Sazturday - September 25, 2010

We set out at around 8 and immediately went out into the Mississippi river. It was initially a little confusing until we got our bearings. Much wider than the Illinois and the current flows a lot faster. We stopped at Alton which is about 10 miles from Grafton, for a fuel fill and a pump out. For the next couple of hundred miles, there is only one place to get any fuel. It is likely after tonight we will be anchoring out on the rivers.
As we traveled down the river, the water height was noticeably high as evidenced by the trees that were under water. Many more tows on the Mississippi that on the Illinois. The water is filled with lots of floating objects including a great many large deadheads that could do some real damage to the boat. The water is moving south at about 4 to 5 knts if not faster. In fact at one point in time, the boat had a speed over ground of 12 knts and the boat’s engine was just turning at 1000 rpms. In normal water the boat would have gone at about 5.5 knts.
We passed the point in the river where the Mississouri river joins the Mississippi and the water was extremely turbulent and the boat was pushed around by the two currents joining into one. Further on down the river we passed by St Louis and its signature arch. Unfortunately, the waterfront of St. Louis bore no resemblance to that of Chicago. It was highly industrialized.
We stopped at a marina called Hoppies at about 3 in the afternoon. Hoppies is essentially a wharf alongside the river. My initial and second attempt to tie up to the dock was futile as we were instructed to come directly into the current and pull up beside the wharf. The whole approach was to stay about 15 feet from the wharf and let the current 5 to 6 knt current push the boat into the wharf. Not an easy task when there are a bunch of people on the wharf all yelling instructions. The third attempt was successful but now being tied to the wharf the river water is running very fast by the boat.
The owner of Hoppies, fern gave us a talk about places to anchor on the both the Mississippi and the Ohio rivers. It was a good talk and she provided a lot of information. Fern is quite a character. Smoked constantly while she was talking.
Went back to the boat and cooked supper.