Supplies Needed
- Rocna 15k (33#) Anchor - Check
- New Bimini Fabric - Check
- Upgrade Holding Tank - Check
- Fittings for New Holding Tank - Check
- Add 1" Pitch to Prop- Checkish...
April 30 - Trip to Visit Willow B
The Engineer and Captain made the trip to Larson Marine Service in Waukegan, IL. (this is a suburb of Chicago) Willow B was tucked away behind these beautiful sleek new sailboats in a great big building. We brought the holding tank and the new anchor with us. The plan was to remove the current Maxx Claw anchor and chain and install the new anchor and nylon rode.
We learned that the original anchor chain was in fact 3/8" (I knew it was bigger than 5/16), but was only 100' long. AND (get this) it was NOT secured to the boat in any way, shape or form. We could have easily ran the chain out and the tag end would have just made a splash as it exited the pulpit. We cut the 3/8" chain down to 35' and shackled it to the new Rocna anchor and spliced the other end to 200' of 5/8" 3-Braid Nylon rode. AND we secured the bitter end of the Nylon to the boat!!! We removed the swivel as we didn't have the tools to install it correctly. A job that can wait for another date.
The secondary anchor hanging on the rail has only 15-20' of 5/16" chain backed by 50' of old 1/2" nylon. The plan is to lose the nylon and move this anchor and chain back to the lazarette for attention later as well.
The holding tank was too large to fit where we intended to install it, so we carried it back and ordered in a tank that would fit. (I measured this time). I DID purchase a tank built heavily enough to withstand the vacuum created by the dockside pump-outs. There are less robust tanks at half the price of marine holding tanks that work well IF you don't pump em. It would be a very bad thing to have the holding tank collapse just to save a few bucks. Many have chosen this route... But with today's regulations, I wouldn't want to get caught dumping overboard in inland waters.
I had Larson remove the prop for me and leave it with Willow B so that I could pick it up while there. I'm glad I had them undertake this task, otherwise, I would have had to return with a cutting rig to heat the prop. It took Larson 1 1/2 hours to get the prop off with heat. And this is what they do for a living. Money well spent. I brought the prop to Delta Propeller Service in Cincinnati. Per Delta, it is 18" X 12" which has been re-pitched to 14". This is bad news as I can NOT add any more pitch to this prop. BUT... I had them add a moderate cup which will make the prop more aggressive, which translates into pushing more water. I was told the moderate cup will cause the prop to perform as a 15" pitched prop even at 800 rpm. Good Enough.
May 24 - Final Preparations
Laying in Stores (Consumables, Parts, Tools,) - Check
Tied up all issues with Raven Freightline - Check
Reserved rental car to be dropped off in Waukegan, IL - Check
Contacted Larson Marine to ensure all is well for Launch Day - Check, Check
I heard from our friends Jodie & Gary aboard Country Dancer. They are still in Minnesota. They wintered in Duluth. They plan to spend June cruising Lake Superior, July on Lake Huron, August on Lake Michigan, then (get this) head south for Cuba. Now that would beat the hell out of North Minnesota for the winter.
Cuba sounds like a place I'd like to see!!! 2020???
June 1 - Splash Day!!!
June 1 has finally arrived and we are here in Waukegan, IL ready to get Willow B recommissioned.
Willow B locked away in storage... Kinda pitiful looking, huh?
We installed the newly cupped prop. We are anxious to see what, if any, improvements this prop will bring us.
Willow B was launched around noon.
Then was tendered to a slip.
The crew immediately got busy.
The first item on the agenda was to remove the Type 1 MSD unit (Marine Sanitation Device) aka sewer treatment tank and install the new holding tank. There is an access port of 17" X 20" in the Vee Berth. This is the only access to this area of the boat without removing major panels. The Engineer climbed in and disconnected the MSD unit and we bagged it with large lawn & leaf bags and hauled it off to a dumpster. Then we super cleaned the hold with bleach. I sprinked bleach throughout and took a big breath and reached my arm deep and scrubbed the hold. When I went to back out I found my big ass stuck. The Engineer grabbed my legs and pulled. I was stuck!! I ran out of air and had to take another breath of CLOROX!!! NOT good. I could hear the Navigator and Engineer laughing, then I thought of what they would say to EMS as they cut my big dead ass out of the hold. I managed to get out of there with as few breaths as possible. WOW, gassed in the crap hold, what a way to have your last day on earth remembered...
After a short break to suck in some fresh air, we continued with the project. The holding tank dropped in like we knew what we were doing. We plumbed in the lines and were soon back in business.
Then we continued with the tasks of recommissioning Willow B.
Batteries topped off, check...
Re-connected and purged the water lines, check...
Cleaned the refrigerator & Ice Maker, check...
Inspected and started both the main engine and generator, check, check...
The Navigator and Engineer made a much needed supply run.
For having only half a day, all agreed much was accomplished.
We will see what tomorrow brings.
Willow B Standing By CH 16
June 2 - Day 2 in Waukegan
Today was a very quiet slow day. Which was much needed after yesterday.
We replaced the AC raw water pump. We went to test this dude out after installation and it didn't come up! We got the error code as we did with the old pump. We fired up Genny and fired up the AC and all functioned as it should. Well Hell... Then we went back to shore power and tried again. It worked perfect. No clue why it failed initially, but we will see tonight as we were quite chilled this morning.
We installed the new bimini. It doesn't fit, but it will get us home. The original bimini is 8' long and is a 3-bow bimini. When I tried to order a 8' 3-Bow replacement, I was told that there was no such thing. They are all 4-Bow. Well, I only have a 3-Bow frame. So... I have a 4-Bow fabric on a 3-Bow frame. I have located an additional bow, but didn't know the exact width I needed.
The Navigator returned the rental car and we gave Willow B a much needed bath.
We thought of moving south this afternoon, but the wind picked up and I didn't want our first day of this trip and our last day ever on Lake Michigan to be a bad day. We will move south in the morning. It will be soon enough.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 16
June 3 - Waukegan, IL to Chicago, IL
The short 30 mile trip south to Chicago made for a good shake down cruise. Actually, a great shakedown cruise, as nothing broke or failed. This is a very good thing.
It was good to finally see Chicago up close. The Captain & Navigator saw the skyline last year and today we watched it grow on the horizin for over 5 hours.
NEW PROP RESULTS...
The addition of the moderate cup to the trailing edges of the blades gained a bit of performance. Our cruise rpm dropped from 2600 to 2400 rpm while increasing our speed from 5.8 to 6.2 knots.
We stopped at Belmont Harbor for fuel. As usual, we only took on 50 gallons.
We dropped the hook in the Playpen. This is a very large, busy anchorage
just across the road from the Sears Tower.
The Rocna anchor set like an anchor should. We allowed 6:1 scope as we plan to spend the night here with the expectation for a little weather before we move tomorrow morning. The Engineer has already dropped the bimini on the bridge deck and is enjoying the sunny day playing a few tunes.
We are anxious to see the Illinois River. Tomorrow will be soon enough.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 16
June 4- Chicago to Big Basin Marina, Channahon, IL
The Chicago skyline was really lit up last night. Here's a shot of it. The pic does NOT do it justice. what a great view.
