9/30/2010 LOCK 52 TO GREEN TURTLE BAY MARINA IN BARKLEY LAKE, KY

GREEN TURTLE BAY MARINA

IN BARKLEY LAKE, KENTUCKY

THURSDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY:  39 NM

What a restful night, here just outside the entrance to Lock and Dam 52. Being close, however, sure didn’t insure us an early lock through. It was 10:45 before the five of us Loopers made it to the other side and began our day’s travels.

LOCK 52 ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

LOCK GATES CREEK OPEN

LOOPERS PARADE OUT

After traveling only about 4 miles, we passed Paducah, Kentucky at MM 935. Just .5 miles later, the Tennessee River joined the Ohio River and it was time to decide on our path. Since the Tennessee River path would entail the Kentucky Lock and Dam, notorious for its long wait for pleasure crafts, we opted to continue on the Ohio River. At MM 922.8 we shifted over to the Cumberland River. We followed this until we entered the huge Barkley Lock.

                                                           Image via Wikipedia

This mammoth tub was 800’ long and 110’ wide. The five PCs (pleasure crafts) and one tug didn’t even make a dent in its capacity. When the gates opened, the tug (also called a tow) had to attach to its previously transported barges and move them out of the way before any of us could exit the lock into Barkley Lake

LITTLE LOOPERS IN BIG BARKLEY DAM

WAITING FOR THE TOW TO MOVE HER RAFT OF BARGES

Our night’s destination, Green Turtle Bay Marina, was located almost immediately after the lock and we made the hard right into her shelter. Now this place is a huge complex! The resort has over 450 wet slips in the marina, a boat rental, full service marine yard, dry stack boat storage, ship’s chandlery, condo rentals, a health and fitness center, heated indoor pool, a grill for breakfast and lunch plus a Yacht Club for dinner. And the even have a courtesy van thrown in for good measure!  www,greenturtlebay.com

GREEN TURTLE BAY MARINA

Kirt and KelLe are leaving us from here. We all piled into the courtesy van and made the 25 mile trip to Paducah where we had dinner at the funky Flamingo Restaurant. We said our good-byes when we dropped them off at the Hampton Inn where they would spend the night and catch their early morning taxi to the Paducah Airport. What a great crew they made! Unfortunately, Kirt had to get back to work and KelLe makes her 16th annual Mammoth Lake to Big Bear bicycle ride. Can you even imagine? She makes this 355 mile trek in support of the U.S. Adaptive Recreation Centers that provide outdoor therapeutic-recreation programs for handicapped kids and adults. You go girl!!