Entire Great Loop Summary

In the winter of 2017/2018 I bought my first trawler/Looping boat- a 1980 38 ft Marine Trader. That summer, I rebuilt hatches, bottom painted, fixed canvass, reupholstered cushions, made curtains, fixed leaks, replaced and aligned drive-shaft, replaced motor mounts, repaired motor mount stringers and installed some new electronics. I also replaced one head, fixed black tank leak among other numerous mechanical, cosmetic and performed other general upgrades.

Loading all of our gear into the boat
The stern with Yooper Looper Name installed.

We departed from our home port to do the Great Loop in the fall of 2018.

The boys were all eager
And were ready to go
We lined up our gear
All in a row.

Bruce made the comment
“It’s way too much stuff
We’re never going to fit it
The room’s not enough.”

But into the cupboards
The closets and drawers
We fit all our belongings
And had room for s’more.

Before leaving our hometown
We slept on the lake
But unfamiliar noises
Kept us awake.

With sore eyes and muscles
But still full of life
I started the engine
Which woke up my wife.

At 6 in the morning
We left from our slip
For the start of our journey
Not aware of a blip.

After only 10 miles or so, we turned around because of excessive noise from my single Lehman 120 diesel.

I think a gremlin
Crawled in overnight
And put a kink in my engine
Just out of sight.

There started a noise
A clicking of sorts
That made me concerned
So I turned back to the port.

“We’ll get this noise fixed,”
I said to the boys,
“And be back on our way”
To continue our joy.

But one thing led to another
As projects sometimes go
Soon we’re pulling the motor
To get down below.

To locate the problem
And give her new life
So she’ll purr like a kitten
And relieve our strife.

So we’ll make a new plan
To go on our trip
When the engine is fixed
And get over the blip.

Even though we were fully prepared to continue on, I’ll call this my shakedown cruise. Suffice it to say, it was a little disappointing for all of us – My wife, my 13 year-old son, and a couple of his cousins who served as my first mate and crew members.

The knock in the engine
Would not go away,
So my wife, Margaret, and I
Decided to stay.

Until we could figure out –
What, where and why,
For we were afraid,
Our propulsion would die.

Learning more than I thought,
I ever would need,
Digging into that diesel,
Was a challenge, indeed.

Checking injectors,
Valves, wrist pins and pressures,
We found a bad piston,
Needing serious measures.

After returning to Hancock, we immediately began the process of removing the engine, got quotes on various scenarios:

  1. Replace with new
  2. Replace with a rebuilt engine
  3. Have original engine rebuilt.
    I opted for the 3rd one and personally (with the help of my brother and his mini excavator) pulled the engine on August 28th, 2018 and trailered it 275 miles to a diesel shop in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Pulling out the engine for a re-build

Deciding to rebuild,
The Lehman that day,
Resulted in changing,
Our plans just to stay.

The season was getting
Too late to depart,
Even if the rebuild,
Went fast from the start.

Preparing to winch up
The engine was slow,
Supporting the deck
With beams from below.

Detaching transmission,
Throttle, shifter and mounts,
We lifted the beast,
As if only an ounce.

I built a steep ramp
With screws and some wood,
Up to the port gunwale,
As strong as I could.

The port door was narrow,
So just to be sure,
I removed all the trim
To gain an inch more.

Sliding on oil pan,
And sledding on tin,
Pulling thousand pound motor,
Up with a grin.

It happened so easy
With barely a glitch,
Excavator and straps,
Plus little brother Mitch.

I’ll spare you the details,
So not to bore,
Sometime over coffee,
I can tell more.

They totally rebuilt the engine and I was lowering it back into the engine compartment on October 17th, only 7 weeks later. Two days after that we had snow on the boat, soon I put it to bed for the winter.

Re-built engine going back in.

Suffice it to say,
The rest just cost money –
Even that part,
Was ok with my Honey.

Now with more time,
To plan and to think,
Even so, that Great Loop trip,
Will come in a wink.

The following summer, I did more work on the boat. The most major project was removing the fly bridge floor, which was sagging from rotted decking. It took many gallons of epoxy, many yards of fiberglass cloth, lots of sanding and paint. The ceiling in the salon had to be jacked up too.

Re-building the flybridge floor

Since last I wrote
It’s been a long time,
A lot has been done
It feels like a crime.

That you’ve not been updated
On the Yooper Looper trawler,
So I’ll try to relate
How we’ve been spending our dollars.

