Our Mississippi River anchorage at the Angelo Towhead was just a short distance from the entrance of the Ohio River. We made the turn to the Northwest onto the Ohio River.
This bridge over the Ohio connects Cairo, Illinois with Kentucky. After enjoying a favorable current since leaving the Chicago Harbor lock we now hit a current against us which we would experience now until the end of the Cumberland River.
As we headed up the Ohio there were two locks and dams before we reached the Cumberland River. These dams and locks are to maintain the navigable channel for commercial traffic. When the river water level is high enough boats can pass right over the dam and not have to go through the lock. In fact, the lock is often underwater. The picture shows the lock. The lockmaster is probably in the building on shore and the square structures on the left and right of the picture are part of this lock with the rest underwater.
After turning on to the Cumberland River we started to see more birdlife. I caught this bird taking flight as we approached. I believe this is a blue heron. In the next few days we would see many of these birds standing in the shallow waters near the shore waiting for a catch.
Also, on sunny days turtles would come out and sun themselves on logs near the shore. On one 10- foot long log I counted 18 turtles of at least two types.
At 30 miles from the Ohio River we reached the Barkley Lock and Dam. This complex was completed in 1966 and creates Lake Barkley which is the the eastern lake that creates the Land Between the Lakes. Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River is the western lake.
After anchoring for the night of September 28, we progressed up the Cumberland. On the port bank for several miles we could see this imposing structure pictured. It is the Kentucky State Penitentiary, know as "The Castle on the Cumberland." Besides its architecture, its other claim to fame is that 160 inmates have died on its electric chair including seven on Friday July 13, 1928, establishing a ghoulish record of executions in one day that still stands to this day.
Due to heavy storms in Eastern KY and Tennessee just before we arrived, the river levels were high, current was strong and a lot of dead limbs and trash was coming down river. These birds took advantage of a tree limb to take a rest from flight.
The Cumberland River is wide here because we are still in the Lake Barkely area with a water pool created by the Barkley Dam.
The sides of the lake and river got more rocky.
As the river narrowed we met a tow that seemed to take up the whole channel. In this situation I would call the tow on VHF Channel 13 to find out which side the tow wanted me to pass on.
Since the Cumberland was such an important transportation artery in the mid-1800's, during the Civil War the Confederate Army tried to block the Union from using the river. They established Ft. Donelson on the Cumberland. U.S Grant was able to secure the surrender of this fort after a fight of about 3 days. Grant used Navy gunboats to shell the fort from the river. This is the view of the fort Grant would have seen coming up the Cumberland.
Next to Ft. Donelson is the town of Dover. This picture shows the Dover Hotel where the Confederate Commander Buckner, surrendered to Grant. Grant's terms were unconditional surrender.
Another shore bird.
The locks on the the Cumberland used a floating bollard for boats (or barges) to tie to. This is a typical floating bollard. I would maneuver the boat so that mid-ship was next to the bollard, Kaye would loop a line around it twice and bring it back to tie off at a mid-ships cleat. This would usually hold us against the wall although sometimes if we were locking up, the flow of water coming into the lock would move the boat around and push the stern out. Usually one of us would have to go to the bow and push against the wall to keep us straight. These bollards float up as water comes into the lock so they are always at the same level compared to the boat.
More of the beautiful scenery on the way up river to Nashville.
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