NEW MATAMORAS, OH TO MARIETTA, OH

Thurs, June 26th to Sunday, June 29th, 2014

Day 22-25
Miles Traveled on Thursday: 30
Total Miles Traveled: 529


  Thursday morning we said goodbye to new friends Jim and Cathy.  We had a fabulous stay with this great couple.  

Jim and Cathy on Merried With Her

  Thursday was not a long travel day and we were glad for this as the current was high and there was a fair amount of debris in the river due to the previous days rain and storms.  On a good note, we broke 500 total miles traveled. It doesn't seem like we have traveled over 500 miles and 3 weeks.  As the saying goes - "Time flies when you are having fun!"
  
  We went to the Marietta Brewing Company for dinner.  We had eaten there on our first stop at Marietta, and the burgers were so good we had to go back.  After dinner, we were walking around town and began to hear music.  We found a two person band, The TuneSmiths, playing in Muskingum Park.  During the summer every Thursday night there is live music in the park.  They were singing a lot of old country songs and hymns.

The TuneSmiths at Muskingum Park

  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we relaxed in Marietta.  We found this town to be interesting and fun, so that helps explain why we stayed so long (both times).  This time we took the Marietta Historic Homes Walking Tour.  To read more about this tour go to: http://www.mariettaohio.org/tours/138-things-to-see-and-do/tours/walking-tours/428-marietta-historic-homes-walking-tour
Below is a picture of one of the homes - The Cotton House.  It was built in 1853 for Dr. Joshiah D. Cotton, a physician and Civil War surgeon.  It still is a private residence today.  Many of these historic homes are private residences and the owners do a great job keeping the homes well maintained and appropriate to the period they were built. 

The Cotton House

   Other highlights of our walks were Mound Cemetery and Muskingum Park.  Mound Cemetery has more Revolutionary War veterans buried there than in any other cemetery.  In the center of the cemetery is Conus Mound (30 feet high and 150 feet in diameter).  Different cultures have their own legends and theories on the origins of these types of mounds.  Dan theory was that it was built by aliens from another planet.

View of part of Mound Cemetery from the top of Conus Mound

Muskingum Park has a river walk along the Muskingum River, a gazebo, lots of benches, and several monuments and memorials.  The most impressive memorial was "A Nation Moving Westward".  This sculpture was made by Gutzon Borglum.  Trivia time!!  Who is Gutzon Borglum?  He is also the sculptor that carved the four presidents on Mount Rushmore.

"A Nation Moving Westward" Memorial

  Another entry for "You Never Know What You are Going to See on the River"

MFD water cannon testing

  On a dock up from us, the Marietta Fire Department decided to test their boat's water cannons.  Looks like they are working very well.  Was fun to watch! 












  Now for a memory test!  What was the nice lady's name that gave us a ride back to the marina from the Giant Eagle store on our last stop in Marietta?  As luck would have it, we ran into her again while taking one of our walks around town.  Sometimes it is a small world.  Anyone remember her name?  It was listed in a previous post.  Her name was Cheryl.


    No stop would be complete without some crisis/challenge.  This was no exception.  Upon arrival at Marietta on Thursday, Dan dropped his wireless two way radio communicator in the river.  Oops!!.  New one has been put on order for arrival when we return to home port.  We will be doing a lot of screaming (over the engine noise) at locking and docking for the remainder of the trip.  They are called "Marriage Savers" for a reason.  Then part of a zipper for the flybridge enclosure came unsewn.  Dan says "duck tape will fix anything".  We may have to try this if we get into a lot of rain.  As the saying goes, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger".  We should be bench pressing with the best of them before this "Shake Down" Cruise is over.  Hopefully, we are getting all "the kinks" worked out before leaving in August for "the big cruise". 



  Overall, our stays at Marietta, OH have been fabulous.  We look forward to coming back again sometime.  Thank You! to the staff at Marietta Harbor !!  They are a great group of people, very helpful and friendly.     