With the chartering season
Now coming to end,
Now I have time
And money to spend.

Last winter was spent
On upholstery and more,
Rounding up parts
From the marine vinyl store.

From cushions to canvass
The zippers and foam,
I sewed in my basement
With no time to roam.

The fly bridge was next
On my list of repairs,
It had a soft spot
So I stripped it to bare.

To get at the deck
With seats in the way,
I had to remove them-
They couldn’t stay.

The fiberglass skin
Was removed with a saw,
Scrapers and pry bars
Until it looked raw.

Epoxy resin and
Marine plywood,
Paint and sore muscles
It finally was good.

Upgrading electronics
Is next on the log,
A radio, some charts
And radar for fog.

Then we’ll pack up the boat
With gear from our truck,
Come Friday this week
I hope we’re not stuck.

With wind in the forecast
That may cause delays,
‘Cause Superior gets rough
With very large waves.

We might wait for a window
When the waters are calm,
Because if it’s flat
We’re gonna take Mom.

Weather or not
The winds are a-gust,
I’m excited to go
Fort Meyers or bust!

That fall, 2019, we departed once again and along the way, I installed an AIS VHF radio and got it hooked up to my GPS, in order to see commercial boats on the river system as we cruised down the rivers to Mobile, Alabama.

Some say dreams
Don’t come true,
I dare to differ
I say they do.

To float on a journey
To Chicago and beyond,
We left from Houghton
To cross the big pond.

Various family members joined us for a spell along the way. My wife, Margaret, joined me for parts too, but since she was running our printing shop back home, was unable to stay on board for very long.

Several days later
We picked up my wife,
Her mother and gear
From Whitefish Point.

At Sault Ste. Marie
Soon at the locks,
And down the St. Mary’s
Then we did dock.

At DeTour Village
On a ferry we went,
To Drummond island
A few hours were spent.

The ladies went home
But we spent the night,
Left for St. Ignace
At the first light.

Under the big Mac
The next morning early,
On to Naubinway
The lake was real squirrely.

Rocking and rolling
On big waves that day,
Loose gear scattering
About 5 footers I’d say.

Our next stop was shorter
Manistique we’d tie up ‘er.
Then go to a ball game
Followed by supper.

At Leo and Sarah’s
We spent the night
Then back to the boat
The weather looked right.

To push off with friends
Dawn and Chris from below
Who came from Grand Rapids
And wouldn’t you know:

We had a good time then
With trailing seas,
Wind and waves pushing
More than a breeze.

At Washington Island
We rode our bikes,
For many miles
A bit more than I liked.

Pedaling by fields
And up to a tower,
Passing lavender plants
It took several hours.

The next day protected
Inside of Green Bay,
Continuing south
For most of the day.

Down to the Sturgeon
A pretty big bay,
Into the town there
Two nights on the way.

Tomorrow at sunrise
We’ll get up to check
To see if the weather
Will allow us to trek.

On Friday I hope
To watch CHS football again
So we need to get back
Some time before then.

Big time break here

At Orange Beach Marina
Just East of Gulf Shores,
We stayed a long time
Good friends there and more.

Saltwater fishing
For Sheepshead and Drum,
Using the dinghy
At least we caught some.

With eyes like a mammal
And ivory teeth,
It’s no surprise
They’re named after sheep.

Their needle sharp spines
Had punctured our boat,
And required patches
To keep it afloat.

Passing our time
By biking around,
The trails there are endless
No snow on the ground.

Finally Margaret
Was able to come,
We drove to Florida
We all got some sun.

Visited siblings
My sister and brother,
Bruce swam in the ocean
One wave after another.

A wedding back home
Shortened our stay,
A son who got married
On Valentine’s day.

Soon after the wedding
I took to the skies,
With United Airlines
Now selling my prize.

My, now 14 year-old son was getting bored, so I decided to sell the boat in Orange Beach, Alabama and return home.

My prize is my boat
Which I’m ready to sell,
The Yooper Looper
Performed very well.

I’ll buy another
To continue the quest,
Being on the water
Always is best.

Then in the future
Through the Erie Canal,
Down the Hudson River
Into the New York locale.

I’ll recap the rest
When the time is right,
For now I am done
I wish you good night!

That summer, the COVID year of 2020, I was able to strike a deal on a (barely used), Nordic Tug which was right there in my home port, which also needed work, but not nearly as drastic as the old Marine Trader.