The crew was up early this morning. The Engineer stated that he thought we were gonna get hit last night. He awoke to loud talking and looked out to see a boat that was within feet of hitting us. They then started up and pulled away. We watched and learned that we most definately did NOT know how to anchor a boat. Every boat within view had 1:1 to 2:1 scope on their anchor rode. These weren't little 17' runabouts. I'm talking about 30 boats in the 45'-60' range. And most had no chain at all. Maybe it's just us, but we had 6:1 scope out as we planned to stay the night. There is many things to learn here in the Chicago area. More on this later.
We made the Chicago Harbor Lock @ 06:30 this morning with little delay. While hailing the lockmaster, I learned my bridge radio was not transmitting. This made for an interesting morning. Run from bridge, when approaching lock, move to lower helm and communicate with lockmaster, move to upper helm to lock in, move to lower helm to leave lock and thank the lockmaster and pass on well wishes, move to bridge to continue on... What a morning... We made 3 locks today.
This is but a sampling of the great buildings along the river in downtown Chicago.
Can we say 'Trump Tower Chicago'?
We transversed the Cal-Sag Channel, the South Branch of the Chicago River The Sanitary Ship Canal and are currently in the Illinois River.
We were treated to a rare exotic sighting today! We accidentaly happened upon the upriver run of a rare species of jelly fish. It is said that this migration happens only once every 17 years. What a special treat! These jelly fish are not native to these waters, but were released years ago and have fourished in the cold waters south of Chicago. We saw many specimens of this exotic jelly fish. We regret that we were traveling during the daylight hours as they were luminescent and glowed in the dark! We were told that they do not sting, so we took a chance a picked up a few just to say we personally encountered this special species. It was like whale watching last year in Cape Cod, MA. We were so busy admiring that we only snapped but a few pics.
We stopped for the night at Big Basin Marina in Channahon, IL. where we raised the Radar, the Bimini and both radio antennas. We also removed the radio from the lower helm and mounted it on the bridge so we could have communication.
The folks here were great and very inviting.
Tomorrow brings more of the Illinois River. I hope we have many more encounters.
Until Then
Willow B Standing By CH 13
June 5 - Channahon, IL to Henry, IL
Wilow B cast her lines at 06:30 this morning. The Captain did realize that he had to re-learn the backing characteristics of Willow B. It is apparent the cupped prop performs quite differently than the straight blade prop did last year. The starboard prop walk while backing down is history. Today we made an attempt to test and learn the backing tendencies while waiting for the locks. This was not successful as we had a 1 knot following current and a 20-30 knot head wind all day. The wind wasn't great, but the 1 knot current was terriffic! We saw no less than 7 knots all day.
We saw many sandy banks where boats of all sorts were beached while the owners were enjoying the cool water. If they only knew what was only 100 miles upstream, they wouldn't let their children near it. The Captain grew up where the water was polluted, but he'd rather swim in toxic water than swim with those rare, luminescent jellyfish. But that's just me...
We made 84 miles today and 3 locks doing it. We passed only a few commercial boats (tugs).
We dropped the hook behind Lower Henry Island. The Rocna anchor immediatley set and we are in the current on 5:1 rode. Tonight will be an early one and we hope to be underway by 06:00- 06:30 tomorrow.
Until then,
Willow B
Standing by CH 13
June 6 - Henry, IL to Havana, IL
After a restful might behind Lower Henry Island, the crew made ready for yet another day on the Illinois River.
A small skiff eased by us and the fishermen, wearing yellow wet weather bibs were checking strings of hoop nets. It was easy to see that they had quite a catch as they were 5' below me. I was standing on the bow pulpit as I bid them good morning. Their catch was Asian Carp! I don't know what they were doing with them, but they had plenty.
The anchor was raised @ 06:45 and we were downstream bound once again. The 1 knot following current remained, so we made 7 knots once again.
We were met with 30 mph winds out of the west. These winds were way worse today than yesterday. We were headed west with a following current with an opposing wind. We were getting sprayed ON THE BRIDGE!!! What a ride.
The Navigator decided that we needed to top off the fuel tanks in Peoria, as this is the last fuel stop before the Mississippi River. So, the only marina that sold diesel was East Side Marina on Peoria Lake. We atttempted to hail them on CH 16 as they were known to monitor VHF CH 16. No answer, so the Navigator made a phone call to them. "Yes we have Diesel", "Depths, It's 3 1/2', follow the channel markers and you will be okay". Well she was correct on half of her statements. Mind you, we are dealing with 20-25 mph winds during this, which increased to 30-35 while we were trying to get off the fuel dock! DAMMIT!!!!
As we pull behind their breakwater on the way in, we immediatly see the 4' depth go to 2.5' and we start kicking up mud. The winds are beam on us with many shiny boats downwind of us. If I had room to pull a 180 and get outta there, I would have. It was that tight. I was thinking that if I went hard aground, at least I wouldn't tear up a bunch of boats as I slide thru their marina broadside. Long story short, we made the fuel dock without any fiberglass shavings floating in the water.
We took on less than 30 gallons of fuel!!! All that for less than 30 gallons??? NOT worth it!!! We took on about 60 gallons of fresh water as well. By then the winds were up even more and we were pinned against their fuel dock. That was fun as we could not use a spring line to send the bow out, cause we would have tore the dink off the stern. Needless to say, quite exciting. BUT, again, no fiberglass was shed!!! I would call that a well executed supid move. We plowed thru the mud getting outta there as well. We minded the instruments and saw no rise in engine temp once we got to deep water, so we didn't plug up the thru hull or sea strainer. Another good thing!
As we left Peoria Lake, the Engineer and Skipper smelled something good. "Look! Joe's Crab Shack!" "Can we dock?" We made a slow pass to checked out the dock situation and decided to keep moving.
"It would have been good." said Skipper to the Engineer. The Engineer replied, "It's NOT too late."
So we swing a 180 and took a closer look at the dock situation. If we swing around here and let the current take us here and the wind will push us there. Hell, lets go for it!
We greased her in like professionals!!! Well kinda, we didn't pop any fenders but we sure pressure tested them real good.
We figured we earned at least one good sit down resteraunt meal and Joe's Crab Shack did not let us down!!! When we walked out of Joes, the Navigator spotted a Bass Pro Shop across the river. So the Engineer & Skipper contacted Uber for a ride over to Bass Pro and purchased a new VHF radio for the bridge.
Once the crew was all back aboard, we shoved off and Willow B was headed downstream once again. All watched the many Bald Eagles along the river. We noticed that we were alone on the Illinois. Then we began to remember last year when we began this journey, we were never alone. We saw only one cruising boat this entire trip so far. And that was 'Unemcumbered', a 26' Catalina sailboat carrying her mast across her bow & stern rails. Other than that, we are cruising alone. We asked the lockmasters and they reported very few Cruisers, only local boats.
Willow B made 11 hours today and about 60-70 miles and landed at the Havana, IL City Pier just before dark. Once shut down the Skipper pulls up one of the floor hatches to do a post trip inspection, and immediately smells fresh diesel fuel as well as sees a whole bunch of fluid in the pan under the engine.
NOT GOOD!!!
OIL?
No Alarms!!
What then?
The Engineer started the main engine and witnesses good oil pressure. OK we didn't burn up the engine.
It's diesel!!!
The Skipper goes below and has the Engineer restart the engine in an attempt to locate the source of all that fuel.
Bingo!! It's the Fuel Injector Pump.
A little more investigation reveals it just MAY be a blown gasket AND we may have a spare onboard. If not, there's a NAPA 3 blocks down the street. We did plan tomorrow morning as a maintenance window, as there are a couple of minor issues that need attention. BUT diving into an injector pump was NOT on the agenda.