WHEELING, WV TO NEW MATAMORAS,OH

Tues, June 24th to Wed,June 25,  2014

Day 20-21
Miles Traveled on Tues: 52
Total Miles Traveled: 499


  We left Wheeling on Tuesday morning.  

Leaving Wheeling, WV

  Our next stop would be a private dock belonging to the couple we met at Marietta, OH earlier in the trip. 
  This day we cruised along what is know as the Long Reach.  It is the longest straight section of the Ohio River and extends 16 miles downriver from Paden City, WV. 

The Long Reach   

  More on - "You Never Know What You're Going to See on the River"

Pontoon stern wheeler

Yes it appears to be a homemade stern wheeler using a pontoon boat. 

  This was our dockage for the next couple of days at New Matamoras, OH.  Jim and Cathy have a beautiful home that is 200 years old and a nice dock on the river.  

Jim and Cathy's dock and house

  We had a fabulous meal Tuesday night at Spats Restaurant at the Blennerhassett Hotel in Parkersburg, WV.  It was a very nice way to start the visit. 

Dan and Angie at Blennerhassett Hotel

  Wednesday was a rain day and spent day doing some chores.  Angie went to the grocery with Cathy and Dan stayed back and cleaned the bilges.  The day was not all work and no play.  We went to dinner at a great BBQ place called Bar-B-Cutie.  Known as the worlds best BBQ since 1950.  It is a chain and most are in Tennessee.  The only one in Ohio is in Marietta.   Read more: http://www.bar-b-cutie.com/bbq/about-us-2/history/

  We really enjoyed our stay with Jim and Cathy.  Thank you Jim and Cathy for gracious hospitality and allowing us to share your dock !!  

  

WELLSBURG, WV TO WHEELING, WV

Mon, June 23nd, 2014

Day 19
Miles Traveled Today: 15
Total Miles Traveled: 447


  Since we did not have far to travel this day, we walked into the town of Wellsburg and had breakfast at a cute little restaurant called "The Breakfast Spot".  It is owned and run by a very nice lady named Beth.  We had a delicious breakfast and good conversation.  We were the only patrons there at about 7:30 am.  We couldn't believe the place wasn't busier because the food was great. 

Great Food!!!

Whose the loan patron?  Could it be Dan?

  We arrived at Wheeling, WV just in time for lunch.  We tied up at Wheeling Heritage Port - a free city dock.  There is a nice city park just up from the dock.  It is one of the nicest city docks we have seen so far on the Ohio River. 

Seahorse docked at Wheeling Heritage Port

  After lunch we took a walking tour of downtown Wheeling.  Here are some highlights.  The Wheeling Suspension Bridge was built in 1849 and at that time was the world's longest, single-span suspension bridge.  From tower to tower is it 1010 feet. 

Wheeling Suspension Bridge

West Virginia Independence Hall, built in 1859, used to be called the Wheeling Custom House. It was the headquarters for the federal offices for the Western District of Virginia.  It now houses a museum about Wheeling's history.  Unfortunately the museum was closed the day we were there. 

West Virgina Independence Hall

The First State Capitol building of West Virginia was built in 1858.  It was originally the home of the Linsly Military Institute before it became the Capitol building.  The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the US Constitution were all ratified here.  Who knew?  For those who want to read about these Amendments go to: http://www.fasttrackteaching.com/burns/Unit_1_Reconstruction/U1_Reconstruction_Amendments.html 

West Virginia's First Capitol building. 

For more tourist information about Wheeling, WV click here: http://www.wheelingcvb.com/

PITTSBURGH, PA TO WELLSBURG, WV

Sun, June 22nd, 2014

Day 18
Miles Traveled Today: 84
Total Miles Traveled: 432


  We were excited to get underway and back on the mighty Ohio River.  Our stay at Fox Chapel Marina was great, but it was time to say goodbye. 

