Angelo Towhead and the Lower Ohio River

Tuesday morning, we were the last of the three boats to leave Angelo Towhead at 7:45am.  A note to Loopers/boaters:  Angelo Towhead is a small chute about 1 mile north of the junction of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.  While it provides some protection from the Mississippi's currents, it is reputed to be a dumping zone for commercial barge operators to discard old ropes and wires so snagging your anchor is a real possibility. 

Sunrise over Angelo Towhead

We had anchored at the lower end just opposite the lower end of the island in 15' of water where we rafted the three boats together (the three boats anchored near each other and then were tied together for access) for the evening and overnight.  The previous evening, Dave from D Cea and Ed from Shady Acres checked out some fluids I had noticed in my engine room bilge and declared it was water very slowly seeping in around my shaft stuffing box.  Not a concern and something that is easily fixed by tightening 4 bolts at a later date.

Our friends on the D Cea and Shady Acres left about a half hour earlier than we, intending to get all the way to Green Turtle Bay, a 100-mile run up the Ohio and the very busy Lower Cumberland River, then through the busy Barkley Lock.  We wanted a little more leisurely pace with our overnight destination the Cumberland Towhead at the confluence of the Cumberland and Ohio Rivers by Smithland, KY.  Tuesday morning was chilly which was a welcome break from the near 100 degree temps we have encountered since leaving Louisiana.  Sally wore a fleece and Clay, in a jacket till 10:30am.  Pulling up anchor went smoothly, giving both of us more confidence.

Dam section being constructed on land

Large, floating "crane" used to move lock components built on land into place

We cruised "over" a dam whose gates retract down at certain river levels, by-passing the lock chamber.  We passed a new dam that has been under construction for 5-7 years and still has a long way to go before it opens.  At the next lock on the Ohio, just south of Paducah, we caught up with D Cea and Shady Acres and had about an hour wait. 

Around 1 pm, we pulled into the courtesy dock at the Paducah Riverfront along with the Queen of the Mississippi which was docked and letting passengers tour the beautifully restored riverfront area.  We had a great lunch at Kirchhoff's Deli.

Sally went for her daily walk in downtown Paducah while chatting on the phone to Uncle Woody and Aunt Shirley.  I ambled through the downtown area which hops for lunch and after work hours.  After scouting it, I encouraged Sally to go into Hooper's Outdoor Center, a sporting goods store, to look at the sale rack.  She bought a nice pair of very casual shorts and two casual (and extremely versatile) dresses. 

The Philadelphia Belle in dry dock in Paducah, KY

We departed Paducah around 4:30 for an hour ride to the Cumberland Towhead where I had stayed several time with Mom and Dad on the Mary A. We anchored in the chute formed by the Cumberland Towhead in 14' of water.  This was a scenic, quiet anchorage which we really enjoyed.  On to Green Turtle Bay Marina!