Oh well. We have already met some great people here in Havana. One of which is Drew, who dropped by to visit. All repairs and maintenance will wait until the engine room cools down.
Tomorrow is soon enough.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by Ch 13
June 7 - Still Enjoying Havana
The crew slept in and moved very slow this morning. We began troubleshooting a bit deeper and learned that the fuel leak is a blown gasket on the injector pump. The problem is that it is on the top of the injector pump and there is only about an inch of space between the top of the injector pump and the bottom of the exhaust manifold. There is no room to work. Therefore we must remove the exhaust manifold to access the problem area. We worked all day on other issues that needed attention. The AC raw water pump needed addressing first as it gets very hot without air conditioning. Then we addressed the VHF radio replacement in the lower helm. We made 5 different trips to either NAPA Auto Parts or ACE Hardware for parts or tools. These trips were on foot. Believe it or not, we have one more trip to ACE Hardware for another 1/4" extension before we will have the exhaust manifold out of the way so that we can begin to address the original issue of the fuel leak.
The folks here are great! We have been offered rides many many times, but refused and enjoyed the walk through town. One gent saw the Engineer and Skipper walking by and watching a truck load of beans being delivered to the local co-op being checked by a remote operated probe. Well this gent drove by us near the marina and stopped to introduce himself and asked us to come by the grain elevator and he would show us around. Drew and Vanessa dropped by this afternoon for a short visit. This is just an example of how we were treated and made welcome in this community
Another Note: The water level has dropped about 8" since landing here yesterday. If it goes down another foot, we will be grounded and literally stuck here until the river rises once again. The Skipper commented that we may be required to pay property tax if we hang out here on this free dock much longer. Again, we could not have picked a better location for a mechanical failure.
Tomorrow should find the fuel leak issue uncovered and we should be able to address it from there.
More to come...
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 13
June 8 - Havana, IL Our New Home
The Crew has really enjoyed Havana, IL. Well, yeah, The Skipper could use a few more, better stocked, parts supply houses and such. But the folks here are second to none when it comes to small town charm and hospitality. This is one of the few towns on the loop that we would choose to stay.
We got the manifold off the engine today to expose the fuel leak. The bolts securing the governor housing to the top of the Fuel Injector Pump worked loose. We must remove the governor housing to replace the gasket. With the correct tools and access, this is a 30 minute fix. For us, however, this is a 3-day repair. Thats working boat hours which is way less than banker's hours. We made several trips into town again today. Each trip we took a different route to see more of the town.
We have ordered even more tools from NAPA to complete the repair. They even offered to deliver to us in the morning. Hopefully this is the last of the specialty tools we will need for this repair. If all goes well tomorrow afternoon will find Willow B and crew prepared to head south once again.
Until Then,
Willow B
Standing By CH 13
June 9 - Our Last Day in Havana, IL
The Crew awoke to another beautiful day in Havana, IL.
The first order of business: Make sure Willow B is still floating. Check. All good, still afloat, AND water not dropping, well not much anyway.
The Skipper dropped a weighted line & learned we have a good 12-14" under Willow B's keel.
Next: Another trip to town to pick up 12 point socket set. While @ NAPA, the Skipper asked if they had a vice in the back room, and could they remove the nut from the exhaust stud that backed out of the engine while disassembling yesterday. Done & Done
The Engineer and Skipper removed the Governor Housing and tapped out a new gasket. (No Ball-Peen Hammer, but we made due) The Governor Housing was back in place within 1 1/2 hours of removal. It took 1 1/2 hours, because while cutting out the new gasket with a pocket knife, the Engineer sugested that a hole punch would make for a cleaner job. So away the Navigator went headed for Dollar General, once again, in search of a hole punch. She returned with not only a hole punch, but a razor knife as well. It took a day and a half to carefuly disassemble the port side of the engine. It took a half a day to reassemble after the repair was made.
All in All, it took just over 2 days to make this 1/2 hour repair happen. If we had all supplies at hand, AND if this engine was in a tractor, it would have been a 1/2-hour repair. Guys, you know when you are working under the hood of your whatever toy and you reach for a wrench/socket only to find it's the wrong size so, you turn around and pick up another wrench/socket from your tool box? That took 10 seconds, right? Well, our tool box is 1/2 mile away at ACE Hardware or NAPA!!! We DO have 2 sets of sockets and wrenches and such, We had no 3/8" or 1/4" swivels (universal adapters), or or a second 1/4" drive extension or specialty tools we found we needed as we went along. So off to the parts house we went each time we ran across something specific we didn't have onboard.
I feel cautiously optimistic about the repair as I did find damage from a previous repair.
One thing is for sure. The Illinois Fish & Game folks are spending days on end catching & studying the Asian Carp. They got jon boats rigged with electrical shocker systems and butterfly nets, scooping up these fish all day. They have been launching early here in Havana and staying out til lunch. Then relaunching 2 hours later and staying out until dark. We saw this back at Lower Henry Island too. The boats were identical to these folks here. They are losing the battle with these fish. Maybe they can rename them and sell them as a delicacy??... No? Just a thought...
The Crew has begun to bid farewell to many of the local folks as we plan to be under way tomorrow by 06:30.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 13
June 10 - Havana, IL to Hardin, IL
The Crew was eager to head south once again. All were very concerned about the repair yesterday. Will it hold? Will it hold for five days? Lets find out!!!
Willow B cast her lines and bid Havana a fond farewell at 06:30. We checked the repair every 30 minutes to ensure the fuel leak did not return. After 3 1/2 hours the inspection happened every 2 hours.
No fuel spraying!!!
After a full day we noticed a weep of fuel. Not enough to cause concern, but enough to know that it needed addressing once we were in our home port.
Willow B made only one lock today. This lock took about an hour to make. Even with this delay, we still made 100 miles. We only ran at 2200 rpm and still made 7 knots good with our following current.
Tomorrow we will move down the Illinois about 20 miles to Grafton, IL which is where we pick up the Mississippi River. In Grafton we will do laundry and make a grocery run. Then we will check out the Mississippi Levels. We had conflicting reports today, but both reports indicate the Missouri River is flooding into the Mississippi. Both accounts show the Mississippi levels dropping daily. Worst case scenario, we will be stuck in Grafton for a day or two while we wait for the river levels to subside.
By the way, we have been out of internet service since we left Big Basin Marina in Channahon, IL on June 5. Hopefully we will have service @ Grafton Harbor where I can update the site.
We will learn our fate tomorrow.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 13
June 11 - Hardin, IL to Grafton, IL
Willow B moved only 20 miles today and landed @ Grafton Harbor in Grafton, IL. This is where the Illinois River enters the Mighty Mississippi!!!
The good news is we have transited all of the Illinois River. The BAD news... The Mississippi River is high. It's not out of its banks, but word has it that it is running 6 - 7 knots in places. There ain't enough money to make me get on a 7-knot river with a 6-knot boat... We will research and make a decision later.
Edit
The Mississippi River is running a bit. AND the further downstream, the more it is running. We had a report that there is 5 knots of current @ Poppies Marina in Imperial, MO. And the current is closer to 6.5-7 knots between Thebes & Cairo. So we will wait here @ Grafton until the river calms down. We keep telling ourselves that this a pleasure trip and if we have concerns, we will wait for a better day
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 13
June 14 - Grafton, IL
Grafton Harbor was a very busy place to be over the weekend. Lots of boats of all sizes and shapes. This area is known as 'The Key West of the Midwest'!!! I believe the Key West reference was due to the partying on the water, NOT the fishing opportunities. Monday it was quiet. It was even quieter today. I was told that they spend the weekdays recovering from last weekend and preparing for next weekend.
