cincy to louisville by pontoon

[mern]

Was just wondering if anyone has ever done this before. The lady and I were contemplating trying to be in louisville for the air show on Apr 17. Of particular concern is barge traffic, fuel availibility, and locking through at Markland lock. We have a 25 ft crest pontoon with a force 70, so I know our fuel mileage isn't the best. Have only played around on lakes and Ky river so will have to try to get some mileage figures soon. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks

 

[jeffnick]

Re: cincy to louisville by pontoon

Thunder Over Louisville is among my fondest 'boating' memories.
http://www.thunderoverlouisville.org/

I'd planned on watching the show from my boat...towed it from Spartanburg, SC to Louisville (400+ miles) even thru some snow in the mountains. The river was so swollen from recent storms that the dock at the ramp at Cox Park was underwater
http://www.louisvilleky.gov/MetroParks/parks/cox/
not to mention the amount of trash that had been washed into the river by the rain.​

I adjusted my plan to just watch from the ramp parking lot, but learned from a local that farther down toward Louisville there was a lot with free parking within walking distance of the action, so I did that instead. I parked the boat/trailer early in the day, walked to the show and stayed aboard the boat in the lot the night after the show, partying with some of the other 'campers' in the lot. The next morning the lot was a ghost town.​

There are horror stories about folks anchoring to watch the show and the mayhem that ensues when the show is over...including swampings from big wakes. None of that tho' would have deterred me from splashing if the river handn't been so high.​

Anyway, I might suggest you trailer to Cox Park, splash there and make the run up the river a little way to see the sights, then head down to find a spot to drop the hook for the show. You'll always have the fallback to watch from land if need be.

I found marine conveniences to be lacking along the river; you might check here for info:
http://www.activecaptain.com/X.php​

 

[mern]

Re: cincy to louisville by pontoon

Thanks jeffnick! Anyone ever go through a lock? If i understand correctly, you should tie up near the end to avoid the most turbulent water. Question is, how turbulent is it? I clicked on the nav link, and looks like nearly 100 mile trip. Maybe it's a little much to bite off at this (rainy) time of year.

 

[jeffnick]

Re: cincy to louisville by pontoon

We've been through locks over 100 times.
Some you just stay in the middle - don't tie up to anything.
Some you grab a line that is dangling from the lock wall
Some you hold onto a ladder
Some you tie up to a floating bollard
Some you tie up to a floating dock inside the lock
Some you climb a ladder with your own line and tie it off both places
You might also end up rafting to someone else who is tied up with one of the above methods.​

Your position in the lock may be determined by the lockmaster or the number of others wanting to lock thru. You can hail the lockmaster on the appropriate channel and ask where he'll put you, or he might gesture or shout where he wants you to be as you enter the lock. It's not a bad idea to monitor the lock channel as you approach to hear how things are being done by others and if there's commercial traffic you need to make way for. A single tug or pusher can need to break his load and make several trips thru the lock before it's your turn.​

Something else to consider is if the lock has a schedule. Many are 'on demand' (commercial traffic has priority) but only during certain hours. I've never done a lock near Cincy or Louisville. If I were you, I'd give the lockmaster a phone call before the trip to know what to expect.
http://www.theohioriver.com/lock phone numbers.htm​

 

[yfzjim]

Re: cincy to louisville by pontoon

Check our local forum for some good info from locals who have made the trip and go to Thunder every year. still a little early to predict river conditions but right now the water is on its way up. Markland lock would also be a concern as it was damaged awhile back and the main chamber was closed. I am not sure if it has been repaired and reopened yet. go to

www.portky.com

and then go to the forum.

 

[jspringator]

Re: cincy to louisville by pontoon

Markland has floating tie ups in the wall of the lock. Tie a rope off the bow. wrap 1 turn around the tie up and sit in the rear of the boat maintaining tension on the rope.