I camped overnight at the downriver end of Diamond Island. Since I didn't find a spot to set up until it was nearly dark, I ended up about 10 feet from the river. The area seemed very remote and my maps and Google earth indicated I was at the end of a long agricultural field. However, about 1:30 in the morning I heard someone unloading what sounded like scrap metal right behind my tent. Whoever it was did a couple of donuts in the dirt and took off. I'm sure they didn't see me because I was behind a drop-off toward the river. But I could see their headlights and the dust they stirred up as they took off. I rolled over and went back to sleep.
I started out today at 5:50. My first contact of the day was this beaver and another one going back and forth in the river as I packed up.
About 5 miles into travel, my kayak suddenly stopped and popped up out of the water. The device I peddle has "flippers" underwater that had hit a submerged tree. I've hit objects and dragged the bottom of the river before, but this "hit" was especially hard. Also, I couldn't peddle anymore. I paddled to the edge of the river, pulled up the drive and saw that one of the masts was bent. In the photo above, it's the silver rod on the right.
I took off the flipper and used my Vise-grips to unscrew the mast. Fortunately, I realized before my trip that I might bend a mast, so I brought two extra ones with me. I used Loctite and the Vise-grips to put in a new mast, reinstalled the flipper, and was on my way within about fifteen minutes.
The first large community and last city I would see before crossing the Indiana/Illinois state line is Mount Vernon, Indiana. The ramp and visitors dock was not a good option for me to tie up to, but I was fortunate to find a sandy beach in an area pretty well hidden and close to the riverfront park. As I came to shore, I took a photo of this kitten on a tree over the river.
These are the steps along the riverfront park. You can read the words from the river, but once up close, cannot make out the letters.
Another view of the riverfront park.
The downtown area of Mount Vernon is an interesting mix of dilapidated buildings, along with restored and new construction.
This is Mount Vernon's impressive courthouse. About three blocks from the boatramp, I found the Westside Laundromat. I was able to wash all of my clothes, which I really needed to do.
This video should be a hoot if you can view it. It explains the mirage drive and include some underwater video.
I cut to the inside of some barge pylons and took a close up of a towboat and it's barge being loaded with coal.
A tow coming out of Myers lock.
Can't quite make out the name, but this is the control house for the John T Meyers Lock and Dam, opened in 1970.
Me in the lock chamber with the doors opening so I can proceed.
I decided to camp on Cincinnati Island......yes that's really it's name. As I was pulling over, Josh Gunn, a conservation officer of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources pulled over with questions about how I was propelling my kayak. He was very friendly and said to call him if I needed any help. When asked, he said I shouldn't have a problem camping on the island. I know Diamond Island was posted as "no trespassing" and all of the islands along West Virginia are off limits for camping. I decided to stay here and as it turns out, there was already a family of four camped right on the other side of the island from me. It appeared they had been there for quite some time because they had an area mowed off and trees/shrubs cut from their campsite. I spoke to them briefly and heard them talking, coughing and moving around during the night. This was not a huge island like some of the others I've passed.
In spite of stopping for a couple of hours to do laundry, I still managed to cover 40 miles today. Toward the end of the day I detected some changes in the way my drive system works. I stopped to adjust it once and it feels better, but I also detected some wear on a cable which I don't have parts to replace. Despite being in a pretty remote area, without cellphone coverage, I'm going to continue onward in the morning with the hope of getting to Elizabethtown, Illinois by the end of tomorrow.
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