the lockmaster would let us go through the lock with them. We got permission from the lock master and tug captain, so pulled into the lock as far forward as we could go after the tow had secured their barges to the port side of the lock. He had to break apart and bring up one barge and the tug on the right side of the lock behind us. There were just inches to spare between the other barges and the lock wall. In my past experience, it was unheard of to lock through with a hazardous cargo vessel…I don’t recall that I have ever done it, but their willingness to do so saved us about 2 hours in getting to Goose Harbor/Emerald Bay marina at Van Buren.
Rolled under the Garrison Street/Hwy 64 bridge into Fort Smith at 6:40 PM. There was a Civil War enactment and camp at the park with a new Toyota pickup sitting in the middle of it (so authentic), and dang it all, I forgot to snap a picture. We pulled into Goose Harbor at way past dark-thirty. I forgot to look at my watch, but it was probably 7:15 to 7:30. Kenn was out on the foredeck with a spotlight while I was back at the helm with Barney relaying hand signals and helping navigate. Vickie decided to stay below and work on the salad for dinner. Good plan because it would have only made her nervous. We tied up at the fuel dock at the marina and hooked up to shore power. We made a couple of boat drinks to settle the nerves of the boys and relaxed for a few minutes.
Barney grilled steaks while we girls finished the salad and made mashed potatoes. Good dinner. Kenn barely made it through he was so beat. He fell asleep on the aft deck while Barney was tending to the steaks. I washed dishes and everyone went to their appropriate ends of the boat, cleaned up & hit the sack after having a nightcap of Ibuprofen for the tight and sore muscles.
All in all a great day. It was a wonderful start to this cruise. Kenn has worked his butt off on this boat, worried and fretted, and he was able to relax today even though he was still working like mad. Today showed the fruits of his labor. We were all in the good and capable hands of the captain.
Principle Characters of this Escapade
Barnacle II - 1981 45' Chris Craft MotorYacht
Barney & Vickie - Boat owners, friends, fellow adventurers
Kenn & Marti - well...that's us
Barney & Vickie - Boat owners, friends, fellow adventurers
Kenn & Marti - well...that's us
Monday, October 22, 2007
Crunch Week
Kenn has been working every day, putting in long hours to finish up all of the projects that the boat owner requested prior to leaving on the trip. I spent most of the weekend either as an extra set of hands on various projects for Kenn, or pulled marathon cooking sessions to prepare and freeze several menu items for dinners during the trip. So we'll have some wholesome meals such as my homemade spaghetti, white chicken chili, sloppy joes, and beef stew among other things.
Tonight found us organizing clothes and finalizing lists of things to take on this extended excursion. I've verified that I should have good broadband signal, either through my Alltel account or Sprint down the Arkansas River and the Mississippi to New Orleans. So I should be able to keep the blog up-to-date as we travel along. The plan is still on schedule to leave port soon after full light on Saturday morning, October 27th.
We'll let you know how it goes. Fair winds and smooth sailing (or in this case, motoring).
Tonight found us organizing clothes and finalizing lists of things to take on this extended excursion. I've verified that I should have good broadband signal, either through my Alltel account or Sprint down the Arkansas River and the Mississippi to New Orleans. So I should be able to keep the blog up-to-date as we travel along. The plan is still on schedule to leave port soon after full light on Saturday morning, October 27th.
We'll let you know how it goes. Fair winds and smooth sailing (or in this case, motoring).
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Intro
This blog has been created to share logs and pictures during our upcoming trip from Kerr Lake, OK to Fort Myers, FL via the Arkansas River Navigation System, the Mississippi River, the IntraCoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico.
The boat that we'll be traveling on is a 45 ft. Chris Craft motor yacht named the Barnacle II. This will be the first Mississippi River run for my husband and me, although I have made several voyages from Florida to Texas and back via the Gulf and the IntraCoastal.
We will shove off from Applegate Cove Marina in Sallisaw, OK, on or about October 27th, 2007. The plan is to update this blog on an almost daily basis so that friends and loved ones can share in the adventure.
The boat that we'll be traveling on is a 45 ft. Chris Craft motor yacht named the Barnacle II. This will be the first Mississippi River run for my husband and me, although I have made several voyages from Florida to Texas and back via the Gulf and the IntraCoastal.
We will shove off from Applegate Cove Marina in Sallisaw, OK, on or about October 27th, 2007. The plan is to update this blog on an almost daily basis so that friends and loved ones can share in the adventure.
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