Goodbye Fox Chapel Marina

  This was our longest day yet, with 5 locks and 84 miles !  Whew !!.  This is just a short segment of the Ohio River which is 981 miles long with 20 locks.  It was an enjoyable cruise and with going downriver the current helped to push Seahorse along at a whopping 10 mph.   We were "flying" !  Even the weather gods cooperated with beautiful blue skies and warm breezes.


  Another entry for "You Never Know What You Will See on the River".  As we were cruising down the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh, Angie swore that she heard bagpipes being played.  Low and behold, there was an individual playing bagpipes and marching along the river walk at 8:00 am in the morning. 

Bagpiper  on river walk in downtown Pittsburgh

  The first part of the cruise was very industrial as Pittsburgh is a very busy inland port for raw materials.  Based on 2012 data, Pittsburgh is the 2nd busiest inland port in the nation moving more than $9 billion worth of goods per year. As the day went along, it became less industrialized and more scenic with hills, cliffs, and little river towns.  

  One of the river towns was Beaver, OH which is located at the confluence of the Beaver river and the Ohio River.  Beaver was the site of Fort McIntosh, built in 1778, which was the first fort built north of the Ohio River by the newly formed United States.  Interesting?!  Here is a picture of the town as we cruised by. 

Beaver, OH

  We ended our cruising day in another little river town called Wellsburg, WV.  We tied up to the dock of a restaurant that is "Coming Soon".  After Dan grilled some great burgers, we walked around town.  There was a small Town Square right next to their City Hall.  That was the highlight of the walk, so not much here in Wellsburg.  

City Hall at Wellsburg, WV

PITTSBURGH, PA

Tues, June 16th to Sat, June 21st, 2014

Day 13-17
Miles Traveled on 16th:  9
Total Miles Traveled: 348

  Had a good night sleep tied off to PNC Park wall after all the wave action calmed down.  Some wind blew up just before dark and caused us to "rock and roll" a bit.  In the picture below, we were tied off to the wall just behind the yellow buoys.  PNC Park is the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. 

  We traveled on new water Tuesday.  We headed 9 miles up the Allegheny River to Fox Chapel Marina.  Only had to pass through one lock this day.  However, we did have difficulty passing a single scull rower.  How embarrassing!!  We had to accelerate, but this rower wanted to race, and it took us almost 1 mile to complete the pass.  Every day there are new challenges.  We did not think this would be one of them.


  Upon arrival at Fox Chapel Marina we immediately met Anita who helped us to get docked.  Anita and Marty, aboard Genesis, have been living on their Monticello houseboat for 10 years.  Very interesting and nice people.  We went to dinner with them and had a marvelous time.


  Wednesday and Thursday were boat chores (cleaning, laundry, groceries, etc.). We also managed to get some relaxation in as well.


  Friday was "Being a Tourist Day" in Pittsburgh.  THANK YOU MARTY AND ANITA !! for use of your car.  We took a light rail (subway) called "The T" from North Shore, where we had docked previously, to downtown.  This light rail runs under the river.  We walked to Point State Park to see the fountain that we saw from the river on our approach to Pittsburgh.  It was just as spectacular on land.  There are 800,000 gallons of water in the system and it is run by three 175 hp pumps. The main column reaches 100 ft high.  For more info about this park go to: http://pointstatepark.com/

Point State Park Fountain      

Also at Point State Park is the Fort Pitt Block House and Fort Pitt Museum.  Fort Pitt was a key British fortification during the French and Indian War.  The Fort Pitt Block House was built in 1764.  To learn more about Fort Pitt go to: http://www.fortpittblockhouse.com/

Fort Pitt Block House

Outside the Fort Pitt Museum was a canon that Dan had to have his picture with.

 
  The most favorite architecture that we saw was at PPG (Pittsburgh Plate Glass) Plaza.  PPG was one of the first successful plate glass companies in the United States and was founded in 1883. There are 6 buildings made of glass with a fountain in the center. 

