August 27 - September 2, 2018
Departing Pomeroy, OH this Monday morning, we were uncertain
of our landing spot for overnight other than knowing it would be in the
Huntington, WV area which gave us 57 miles and 1 lock to travel under very hot
and humid conditions. Clay desired air conditioning whereas I sought the
familiar which was David Harris Park at the downtown dock.
On approach at the Huntington area, we tried unsuccessfully
to rouse someone at Adam’s Landing Marina which looked to be in disrepair; the
office, resembling a sternwheeler, sat on a decided slant toward the river
(damage probably flood related). But the docks housed many boats, lending
credibility to some sort of working operation. With no response, we moved on
toward Huntington Yacht Club even though my cell call to them got a recording
of a disconnected number. Plan B. I quickly sought Huntington Yacht Club in my
Google Maps app (here I’m telling a funny on myself), dialed the given number
and reserved a slip with Nat, dockhand at the facility. SaSea Sally continued
downriver toward Huntington Yacht Club but found no such facility matching the
description Nat had given. A call back revealed that Nat’s Huntington Yacht
Club was in Huntington, NY on Long Island Sound. Oops, there is obviously more
than one Huntington. I guess the proof is the fine print! I shan’t make that
mistake again!
We did a 180 and found ourselves docking at Adam’s Landing
to test their power supply, figuring it was our overnight home if power. Nope.
Regroup. Another 180 and traveling downriver again, we referenced our previous
early-August position along the town dock and snugged in for the overnight,
expecting a sweat lodge, but a nice dinner again at Marshall Hall of Fame Café.
Note: Although this recount sounds rather smooth, realize that the whole
process was fraught with oopsies and added an extra 1.5+ hours retracing our
path over about as many miles.
Tuesday morning’s walk was a delightful route to visit
Marshall University’s campus. How energizing to be on a college campus again,
yet Clay made note that, of the few folks we encountered, no one looked very
happy. We returned to the boat and made ready for a relatively short but
extremely hot and humid three-hour cruising day to Holiday Point Marina,
Franklin Furnace, OH. There’s some irony in being in Franklin Furnace on such a
hot day! We took on fuel, pumped out and loaded our newly-repaired dinghy
(hooray!), each task increasing the sweat droplets that adorned my face and
neck (this is a lark; I was DRIPPING!). I got right in there with the guys,
participating in the tasks which required multiple sets of hands. And, with the
winch cable troubles of earlier days, I didn’t want to deal with that very real
and potential problem again!
Following said tasks, Clay and I spent much of the afternoon
and early eve with computer work. I then stoked up George (Foreman) and grilled
some delicious chicken breasts. Fuel pumps were too near to allow cooking on
the Magma grill. Note: Dinner was yummy! Further note: I finished yet another
paperback book; I’m truly thankful for the quarter books stocked for sale at
the Louisiana Public Library!
Todd and Roger, our two go-to repairmen at Holiday Point
arrived early morn, well ahead of the 9 a.m. appointed hour, to troubleshoot
SaSea’s starboard engine issue. They departed as perplexed as Clay. Our
mid-morning task was a courtesy-car trip to Walmart. What’s not to like about a
courtesy car, especially a 2017 Buick Encore! Clay even gave me a ten-minute
allocation at Walmart to ‘play.’ I sure hope WMT’s clothing offerings are no
indication of the styles this Fall 2018; I’ll be wearing last year’s clothing
or no clothing at all (the latter is not an option).
We returned, dodging rain showers, which continued off and
on throughout the day. Seems to be the weather pattern of late with high temps
and so much humidity. I can do without the intense lightning and dramatic
thunder boomers, thank you! Sensing a break in the weather mid-eve and after
dinner, Clay and I made our way to the communal firepit area where wedding
preparations were in full swing. We received an impromptu wedding invitation to
join the festivities (the scene had the makings of quite a bit of tom foolery
ahead) but graciously declined. Plans were for the bride, currently making last
minute adjustments in the bathhouse, and groom, questionable location at the
time, to depart on motorcycle. We think we heard their departure a few hours
later.
Thursday we awakened without a hangover which is more than
the wedding revelers could say, I’m certain. Our walk, over now quite familiar
territory, was lengthy. We returned to SaSea as a sternwheeler sided up to us
in the adjacent fuel dock space. New owners proudly welcomed us aboard for a
tour of their newly-remodeled space which was more homelike than any boat I’ve
seen! They had sold their houseboat the morning before, purchased the
sternwheeler in the afternoon and were now heading upriver to the sternwheeler
festival in Point Pleasant, WV, at the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha
Rivers. Their day was to be happier than ours.
Todd and Roger arrived to troubleshoot again the starboard
engine which produced an ear-piercing alarm once started. Clay made the
executive decision to call a halt to troubleshooting and depart on one engine.
This was gonna be tricky as maneuverability would be compromised, and we still
had 125 miles and 2 locks to reach Cincinnati where Washington Marine (with
their expert diesel mechanics) could assist.
