Bashi Creek to Sunflower Cutoff, MM 78.8

October 14, 2015

We had discussed our plans for today with Donadee and Wayne, the owners of Always Home, and we both agreed that our final destination would depend on how soon we could get underway as well as how long it took us to lock through the Coffeyville Lock.  When day broke, the river looked a bit misty but not really foggy, so we decide to pull anchor around 7:15.  A few miles downriver, we ran into a small fogbank, but it only lasted about a mile at most.  As before, we slowed down and extended our radar out to 1 mile.  We were pretty confident that we would be able to pick up an oncoming tow, but we were more confident that they would see us first and would radio to advise us how to pass safely.

Always Home on the misty river

Fortunately, we didn’t meet any tows – or any other boats -- in that short stretch, and then the fog cleared.  The rest of the day was sunny and perfect for cruising.  When we were about 1 and a half hours away from the Coffeyville Lock, we called to let them know we were coming.  The lockmaster told us that he did have a northbound tow on the way, but he wasn’t sure which of us would arrive first, so we should continue at our present speed and check back with him when we were closer.  When we were a half hour out, we called back and were told that the tow was entering the chamber, so it would take 30-45 minutes to lock up.  Our timing would be near perfect.

Old loading platform

Always Home, a 47 ft DeFever, looks tiny going by it

This barge has been here a long, long time

When the tow was getting ready to leave the lock chamber, the lockmaster told us to come closer to the lock where there were mooring cells on the Right Descending Bank (RBD).  I grew up in the south but I’ve apparently lost some of my ear for the southern accent.  When the lockmaster radioed us to come up to the (mooring) cells, I thought he said “sails” and so was referring to the work barges on the opposite side with tall posts that looked like masts (to me at least).  Rob looked at me like I was crazy and called the lockmaster back to clarify.  Although it looks like the LBD by the dam spillway is the best place to wait for a tow to clear the chamber, the RBD closer to the lock is actually better.  The lock chamber is located near the LBD, so since tows go fairly slow when coming out of the lock, then ramp up their engines for a starboard curve, the tow was well past us before it did so.

Coffeyville Dam (view after locking through)

The water coming over the dam was pretty

When we got in the lock, we noticed that there were a number of white egrets all along the lock walls.  There was even one perched on one of the port bollards so we had to go past that bollard to the next one before securing Lorelei IV for locking down.  We have noticed cranes, herons, and egrets before when locking down, because when the water is emptied from the chamber, sometimes fish become trapped on the ledges and doors.  The birds have figured out that they can often get an easy meal, so they hang out and wait, but these were the most birds we had seen at a lock.

White egrets on the Coffeyville Lock wall

We decided not to fight this one for this bollard

Egrets have a curve in their necks, esp in flight, while cranes necks stay straight

It was a nice easy cruising day, so we enjoyed the natural beauty and took pictures of birds species that we had noticed more frequently.  There were a number of small water fowl – some ducks, some coots -- which we often saw swimming in the middle of the channel.  When we approached, sometimes they would swim off to the side and sometimes they would take flight.  Many times they would only fly a few yards and then would land in our path again!

Pairs and flocks of small ducks would often land or swim right in our path

They would all take off when we got close, sometimes only to land a short distance away

Great Blue Heron

American coots

We also began to see alligators, first a couple of dead ones, then some live ones – probably 5 or 6 in 35-40 miles.  We wondered why the ones we saw on the banks always seemed to be pretty big ones.  We reasoned that these were at the top of the pecking order, so they could lie wherever they wanted while the smaller ones have to be more cautious.

Our first alligator sighting - easy meal for the vultures

Our first live sighting

They seemed to only get bigger

And bigger!

When we arrived at our planned anchorage, Sunflower Cutoff, MM 78.8, Rob put the dinghy in the water to check the depth and find the best place to anchor.  We approached going upstream about midway between the 2^nd and 3^rd red buoy (there is a bit of fencing  which comes out into the water from shore which is another marker for when to turn and head in), and anchored outside of the channel behind the red buoys in 8-10 ft of water about 100 ft from shore.  Our anchor set hard right away as did our stern anchor.  Always Home anchored astern of us.  A tow passed us later in the evening, and we didn’t notice much rocking.

Sunflower Cutoff

Nice beach for Sasha, except for the possibility of alligators nearby

There was a nice stretch of sand exposed on the near shore, so we took Sasha to shore for a short walk.  Because of the alligators we had seen earlier however, we didn’t linger too long, didn’t play Frisbee, and definitely didn’t let her near the water.