The “Yooper Too” Nordic Tug

It’s been seven months
Since I sold the Trawler,
And only three
Since buying another.

She’s a bit smaller
Than my Yooper Looper,
But I’ll get the job done
Though there’s only one pooper.

We did a shakedown
And I got my wish,
To Isle Royale
Where we caught some fish!

One of our Isle Royale trips

This Nordic Tug boat
Needed attention,
To live aboard safely
Caused apprehension.

My pocket book flatter
Because it takes money,
Electronics and davits
And support from my honey.

Adding a railing
A windlass and motor,
Takes lots of time
It’s the life of a boater.

She’s named Yooper Too
Almost the same,
As Yooper Looper
From whence the name came.

Called a FAST trawler
As some people say,
Can cover more water
In the course of a day.

The plan to head west
Through Canadian waters,
Was spoiled by Covid
But don’t really matter.

We’ll head south
Just like last year,
The old Mississippi
Holds nothing to fear.

Now underway
As I’m telling my story,
Why don’t you join me
And share in the glory?

On a side note, I’m typing this as we cruise westerly on Lake Superior from Sault Ste. Marie to Marquette.

This Nordic Tug had all old electronics. I opted to keep the radar, but replaced the marine radio, added an autopilot, a windlass, new water heater, new battery banks, and added a railing and ladder to the upper deck.

We departed for a 3rd time on the Great Loop with the Nordic Tug, which I named “Yooper Too” this was in the fall of 2020 – COVID didn’t stop us and as it turned out, was a great time to live on a boat.
Later on, at various places en route, I replaced the radar, GPS, added a 2nd marine radio, a stereo system and speakers, fixed the diesel heater, added solar power (two 350 watt panels on the roof), replaced anchor chain with 100 feet of chain and 300 feet of 3 strand rode.

Life on a boat
While very much fun,
Is sometimes a challenge
In the long run.

No shortage of problems
When out on a boat,
All systems need fixing
To keep it afloat.

Bow thruster was weak
So I took it apart,
Found parts that were broken
Now it won’t start.

I ordered some parts
To put it together,
But we had to leave
Before the bad weather.

The water pump humming
And seemed out of kilter,
No water was coming
And found a clogged filter.

There must be lots more
Of slime in the tanks,
It keeps on clogging
Whenever it cranks.

A leak under the sink
Still has me stumped,
If it keeps leaking
Will have to be pumped.

The windlass up front
Had jammed up the chain,
A curse came to mind
But I had to abstain.

The engine room blower
Makes lots of noise,
If run in the morning
Wakes up the boys.

I wrote on my list
To fix it someday,
It just needs some oil
To make it go ‘way.

I really don’t mind
This fixing and stuff,
This life in the slow lane
Is not very rough!

It’s just kind of lonely
When M is at home,
And she goes to work
But I get to roam.

We made lots of great memories, friends, saw neat stuff from a really cool perspective (imagine the Big Mac from the underside and going through downtown Chicago with NO traffic lights to slow you down.)

Seeing sky scrapers
And thousands of people,
Passing under bridges
Even a steeple.

Trump building ahead
Strategically placed,
Lined up with the river
With towering grace.

Most interesting part
Of our trip to date,
I wished we could stay here
But it was too late.

Lots of boat traffic
But NO traffic lights,
In downtown Chicago
Just didn’t seem right.

Great Lakes behind us
Now that’s a relief,
The rivers are flatter
I’ll hear less grief.

Spent a couple months at anchor in Florida. During that spring (2021) I made it as far as Chester, Maryland, directly across the Chesapeake from Annapolis and left it there for the summer as I returned to my summer fishing charters back home (in other words, I had to WORK for the summer.)

The next two winters (2021/2022 and 2022/2023) I spent on the Yooper Too, cruising from Maryland to Florida and back and returned home (by plane) in the summers to do fishing/sightseeing charters.
At the end of last summer (2023) Margaret sold her printing shop and retired, so we opted to travel by RV for the winter months, then ended up in Chester, MD where we left the RV and jumped on the Yooper Too finally to cruise it home to complete the Great loop, by way of the Trent Severn, Georgian Bay, North Channel and now Lake Superior.
The bottom line is, it’s been a nice, memorable trip and Margaret wants to do it again, only next time she’ll plan to be along for the whole trip. God willing.