There has been a mutiny aboard Willow B!!!
The Navigator & Engineer have jumped the Skipper and Head of Security. They were bound, gagged and placed in a hold. The Offenders rented a car and are headed for Texas. They figured that they could make Texas and get in a visit with old friends while waiting for the Mississippi to subside. The Skipper and Security worked out of the bindings and await the return of the missing crew.
We met the crew of a 26' Nomad Trailerable Pocket Trawler. It is powered by a 50 hp Honda Outboard. Cool boat. They launched in Chicago and are bound for The Ohio River. They are leaving in the morning and headed for Poppies Marina. Willow B, in contrast, is on NO hurry at all to to face the swifter currents.
Fairer Waters are ahead,
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 13
June 16 - Grafton, IL
Still Here... Waiting on my Crew to return. The Navigator & Engineer are still in Texas visiting old friends. This is the first chance they have had to visit since we moved to Ohio back in 2014.
I hear the Engineer is spending as much time onboard a ski boat on Lake Buchanan as possible.
I figured it would be prudent to go ahead and fuel up before the weekend crowd, so Willow B was moved from the transient slip to the fuel dock and back today. The fuel dock is just down the fairway from the transient slip. This was important as there is very little room to manouver. There was little wind and no current. The entire manouver there and back was accomplished with the rudder hard over to starboard and using the shifter with small bursts of power.
I found my starboard prop walk!!!
Whoo Hooo!!!
Aparently, it was hiding from all that wind...
Once I backed my starboard stern to the dock, I came down off the bridge and looped the aft line around a cleat and went inside and put the engine in forward and walked back to the cockpit to watch Willow B slowly swing her bow parallel to the dock. By this time the dock hands were running down the dock to assist. I told them to hang loose. Each time they reached to pull on a line, I told 'em 'Its all good, let her be and she'll come over when she's good and ready. Sure enough, Willow B settled in along side the fuel dock just as she has done so many times for me.
The dock hands commented that it looked like I did that once or twice before. It is good to get noticed!!!
As the Crew will be away until Sunday PM, the Head of Security and I have resigned ourselves to watch all the pretty boats carrying all those scantily clad people aboard.
Somebody's gotta do it!
June 17 - Friday Night @ Key West (of the Midwest)
This is a VERY busy place. The traffic started around 14:00. Then it continued to build until sunset 20:30.
I have but a single observation...
EVERYONE IS RUNNING OPEN EXHAUST!!!
The ONLY boats running any sort of muffler system are the outboard powered boats.
An extreme example of this was a conservatively dressed mid-60ish year old couple leaving their nice Gibson 41 Houseboat as I was walking up the dock before dark. They were docked close to Willow B with the stern facing us. I briefly visited with this nice couple as they were checking thier lines and fenders before heading to the Oyster Bar.
Sweetie Pie and I were dozing in front of the TV, around 22:00 when this nice couple boarded and fired off those 2 BIG BLOCK open exhaust monsters.
I really don't know who jumped higher, me or Sweetie. A walk out to the cockpit confirmed that it was in fact the Houseboat rumbling. Not only the open exhaust, but the houseboat was completely lit up below the waterline with strobing LED lights.
Once they exited the Harbor and got into the Illinois River, he opened up those 2 big blocks and this 41 Gibson planed out and was gone at 35-40 knots!
June 20 - Grafton, IL to Ste Genevieve, MO
Willow B cast her lines @ 06:00 and was down river bound. Her speed was 7 knots until we entered the Mighty Mississippi were her speed was 8 knots to the good. We locked thru 2 locks today. When we left the Chain of Rock Canal and entered the Mississippi once again, we were below the Missouri River where we were then making 9- 9 1/2 knots. We held this speed for the first 30 miles or so, which brought us thru busy St Louis. The second half of the trip was at 10 knots. We made 100 miles and 2 locks today.
The locks will only allow tugs pushing barges 3-wide. Well, there ain't no locks on the Mississippi south of St Louis to the Gulf of Mexico. So there are barges stacked up both sides of the river and anchored in the middle of the river. BARGES EVERYWHERE!!! Then we started seeing tugs pushing strings of barges 6 & 7 wide and 6-7 long... 7 long & 7 wide is 49 barges folks!!! Thats a bunch of steel headed our way, being pushed with tugs running 3 massive engines. We were seeing prop wash of 3-5' behind these tugs. What a sight...
The theme for today (and tomorrow) is WICKETS!!!
Wickets are wing dams that extend out from the river banks to slow the current to slow down the bank erosion. WOW!!! Oh yeah, did I mention that you can NOT see them below the water when the river is this high? All you see is the disturbance in the water as it passes over these hull crushers. They are indicated on the Garmin Instruments. Some of these dudes extend easily 1/2 way across the river!!! We spent WAY more time dodging wickets than tugs!
We landed at the Kaskaskia River Lock wall about a mile off the Mississippi.
I have a few pics to post, but the lack of internet will not let me upload them...
Tomorrow will find us very close to, or on the Ohio River near Cairo, Il, which is about 120 miles.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 13
June 21 - Ste Genevieve, MO to Cairo, IL
The crew of Willow B spent a restful night securely tied the the Kaskaskia River Lock Wall. The lines were cast @ 06:00 this morning and Willow B was South-bound once again.
The sights and sounds were just the same old river rat fare. I gotta admit that I was very much NOT impressed with the Illinois River. The entire crew was underwhelmed, except for the jellyfish sighting. Well, the Mississippi was just as, or less so impressive. The tows are just wider... most tows were pushing 5-6 wide barge strings. We didn't take a single picture. There was just nothing notable. Just ready to get home...
Other than a black bird landing on the bow rail and crapping on Willow B, we didn't see much wildlife at all. In 2 days we saw 1 deer and 1 eagle, oh and the black bird.
There was a moment that interruped the enjoyment of the trip. We were passing about 6-8 large tugs pushing very large barge strings headed upriver. So far the one-whistle side has been acceptable to all. One captain decided to see if he could push us into a wicket. He failed and called out on CH 13 there is no good reason for us to be that close to his barges, no way, none.
I replied to him that I am out of the channel on the inside of this curve and wasn't just about to go over a damn wicket. He came back and told me that there was plenty room on the other side...
Told him that as I was a 6-knot boatI didn't dare cross his bow and since there was so much room on the other side, why didn't he swing a bit wide and give us a little room???
I'll tell you why...
The current is swifter on the outside of the curves. He didn't want to slow down his already slow 4 knot upriver push.
I didn't respond.
The next captain (last tug) in line purposefully turned his barge string in tighter to us. He turned tight enough to us that the second barge of the 6 wide string took out the can (green bouy) just to push Willow B even closer to shore in an attempt to ground us. Apparently putting that insignifigant little boat in peril meant nothing to him.
After this gang passed (and I say gang, because that was their mentality) about 20 minutes later, I hailed the next oncoming tug and asked where he wanted us. He said it didn't matter to him. As we were the smaller craft, it's our choice. I told him that the 2-whistle looked easier for him, so lets just go for it. I did tell him that that last string really didn't care what was safe or not. Everyone knew what I was talking about as we all weren't 5 miles apart and I was transmitting on High Power as I wanted everyone to clearly hear what had taken place.
