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We passed these new locks under
construction on the Ohio River. The "real" existing locks downriver were
completely flooded by the river and we rode right over them. This is a
massive and multibillion dollar lock construction on the river which will
help speed commercial traffic. We turned "left" onto the Ohio River from the
Mississippi to go upriver past Paducah KY, then down the Cumberland river
into Kentucky Lake and the Tenn-Tomm waterway system.
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We stayed the night on another
makeshift fuel dock adjacent to the Executive Inn here in Paducah KY. Just
prior to us arriving at this point in the river, a line of severe
thunderstorms passed with tornadoes, high winds and high seas in the river.
We had to SCRAMBLE! John got out on the pitching foredeck in the howling
winds while I tried to hit midriver out of the barge channel, and toss out
an anchor. We barely made it. Stuff went flying all over the boat. The Tow
captains were calling out a tornado just on the other side of the bridge we
had just passed. We couldn't have been 400 yards from this dock at Executive
Inn, but couldn't see it and couldn't get there. We finally made it as the
line passed just at dark. John earned his stripes that day!
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The next day after the severe storms,
when we departed from Paducah, the river was flooded with debris like
drifting mines floating downstream. Entire trees, trunks and everything
imaginable that floated came downstream in the wash from the storms. At left
you can see an entire tree trunk floating downstream in the muddy waters.
Good thing we only had to go 20 miles or so this day, until we hit the
Cumberland river (to KY Lake) and got out of it all. The Cumberland was very
clean by comparison. Below - Kentucky Lake from
shoreside. John and I anchored out in Barclay Lake the night of coming off
the rivers, and headed into Kentucky Lake the next morning to pick up family
at the marina. |
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Sunset on KY Lake, looking back at the
bridges.
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John and I met back up with Lisa and her family here at KY Lake State Resort
Park and Marina - below Paducah KY. This is the start of the Tennessee
River. It got REALLY COLD while we were here for the two nights. I woke up
the second night and found sheets of ICE on the railings!!! - TIME TO KEEP
HEADING SOUTH!! Our boat is here at the end of the T-dock. Lisa's family
cruised with us from here for several days to Pickwick Lake in Tennessee.
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