Pulling up the anchor from our beautiful spot was a bit unnerving knowing we had one engine and a lock. We had a good plan, a back up plan and an ‘oh shit’ plan, so once we untied from Ship Faced and Sweet Equity, we said a prayer and off we went.
It was about 5 miles to the lock and we strategically decided not to secure the shaft on the bad engine. Our thought was in an emergency getting into the lock we could turn the port engine on, even for a second or two. This meant we need to keep a VERY close eye on the engine room. We set a timer for 20 minute engine checks, watched all the dials like a hawk, along with taking pictures of what the engine should look like, so we could compare it if something changes. We do cruise slow, but with one engine and a strong current against us – we crawled to Olmstead lock. After the first few checks we realized that the packing gland was heating up. The transmission was fine, but the packing gland was definitely hotter than normal. We added a hose with fresh water and let it run over the gland and thankfully that did the trick. After that it was smooth cruising.
Our next challenge was entering the lock, catching a bollard and staying in place—with one engine. The other boats in our flotilla knew were down an engine, so they were all fine with letting us get into the lock first and tying up on the port side. Thankfully, with the tons of experience with locks and some good luck on our side, we got Three Sons tightly tied to the Olmstead Lock.
Once we left the lock and were well clear of the top of the dam, we pulled aside on the river to clamp the shaft. This turned out to be much easier than suspected and we learned that we can do it whenever we need to run on one engine without too much trouble.
From the start of the water pump leaking, to stopping prior than planned at an anchorage, to locking with one engine, to securing our port engine while floating Ship Faced and Sweet Equity were by our side and supporting us. Once the engine was clamped we traveled for about an hour and it was all smooth we agreed they should not continue at our speed of 4 knots! We would meet them in Paducah, a few hours after them. Folks say, part of the loop is about the friends you make along the way. At first, I was hesitant about this but without a doubt it is true! We have been blessed with the peeps that have entered our life along this journey!
Upon arrival in Paducah, we needed to raft to Sweet Equity, since we were running on one engine and the current was ripping, we fendered up the starboard side of the boat. Our first attempt needed to be aborted, but our second was spot on. Thankfully between Andy at the bow of Sweet Equity and Keven at the stern, we had tons of muscle to help pull us in.
We were docked at Paducah Transit City Dock, which is a dock with power and water but no other amenities, including an office. This means you can not have a package delivered, which is not an issue unless you need a part! Luckily, with some research and chatting with other loopers, we discovered the Holiday Inn directly above the dock would accept packages. Before, even landing in Paducah we had a water pump ordered and being delivered.
After docking, our first and most important task was fixing the water pump. It was a hot day, so keeping the boat and engine room cool was top priority. Bob set out to find the missing screw from the old pump, with the old screw we wouldn’t need the new back and back to normal. After about an hour searching the bilge, Bob found the screw! To replace the screw, the water pump would still need to be broken down and reassembled to line up the screw. When Bob finally got the impeller removed, he learned that part of the screw was still in the pump. He was able to drill out the other half, and luckily found an almost exact matching screw (bolt actually) on the boat. All was put back together and tested successfully. Not a fun boating day, but it was a huge relief to get it fixed in one day. While Bob sweated in the engine room, Tracy did enjoy the hot weather on the fly bridge with a book. After working all day and rebuilding the water pump, we enjoyed dinner and drinks at In and Out Cafe with M/Vs Sweet Equity, Keep Calm and Homes.
Paducah was a great town with lots to do and explore. M/V Bon Viviant arranged for 18 loopers to have dinner at Doe’s Eat Place. It was fun chatting with everyone, and without a doubt, it was the best (and biggest) steak we have had on the loop!
After dinner, we continued on to check out a few more places. Our first stop was at Barrel & Bond; the bar is designed from the shell of a 150 year old historic building, and has a wall filled with 1,600 Bourbons and American Whiskeys. It was quite a sight. The bartender helped us with picking a few. A group of 4 musicians were playing each taking a turn to perform their songs. After a bit, the music took a turn, so we moved on.
Our second stop was The Old Fashion Cigar Bar. Walking in we met a man who worked on a tug and he was interested that we were doing the loop. We ended up sitting up stairs in the private club chatting with him and his wife. The establishment was neat and had live music, we really enjoyed the conversation and atmosphere. Sadly, it was our last night with Ship Faced, they were heading home for a wedding, but hopefully we will meet up again!
We spent the next few days exploring Paducah including the Quilt Museum, which was truly and amazing! The details in the quilts made the fabric look like paintings. Each quilter’s artwork displayed different techniques and subjects. Tracy was inspired to get back to creative sewing!
Paducah’s Wall to Wall Murals captures the cities rich history in paintings on the city’s floodwall overlooking the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. Super cool to wall the riverwalk, enjoy the murals and learn some history.
We took a long walk to a brewery and pizza place!
Paducah was a beautiful spot with the exception of smelly, dead, floating Asian Carp at the end of the dock. Thankfully, we were at the other end!
