BB29: Kentucky

Ten of us anchored downriver from the Olmsted Dam and Lock the night before and were ready to go through in the morning. Kali was happy to have calmer waters so that I could dinghy her to shore for a potty break and a play date with the pups on Catalina and Hair of the Dog. Our destination that day was four hours to the transient dock in Paducah, Kentucky. The dock does not include amenities other than power and water, but I was completely satisfied just to be tied to a dock with a place to walk Kali. Plus, Paducah is a cute, quirky, artsy, little town. I stayed two nights and explored with other loopers.

Rocky Horror Picture Show with Amy on Compass Rose, bourbon bar and cigar bar with Gvit A Go and Vortex, and Dream CATcher joined us for dinner.

I also snuck away to a gritty little bar packed with 20-somethings where a local punk band was playing. So fun!

It was welcome relief from the previous week on the Muddy Mississippi.

An unexpected highlight was the National Quilt Museum. More than the old-fashioned quilts that I was expecting, this was art. I spent an hour and a half walking through.

The ‘Nati Nomad’s final destination for October was Green Turtle Bay in Lake Barkley. There are two routes between Paducah and Green Turtle Bay. The shorter route is four hours on the Tennessee River, but you have to go through a big lock with commercial traffic which makes the timing very unpredictable. The other is the Cumberland River, a longer route with a smaller lock and less commercial traffic. I had a full day of work to juggle so I opted for the more predictable Cumberland River. I left at dawn before all the other boats on the Paducah wall and targeted an anchorage about five hours away.

It was a gorgeous ride and I found myself smiling and relaxed again.

I dropped the hook about an hour from the lock so that I would have an easy ride in after my meetings were done. As I worked my way through my meeting schedule, I watched my fellow loopers passing me up on the way to the lock. We waved and took pics of each other.

I had my VHF on throughout the day so that I could keep track of the lock status. I was ready to pull anchor and move about an hour after the last of the looper boats had lapped me. Wait for me! I throttled up and was on my way. As it turned out, the boats on the other route were still waiting at their lock for entry. The boats on my route were also delayed as they waited for a big barge full of fuel to go through. I might make it. An hour later and just as I was pulling up, the lockmaster gave us the go-ahead, and the little Nomad took the last spot.

First priority – fuel. My last fuel stop was in Grafton, Illinois. I had gone 269 nautical miles since then and only had used 50 gallons with help from Mississippi’s current. That’s 5.4 nautical miles (or 6.2 statute miles) per gallon instead of my usual 3-4! My usual speed is around 6.5 knots, but my average was 8 knots with a max of 12.2 knots (14 mph). That’s also after going against the current for a little while on the Ohio River. What a wild ride.

I was so, so appreciative of shore power and unlimited water to wash down the boat. The mud was thick and in every crevice, but I cleaned the ‘ole girl up. Plus, a real shower for me….aaahhhhh. My slip was next to my friends on Leticia, another mighty Camano Troll.

I had scheduled maintenance at BoatWorks there and was ready for a long break home to hug my kids, see family and friends, and spend Halloween in my fun little neighborhood of Mount Adams. Even going home is not without a challenge. I had to reserve the marina car and then find some friends to drop me off at the closest rental car place back in Paducah, 30 minutes away. Gvit A Go and Vortex are always there to take care of me and they gladly gave me a ride. I had a rental car reserved for a same-day-dropoff in Frankfort, Kentucky. I enlisted my cousin, Vic, to drive 45 minutes to meet me at Frankfort Enterprise and drop me off at my lake house in Owenton. A group of lakesters piled on two buses the next day for our annual trip to Keeneland Racetrack. It was so great to see everyone! For those who saw my four-month recap, you saw that my favorite boat name for September was Summer of George. What a coincidence that Summer of George was also one of the horses racing that day. He came in dead last.

My next stop was Cincinnati – x-ray, hair appointment, drivers license renewal, voting, facetime with my team at work, car maintenance, and lots of hugs with my kids were planned. I look forward to coming back refreshed to continue the adventure down through the southern states.

“Home is the nicest word there is.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder

To support the adventure or to track The ‘Nati Nomad’s progress, visit greatloop.thenatinomad.com.