Alton-Hoppy’s-Kaskasian Lock Wall

Alton-Hoppy’s-Kaskasian Lock Wall

The auxiliary Lock at Mel Price L&D was down, so we were directed to the big lock after loitering for an hour with no good anchor/mooring options (lock #232 for us). The entire St Louis area was a nightmare of very heavy barge traffic making cresting three foot wakes ricocheting back and forth with lots of heavy bank logs thrown in. You can't see them behind the crests. It was a very miserable 20 miles at 7 MPH. Not friendly for small boats at all.

We stopped at Hoppy’s to top off gas tanks and walk to ‘town’ in the heat to the Blue Owl Cafe for lunch. They have very generous portions and we each saved half our sandwich for dinner.

Further south on the giant Mississippi there were giant eddies and whirlpools 60 feet across spinning logs and bank debris as we moved. We could feel all this like a giant hand trying to grab the boat, but we had no disasters. There are confirmed instances where an entire towboat string has been swung around 180 degrees, esp at the hundreds of bends where they have to aim for the outside of a bend. The river is high but not at ‘Action’ or ‘Flood’ stage.

We passed the infamous “Lock” sign at the start of the 6 mile Chain of Rocks canal that eventually leads to the lock. Again we were surprised at how there are no waterfront homes or development. A couple of years ago a $250,000 sailboat missed the canal and got stuck on the dam. He and his GF were rescued in a daring SeaTow operation, but the boat was lost and not insured. Don’t miss that turn.

Along the SC and NC AICW there are houses built on stilts on both sides. We hope to get down to the Kaskaskia River lock wall well before dark and get permission from the lockmaster to tie up for the night at the single spot available at the end…lots of ACE work boats are tied up there. He said this wall will be closed Aug 1-Sept 30. Despite reviews on WWG, there is NO power or water available. We had a good night with our two Ventastic 12v fans and a sunny day, losing only the avg 35-45 A H out of two combined Group 31 FLA batteries (the third in reserve).

This Heat Advisory is never ending, so we’d like to get all the way to Paducah although the 165 miles is a long cruising day with all the slowing for barge strings and heavy debris. Sometimes that twig above the water is attached to a tree under the water. Paducah has shorepower and water and we’re longing for some AC at night.

NEBOLINK log:

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