Lockhouse 6 to Chester WV

Day 4:  Tuesday, August 16, 2015

The severe storm predicted for last night did not materialize in this area. As far as we could tell, we had no rain at all.  However, they are again calling for bad

Lockhouse 6 Restaurant from the water

weather later in the day today.

We began our day with blueberry pancakes and bacon.  I was behind on my blog publications so I spent quite a bit of time getting them out. 

The morning sun, coming from the east, paints the area with a different perspective than in the dwindling twilight of yesterday.  Across the river from where we were moored is a huge construction site in an area that the chart says is the Zink Corporation of American.  From our vantage point, we cannot see what is going on, however, looking at Google Earth, it appears that this is a huge quarry.  Just downstream is a large chemical plant which according to the chart receives shipments of alcohol and styrene.  We periodically see barges hauling what appears to be liquids but they are not placard as they are on highway trucks

Coal Fired First Energy Power Plant

to we don’t know what is in them.

We cast off our mooring lines at around 10:00 and headed down stream into an increasing wind.  The water was a bit choppy but not at all uncomfortable.  However, when we rounded a bend, we moved onto a long straight stretch and the wind and waves became much more significant.  Sailors refer to a long stretch of open water along which the wind can cause waves to build “fetch.”  As we traveled along today, we would enter a straight stretch with a long fetch and rough water then round a bend and have a smooth ride with little wind.

We passed through the Montgomery Lock about 3 miles downriver from where we spent the night.  The first lock hand was a bit cranky but the second that we encountered was an interesting guy whom I assume is paid by the Donald Trump campaign to spread the good word.  As the water poured from the lock and we dropped further into the chamber with its various noises, he continued to pass the word although we couldn’t hear him.  I kept nodding my head and he kept talking.

Just past the lock, we passed the huge First Energy power generating plant.  They

Nuclear plant cooling tower right next to a major highway bridge

have five cooling towers.  The first three appear to be coal fired with large barge docking and unloading facilities.  The second two had two round nuclear reactor facilities and absolutely no docking structures. We wondered about security at the plant.  There is a major highway that runs between its two cooling towers; one tower appears to be right up against the road.  However, as we passed the plant, we could see a field of razor wire coils surrounding the entire facility.

Two nuclear reactors

Traveling on, we passed large staging areas for barges all of which were filled with empty rusting hulls.  We also saw quite a large number of towboats tied along the river.  There doesn’t seem to be work for them.  Up to that point, we hadn’t seen a single coal barge actively traveling the river. We did meet a beautiful well maintained, well painted tow owned by Marathon Oil.  He was pushing 4 fully loaded red and white barges that I assume were filled with petroleum products. The coal and gravel barges are a

ll rust!

We crossed out of Pennsylvania waters in to West Virginia/Ohio with no fanfare.

Beautiful Marathon Oil Co petroleum barge Detroit

  The waters of the Ohio River are owned by the southern states that border Ohio.  This was set up in the Northwest Ordinance when the states of Virginia (now West Virginia and Kentucky got the Ohio River within their boundaries.  We passed several islands behind which we could anchor but the wind was honking on at 17mph and I didn’t want to trust our anchor in those winds. 

In the town of Chester WV, mile 43, we noticed the Holiday Yacht Club that our

Holiday Yacht Club. Second Wind is hidden behind the entrance wall

guide book said accepted transient boaters in their off the water harbor.  It happened that we were in one of the wind shadow areas of the river and I figured that I could possibly make it in without doing damage.  I contacted the owner and she said that we could tie up right inside the harbor entrance along the wall.  It turned out to be a very easy landing.

Once the boat was

The only other sailboat we have see is leaving Holiday Yacht Club

secure, we headed out to find the Club office.  We made a complete circle around the facility and saw nothing that resembled an office.  I called the lady with whom I had spoken and she said that she was in Ohio and they had no office.  She said she would be on the site after a while to settle up.

I asked where we could get some ice cream and she said that the only place within walking distance was the Sparkle Bakery and Deli.  We made the short walk to the “Sparkle” and it turned out to be quite a large grocery.  We found the isle with ice cream treats but all they had came in boxes of 4 or 6.  We needed

Towboat Elizabeth D passing East Liverpool OH

ice cream so we settled of a box of 4 Mrs. Fields Cookie Klondike bars.  Of course it was, by now, 90 degrees outside so we were, so as not to be wasteful, obligated to eat two Klondikes apiece.  They were REALLY good.

We spent the afternoon baking in the oppressive heat.  It rained off and on for a good part of the middle afternoon to evening.  We cooked our beef tip and noodles in an enclosed cabin where the temperature rose to above 91degrees.  A glass of white wine, although unchilled, was good, it didn’t do much more than to quench our thirst.

They do have really nice showers at the Holiday Yacht Club and we both thoroughly enjoy our new state of cleanliness.