Underway And 1st Week

One Wednesday morning
We Left Lac La Belle,
Fished Stannard Rock
But didn’t do well.

Bruce and Rodney at Stannard Rock

Six hours later
At thirteen knots,
Then White Fish Point
Supper in the pot.

Sault Locks on Thursday
With no delays,
Bruce entertained us
On his Ukulele.

Wht Fish Point Light
A rudder from a shipwreck at White fish Point.
Sault Locks

Next at Saint Ignace
Met Captain Jim,
Diesel expensive
But won’t have to swim.

The Mackinaw bridge
As viewed from below,
Is quite a wonder
As my pictures show.

St Ignace Light
Underway

We went through the straits
With ships on both sides,
My tug hit their wakes
But I like how it rides.

Changing agenda
Because of the wind,
3 nights at Beaver Isle
My patience was thinned.

First night at anchor
And having my doubts,
Waves slapping and noisy
I let more rode out.

The anchor held strongly
And kept us in place,
The next day was better
Welcomed with grace.

Enjoying the island
We went for a ride,
Exploring the trails
The residents’ pride.

We went for an explore of Beaver Island.
An old jailhouse on the island
LOTS of little gardens like this on Beaver Island, nursed by a lady whose job it is to keep them going.

One hundred plus miles
To Sturgeon Bay,
Passed South Fox Island
Two nights we did stay.

Waiting for parts
That never came,
For my bow thruster
It’s broken, lame.

View from our boat window in Sturgeon Bay.
Sturgeon Bay USCG

Two Rivers last night
Then Port Washington,
And one more day
And we’ll be done.

Two Rivers

Going back home
We’ll resume in November,
We have lots of pictures
To help us remember.

Just offshore from Sheboygan
Chocolate chip cookies
Beaver Island
Saint Ignace
Just south of Beaver Isle

Starting Out on Yooper Too

It’s been seven months
Since I sold the Trawler,
And only three
Since buying another.

The Yooper Too

She’s a bit smaller
Than my Yooper Looper,
But I’ll get the job done
Though there’s only one pooper.

We did a shakedown
And I got my wish,
To Isle Royale
Where we caught some fish!

Isle Royale trip

This Nordic Tug boat
Needed attention,
To live aboard safely
Caused apprehension.

My pocket book flatter
Because it takes money,
Electronics and davits
And support from my honey.

Adding a railing
A windlass and motor,
Takes lots of time
It’s the life of a boater.

She’s named Yooper Too
Almost the same,
As Yooper Looper
From whence the name came.

Called a FAST trawler
As some people say,
Can cover more water
In the course of a day.

The plan to head west
Through Canadian waters,
Was spoiled by Covid
But don’t really matter.

We’ll just head south
Just like last year,
The old Mississip
Holds nothing to fear.

Now underway
As I’m telling my story,
Why don’t you join me
And share in the glory?

Last Leg For Winter Season

At Orange Beach Marina
Just East of Gulf Shores,
We stayed a long time
Good friends there and more.

Saltwater fishing
For Sheepshead and Drum,
Using the dinghy
At least we caught some.

With eyes like a mammal
And ivory teeth,
It’s no surprise
They’re named after sheep.

Their needle sharp spines
Had punctured our boat,
And required patches
To keep it afloat.

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Bruce with a keeper Sheepshead – notice the sharp spines – He was a little reluctant to hold it!
We punctured our boat twice with their spines.

Passing our time
By biking around,
The trails there are endless
No snow on the ground.

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26 Miles of bike/walking trails in the Orange Beach State Park, some like this and some paved.

Finally Margaret
Was able to come,
We drove to Florida
We all got some sun.

Visited siblings
My sister and brother,
Bruce swam in the ocean
One wave after another.

A wedding back home
Shortened our stay,
A son who got married
On Valentines day.

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Home for a short time for son Calvin and Morika wedding.

Soon after the wedding
I took to the skies,
With United Airlines
Now selling my prize.

My prize is my boat
Which I’m ready to sell,
The Yooper Looper
Performed very well.

Image may contain: one or more people
Painting deck to prepare for selling the Yooper Looper.

I’ll buy another
To continue the quest,
Being on the water
Always is best.

Then in the future
Through the Erie Canal,
Down the Hudson River
Into the New York locale.

I’ll recap the rest
When the time is right,
For now I am done
I wish you a good night!