NO ONE RESPONDED!!! There was no need for anything more to be said, Everyone knew that they did me dirty. The last captian even stepped out of his wheel house to be sure and wave to us. He knew what was up. His wave confirmed it without him broadcasting over the radio. I understood what he did and why he did it!!!
This entire journey from Boston, MA to here, so far, we have been met with mostly respectful commercial captains.
I guess there's always one asshole out there with something to prove. In this case there was 2 of them.
I have a question... What recourse does anyone have when a commercial boat captain has a bad day or whatever and decides to take it out on a smaller, less powered vessel in the middle of nowhere?
Way back when, in my youth I remember a story of a tug pushing a barge on a lonely bayou in the middle of a marsh in south-west La. The captain failed to slow when he approached a small dock and sunk 4-5 smaller craft. The owners jumped into one of the boats that didn't sink and attempted to stop the tug, who's captain still refused to stop. The story continued that 4 rounds were shot thru the wheelhouse windows before the captain finally decided that he should stop.
Now this story was relayed to me by one of the sunken boat owners. And this was way back in 1971 or 1972. I'm NOT suggesting the use of deadly force is warranted, but what recourse is there?
A call to Coast Guard accomplished absolutely nothing. They are busy with bigger fish, dealing with Homeland Security and such. They actually told us to know our limitations and don't put ourselves in those situations. In other words stay home away from those mean people. This is the second contact with the Coast Guard and this is pretty much their answer on both occasions. The first contact was in Grafton, IL when we were looking for info on the Mississippi currents near Cairo, IL
OK... I put my soap box away. There...
Willow B has about a mile to make in the morning before we head upstream on the Ohio River for approx 60 miles before entering the Tennessee River.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 13
June 22 - Cairo, IL to Grand Rivers, KY
Last night was a restless night for the Skipper. We were waked all night. We had the anchor alarm running. The anchor alarm is GPS based and alerts when Willow B moves(drags anchor). Even so, anchoring along the Mississippi River is an un-nerving experience to say the least. We were sort of downstream of an island, but still...
The anchor did NOT, and has never, dragged once set. But each waking had the Skipper up and watching.
The anchor was hauled @ 07:00 and we were off for the Ohio River. We made 5.5 knots all day. So, we were looking at only a 1/2 knot head current. We passed some major tug activity both at the mouth of the Ohio and around Padukah and we watched a very beautiful river pass under Willow B's hull.
We locked thru on the Tenessee River to Kentucky Lake just after sunset today. We headed to the first marina and grabbed the courtesy dock for the night. We will settle up with them in the morning and move along.
What a hot few days it has been. We ran the generator and AC while underway so that we would have a place to escape the heat.
The recap for today is approx 85 miles traveled against a 1/2 knot current with 3 locks made. The last lock @ Kentucky Lake we were lifted 55'. We did this all in approx 14 hours. What a day!!!
Our quest for tomorrow is to locate a home for Willow B for the next 6 months or so.
Areas we would love to visit again (And take our time to enjoy):
1. Hudson River
2. West half of the Erie Canal
3. West coast of Lake Huron
4. East Coast of Lake Michigan
Areas we would NEVER experience again: Illinois!!! (The entire trip from below Chicago to Cairo was a very bad stretch. We went from Chicago's sewer discharge to the Illinois Waterway to the Mississippi. We were hoping each area would be beter than the last. It didn't happen. I wouldn't rinse my hands in any of these waterways.
The Ohio is said to be the ninth most polluted river in the world, but it looked pristine compared to what I forced Willow B to transverse.
NOW the Crew did enjoy Havana, IL. Havana was a hidden jewel.
June 23 - Grand Rivers, KY
Another Weather Day!!!
Last night we headed into the first marina we came to. We entered Lighthouse Landing and grabbed the Courtesy Dock. The wind picked up and pinned us against the dock. We doubled up the fenders and resecurred all lines and rode out the night. Well, here it is morning and the wind has done nothing but increase. We are pinned to the dock with sailboats around which prevents us from spring-lining a pivot off the dock.
The plan for today is to call the local marinas and start the process of finding Willow B a new home as we are here until the weather relents...
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 16
June 24 - Grand Rivers, KY
When the crew awoke the wind had becalmed. Willow B headed for Green Turtle Bay Marina & Resort on Lake Barkley. After looking around and given the tour by Bill Gary, the owner, we decided to make this Willow B's new home for a while. After discussing all the options it was decided that Willow B had spent too much time indoors over the past year, so an uncovered slip was leased until the end of the year.
After refueling, Willow B was moved to her new home. The crew began setting and securing lines and power cords where we can just lift the lines from Willow B's cleats and leave them laying on the dock ready for our return. Done and Done... Portlight coverings and solar block was installed where appropriate. We even located an OLD bridge cover which extended from the windscreen aft to cover the back-to-back seating. It was in poor condition. Also located was a cockpit cover as well. It fastened to the upper aft edge of the cabin and extended to the transom covering the entire cockpit and transom rail. Again, poor condition.
By 15:00 all immediate tasks were completed. We began meeting our neighbors and met Scott & Buffy, John Penny, Mike and Mark & Beth. We sat up and visited with Scott & Buffy until close to midnight. We bid them goodnight as they were leaving on a short trip in the morning. They were headed for Nashville and returning the following day on a friend's cruiser.
A Good Day Aboard
Willow B
June 25 - Grand Rivers, KY
Today was filled with packing and making ready to leave Willow B.
The Navigator's father agreed to drive to Lake Barkley to retrieve the crew and deliver us to Ohio.
October 30 - Green Turtle Bay
The Captain and Navigator made the trek to visit Willow B with new Fuel Injection Pump to solve the fuel leak problem once and for all. With much effort the old leaking fuel pump was removed and the new fuel pump was installed.
After re-installing and bleeding the fuel lines the main engine came to life!!!
This is a win.
Willow B's lines were cast and the shake down cruise was under way. Can we all say SMOKE??? We looked like a steam locomotive spewing heavy black smoke. AND a lot of it at any throttle setting above 1500 rpm. Something wasn't quite right.
So we headed back to the slip and put Willow B to bed. We needed to think about what was happening and go from there. We headed home to wrap our heads around this issue.
November 12 - Green Turtle Bay
The Captain and Engineer returned to Willow B to adjust the Fuel Injection Pump timing. It was quite tedious to squueeze in and get this adjustment done, but we are good to go.
Willow B once again, has a healthy main engine. The only smoke that shows up is at full throttle under a load, which is normal. Willow B is now well enough to travel.
We winterized all systems against the oncoming winter. This entailed servicing the fresh-water holding tank, Sinks, Shower & Shower Drain,
Ice Maker, AC, Main Engine as well as Generator water systems.
Whew... All done.
The decision was made to bring Willow B home to Ohio.
This means a 650 mile trip up the Ohio River to Shawnee State Park Marina in Oprtsmouth,OH.
This marina is at Ohio River Mile Marker 363.
This trip will be completed this winter!
If we wait for spring weather, the Ohio will be running big time with ice & snow thaw runnoff as well as spring rains. The barge traffic should be lighter as well.
It will be a cold trip, but the cold has never stopped us before.
As it stands today, The Captain will be making this trip single-handed.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by...
