6-23 and 24, 2012: Leatherwood Creek anchorage and back to Pebble Isle

On Saturday, 23rd, we got going about 08:30.  When bringing up our anchor it felt heavy so I went slow and watched as it came up.  After bringing about 30' feet up there was this huge piece of metal caught on the chain; it had to be 3 1/2 to 4 feet long.  Keith had to get it off for me.  This was a first for us. 

We  traveled 39 miles to Leatherwood Creek (Mile 73.6) and anchored just before the marina.  Originally we had planned on anchoring at Mile 68.0 at Standing Rock Creek across the river from Paris Landing but when we got there the cove had way too many houses on it so we decided not to.  Leatherwood anchorage was not bad but so close to the marina there was a lot of boat traffic.  The Bar/Restaurant at the marina had a live band so we got to listen to music all evening.

On Sunday, 24th, we took our time and got going about 08:30 again.  With only 24 miles to go we got to our slip by 11:45.  This morning we saw the biggest tow/barge since we left the Mississippi.  It was 5 wide and 5 deep where they usually are 3 x 5.  It was empty except for 3 barges.  In all we were gone 3 weeks for our Cumberland River trip.  It is a beautiful river and worth seeing by boat.  We will be leaving for Montana this coming week and spend some time at home before we come back in August and finish exploring the Tennessee River.

N36  03.673
W87 57.007

CO's comments:  After dark while I was sitting with our anchor light on I heard the sound of boats.  I looked and could not see any.  Finally, several jet ski's came whizzing by our boat with no lights on.  An accident just waiting to happen.  Just before getting to Pebble Isle I increased our speed to blow some carbon out of the engines.  2 jet skies started jumping our wake (which was very high).  They were coming completely out of the water.  We looked behind our boat and saw a jet ski without the 2 drivers.  I guess the wake threw them off their ski.  That's why it is against the law for people to jump wakes of big boats.

Leatherwood entrance to anchorage and marina at Mile 73.6.  You have to really follow the red and green buoys and hug the south bank until you pass the large shallow area.  Once past the shallow area take a hard left (north) over to our anchorage.

 Tow pushing 25 barges, the 3 directly in front of the Tow are full and the other 22 are empty.

6-21 and 22-2012; Sugar Bay anchorage near Benton, KY

We only had about 5 hours of travel today so we pretended it was Sunday and slept in.  We got out on the river by 12:30 and it was another hot one.  About 16:45 we left the Cumberland River via the Barkley Canal and we were back on the Tennessee River again.  We really liked the Cumberland.  There was  beautiful scenery but if we had to choose, we would pick the Tennessee River as it has more coves for anchoring, it is wider and deeper.  It was a little weird traveling until about 18:00 before anchoring.  Stopping so late we didn't sit down to dinner until 19:30.  We both decided we liked getting up early and stopping by 14:00 or 15:00. 

CO's comments:  Before we arrived at the Barkley Canal, I told the XO to take over and get us through.  She did a marvelous job.  Summer has arrived and all the neat coves are filling up with boats early in the day.  This is one of the reasons we decided it is best to start the day early.

N36 51.469
W88 07.656

Leaving Lake Barkley State Park Marina on 6-21-2012.

Going by the Kentucky State Penitentiary at Mile 43.8 on the Cumberland River.  It is also known as the "Castle on the Cumberland" and is the state's maximum security male facility.  It was completed in 1886 and is the state's oldest prison and an imposing site along the river.  It is located in Old Eddyville where the town used to be before it was relocated when the Barkley Dam was built.

One of the few anchorages on the Cumberland, not far from Green Turtle Bay at Mile 34.0+/-.

Landscape around our anchorage in Sugar Bay, Mile 35.7 on the Tennessee River.

6-20-2012, Lake Barkley State Park Marina, Mile 59.0+

Wednesday:  Another beautiful day on the river.  We went 33.4 miles to Lake Barkley State Park which is 2 miles up the Little River.  We got here early in the afternoon and this evening we ate at the Hotel restaurant.  It was very good; you could order the buffet or off the menu.  It is a beautiful old Hotel built in 1966.  On our way up the Cumberland we got gas here and then went a short ways to a nice anchorage but we decided to stay at the marina this time.  Very good rates at .85 a foot and their fuel is just $3.86 a gallon where most every where else on the Cumberland it is $4.50 to $5.00.  I even got five TV stations here.

We only passed one tow today but it was a big and heavy one.  He was pushing 15 barges all full with 15,000 tons of coal each and he was heading for the TVA Steam Plant at Mile 103 in Cumberland City.  Wow, 225,000 tons is a lot to push!

N36 51.127
W87 56.316

CO's comments:  Last time in here, I should have left a track on my chart plotter but I didn't and we had some difficulty finding the channel and markers.  This time I left a track so we can follow it on the way out.  It is a little alarming when you are in 27 feet of water and in a split second you are only in 6 feet of water.   This is a very nice marina but the yearly rate for a slip is twice what we paid at Pebble Isle on the Tennessee River.

Fort Donaldson National Battlefield at Mile 88 on the Cumberland River.  The guns are pointed downriver where they were placed by confederates to defend the fort against union troop in 1862.   They badly damaged the union fleet but the fort was eventually encircled and 13,000 confederate troops were forced to surrender after a bloody battle.

View from the Lake Barkley Hotel loft just outside the restaurant.

June 19, 2012; Dover Island on the Cumberland River

We got going early this morning; on the river by 06:20.  We had a long day planned; a total of 65 miles  I called ahead and the lock was open and ready for us when we got there.  It sure is nice not to have to wait.  The Lock Master said we just missed all the excitement.  A young fawn, only about 1 month old, got caught up in the current and was sucked up into the lock.  They immediately filled the lock, got a rope on the fawn, and pulled him out of the water.  By the time we got there, the fawn was wrapped up in a blanket and he let them hold him like a baby.  The mother was no where in sight but they are still looking for her.  Wild Life Services were on their way.

At Mile 142 we encountered a fishing boat that set nets all the way across the river.  We had to stop and wait until he moved his nets before we could pass.  Don't know what he was thinking.  Also, when we were coming into our anchorage there were 2 fishing boats fishing right in the middle of the channel.  They just sat there and looked at us as we went around them.  We had just settled into our anchorage and we heard 5 blasts from a tow coming down river and he encountered the same 2 fisherman.  This time they moved and in a hurry.

N36 29.999

W87 48.331

CO's comments:  When we stopped for the day we went into the river for a dip again.  The water temperature was 88.4 degrees.  Fisherman!  I think before they can get a fishing license they should have to pass "a rules of the waterways" first.  They seem to think they own the river.  We go by them at 8 knots and they don't like my wake.  They should see my wake at 15 knots.  Yet, one of their own kind will come within 10 to 15 feet of their boat going 25 to 30 and wake them more than we do.  They wave and smile at them.  The other day I heard one tow captain talking to another tow captain and he said "Did you see that guy in the little fishing boat?  I think he was trying to play chicken with me".  We all know who would win that contest.  I feel tow captains are just as irritated with fisherman as I am.

Sunset at Harpeth River on 6-18-2012

Tennessee Valley Authority Cumberland Steam Plant.  It is one of the world's largest coal fired steam plant. 

Keith liked this building (TENNESSEE GUNS written across the roof). We couldn't stop.