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View from biking bridge over the highway.
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Stopped here for a lunch of Sushi! There were nearly 100 people inside buying fresh seafood and 6 registers with clerks selling constantly.
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There was about a dozen people getting orders ready, besides the 6 register clerks!
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A pelican watching us fish under the bridge. Sheepshead hang out on the pillars feeding there.
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A black drum and a sheepshead… the first couple fish that I caught.
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Some really neat docks with covered slips.
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I hired a diver to change my anodes from magnesium to zinc.
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Boat on the right never moved in the 2 months I was there, but a full-time deckhand polished it every day, keeping it ready for the owner.
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Gulf Shores/Orange Beach sunset.

Demopolis to Orange Beach

t/sdcard/DCIM/100GOPRO/GOPR0025

Unusual Christmas
With a small family,
And lights on the boat
In the shape of a tree.

So far down South
No snow to be seen,
With temps in the 60’s
And lawns that are green.

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Sunshine, open water, lots of greenery.

Had dinner with new friends
A potluck by all,
Sang carols on docks
We all had a ball.

The day after Christmas
The boat still our house,
I worked on the fly-bridge
With Bruce and my spouse.

Took down the enclosure
From high in the air,
To waterproof the top
I sprayed it with care.

Putting Rainex on windows
Bruce wearing my cap,
Being young and still limber
To him was a snap.

Up before sunrise
Lockmaster gave a green light,
Apprehensions so high
Gave Margaret a fright.

Through Demopolis lock
With water so high,
And flowing so fast
We really did fly.

Logs on the ‘Bigbee
And concern for my prop,
We had to watch out
Or get forced to stop.

Found a good anchorage
At David Lake,
Bruce looking for fun
A swim he did take.

Made one more stop
Before Mobile Bay,
Once we got there
A week we did stay.

Mommy went home
She drove for 3 days
Now WE cook and wash dishes
It sure changed OUR ways.

The windy days keep us
From venturing out,
The bay, it gets nasty
With breeze from the Sout’.

We left from Dog River
At Lulu’s we’d stayed,
Just me and my son now
And next day we made…

Just 10 more miles
Anchored for the night,
With Pelicans and dolphins
A beautiful sight.

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Lots of pelicans and Dolphins (which are harder to get picts of)

Dinner with Roiko’s
At Rajala’s had coffee,
Then bike rides prevent us
From becoming softies.

Rode trails that are endless
Through the state park,
Then back to our boat
Just before dark.

At Orange Beach Marina
With thunderstorms coming,
On our roof up above
The raindrops are drumming.

Now it gets lonely
Just me and my sonny,
Wishing to curl up
With Margaret, my honey!

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Found another pecan tree with some good nuts!
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Exploring up the Ingram Bayou near Orange Beach. This is an old barge, abandoned and rusted out!
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I love looking at all the boats!
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I’d like to know the story on this one, abandoned on the Ingram Bayou.
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Boatyard along the inter-coastal waterway (ICW). Notice the brown pirate ship.
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Painting on an “off day.”
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One straight mile equals six miles on the river, so at 11.3 mph, we only make less than 2 mph progress. My boat is the dark triangle on left quadrant and the hollow triangle on the bottom right quadrant is a barge/tugboat coming.
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Here’s the barge after we finally pass it on the river.
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My GPS, showing our boat (triangle in the middle), Going 9.5 MPH, a full CW circle, then a full CCW circle. We did LOTS of weird zigs and zags on the Tombigbee Waterway.
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Friends we made along the way.. they did the Loop 30 times with this boat since they bought it new in ’87!
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A couple days after Christmas, Margie and Bruce with a new “Looper” friend. Rafted at Bobies Fish Camp, while waiting for the lock master to call us.
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More live-aboards at Bobies Fish Camp.
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Cargo ship on Mobile Bay, un-loading.
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Not along the river, but near Mobile, Al when we dropped Margaret off for her drive home.
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Here’s one of the barges we were waiting for to get through the Coffeeville lock, just after Bobies Fish Camp.
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Columbus, AL – Demopolis

A friendly marina
In Columbus we stayed,
House batteries replaced
Then Stennis Lock we made…

Our way down the Tenn-Tom
Us tourists enroute,
Then Tom Bevill Center
To see what it’s about.

The Montgomery steamboat
A snagboat displayed,
And replica mansion
An hour we stayed.