Dan and Angie at fountain at PPG Plaza

Largest Building at PPG Plaza

One of the small buildings at PPG Plaza showing detail on the roof lines

  Friday afternoon ended by relaxing at Fox Chapel pool.  Our time at Fox Chapel Marina was very enjoyable and we would recommend this marina to other boaters.  To see more about Fox Chapel Marina go to: http://www.foxchapelmarine.com/


  Saturday was to be cast off day to start the trip back to home port.  That plan "sprung a leak", literally.  Friday night, while Angie first started her shower, the fresh water pump, which supplies water from the water holding tanks to the boat, quit working.  Dan immediately hooked up the shore water line so that no pump would be needed.  Angie resumed her leisurely shower while Dan tried to contain a geyser of water flowing into the bilge from a broken water pump fitting, which he found while inspecting the nonoperational pump, so that Angie (unaware of this situation) could finish her shower.  What a mess !!!  And so the challenges continue!  At 1:00am Dan is still up trying to trouble shoot the non-functioning fresh water pump.  It was determined that a new pump was needed.  
  Saturday, Dan was able to buy and replace the fresh water pump - TWICE.  The first one was so noisy that he returned it and got a different model.  BIG THANK YOU! to Ken who helped Dan get the second and quieter fresh water pump installed and also drove Dan to hardware store for fittings.  We met so many nice and helpful people at Fox Chapel Marina.       
  
  

GEORGETOWN ISLAND, WV TO PITTSBURGH, PA

Mon, June 16th 2014

Day 12
Miles Traveled Today:  38
Total Miles Traveled: 339


  WE FINALLY MADE IT !!!  Congratulations to Dan!  He has now traveled the entire Ohio River from Cairo, IL to Pittsburg, PA.  Angie still has to travel from Cairo, IL to Louisville, KY to achieve this honor.  She will do this on the last leg of our Great Loop Trip that we plan to start in August of this year.  
  
  Today we encountered a new type of lock on the Ohio River. Up until today, all the locks have had floating bollards to tie off to.  

Example of a floating bollard

The three locks today did not have those and Angie had to give a line to the lock master for him to secure.  So far, in total, we have gone through 10 locks.


  The cruise along this section of the river was not as scenic as previous days.  A lot more barges and industrial buildings along the river bank.  But, it ended with a beautiful view of The Point in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Point at Pittsburgh, PA

This is the spot where the Ohio River starts from it's tributaries the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River.  This picture has all three rivers - the Ohio is in middle of the picture, the Allegheny to the left, and the Monongahela to the right. 

All three rivers

  Another entry for "You never know what you're going to see on the river" :

"Jet Man on the River"

  We tied up for the evening at a wall at the PNC Stadium, where the Pirates play all their games.  Across the river is downtown Pittsburgh.

Angie

Dan

Another great view at the end of a day. 

Pittsburgh, PA skyline

  

MOUNDSVILLE, WV TO GEORGETOWN ISLAND, WV

Sun, June 15th 2014

Day 11
Miles Traveled Today:  64
Total Miles Traveled: 301


  Another long travel day.  We didn't go quite as many miles as day before, but we had more current so slower going.  Part of the reason the current was so fast was that both dams we locked through had a lot of their gates wide open to let high water downstream.
  Here is a picture from Pike Island Lock and Dam.  

Gates open  with water welling up underneath them

  We passed by Wheeling, WV which has a nice riverfront park and East Liverpool, OH with it's old High School Alumni Clock Tower.

Wheeling, WV

East Liverpool, OH and the old High School Alumni Clock Tower

  Our day ended at a nice anchorage behind Georgetown Island, WV with another great sunset. 

Sunset at anchor

 

  

MARIETTA, OH (FINALLY LEFT) TO MOUNDSVILLE, WV

Sat, June 14th 2014

Day 10
Miles Traveled Today:  70
Total Miles Traveled: 237


  Great to be underway again!  Marietta was enjoyable, but we are looking forward to seeing new water and other new sites.  
  This is part of Marietta's Riverfront.  The famous Lafayette Hotel is on the left.