November 19 - Green Turtle Bay
The Crew returned to Willow B in preperations for the Captain & Engineer to ferry Willow B up the Ohio River.
Today turned into a work day. We found Genny's raw water pump impeller unusable. Once the impeller was replaced, all is well with Genny.
Then we found a bad main battery. Willow B has 2 Main 8D Batteries. These are HEAVY at 160 pounds each.
The Captain & Engineer got the bad one removed and the new one installed with only minor injuries.
The Navigator put in stores and did a fantastic job spiffing Willow B for the trip.
The plan is for the Captain & Engineer to cast lines tomorrow AM and the Navigator will head home via the Interstate system.
I just hope we can manage to head in the correct direction without our Navigator.
If we end up in Portsmouth, OH we went the right way. If we end up in Tennessee, we didn't.
Only time will tell...
Until Then
Willow B w/ 1/2 her Crew
Standing By CH 13
November 20 - Green Turtle Bay to Goldonda, IL
07:00 - Half of Willow B's crew (Captain and Engineer) bid the other half of the crew(Navigator & Security) a heartfelt farewell and cast her lines and headed for Barkley Lock.
While waiting to lock down, we watched the deer on the point across from us.
One thing is for sure... The rut is on!!
Once locked thru we made 6 1/4 knots good running down the Cumberland River to the Ohio.
12:15 - Willow B made the Ohio River and turned upriver where we were met with a light head current and managed 5.2 knots.
13:15 - The Ohio River is a VERY beautiful, scenic River. The Crew spotted the first Bald Eagle of the voyage.
The trip so far has been fairly uneventful. The battery voltage meters are acting up and not reading correctly, but we have many means to measure the battery levels onboard, so not an issue. We also discovered a fluid leak on the bridge helm steering. The leak only occured when we actually turned the steering wheel. No problem, we went below and fired up the heater. Problem temporarily solved. Until this issue can be addressed, when operating from the bridge we will enlist Cappy to do the steering for us. Heck, Cappy ran Willow B for more than half the day today. We will ensure the pressure is good to go on the steering system before pulling out in the morning.
16:00 - Willow B is on the hook behind Rondeau Island in Golconda, IL.
Here's a few pics we snapped once we were on the hook...
The Engineer indicated the electrical issue we encountered all day was originating from under the lower helm...
Yeah, right... No one has been working under the helm, we have been working in the engine room all month.
Well...
The Engineer was absolutely correct!!!
He has made the call on 4-5 issues and was 100% correct EVERY TIME!!!!
Dammit! I'm proud as hell of him, the rub is that I just hate being wrong that many times.
Oh well, guess I'll have to get used to it.
All systems checked out and we are ready to move at first light
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 13
November 21 - Goldonda, IL to Breckenridge Center, KY
Well the morning broke calm and cold as expected. The current temperature is 27-degrees and there is a heavy frost covering Willow B this morning.
What I did NOT expected was the fog on the river this morning.
Looks like it's gonna be a while before we go anywhere...
The fog broke at 08:30 and Willow B is on the move once again.
Today was VERY uneventful, which is a good thing on a boat. We had a little scare when the steering stopped responding.
Well, not really. We just had a little cross current happen upon us.
BUT with the bridge helm steering pump leaking, we got real busy real quick.
We had good pressure on the system and the fluid level was as it should.
All is GOOD aboard this Intrepid Cruiser.
We did learn that since losing all that anchor chain the bow is riding much higher.
Our radar is shooting over just about everything except the clouds ahead of us.
Now behind us, we picked up a sea gull flying just above the water about 1/4 mile behind us.
This is a simple mast adjustment that must happpen tomorrow as we are expecting weather on Wednesday.
We harbored up and anchored in the old river channel, here in Breckenridge Center, KY.
We saw 2-3 feet of water under our hull getting in and dropped our trusty Rokna anchor in 5 feet of water.
Sure hope the river don't drop over night on us. We may not get outta here.
The Engineer snapped this shot as we were easing into the anchorage...
It was pitch dark within 10 minutes of setting the anchor! That's cutting it way too close!!!
We will see what tomorrow holds for us.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing by CH 13
November 22 - Breckenridge Center, KY to Evansville, IN
Willow B was on the move early this morning. We are trying to make the most of these short winter days.
Once the main warmed up, the Engineer raised the anchor and away we went over the 3 1/2' deep sand bar.
Once we were in the Ohio River, we had less than 1/2 hour to the John T Myers lock. While talking to the lockmaster, my radio quit transmitting and I got 'Low Voltage' alarms. I went up on the bridge deck and communicated with the lockmaster with the bridge radio.
Here we go... A long trip is gonna get a whole lot longer.
We fired up Genny to charge the batteries. Then I looked at the voltage meter on the Garmin GPS unit and it agreed with my main distribution panel meter. I know, I know.... Getting pretty technical, but we spent the day trying to figure out this very complex wiring system on this boat.
AND Cappy wouldn't hold a course!!
Well Dammit!!! Now we gotta hand steer all day!
Oh well, it will have to wait until we hit a stopping point to troubleshoot. Sure made for a long day.
We saw this camp on the river's edge. This is what should be built in South Louisiana against the hurricanes.
This dude is built right!!
It is built on top of a concrete silo. How cool is that?
We reached Nu Plaza Yacht Club Marina in Evansville, IN. at 16:00
We took on 48 gallons of fuel. Willow B has traveled for 32 hours since fueling up @ Green Turtle Bay, which made a fuel burn of 1.5 gallons per hour. BUT, we ran Genny all night for 2 nights and most of the day for 3 days as well. So the fuel burn is about right.
Once fueled and watered up, we began taking care of issues.
The Engineer & I removed all that anchor chain from Willow B last year. Well Willow B's bow is riding much higher.
The net result is the Radar is shooting at the clouds. Good for seeing the weather, but bad for seeing whats ahead on the water. So we reworked the mount and now the radar is scanning the way ahead instead of looking up.
Success!!!
Now on to the electrical issue. After much investigation and troubleshooting, we found a loose connection on the electrical distribution panel. Once that connection was secured, power was restored to the helms.
We are good to go!
We are looking forward to tomorrow's adventures.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13
November 23 - Evansville, IN to Maceo, KY
The Crew awoke to a wet, windy morning. The temps have not been too bad for late November.
The mornings have ranged from the high 20's to mid 30's, with afternoons in the low to mid 50's.
Today was not much different, just a bit of wind.
Willow B is on the move by 06:30.
Five minutes from leaving the marina, Willow B's electrical gremlin appeared.
The volt gauges on both helms indicated 10-11 volts only.
We believe these gauges are incorrect, but we have been unable to locate the issue. Other symptoms of this issue were Cappy's inability to hold a course, and the VHF radio (main means of communication with the locks & only means of communication with other vessels in the area) not transimitting.
We made Newburgh Lock around mid day.
The Engineer stood by while the Captain single-handed the lock in preparation for his disembarkment in Louisville, KY.
From Louisville the Captain will single-hand Willow B the remaining 265 miles to the home port.
The lock-thru was very uneventful.
And that is a good thing!
We attempted to contacted Mike's Marina, which was very near our range for the day. After many phone calls with no answer, we decided to go anyway and leave cash for the dockage in the honor box. We made another phone call to the marina and got an answer. We learned they have pulled all the docks in advance of winter.
Bad news... The last suitable anchorage was 2 hours back downriver.
We decided to anchor near a bridge where we could get safely out of the main river channel.