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Sitting at the controls of the Montgomery Snagboat, a steam powered river boat where we spent an hour before going through the Tom Bevill Lock.

Soon after Tom Bevill
A 30 foot drop,
Cochrane was a cut-off
The main river we stopped.

This part of the Tenn-Tom
With oxbows both sides,
You have to be careful
Or you might take a ride…

Or get your boat grounded
And ruin your prop,
Needing a tow
For an unscheduled stop.

Next day was a short one
Twenty miles or so,
To Howell Heflin Lock
Tombigbee Ox Bow.

Anchored in current
No houses in sight,
A bridge up the river
Where we spent the night.

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Early morning leaving the anchorage. Cold and calm.

With frost on the railings
And deck down below,
A cold, chilly morning
At least it’s not snow.

The white cliffs of Epps
Were pretty to see,
Then ends the Tenn-Tom
Start Tombigbee.

The white Epps cliffs

Kingfisher Marina
Near Demopolis lock,
Spending 3 days
It’s a great stop.

A break from the river
And stock up on food,
Got water and groceries
We’re in a great mood.

Even though rainy
And not very nice,
A tour of Bluff Hall
For a very small price.

To see how they lived
So long ago,
In Mansions so roomy
The river below.

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The Bluff Mansion, over looking the river. This is a pile of dead bird bones that fell down the chimney. (the tour guide didn’t know about this and was a little embarrassed)

Tomorrow we leave here
With more sights to see,
Feel free to call us
Not sure where we’ll be.

Now before posting
This rhyme on the net,
Our plans took a turn
As right here we set.

The rain causing flooding
From here to Mobile,
Stranded on boats?
Now this is surreal!

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The tugboat “Albert”, moored along the river.
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Most locks have the towers so the lock master can see what’s happening.
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8 barge tow, can carry as much as 450+ 18 wheeler equivalent loads.
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Bruce getting ready to go to shore and set his camera to catch a sunset on time lapse.
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Dining room in the Bluff house. Original plaster moulding around the ceiling. Original dinnerware from mid 1800s. The first microwave oven back right. It is a tin box that sits in front of the fire to keep food warm if someone is late for dinner.
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The winding Ten-Tom heading more or less southerly in a snake-like way. My boat is the small black triangle just below center.
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White cliffs of Epps.
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We always fly the AGLCA flag. (American Great Loop Cruisers Assoc.) This way, other “Loopers” always know who is on the same page… a great conversation starter.

The Trawling Life

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Yooper Looper as she’s moored under a roof at Columbus, MS Marina

This trawling on rivers
A much different life,
Is really more fun
When you have a wife.

To enjoy the scenery
And cooking for me,
While steering from fly-bridge
A lot more to see.

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Wife, Margaret, up on the Fly-bridge doing her graphics work remotely on the river.

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Preparing to “lock down”

Ducks on the water
Herons on the shore,
Geese that are flying
White pelicans galore.

Wispy white mare-tails
Or cotton-like pillows,
The clouds ever-changing
Like smoke they will billow.

Along the Kentucky River, clouds ever changing

Sunrises and sunsets
And moon in the sky,
(At home when you’re busy)
These things pass you by.

But here on the water
With time on our side,
We get to enjoy them
As we go for a ride.

Days upon days
And nights upon nights
Out here on the water
It’s all about sights!

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Two fellow Looper boats waiting to enter the next lock.
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After sunset, with the moon above, gates closed, ready to go down to the next river level.
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Another boat joins us in the lock
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Notice the huge mechanical arm that opes and closes the gates.
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The Whitten lock – a 84 foot drop and 46 million gallons!
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The Johm Stennis Lock. Notice the fisherman at bottom right- just his head showing.
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Tugboat on left is a looper called Jack Roberts
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Mighty doors of the Whitten lock
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Wating for the gates to open after sinking down
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Andy and Bruce holding the boat off the wall as we descend.

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Pretty skies.

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See the vine covered support on left end of bridge.
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A little “dog house” fly bridge so they can see over the cargo.
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We bowled for fun in Columbus, MS (mom, Bruce , Andy and I)
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Tank in Amory, MS
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See the Yooper Looper far off in the background. Went for a walk in the State Park.
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Bike ride in Columbus, MS
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Saltie, loopers from CO

Green Turtle to Pickwick Landing

From Green Turtle Bay
A Courtesy car,
Over our limit
We drove very far.

