Meandering Magees: The Mighty Mississippi

Day 9 - Thursday, September 15
593 Miles

There was much discussion Wednesday night and again this morning on whether to stay in Grafton or move on. Three things drove our decision: the situation of closures at Lock 52 on the Ohio River, the weather, and the arrival of a part we had ordered (impellers). Our discussions are usually two-sided. I just sit and listen to these two brothers hash things out. Which is entertainment in itself as they have quite opposite personalities!
A call to the Lock and Dam division of the Louisville Water District told us that the lock was open to pleasure craft. An 80% chance of thunderstorms is forecasted for Friday and Saturday. The Grafton marina staff said they would overnight the impellers to us at our next stop, so we decided to stay on our schedule of getting to Hoppies on Thursday afternoon. (More on Hoppies later).

True North left Grafton at 9:15 local time and entered the Mississippi river. This was a hip-hip-hooray moment for us as traveling the Mississippi is a major part of the Loop. Not to mention, it is THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER! People cross over it every day, but how many navigate down it?
The river is wider, more bumpy, and has more debris than the Illinois. Seventeen miles down river is Alton, another favorite spot for Loopers.

Just past Alton was our first lock of the day - the Melvin Price, which we locked through in yet another different manner. This lock had a small chamber just for pleasure craft. We were the only boat there so were told to drive right in and we didn't need to loop a rope around a bollard or have one given to us from the wall. We just floated in the middle of the lock! It was only a 2 ft. drop.
Entering the lock there was a solid line of debris that was impossible to maneuver around so had to go right through it, hoping our slow approach speed would just push the logs to the side. Along with the debris to greet us, the top of the lock wall was lined with tourists watching the locking process. I loved being able to wave and have people wave back. I wave at every tow we go by but often can't see through their windows to tell if they are waving back. Our dinghy covers the name and home port on the back of the boat; we need to have a sign up on the flybridge so all can see we are from Ludington, Michigan!
Leaving the lock, the Asian carp were jumping all over behind us. Some quite close! No pictures as by the time you hit the shutter button they are back in the water.

Right before St. Louis, we went through the Chain of Rocks Lock, where we again we got right into and floated in it. This time it was an 8 ft. drop. And a first- a woman answered our radio call when approaching the lock.

The Gateway Arch dominates the St. Louis skyline. At 630 ft., it is the world's tallest arch. It is also called the Gateway to the West, as it is a monument to the western exploration.
South of St. Louis was all industrial. I commented in an earlier post of the commerce that the large, inland rivers support. It is a stark contrast to the mainly pleasure boating on Lake Michigan. Transportation, in all its forms (trucking, railroad, river barges) truly is the lifeblood of life.

The current on the Mississippi is faster than the Illinois, so our 10 mph got bumped up to 12.5. We were flying! An increase in speed with no fuel being used. You have to be thankful for the little things.

Our destination was Hoppies, 61 miles from Grafton. Maps say it is in Kimmswick, Missouri but the mailing address for our impellers is Imperial, MO. We arrived at 3:15 local time. Hoppies is known to all Loopers. It is the last stop for fuel for the next 249 miles. It is the last stop for power and water hook-ups for the next 249 miles. It is anything but fancy - several old barges tied together just off the shore line that can accommodate 10 boats. When we arrived, there were 2 other Looper boats tied up. We had to go through the most debris yet getting to the barge/dock. We went past Hoppies and turned around to head into it going upstream against the current, which gives us (Greg) more control of the boat. We once again just had to let the logs bounce off us.

Besides getting fuel, power and water, Loopers stop at Hoppies to see Fern, Hoppy's wife. She is a legend on the river, the Matriarch of the Mississippi. About an hour after we got tied up, she called the crews of the 3 boats together for her briefing on all things related to the river. She started with how to leave the barge, then went down the river explaining safe anchorages, the locks we will go through, how to get on the Ohio and Cumberland rivers, the Tenn-Tom waterway all the way to Mobile. She covered everything we needed to know.

Our plan is to stay here at Hoppies today and Friday night (letting a forecasted Friday storm get by) and then spend two night anchoring out before reaching Green Turtle Bay Marina on Kentucky Lake on Monday. I am anticipating little or no cell phone or internet coverage after we leave here so this may be my last post for a few days. (when I said to Mike I will get a break from the blog, he said, "So will everyone else!")