We reached the bridge and dropped the hook at 16:30, with 15 minutes to spare before dark.
Once Willow B was safely on anchor, the Captain pressed the engine stop button and the main engine actually stopped!!!
This is a good thing!
But we still have a gremiln aboard and we are hunting it hard.
About 45 minutes after the anchor was set, The Engineer yells "Hey! We got a Leak!!!"
Yep, we had a leak. BUT it was a leak above the waterline.
A portlight (window) was leaking and soaked the Engineer's pillows.
Serves him right! He comandeered those pillows from the Captain's bunk in the first place.
Even though we are addressing issues, Willow B and her Crew are having a way better day than the owner of this houseboat!
What a long day. The Crew is looking forward to tomorrow.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13
November 24 - Maceo, KY to Derby, IN
Willow B is on the move again by 06:30.
The Captain allowed the Engineer a break and let him sleep in.
The anchor came onboard without issue. Although there were minor signs of abrasion on the rode. It was as if we anchored over snags or such.
The charts did not indicate this. Either snags or that darned gremilin that has been messing with us this trip.
Here's one for ya...
The captain knocked the binoculars off the helm and they hit the deck.
Upon examination, there were 2 blurry images, one above the other!!!
There go the binocs... Really??? We need those and have no spares onboard!
The Engineer examined them and found nothing out of the ordinary externally.
The problem MUST be internally, and as they are nitrogen-filled, there is no way to make repairs. Right?
WRONG!!!
The Engineer purposefully dropped them again, picked them up and looked thru them.
Problem Solved!!!
Oh, by the way...
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone from the Crew of Willow B!!!
Willow B pushed on past the original destination of Stephensport, KY and made Derby, IN @ 16:00.
The Crew spent a chilly day as the central heat dropped out this morning.
After extensive trouble shooting, The result was a failed raw water pump on the AC/Heat unit. We replaced this pump this past June @ Larson's in Waukegan, IL while prepping Willow B for the journey from Chicago to Green Turtle Bay.
This final leg of Willow B's journey home has been a beast!!!
I KNOW Willow B has suffered from deferred maintenance from the previous owner as well as the present owner.
I always figured that once Willow B arrived home, all could be addressed and we would be good to go...
As the temps are forcasted to be near 30 tonight, the crew is discussing the possibilty of firing off Genny and sleeping in the engine room to keep warm.
As Willow B is making a short run of only 30 miles tomorrow, the Crew will attempt to source a couple of electric heaters to make the trip more bearable.
The Crew decided to break out the adult beverages and we ain't gonna worry about it. We are but a resilient crew.
Until Then
Willow B
St..st..standing b.b.by CH 13 (maybe the radio will put out a little heat)
November 25 - Derby, IN to Leavenworth, IN
Willow B cast her lines and is moving up river once again by 07:30.
It was a cold day onboard since the water pump on the central AC/Heat gave up on us first thing yesterday.
Today's plan was to make it to this anchorage in Levinworth, IN as the next suitable, safe stopping point is 50 miles further.
So the run today was only 30 miles, which we made easily by 12:30.
This afternoon was filled with maintenance duties.
FIRST, we pulled the raw water pump on the AC/Heat unit. With a bit of finess we now have a functioning pump.
Which menans the central heat is back online. This was a BIG win for the Crew! Next, the Main Engine was due for an oil change.
After much levity, the oil & filter was tended to. Other tasks were performed successfully.
By far, the biggest treat is shedding those winter coats while in the cabin.
By the by... That darned Gremlin is still screwing with us. Mischievious little bugger...
Tomorow should find us within 15 miles of Louisville, KY. Until Then
Willow B
(Warmly) Standing By CH 13
November 26 - Leavenworth, IN to Louisville, KY
The Crew slept in this morning. We overslept thru the alarm! We DID, in fact sleep nice and warm last night!
The Captain awoke @ 07:30 and alerted the Engineer.
The Crew jumped into action and Willow B was on the move by 07:40.
We were late!!! Willow B must travel fifty miles today to the only safe anchorage off the main channel and out of barge traffic.
With the short winter days, we must run from sunrise to sunset to make these fifty miles.
But wait... We are changing time zones... After the calculations were made, we decided we were on schedule after all!
We dropped the anchor in Louisville, KY @ 16:15 with just over an hour to spare...
The trip today was quite un-eventful. And that is a good thing in a 37 year old boat. With 37 year old systems.
They don't make em like they used to. That's for sure.
We did observe a Bald Eagle roosting by it's nest. The crew saluted and proceeded upriver.
We look forward to seeing Louisville waterfront in the morning.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13
November 27 - Louisville, KY
This morning we were fogged in BIG time. The near river bank fifty feet away could not be seen.
The Captain started the Radar to verify Willow B's position. The Radar verified that Willow B remained safely anchored in place.
The anchor alarm had not alerted the crew, but it is reassuring to visually verify all is well.
10:00 - The fog has burned off enough to start for Louisville waterfront.
The Navigator and Security were just pulling up to dock as we pulled into our slip.
It was good to see them both.
A few maintenance tasks were completed, and others were delayed until Willow B's arrival in her home port.
The Engineer had his bags packed and loaded very quickly. Needless to say, he WAS ready to disembark!
Hugs all around and The Navigator, Engineer & Security were headed home.
The Captain tended to tasks and did a thourough check of all systems onboard.
5-6 TV stations were available as the day was whiled away.
With today's weather being marginal and tomorrow's weather forecast is calling for rain & winds of 40-45 mph, Willow B is to remain securely in Louisville until Tuesday AM.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13
November 29 - Louisville, KY to Madison, IN
Willow B has bid Louisville farewell at 07:45 and is on the move once again.
The trip today was tedious, to say the least. Most of the day Willow B was dealing with a following sea.
The 15 knot wind was blowing from the south across a south-moving current. The net result was 1'-2' wind waves.
A following sea pushes a boat's rear end sideways. When the seas turns a boat completely sideways, it's called a broach.
Well, Willow B wanted to broach and was all over that river today.
As Cappy is out of commission for the remainder of the trip, The Captain was consigned to the lower helm the entire day.
When issues needed to be tended to, Willow B was shut down and drifted while these issues were tended to.
Again, It made for a very long day.
Willow B arrived at Rivercrest Marina at 15:15 and took on 68 gallons of fuel. This is the first fuel stop that Willow B has taken on more than 50 gallons.
The numbers show 1.6 gallons of fuel consumed per hour. This is running both the main engine for 10 hours and Genny ran 24 hours a day.
Trent & Shorty were most helpful and quite informative. What a great couple of guys.
As the winter sun is getting low, and the shadows are getting long Willow B will overnight right here.
Looking forward to another day on the Ohio River.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13
November 30 - Madison, IN to Burlington, KY
The weather was brisk this morning. Not cold, just cool.
The lines were cast at 07:15, and Willow B was on the move again.
The Ohio River narrowed a bit and shallowed way up to 15-18 feet depth.
What this means is that all that water is now flowing down a smaller area.
What this means is to get all that water downstream, it must flow faster.
What this means is Willow B had more current against her.
What THIS means is Willow B goes MUCH slower!
We made 4.5 knots all morning!
The good news is that Willow B is no longer running with a following sea, so the crew enjoyed a much more relaxed day.
Willow B made Markland Lock at 12:30 today. The lock was a 35' lift. Once released from the lock, Willow B saw 5.5 knots once again!!!