Left my Suburban
Near Sugar Tree town,
To transport my daughter
When she is home-bound.

Through Barkley Canal
From East to the West,
Traveling in daylight
Is what we like best.

A very big park-
Land Between the Lakes,
By the Tennessee River
We put on the brakes.

With wildlife galore
And many large bays,
It’s worth a few stops
And overnight stays.

Dropping the anchor
In Duncan Bay,
Exploring the shoreline
A cold night we did stay.

Frost on the railings
Was not going to stop,
My son from swimming
So down he did hop!

Deep in the water
At 50 degrees,
Then back in again
I thought he would freeze.

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Air was less than 40, with frost overnight, and water just under 50!

30 Miles up river
Paris Landing State Park,
At McWherter fixed bridge
Docking near dark.

Rangers were friendly
Showing us reptiles,
The boys even held them
Brought on some smiles.

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The kids held snakes at the state park.

The next day was Thursday
With time we went slow,
Pulled into a harbor
To see where it’d go.

Then running aground
At Harmon Creek,
Changed our plans
We moved on to seek…

A safer harbor
Using Skipper Bob’s guide,
Pebble Isle Marina
Was just a short ride.

To stock up on food
With a courtesy car,
Waverly City
Was not very far.

Then Cuba Landing
Was our next stop,
Just 20 miles
It felt like a hop.

Met Ellie and Tom
With roots from back home,
Had interests in common
On boats also roamed.

Left Yooper Looper
Moored for 2 nights,
Drove over to Nashville
To see some more sights.

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Daughter Andrea at Opryland Hotel.

Dropped off our Andrea
And her 12 year old son,
Their ride was done now
But it was such fun!

Christmas light hanging
Was all done by Bruce,
With wire and duct tape
They couldn’t come loose.

Bruce, making our boat look like Christmas Season.

On Saturday morning
Left Cuba Landing,
Interesting houses
On both shorelines standing.

Ready for flooding
On stilt after stilt
All in a line
‘Cause that’s how they’re built.

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LOTS of flood-ready houses along the river.
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Some houses more stout than others.

At Eagle’s Nest Island
O’er night on the hook,
Anchor light shining
Marg reading a book.

‘Twas somewhat scary
To think we might drift
And end up on rocks
Causing a rift.

Woke up near dawn
Something went “thump,”
A log hit our keel
And made a loud bump.

With mom still in bed
The day started early,
The boys pulled the anchor
And the river was squirrelly

Making slow progress
Upstream we went,
To Pickwick State Harbor
The day was all spent.

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Pickwick Lock at night after 12 hours on the water.

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Some precarious houses along the Tennessee River.
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Lots of these cool houses.
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Notice the high doors at the State Capitol building in Nashville.
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Nashville congressional room. They have part time Representatives, not in session.
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Capitol building.
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Son Bruce at the war museum.
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Margie, Andrea and Rodney. We were too lazy to put the motor on.
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Grandson Rodney at Johnsonville Historical Park.
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Son Andy… we did a scavenger hunt style history lesson.
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From left – Brian, Margaret, Andrea, Andy, Bruce and Rodney. (not sure what the soldiers name is.)

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Son Andy passing time.
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Yours Truly (Brian) – notice the AGLCA flag (American Great Loop Cruisers Assoc.)

Grand Rivers Stay

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Green Turtle Marina. Yacht Club building on stilts.

Two weeks near Paducah
At Green Turtle Bay,
Back home for some football
My boat there to stay.

Just seven days later
We’re back on the boat,
But only for one night
Not ready to float.

Nashville was one city
For us to see more,
Some towns on the river
We want to explore.

Broadway had music
But not for our ears,
Too loud for our liking
And too many beers.

Boots for a cowboy
Attracted the boys,
They bought some then left there
Away from the noise.

Metropolis also
On want-to-do list,
To see Superman
Was all the boys’ wish.

 

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Metropolis City center piece, Superman!

Some things we needed
So to Paducah we went,
Picked wild pecans
And more money we spent.

The Cumberland River
Zigzags to the south,
We anchored in Barkley
At a river mouth.

With four of us eating
Thanksgiving dinner,
The steaks filled our tummies
They sure were a winner!

Patti’s was mentioned
By loopers who floated
But we chose to eat
Our own food til we bloated

We dinghyed to shore
To play for a while,
The boys made a raft
That made them smile.

