Tennessee River Mile 96.0 To Tennessee River mile 158.5

Tuesday evening purchased 133 gallons of diesel and got into slip in the dark. The last diesel fill was 810 miles ago. The current on Monday and Tuesday was 0.1 MPH and on Wednesday the current went up to 1 MPH. We are getting closer to Pickwick Dam and they run hydro units during the day when the demand and price are higher so that is the reason for more current. 1640 arrived Clifton Marina. Mostly sunny all day and 75 degs. at 1600.
Joe and Arvilla

Cumberland River Mile 31.7 To Tennessee River Mile 25.4 To Tennessee River Mile 96.0

We met a couple from Wisconsin Rapids on Monday and they invited us aboard their boat for a Packer party even though we told them we were Viking fans. 10 people on a 53 foot boat with lots of room to spare. O800 Departed Green Turtle Bay after 50 minute walk and 30 minutes of fog delay. 0845 on the Tennessee River for the rest of the day. Sunny all day and 66 degrees at 1600. 1745 arrived Pebble Isle Marina.
Joe and Arvilla

Ohio River Mile 934.5 To Ohio River Mile 922.8 And Cumberland River Mile 0 To Mile 31.7

Lots of big wakes during the night at the Paducah City dock do to small work boats and not the tows. Went for a walk at 0615 and saw all the beautiful murals on the city side off the levee. 0730 departed Paducah with CEE JAY and a 37 foot sail boat from the Green Bay area. 75 mins. lock delay at Barkley Lock, not bad considering that the Kentucky Lock was closed for maintenance and all traffic went through Barkley Lock. 1645 arrived Green Turtle Bay at Grand Rivers, KY. Arvilla did laundry and we
both got a real shower for the first time in about a week. We will stay at Green Turtle Monday night also. Sunny all day and 62 degs for a high temp.
Joe and Arvilla

Upper Miss. River Mile 48.8 To Mile 1.7

Friday 26 Oct 07 departed anchorage after spending the night with 4 other boats. 0.35' rain overnight. 48 degs. overnight low and 57 degs. at noon. Mostly cloudy today. 1230 arrived Angelo Chute at mile 1.7. Current in the chute is 0.80 MPH. One other sailboat from Wisconsin is anchored in chute already. Will leave at first light as current on the Ohio s reported to be 3.5 mph so we will have a hard time running at 4.5 MPH.
Joe and Arvilla

Upper Miss. River Mile 117.3 To Mile 48.8

Thursday 0730 departed Kaskaskia Lock which is 0.5 miles up the Kaskaskia River. Very windy all night but let up just before day break which was good because the wind was setting us against the wall. The temp. this morning was 44 degs. Besides our friends aboard Cee Jay we spent the night with 2 other boats. About one hour under way we meet a tow boat pushing 42 barges. The wheel wash was about 5 feet high at the stern of the tow boat which produced a very bad wake and the desk top computer fell
on its side and quit so had to bring out the lap top computer for the rest of the day. Got the desk top running again after anchoring for the evening. Saw a few bald eagles today. 1340 arrived at the Diversion Channel near Cape Girardeau at mile 48.8. The anchorage is 25 deep, 200 feet wide and 0.3 miles to the low bridge up the channel. No current and a nice spot to get off the river overnight. Cloudy and some rain today. 50 degs. at 1400. We won't have internet until Sunday so cannot check the
comments on our blog.
Joe and Arvilla

Upper Miss. River Mile 158.5 to Mile 117.3

0825 Departed mile 158, Hopies Marine Service after 45 min walk in Kimmswick, MO.
Current is almost 5 MPH. Had to go over some diversion dikes which are similar to wing dams but are in 40 to 70 feet of water. You can see them come up about 5 feet on the depth sounder history screen.
1215 Arrived at the Kaskaskia lock which is a half mile off the Miss. on the Kaskaskia River. Lock master is very friendly and was glad to have us stay here. They also provided 20 amp shore power which is great. Partly sunny and 59 degs. and very windy again.
Joe and Arvilla