Goodbye, Marietta

  Was a long day - 70 miles and 2 locks.  Both locks had a lot of drift (or debris).  At Willow Island Lock and Dam the debris field stretched across the entire lock exit.  Seahorse had to be a debris "ice breaker".  The area was so dense it actually stopped the boat at one point.  Angie had to use a boat hook to move it out of the way.  Hannibal Lock was not as bad.  Here is a picture of the drift in the Hannibal lock chamber. 

Debris at Hannibal

  There must have been several bass fishing tournaments, because we saw A LOT of bass boats.  When we left Marietta, there was a "parade" of them that went by - one right after the other.  There must have been 25 or 30 running as fast as they could to get to the "honey hole" first.  Then, as we exited Hannibal Lock, there were about 18 more of them waiting to lock through after us.


  We ended our day by tying up to the Moundsville, WV city dock.  Not much of a dock but will do for the night.      


   

STILL IN MARIETTA, OH

Tues, June 10th to Fri, June 13th 2014

Day 6-9
Miles Traveled Past 4 days:  None
Total Miles Traveled: 167

ANOTHER CHALLENGE !!

  During engine check Monday evening, in preparation for leaving Tues, Dan found some oil coming out of the area near the Turbo charger for the engine.  As luck would have it, there was a Caterpillar engine dealership/service center with marine service very near Marietta.  We decided to continue our stay and have the problem fixed before heading further upriver. 

  We did take advantage of the down time.  First off was doing laundry.  Right next to the laundromat was a beer store.  "Suds and suds" Dan said.  Dan couldn't resist having his picture taken with this sign.  

Second, Dan cleaned and waxed on the boat while Angie did some cleaning inside.  There is always some up keep to do on a boat and now seemed like a good time to get them done.  And third, we just relaxed and enjoyed the scenery.

  We met a wonderful couple at the marina Tues evening.  They docked just behind us and were flying the AGLCA gold burgee (this means that they have completed the Great Loop).  What a coincidence!  Jim and Cathy, aboard Merried With Her, completed their loop trip in 2009.  We went to dinner with them and got a lot of helpful tips about cruising the Great Loop.  


  Wednesday we toured some more - the Lafayette Hotel, river walk, and Marietta College campus.  
  Thursday the CAT service technician, Scott, showed up and found the cause of the oil leak.  Was not the Turbo Charger, thank goodness (that would have been expensive).  He found a gasket in the front of the engine that had gone bad and was allowing oil to leak out.  He had to order the part and came back on Friday to install.  We could not have been more pleased with the service we received from Walker CAT out of Parkersburg, WV and the very knowledgeable service technician.

Seahorse's engine room (which is in the living room) under repair

  
  We have really enjoyed our stay at Marietta and all the nice people at the Marietta Harbor.  We would recommend this marina to all boaters interested in visiting this great town.  To see more about visiting Marietta go to: http://www.mariettaohio.org/


  

MORE FROM MARIETTA, OH

Mon, June 9th 2014

Day 5
Miles Traveled Today:  None
Total Miles Traveled: 167


  This was first day we didn't travel on the water.  However, we did A LOT of traveling on foot.  

  First off we walked to a nearby barber shop and Dan got a haircut.  It was appropriately called the Riverfront Barber Shop. 

  We decided to do another of Marietta's famous walking tours - The Marietta Military Walking Tour.  To read and see more about this tour go to: http://www.mariettaohio.org/tours/138-things-to-see-and-do/tours/walking-tours/414-marietta-military-history-tour 
Not only did we see a lot of military historical sites, but also got to see a lot of beautiful homes and gardens in the town itself.  Two highlights were The Campus Martius Museum and The Castle. 