Soon we pushed off
From Green Turtle Bay,
My wife and my daughter
A week they will stay.

Cruising upstream
On the Tennessee River,
Frost on the boat
Again we all shiver.

Now anchored out
At Land Between The Lakes,
Again for our supper
My family had steaks.

At Kentucky Lake
Today we’ll explore,
All made by a dam
We want to see more.

Christmas lights in Grand Rivers (also known as Patti’s Settlement) were sensational! Never saw anything like it. This is just a small sampling of it.

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One of many bridges on the Cumberland in Nashville.

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Prison? on the Cumberland River.

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On shore of the Barkley Lake, the boys climbed vines, explored and made rafts or on debris they found on the beach.

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toured the Andrew Jackson Hermitage. We were not allowed to take picts inside. A worthwhile tour if you can make it.

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Andy learning the history of Andrew.

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that’s grumpy me on a $20 fakebill!

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Getting attacked by a bear.

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George Rogers Clark, a famous explorer

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The boys posed with Lois Lane in Metropolis.

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Green Turtle Bay, as we left one morning.

 

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The River Heritage Museum in Paducah

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The Lane Museum in Nashville

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All the cars run and drive in this Lane Museum in Nashville.

 

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We watched the Tenn Titans trash the Jacksonville Jaguars in Nashville.

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Our view out of the backside of our seating area at Nissan Stadium

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Downtown Nashville across the river, through the stadium bars.

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Nashville walking bridge after the football game.

 

 

Alton, IL to Grand Rivers, KY

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St Louis sights.

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Ken, cleaning off the boat before leaving Alton.

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Another snow picture with of son, Bruce

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We saw this amazing monument from underneath, on top and from the mighty Mississippi

From Alton down river
By St Louis we go,
Cold icy weather
Banks white with snow.

Wing dams cause swirling,
Shifting currents galore,
Downstream was helping
More miles to score.

The radio blared
“Don’t go that way,
The rocks are shallow
To the left you should stay.”

It was a barge
Behind us a ways,
A friendly captain
Who kept safe our day.

Guided to safety
Avoiding rapids below,
Saved us from rocks
That our map didn’t show.

Next day before dusk
Mississippi was done,
Up the Ohio
River to run.

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The winding Mississippi – the Yooper Looper is the little black triangle on the right, the other 2 triangles, in the center are two barges coming our way. our SOG (speed over ground) is 12.5 mph with a 5 mph current pushing us.

We dropped 2 anchors
Just to be sure,
The boat wouldn’t drift
And get grounded ashore.

Cairo behind us
The anchors we weighed,
Cruising at sun up
Wish we had stayed…

To see Metropolis-
Superman city,
Had to move on
Seemed like a pity.

Motored past Paducah
Then Cumberland River,
At Barkley Dam
I started to shiver.

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Barkley dam from the Cumberland River side.

The warm sun had set
The moon coming up,
Nothing to do
But start making sup.

The wait there was long
To get in the lock,
Had time for dinner
And plenty of talk.

A train went across
As we waited below,
In the darkness we heard it
The whistle did blow.

The lock was our first
Going upstream,
A 60 foot lift
A small part of my dream.

Shining our spotlight
‘Bout midnight or so,
Into Green Turtle Bay
To dock we did go.

After a shower
A shave and some sleep,
We’re headed for home
And snow that is deep.

We’ll go back
In a week or two,
Continue our adventure
Until then – Adieu!

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View of St Louis from atop the arch. Baseball stadium in upper left.

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View from the river side of the arch, where we cruised the next day.

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Base of arch

 

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A typical industrial site along the way

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15.1 mph is the fastest my boat has EVER cruised with the Mississippi current pushing! Yooper Looper is the center black triangle

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A barge loaded with windmill blades being guided by 3 tugboats – these things are HUGE!

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I’m always fascinated by cloud formations

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The shores of the Cumberland River as we go upstream

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Barkley Dam

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Inside of the Barkley Lock as we get raised up 57 feet, our first time getting lifted, and the newest and highest gone through yet.

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This is the nicest looking tug and barge

Image may contain: sky, ocean, outdoor and waterWe saw lots of bridges and industrial sites.Image may contain: bridge, sky and outdoorImage may contain: bridge, sky, cloud, outdoor and waterImage may contain: sky, bridge, cloud, outdoor, water and natureImage may contain: sky, ocean, outdoor and water