The Ohio River

We turned the corner from the Upper Mississippi  onto the Ohio River at Cairo (pronounced Kro). This intersection is the busiest inland port in the United States. Its location at the confluence to two major rivers is an advantage. But this also means it is subjected to flooding. In 2011, the whole town of 1,200 was evacuated and the levees breached on purpose to direct the flood water to less populated ground.

Cairo was an important Union supply base and training centre during the Civil War. Since there was no land available for base facilities, the navy yard repair shop machinery was afloat aboard wharf-boats, old steamers, tugs, flat-boats, and rafts. This use of the river itself as a staging area continues to this day.

As a transhipment point for materials coming up and down the rivers, the fleeting areas are immense and busy. Barges are anchored in the river waiting to be unloaded or assembled into a different tow. There are floating dry docks and repair shops. We even saw a harbour boat delivering parcels, food and equipment to the various tows. We were so busy watching this delivery service we didn’t see a large tow pull from the bank and start down channel. We noticed it with just enough time to avoid the ignominy of having the captain sound five blasts of his horn – the international signal of an impending collision.

Last winter I planned a route up the Ohio. There are so many stops that appealed to me: Louisville, Cincinnati and of course Pittsburg. However, the distance and time required gave me pause. It would take the better part of a month to travel the 1,000 miles to Pittsburg. Then another month back. I was still entertaining the idea of cruising to Louisville but our first look at the river itself dissuaded us.

It is pleasant enough but it is a mile wide and we were heading into the current. We saw our speed of 12 miles an hour on the Upper Mississippi drop to a little over 6 mph on the Ohio. On top of that, it looked boring. It reminded us of driving the 401 or any interstate highway – not a thing to see. 

So decision made: scratch the Ohio (for this year at least) and on to the Cumberland River and up to Nashville.