We did not make up the time lost this morning, but Willow B should be able to make up some of the time lost tomorrow.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13
December 1 - Burlington, KY to Cincinnati, OH
After a very cold night, Willow B was on the move as soon as the Captain could make out the shadows.
It was 07:15 when Willow B eased out of Gunpowder Creek this morning.
It was skinny (shallow) waters, but Willow B was out of the main river channel.
This helps the Skipper sleep much better.
Willow B needed constant attention on this leg of the trip. The good news was the river depths increased from 25-30' to 45-60'.
Willow B made 5.3 knots for most of the day.
It was good to see the Cincy skyline appear as Willow B rounded a bend in the river. This meant Willow B is in Ohio!
The only anchorage is in a wide spot in the river. The trusty Rocna was dropped in 15' of water. When Willow B backed down to set the anchor, it bit and set instantly.
The Skipper watched the anchor rode pull tight and Wilow B stopped hard.
I love my Rocna anchor and challenge anyone to show me any anchor that does the job across all bottom types as well.
This self-righting dude can not lay upside-down on the bottom. If it lands on something that keeps it inverted, as soon as it pulls loose it rights itself and immeditely sets.
OK, enough about the anchor.
There is a few chores to tend to. The first of which is to get that darned heat back online.
If time allows, the Skipper plans to set out some sweet food and try to lure that darned gremilin out into the open.
That dude is hiding somewhere and is still screwing with the crew. Oh well, it sure keeps the crew from getting too bored or complacent.
Tomorrow will be Willow B's first full day transiting Ohio waters.
Willow B should be home midday Sunday.
**Update** - Willow B's main cabin heat is back online!
As the temps are low, Genny & the cabin heat shall run full time, until Willow B is in her home port.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13
December 2 - Cincinnati, OH to Ripley, OH
The morning broke clear this morning. It was cold, but who cares! Willow B's main heat was up and running.
The anchor was raised with a few tense moments. Last night was the first single-handed anchoring in current.
Current being the key issue here.
It is very hard on the anchor windlass (winch) to pull the boat to the anchor. With a full crew, the Skipper would ease the tension on the anchor rode by engaging
the main engine and let the boat pull up to the anchor, and the windlass would simply reel in the rode.
Well, working single-handed, care was exercised to give the windlass breaks to as not to overheat the windlass.
We never popped the 150 amp breaker, so all was well. It was a strain which pulled the batteries down. But the task was completed without injury.
Willow B turned her bow east at 07:15 and we were heading home once again.
The ever present current was such that Willow B made only 4-4.2 knots all morning.
Willow B reached Meldahl Lock at 12:30 and had to wait for a tug to lock down. It was 13:45 by the time we exited the lock.
The current was less and Willow B was able to reach 5.2 knots, which pleased the Captain greatly.
The temps never rose above 45-degrees, and Genny powered the heat system all day.
Willow B reached an anchorage in Ripley, OH. at 17:00.
The plan WAS for the Navigator & Security to meet the boat in Ripley and finish the trip which began in Hingam, MA in June 2015.
But it was not to be.
Instead they will meet Willow B at the dock in Portsmouth, OH tomorrow night.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By CH 13
December 3 - Ripley, OH to Portsmouth, OH
Good morning all. Willow B did a good job of keeping the cabin warm last night.
The Captain awoke around 06:00 and watched the day slowly greet the river.
After tending a few tasks Willow B's main engine was brought to life and the anchor was raised. As soon as the Captain could see, we were headed upriver once again.
The theme for today is debris. Willow B is forced to weave a path thru all this debris. Some was the size of a 4' 2X4, others the size of telephone poles 30' long.
Willow B made 4.5 knots for most of the morning. This turned out to be the fasted speed all day...
Travel plans aboard a boat, the plans need to be as fluid as the water that is being transversed.
As the river current increased Willow B's progress decreased more and more as the day progressed.
The shadows were getting longer and no suitable, safe anchorages are presenting themselves.
The Skipper has crunched the numbers and it keeps coming up that there is not going to be a suitable anchorage in range before dark.
AND with all the debris, night travel is NOT recommended.
What are the odds that Willow B would catch a floater that would do damage to her hull or prop?
What the heck, playing it safe ain't my strong suit. Anyway It's only about an hour or so of running after dark.
A friend relays to me that the Shawnee State Park Marina is not lighted. Well, he was right in a BIG way.
With the heavy clouded night it was dark big time by 18:45 when Willow B arrived @ Shawnee State Park Marina.
The Captain made a slow pass by the marina entrance to ensure the Radar could see the entrance before commiting Willow B.
The Radar did not see the marina entrance. AND the Captain could not see the entrance either from the lower helm.
After moving to the bridge helm and firing up the GPS up there, Willow B was eased into the VERY narrow entrance to Shawnee State Park Marina.
Willow B was eased into a slip and lines were set.
Willow B was home for the next year or so.
Having Willow B so close to home will enable the crew to tend to her without dedicating travel days.
A few items that the mechanically inclined will find humorous...
The raw water pump on the main engine has leaked the entire trip.
At the Engineers suggestion, the Skipper created a drain, or gutter, to route the water away from the engine drip pan.
The gutter was made from a laminated place mat. Zip ties were used to secure this contraption in place.
Now the leaking water is gonna drain onto the crawl space which must be accessed at least once per day. So a catch basin is needed. A gallon jug was cut open and used for this purpose.
BUT the jug will slide around. Problem solved as Willow B has many anti-skid pads aboard. AND a heavy shackle was thrown into the bottom of the jug to weight it down.
Problem Solved
The jug caught between a pint and 2-quarts of water per day of running.
When the captain was making his daily system checks, this jug would be emptied into the bilge, and, in turn, the bilge pump would pump it overboard.
When we had the fuel pump issue back in Havana, IL, we introduced an exhaust leak when we removed/replaced the exhaust manifold without replacing the manifold gaskets.
We didn't have gaskets, so we just reused the old ones.
The replacement gaskets were purchasd and have been onboard since Green Turtle Bay Marina, but the Captain could not bring himself to remove the exhaust manifold before getting Willow B home.
Needless to say, the ENTIRE engine room and all of it's contents as well as the saloon is covered with diesel exhaust soot.
Project List #1 Clean Engine Room!!!
All the deferred maintenance shall be brought up current as well.
This maintenance will be performed before weekend cruising season begins.
Give the Skipper a couple of days to put the numbers together on the trip.
Until Then
Willow B
Standing By
Here's the Numbers on the Entire trip from Boston to Portsmouth, OH
Estimated Nautical Miles Traveled - 2900 Miles
Engine Hours - 528
Average Speed - 5.4 knots
Gallons of Fuel Purchased - 637.5
Average Hourly Fuel Consumption - 1.2 Gallons/Hour
Enjoyment of Trip - 'PRICELESS'
I was asked if I would do it again. Everyone was expecting me to say NO... BUT I would cast the lines as soon as I addressed a few issues.
I told 'em that I would leave in 2-Weeks and go the opposite way.
"What?"
I'd head south down the Tenn-Tom to Mobile, AL, then round Florida and up the Atlantic Seaboard back to New York Harbor....
But yeah, I'd go.
Now, a faster boat would be nice, but Willow B suits me just fine...
Anyway, Willow B gets a well deserved rest until March or so, then its off to the NEXT adventure.
Me? I can't wait!!!
Until Next Spring
Willow B
Standing By
| E-Mail Willow B |