Upper Miss. River Mile 218 To Mile 158.5

Tuesday 23 Oct 07 departed Grafton Harbor which is at the mouth of the Illinois River. Very nice new marina. Did 2 locks with 90 mins lock delay. Hit a wing dam at mile 198, no green buoy marking the end and was not watching chart close enough. The water is very muddy and very turbulent below St. Louis. The current is 4 mph so we are making good time. 1530 arrived Hoppie's Marine Service at Mile 158.5. Very wonderful people at Hoppie's. Fern gave us all a class on the waterway all the way to Mobile,
AL.
Joe and Arvilla

Upper Miss. River Mile 283 To Mile 218

Monday departed Mile 283 at 0730. Did 2 locks with 3 hours of lock delay. Very windy, rainy and 45 degs. for high temp. 1735 arrived Grafton Harbor. Had major computer problems so used backup computer and could not do any email. Will try to send this via ham radio on Tuesday.
Joe and Arvilla

Upper Miss. River Mile 283.2

Wind forecast is for 30 MPH guesting to 40 so we will stay in Louisiana,MO for one more day. We may take a road trip to Hannibal,MO with some friends from the Lake of The Ozarks area.
Joe and Arvilla

Upper Miss. River Mile 327 To Mile 283.2

Stayed three nights in Quincy due to high winds. Worked out good because we got to visit with Bill and Diane and some of her family. Departed Quincy 0705. Very windy and lots of floating debris all morning. 90 mins. lock delay. Sunny all day with a high temp. of 68 degs. Arrive Two Rivers Marina across the river from Louisiana,MO at 1310. Possibly stay here two nights.
Joe and Arvilla

Upper Miss. Mile 404.5 To Mile 327.2

0830 Depart Burlington, IA. 60 mins. bridge delay and 75 mins. lock delay. Lock 19 had no Tow traffic but lots of maintenance delays. The River is getting very wide and no bluffs for the past few days. No drop at lock 20 and the current has been about 2.5 MPH. With the higher current and the wider channel I have been steering with the computer and mouse. Arrived Quincy Boat Club near Adams Landing at 1848.
Joe and Arvilla

Upper Miss. River Mile 455.5 To Mile 404.5

Five new public docks at Muscatine with 30 & 50 amp. Lots of surge in Muscatine harbor due to high flow on the river. The flow at Lock 18 was 92,158 cubic feet per second (cfs). The flow at Trempealeau on 11 Oct. was 53,000 cfs. So the river has come up a lot. The current was 2.5 mph today.
0830 Departed Muscatine,IA. No lock delay at either lock.
1412 arrived Bluff Harbor Marina at Burlington,IA. Arvilla and Jan walked to town. Rain in AM and partly sunny in PM.
Joe and Arvilla

Upper Miss. River Mile 519 To Mile 455.5

0800 Departed Clinton, IA. Did three lockage's with no delay. Temp. got up to 70 deg. in afternoon when sun came out for a few hours. Had engine high temp. late in the morning. Had to stop and remove hose from water sea cock and run a coat hanger through the intake strainer on the bottom of the boat. Suspect Zebra Muscles from our home port of Trempealeau, WI.
1645 arrived Muscatine Municipal Boat Harbor. Arvilla and Jan walked to town.
Joe and Arvilla

Upper Miss.Mile 582 To Mile 519

0910 Depart Dubuque Marina after one hour walk on Levee and new park on river front. Did two locks with no delay. 1645 arrived Clinton Marina. Changed oil. Another cloudy day with high temp. 55 deg.
Joe and Arvilla

Upper Miss. Mile 634.7 to Mile 582

0850 Departed Marquette Marina after filling with 135 gals of diesel. Last fill was Oct 2006! Did 2 locks with only 1 hour lock delay. 35 degrees this morning so it was nice to have shore power. 1620 arrived Dubuque Marina. Home maid pizza is on the dinner menu.
Joe & Arvilla

Upper Miss. Mile 714 to Mile 634.5

Departed Trempealeau, mile 714.3 which is our home port at 0650. Made 4 lockage's and 80 miles. At Marquette Marine at 1650.
For our non boating friends, the mileage on the Upper Mississippi starts at Cairo,IL at the mouth of the Ohio River with
Mile 0. Our home port is mile 714.3 and St. Paul is mile 840.
Joe and Arvilla