is to get a porthole view into America’s past, to experience
the development and soul of our nation. The river’s miles and
miles of scenic shoreline, cloaked in forest and punctuated
by major cities and charming towns, are the warp and weft
of the fabric of our country, its industries and its commerce.
The upper reaches of the Ohio wear the mantel of
industry, with massive generating plants providing power
to the Northeast and Midwest. The river—which flows 981
miles from Pittsburgh, where it begins at the junction of the
Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, to Cairo, Illinois, where
is joins the Mississippi—is second only to the Panama Canal
in the tonnage of goods it carries. It is used to transport fuel
and raw material for the industries of the United States, and
food for the world.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Ohio bore witness
to the immigrants who settled along its banks as our young
nation expanded into and beyond the Northwest Territories.
While not the same river as when Lewis and Clark traveled
it in 1803, the Ohio follows the same channel and reveals the
same vistas presented to those early explorers.
In the spring of 2012, we decided to do our own exploring
along the Ohio, leaving Florida aboard our Great Harbour
N37, Carolyn Ann, and spending four months cruising up and
down the river with two other Great Harbour trawlers, Lazy
Dolphin and Young America. Along the way, we enjoyed the
river’s varied and beautiful scenery and stops, from dazzling
fireworks in Wheeling, West Virginia, to world-class museums
in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Louisville. We visited lots of
historic sites and found ourselves enriched by the many local
museums depicting their town’s role in our nation’s past.
OVERLOOKED
As representative as the Ohio River is of the American
experience, it is an oft-overlooked cruising ground. This is most
likely a result of the impression given by the southernmost
portion of the river, a major barge fleeting area. Most cruising
boats touch this roughly 50-mile section of the river between
the Mississippi and the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers,
which is often lined solid with barges and tows. Because of
the tow traffic, pleasure boats can face lengthy waits at the
two locks on this part of the Ohio. In short, this segment of
the river is not pleasant for recreational cruising and provides
little enticement to explore farther up the Ohio.
Rest assured, the lower 50 miles of the Ohio River are
nothing like its other 931 miles. Those who do venture farther
upriver are rewarded with heavily forested, hilly shorelines
and bucolic scenery for most of the river’s length. On our
cruise, we found plenty of marinas, anchorages safe from tow
traffic, attractive tourist venues and charming towns. Quickly,
we began to realize that it wasn’t necessary to rely on our
boat’s extensive cruising range—there are plenty of places to
fuel up and buy groceries.
We were also delighted to find that most of the towns and
cities along the Ohio offer a place to tie up, providing easy
access to local attractions. Most have developed waterfronts
with well-kept parks and recreational areas that make
for inviting stops. Best yet, most of this dockage was free,
sometimes with power and water. We also found that marinas
were remarkably inexpensive—generally less than $1 a foot,
all inclusive.
MOUNTAINOUS VISTAS
The Ohio River is mostly wide and deep bank to bank,
offering numerous safe, off-channel anchorages. Twenty
locks and dams have been built on the river to temper its
moods and provide the navigational stability that’s essential
to the many tows pushing loaded barge arrays up and down
its length.
We found the river’s current was not an issue and was
mostly neutral, in large part due to drought conditions
when we traveled. Locals told us that even at normal flow
rates, there is very little current above the dams until you’re
approaching the next dam upstream. Currents and water
levels can be viewed in real time, courtesy of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers website.
We cruised the Ohio River’s entire 981-mile length,
as well as some of its adjoining rivers. We logged roughly
2,300 statute miles, visiting six cities and 14 towns, all the
while drinking from the “fire hose” of the Ohio’s history and
culture. Everywhere we went, we enjoyed the hospitable and
friendly nature of the local residents.
We could have easily spent a month in Pittsburgh, which
has been reborn with beautiful waterfront parks where mills
once stood. The city offers major sports venues, museums,
historic buildings, shopping and restaurants galore. Best of all,
there is dockage in the heart of the city, with easy access to all
the attractions. Cruisers can learn about the city’s industrial
past by touring a coal mine and an iron smelting furnace.
Pittsburgh also provides a base from which to explore
The Author’s Boat
Boat Name Carolyn Ann
Manufacturer Mirage Manufacturing
Model Great Harbour N37
Boat Type Displacement-hull, pilothouse,
Hull Draft 3’
Air Draft 17. 7’ (antennas down)
Loaded Weight 43,000 lb.
Engines Twin Yanmar 4JH4 54hp diesels
with keel-protected props
Electrical 8k W generator, 1,200Ah battery bank,
Cruise Speed 7. 2 knots
Ground Tackle Fortress FX- 37 with 300’ of 5/16” HT chain,
33kg Rocna with 300’ of 3/4” HT chain
Tank Capacity 500 U.S. gal. fuel, 300 U.S. gal. potable water,
100-plus U.S. gal. blackwater holding
TO TRAVEL ThE OhIO RIVER by bOAT
