Great Loop: Up the Cumberland River from Green Turtle Bay

- October 13, 2022

Departing Green Turtle Bay for Nashville

Proper planning and preparation are key to a successful and enjoyable voyage. These activities were the main focus of our final day at Green Turtle Bay (GTB). The tasks are several and repetitive. This makes them easier as with reflection and review we had improved each of the processes. For Amy Marie, the task groups were navigation, provisioning, weather, and vessel readiness. Beth was primary on navigation and provisioning. I looked after vessel maintenance, which consists of routine preventative maintenance and fixing those items and systems that weren't working properly. We collaborated on weather and Beth would review her navigation decision with me so two sets of eyes could review and approve route decisions.

Make sure your route follows the old river bed to assure sufficient depth

We had a special treat when a fellow Ranger Tug R-27 owner, Bill, who had been following our blog, stopped by. Of course we enjoyed talking shop about our boats, the upgrades we had made, and lessons learned, as Bill is a wannabe looper.

The real treat came when Bill began to share his knowledge of the area. He had been a reporter and photographer for both the Paducah and Louisville newspapers. His freely shared stories and interesting vignettes of Kentucky and the areas through which we would be travelling.

WCBL, Benton Kentucky

Sadly, Loretta Lynn, had recently passed. We talked of the movie "Coal Miner's Daughter" and some of the scenes and dialog that made reference to nearby locations. When Loretta and her husband Doolittle were on their car trip campaigning her first record throughout the south, they visited a radio station with call sign WCBL, located in Benton Kentucky. The movie contains a scene filmed in one of WCBL's control rooms. The film also references Hutchens BBQ, where you can enjoy some mighty fine BBQ food.

Exhibiting the best of southern hospitality, Bill also drove us to Walmart, a grocery store, and a hardware store to get needed supplies. We also purchased some pulled pork with a jar of BBQ sauce to take back to the boat. It was delicious and lasted for several meals.

Returning to the boat with provisions Bill helped us obtain.

It was sunset by the time we concluded our visit with Bill. We greatly appreciated his assistance with provisioning and also his great stories of Kentucky, it's cities and people. Hope we meet again, possibly both of us on a new adventure in our Ranger Tugs!