  The Campus Martius Museum is a nationally accredited museum and tells the story of local history - both military and its founding by General Rufus Putnam who led the Ohio Company to settle the Northwest Territory.  Marietta, OH was the first organized American settlement in the Northwest Territory.  Campus Martius was the original fortification and the museum is built on this site and part of the original Rufus Putnam house is preserved within the museum.  Here's the website for more information: http://campusmartiusmuseum.org/exhibits.html

Campus Martius Museum

  The Castle has been the home of some of Marietta's more prominent and influential citizens.  The property was purchased by Melvin Clarke in 1855 for $2000 and he had The Castle built.  He was an attorney and Marietta's first city solicitor.  He later died in the Civil War.  The Castle is a great example of Gothic Revival style architecture.  Here's the website for more details: http://mariettacastle.org/history/

The Castle

  After the walking tour we had to go for some provisions (for those non-boaters - that means groceries).  We found a Giant Eagle and after all the walking we had just done we were not looking forward to the walk back.  A very nice lady that we spoke with in the checkout line offered to drive us back to the marina.  We must have looked very tired.  A big THANK YOU!! to Cheryl ...  an great example that there are good people in this world.  We hope to meet many more on this journey !

  Tomorrow we plan to leave Marietta and head further up the Ohio River.  Our stay here was very enjoyable and we may stop again on the trip back.  
  

GUYANDOTTE, WV TO MARIETTA, OH

Fri, June 6th to Sun, June 8th 2014

Day 2-4
Miles Traveled each day: 35 and 73 and 25
Total Miles Traveled: 167

  Our anchorage Thursday at Guyandotte, WV was quiet and peaceful.  The view got even better after the sunset.

 

  

  Friday was pretty uneventful.  Mainly a day of sit and wait.  Had a nice cruise upriver to R.C Byrd Lock and Dam and that's were the cruising ended.  Due to the main chamber being under repair we had a 6 1/2 hour wait.  We got to Gallipolis with enough daylight to get anchored, but not enough time to go into town.  Maybe on trip back.  

  
  Saturday was another nice cruising day after we got through a fog bank around Point Pleasant, WV at the Great Kanawa River.  Here are some more examples of "You never know what your are going to see on the river"

Man in flight

Do you think they have enough fishing poles out?  This pontoon boat looks like a floating porcupine. 

  We traversed 2 locks that day - Racine and Bellville, and ended anchored at Mustapha Island, WV.  Dan grilled some great burgers and we went to bed tired from the 73 mile run.

  
  
  Sunday also started with a challenge.  Saturday was fog.  Sunday was a blocked water hose for the engine.  Dan had to blow out the intake hose with a shop vac to clear the blockage.  Worked like a charm!  Once we overcame this, we were good to go.  We hope we don't have these kind of challenges every day! 
  Sunday was a very busy and fun day.  We arrived at Marietta, OH just before lunch and docked at the Marietta Municipal Marina.  Seahorse was happy to be at a dock with water and electric.  If you look close enough, you can see her smiling.  Her crew sure was smiling. 

  We walked across a pedestrian bridge over the Muskingum River to Harmar Village and had lunch at the Harmar Tavern.  We had their special - "The Sure to Be Famous Bologna Sandwich".  This was definitely one of the best fried bologna sandwiches either of us have ever eaten.  

Dan at the Harmar Tavern

  After lunch we took a walking tour of Harmar Historic Homes.  To see this tour go to: http://www.mariettaohio.org/tours/138-things-to-see-and-do/tours/walking-tours/257-harmar-historic-homes-walking-tour

Dan's favorite was the David Putnam Home.  David Putnam was the head of the Society for the Promotion of Good Morals due the Temperance Movement.  Dan wants to be part of this society.  Angie's not sure he will get in - HA! HA!

Dan at Putnam Home

  Sunday ended with a great BBQ rib and pulled pork dinner at Boat House BBQ.  This restaurant had views of both the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers.  Had great food with good view - and also a fun chair to sit in.  Dan couldn't resist. 

Dan has not shrunk to Angie size. 

  We have planned to stay another day in Marietta.  Stay Tuned!!