Days 124

Little Diversion Canal - Bean Branch Creek Anchorage

• Start 7:00 AM
• End 3:40 PM
• Underway 6:05 Hours
• Distance 68 miles
• Total Miles on Trip 2327
• Av Speed 8.1 knots
• Locks 1
• Weather Sunny, 86 Degrees, Wind 6Kn SW

Today's trip was a perfect example of flexibility. When we left Little Diversion Canal we did not have a firm destination in mind. We had a list of possible places to stop starting about 30 miles downriver ranging up 75 miles away. We really did not want to stop at the closer anchorages (Boston Bar Anchorage and Angelo's Towhead Anchorage) , as it would make the next leg of the trip very long. The upside of those two anchorages, was they are the most protected anchorages. After Angelo's Towhead, we leave the Mississippi River and head upstream on the Ohio River.

Because we are now heading upstream we are fighting a 3-4 knot current instead of getting pushed by the current. We can overcome the current but it means burning more fuel. We have been running the motors at 1100 rpm's but can run up to 2400 rpm's. Mark & Karen (Kay Dee) have been running at 1600 rpm's but their maximum rpm's are 1700. Once we got on the Ohio River Kay Dee's speed dropped to between 5 and 6 knots. We let Kay Dee lead the way and set the pace.

On the Ohio River we had two anchorages picked out. One below the Olmstead Lock, and one above it. Marvin and Nancy (Crimson Tug) called the lock to see if it would be possible to get through the lock today. The lock told them if we could get there in 90 minutes we would be able to get through today. We made it to the lock in 93 minutes. They had the gates open and we were able to pull right into the lock.

The Olmstead Lock & Dam in a "wicket dam" that is used to raise the water level upstream of the dam. When the upstream water level is high enough, the wickets are lowered to the river bed and you do not need to use the locks. The Army Corp of Engineers was in the process of raising the wickets, so all traffic had to go through the locks. (See the photo's for pictures of the dam)

Shortly after the lock we reached our anchorage. In this section of the river you anchor in the river, not in a canal off the river. Where we anchored the river is about one mile wide, and the channel is on the other side of the river. Other than the wakes from the passing tugs it was a great stop. We were far enough off the channel that the wakes were minimal, giving a nice gentle roll.

Our next stop will be Paducah KY. It will be nice to be back on a dock with electric and water.