We traveled flawlessly through Greenup Lock with its 30’
lift to overnight at Shawnee Boat Club, Portsmouth, OH where Clay adeptly
docked along the face dock using bow and stern thrusters to compensate for the
absent force of the starboard engine. As is usual and customary upon docking,
Clay sought the companionship of fellow boaters ashore with beer in hand while
I stayed aboard and decompressed (which I did this day with boater friend Linda
of Tumbleweed fame, cell to cell).
On our Friday morning walk, we witnessed Rotarians setting
up for the umpteenth annual Labor Day weekend fish fry, guaranteed to bring in
some $20,000 for scholarships. Along the flood wall, we spied the gathering
food trucks, game stations, band stand and colorful bounce houses which would
soon entice River Life Festival participants to eat, drink and be merry—it was
guaranteed to be a big event! And what an awesome sight was the flood wall,
with its so very impressive mural panels depicting the history of Portsmouth.
Too, we eyed banners along our route noting Portsmouth as the home of Shawnee
State University. Once back to the boat and because I was curious, I sought
more information on this attractive Ohio town. I will share some of what I
found with you…
From Wikipedia: “Portsmouth has shared in the loss of jobs
due to unskilled labor outsourcing and population migration to more populous
urban areas. Portsmouth, and other parts of Scioto County, have worked to
redevelop blighted properties and create a new economy. The city has also
initiated new developments in its downtown. Through the early 21st century,
there has been a noticeable increase in investment in Portsmouth's local
economy.”
As I’ve mentioned before, we were witness to the homeless in
many of the larger Ohio River towns. And, we had heard from townsfolk along the
river of the extreme drug problems. Thus, the following, again Wikipedia my
source, I found to be of interest: “Since the late 1990s and problems of
unemployment, an epidemic of prescription drug abuse has swept the town and
surrounding areas. The crisis is blamed on the proliferation of cash-only pain
clinics, known as "pill mills" by locals. According to authorities,
there are eight such clinics in Scioto County alone, the largest concentration
of such operations per capita in any of Ohio's counties. The clinics began
opening in the late 1990s, after state legislators passed a law stating that
doctors could not be prosecuted for prescribing painkillers as long as they had
examined and documented that a patient was in intractable pain and needed the
medication. The geographic location has played a role in the size of the
problem, with Portsmouth located near the junction of Ohio, Kentucky and West
Virginia and on the routes of several north-south and east-west highways,
making it a distribution point for more than just the local area. The separate
state jurisdictions do not track prescriptions among the others, making it
harder to tell where the prescriptions are going. Generations of poverty have
helped to create an underground economy supporting the distribution of illegal
substances. Because of the extent of the problem, the DEA has listed
Scioto County on its watch list of the 10 most significant places in the
country for trafficking in prescription drugs.”
And, a bit of history on the flood wall murals: “In 1992 a
nonprofit group headed by Dr. Louis R. Chaboudy was formed to investigate
developing a mural-based tourist attraction on the floodwall. In the spring of
1993, mural artist Robert Dafford was commissioned and began painting murals of
Portsmouth's history. He hired local art student Herb Roe as an assistant. Roe
subsequently apprenticed to and worked for Dafford for 15 years. The project
eventually spanned sixty 20 feet (6.1 m) tall consecutive Portsmouth
murals, stretching for over 2,000 feet (610 m). Subjects covered by the murals
span the history of the area from the ancient mound building Adena and Hopewell
cultures to modern sporting events and notable natives.”
Fog kept us in port until mid-morning when we departed to
travel six-plus hours to Ripley Boat Club for the overnight. The daily pop-up
showers which we’ve been experiencing of late nipped us just shy of arrival
here; with loud claps of thunder and broad streaks of lightning in the
distance, I was comforted by only having to handle a brief but intense shower.
Saturday morning Clay joined the breakfast crowd at the
Ripley Boat Club while I hosed the deck free of willow bugs and grabbed a quick
on-the-go breakfast before shoving off downriver through Meldahl Lock, another
30’ lift, to dock at Steamboat Marina in New Richmond, OH. What a blessing Joe
was to handle our lines, power cords and water hook-up.
Clay and I were both anxious to exit the boat for some terra
firma time; I am thinking this travel on one engine is stressful for both of
us. So we explored historic Front Street (most of these Ohio River towns seem
to have a riverfront street called Front Street), but we hustled back to the
boat just beating another pop-up shower that dumped a few gallons on the area.
Given the turmoil of the past few days with traveling on one
engine and my stomach flu (self-diagnosis, not sure accurate) followed by
migraine, I gave Clay the choice of carry-out/ dine-in at Skipper’s (the
marina’s Lighthouse-like restaurant) or leftovers on board. He chose the
latter, so I found myself in the galley stoking up the oven/stove for a
conglomeration of past meals. He ate well regardless.
Now Sunday morning, we’re down bound to Cincinnati’s Four
Seasons Marina which will be our home-away-from-home until the malady of the
starboard engine is remedied. Please pray for a quick fix as I’m so not wanting
to go home, then come back to resume this trip!
