Ocean Breeze: Great Loop Date: 09.28.2010 (Tuesday): Hopalong Cassidy Never Did This!

Day #47: 1141.6 total miles (44.4 miles 5.45 hours)
Locks: 10 total (today: 2)

Port #21 – Kimmswick, MO

Not many folks will remember the tales of Hopalong Cassidy. None of his adventures involved the Mississippi River or any of the area we are traveling. However, we do have two things in common…adventure and…you’re about to find out the rest.

This would be the third day in a row for OB running her engines. We were glad to be with our Looper-mates again. They had already spent 3 days in Alton and it was time for them to mosey on. So ‘on’ we went.

We could see our first Mississippi Lock from the Alton Marina. There was some concern among all of us about the water level. Stations south of us were reporting at or near flood level conditions, but the levels were falling. I called the Lock for a report and the lockmaster checked ahead all the way to the Ohio River. His findings were encouraging.

I was finishing up some chores on OB when Sea Estate called to say the lock was open. We were going while the going was good. Windsong, another Looper boat joined us for the ride.

Windsong with Jay and Joan is from Massachusetts. The boat is a Catamaran sailboat. The mast was stepped and shipped from Calumet with Surona’s mast. We spent 10 lovely days with Surona in Leland. They were still behind us by a port or two.

The locking was fast. OB was lowered 12 feet in this lock. A tug locked through with us, which probably helped our priority order.

I noticed a lot of ‘big wood’ (logs and limbs) in the lock with us. These pieces of flotsam can cause problems with props too. Todd did very well navigating us out of harm’s way.

Out of the lock we were in a channel running beside the Mississippi River. Cruising was comfortable. We saw a log or two here and there but nothing major to cause us distress.

OB came upon Dell Butcher again in the channel. He was still 3X5 strong. The captain sent us along his starboard side to pass (one whistle).

The tug stayed with us to the second and final lock for the Mississippi. We were told we’d have a one hour wait. The tug obviously helped us again. We were soon in and out of this lock. As we exited, there were two tows and a paddlewheel riverboat jockeying for who would be next going upbound!

Sitting in Alton camouflaged how near St. Louis really was. Straight out of the second lock we could see the Arch behind the upcoming bridges. I kept busy marking off the bridges and power lines on the Army Corps River Maps and shooting pictures of the developing St. Louis downtown skyline.

I was becoming concerned because I couldn’t find any of the daymarkers that appeared on the Army Corps Maps. Worse yet, more flotsam appeared in the river. On top of that, the current had really become strong, sending us down the river at 12 to 13 mph.

OB’s engines were only running about 1000 rpm. In calm water without current, 1000 rpm might get OB to 7.8 mph. We had little time to be amazed with so much going on around us!

After we passed St. Louis, there were no bridges to use as locations for navigating the maps. I started looking for creeks feeding into the Mississippi. I also looked for high electrical wires coming across. Plus I was now helping Todd spot the flotsam.

To make matters worse, the barge traffic had become very heavy. The barges had become much bigger. I was counting 4X5 and 4X6.

The captains were very courteous and directing us as we announced our position. However, those going upstream were making huge wakes and sending more flotsam our way. Todd decided we couldn’t dodge everything so would decide what wouldn’t hurt the props and what might sail past us in our stream.

OB did take one good ‘thump’. It scared the dickens out of both of us. OB churned on without vibration. We sighed with some relief but not totally convinced we were okay.

We began seeing trees floating in the current. I had to entertain myself with what was in the water so I wouldn’t totally come apart. I saw more than one telephone pole, a basketball, some tires, a few barrels, lots of big pieces of Styrofoam. I wished all the trees and telephone poles would turn into Styrofoam and basketballs!

Our stop today was at the famous Hoppies in Kimmswick, MO. Anyone bringing pleasure boats down the Mississippi stops overnight at Hoppies. The facility is two large barges held to shore with huge cables. It is the only stopping place between Alton and anchorages almost 200 miles away.

After two and a half hours navigating around virtual forests in the water, we were so darn glad to see those two barges appear before us. Fern and Bill (Hoppie) Hopkins, the owners of the barge resort, bring in each and every boat from the mighty river in their yard. Fern takes the bow line, Hoppy takes the midship line and comes aft to grab the stern. They baby every one of their boaters.

These aren’t young kids, Fern and Hoppie. Fern is 83 this year and Hoppie just doesn’t say. Every day at 4:30PM, Fern gives the boaters a seminar on the rest of the Mighty Mississippi, pointing out upcoming obstacles and dangerous curves in the river. She tells everyone how to work with the barge captains to get the best and safest position with passing. Fern is a walking legend…and a wonderful river woman.

Before the afternoon report, Connie from Sea Estate and I walked into Kimmswick. It’s a cute little town full of shops and boutiques. I bought some landfill fodder (a couple of necklaces and a bracelet). We both had a good ice cream cone of Rocky Road. Our more than enough adventure for one day was behind us. We didn’t even mention it in conversation.

While we were in town, Todd, Ed (Sea Estate) and Jerry (NII Wishin’) fixed two of our problem doors. The salon door and the starboard pilothouse door opened with one finger. It was so easy, it scared the poor dog!

After the work was done, we all relaxed, watched the forests pass by the boat, knew we’d be seeing it all again in the morning and wished a miracle would happen to take it all away during the night.

How does Hopalong Cassidy play into this part of the adventure? Bill (Hopalong) Cassidy was nicknamed Hoppy. It came to mind as soon as I heard about Hoppies and Bill (Hoppie) Hopkins. Most of the movies were known as ‘Hoppies’. May 26, 1951 an amusement park named Hoppyland opened in the Venice section of Los Angeles. It didn’t do well and closed in 1954.
I am old enough that I did see some of the Hoppies. When I was a kid, we had a toad that lived outside our back door in Tulsa. We named him Hopalong Cassidy. After a few years, he disappeared and never came back. However, Hoppies in Kimmswick will be around forever…a little oasis taking care of tired and tried boaters.

Before the first lock of the day, we passed another paddlewheeler turned gambler on our port side.

Next up we passed this Marathon tow. Todd was really excited to see something from the company.

Then there were more upbound barges.

This was good ol' Dell Butcher again. We passed him on the way to the second lock. That would be our last lock on the Mississippi.

Windsong, Sea Estate and NII Wishin. getting into passing position to take on ol' Dell B.

The last lock...Lock #27. The tow has his pushing bow against the wall and that's how he took the lock.

The Spirit of Peoria was on her way upbound. I wondered if it really was going to Peoria. Long trip ahead if that were so.

Our first Arch sighting through the bridge.

This was amazing to us...not the Arch but the Petroleum Gas Tank in the middle of the picture. Clear as day there was an image of a cross shining in the sunlight! We were blessed that day with no damage to OB.