Ted655 – Coming down the Mississippi.

[BananaTom]

#4.

Our plan was to refuel @ Paducah, ease through Lock #52 and find a safe mooring towards sundown. I had passed Golconda, thinking it was too soon to top off. My "internet" research said there was a marina @ Paducah. This was the edge I wanted to make it to Memphis. As we motored closer we started picking up radio chatter about the backup @ lock 52. It was 3 PM & the wait for barges (priority), was 6-7 hours! THEN, the boat started vibrating violently. We limped into Paducah and soon found that I had relied on old information. There was no marina in Paducah.

My fried had lost the little enthusiasm he had about this trip at the first lock. Now these new problems were the final straw for him.

We set about to first find fuel. No luck, we were run off from every place up the river. Often profanity & threats were used. We were "advised" to get our houseboat BACK up to Kentucky Lake ASAP. We did what any good explorers would do & sent a shore party inland. My bud volunteered as his opinion of the boat was that we would have to abandon it & catch a bus home.
The 3 of us choose to think that things had to get better cuz they sure couldn't get worse. A very hostile environment. A broke boat, no fuel depot & a busted lock, Yippee!