I left at 9:05 from Mound City.

We had a real adventure last night. Sarah got down to the boat ramp on a lonely gravel road in the middle of nowhere and she got scared. She called me and said she was leaving because it was just too remote a place for her to stand around. I said Okay.

But then I figured out that I was just two miles away and could almost see where she was. So I managed to get a connection and asked her to go back and just sit in the truck and wait on me with the doors locked. So she turned around, and I finally found her. I actually spotted the boat ramp just before she drove back to it.

When I pulled up to the shore there, the water was so low that the boat ramp was 30 feet from the water. The bank was really muddy with that thick black gumbo mud. I threw out the anchor and waded ashore in knee deep mud.

I hardly slept last night for worrying about the boat. Sarah worried that someone would steal the boat or the motor, but I felt that no one would mess with it in such an isolated place. I was more worried that the water level would go down a foot and leave the boat high and dry in that mud. I knew I would never be able to push the boat back into the water.

Even if the water went up, it would not be a problem. I felt pretty good about my anchors holding. But a drop in the water could be a big problem.

It took a long time to drive down to Hickman this morning before going back to the boat to launch. I had to see the take-out place with my own eyes since the map is so inaccurate. Just because a ramp is indicated on the map, that does not at all mean there really is one or that it is one that I could use. So we left at 5:30 this morning to drive down there and check it out. Turns out they have a wonderful boat ramp in a great location up a creek. We left the boat trailer at Hickman so Sarah could travel without it again today.

I feel really good. I am four miles from the Mississippi River and that is quite an accomplishment. I remember that sailors who cross the equator always have a silly ritual to mark their first ocean crossing. So I have decided to douse myself with a bucket of water over the head when I get to the Mississippi.

It feels like it is going to be a hot day. It's starting out hot already. There is no wind, but that is good because I won't have to fight those heavy waves like yesterday.

It sure seems funny to be approaching the end of a long-planned journey. It has taken two years to complete this journey. It took me over a year to complete the similar journey across Arkansas. I figure I have sailed over 1,200 river miles on both the Arkansas and Ohio Rivers. That's a pretty good accomplishment, I think.

At this point in the river, I must see close to 100 barges parked all along the shore. And there are anchorages out in the middle of the river where groups of 8 or 10 barges are anchored.

This should be a pleasant run. I know where the boat ramp is. I have virtually no water in the boat. The motor is running great. I have plenty of gas. It's not stormy weather. There's not a cloud in the sky. I can't see anything that will stop me from getting to Hickman. But I have learned never to anticipate no problems on the river, so we'll see.

I remember the first time Sarah ever drove off and left me at the river back in Van Buren, Arkansas. It was such a funny feeling for her to leave me and it to just be me and the boat and the river. Maybe she is getting used to it by now. I think I am.

I wound up going through locks 52 & 53 by myself in spite of the back up of boats at both locks. I guess the reason is that it takes the towboats 10 minutes or so to approach the lock, and they have to wait until the previously locked boat gets clear of the lock before they can begin. So the lockmaster has time for a small boat like mine to go down while they are waiting.

I see a barge carrying benzine and the barge has sprayers on the top putting water on the barge like a lawn sprinkler.

I see the junction with the Mississippi.

I see several logs in this area. That's the first trash I have seen on the river because it is so low. I see some paper cups, some limbs, and a big orange life preserver. It seems that the trash is all found in a stretch of about 400 yards on the river. It's strange that it collects like that. It did the same thing last year on the Ohio, but this year the water is so low it hasn't picked up any trash.

When a barge goes by, it makes 2 or 3 foot waves, but the waves are spread far enough apart that my boat rides easily up and down them. The waves caused by the strong winds yesterday were short and choppy and my boat rode up one and crashed into the next one.

There is not much to see of Cairo except a big flood wall. But I do see a nice boat ramp in the heart of town. A ramp that is not indicated on any of my charts!

I saw one fisherman near Cairo fishing among the barges and there's another one under the 51 bridge hauling in nets and sorting fish. He has some big fish. He throws the carpe and other trash fish over the side and the good fish into his boat.

Wow. The current suddenly jumped when I hit the Mississippi. I'm suddenly going 9.3 mph! I was going 7.2 on the Ohio and the motor is going the same speed, so the current is going 2 mph faster than on the Ohio.

It's 10:15 and I would say that I am officially in the Mississippi River now. Cool.

There is lots of radio traffic from the many towboats moving barges around. Since I don't have to save my radio batteries for another day, I have been listening in on the radio talk which has been interesting.

I am glad that the Mississippi is flat calm today. I wouldn't want to have big waves on such a big river.

There has been very little traffic on the Mississippi. I have passed maybe three barges and no pleasure boats. Well, there are two more fishermen over in the shallow water. But I have been amazed at how little boat traffic there is.

Going down the Mississippi is like going down the Big Sandy except there is more of it.

The GPS has an accuracy right now to within 8 feet. That's pretty close. I think it knows where I am. And I am getting a little better about figuring out the longitude and latitude with the river chart.

I have had a strong telephone signal most of the day and it has been really tempting to call Sarah. But I am afraid she will have a bad signal and won't understand what I am saying and think I have trouble. We agreed this morning not to call unless we had to. I would like to tell her that I am going to be there two hours earlier than I predicted because of this strong current. I will be there at 2 instead of 4, but I can just wait on her.

One of the big lessons is "when the chart says there is a boat ramp, that don't mean NOTHING!" There is an ramp indicated on the map for this spot in the river, but there is nothing that begins to look like a ramp. I do see what looks like a dirt road, but no ramp. The inaccuracy of the charts makes it very difficult to plan where to meet and where to take out the boat.

It's a pretty hot day on the Mississippi today, and there is no wind. I finally had to shed my life jacket. I had made a rule that I would wear it when I was by myself, but it is just too hot and the water is flat calm. But I will keep it in easy reach.

There has not been much to see on the riverbank of the Mississippi either. I saw four camper trailers a while back. Other than Wickliff, that is the only development I have seen.

I had a strong cell phone signal and called the church just now. I found out that Bayard's mother died and Barbara is back in the hospital. Several people had called the church office to ask about me.

It's five minutes until 12 noon and I see another deer crossing the river! Unbelievable! Crossing the Mississippi River! She was really scared when I got close to her so I turned away. I took a picture but it would require a telephoto lens to get a really good shot.

What possesses a deer to decide she wants to get to the other side of the Mississippi River, to decide to swim a mile wide river to see if the grass is greener on the other side. Unbelievable.

I just looked at the depth gage as I am going around Middle Bar. I was surprised to notice I had 40 feet of water. But then I thought, "Of course, it has 40 feet! This is the Mississippi River!"

The current in this channel is really flowing fast. I just clocked 10.9 mph! Man, that is fast! Now I see an 11.2!

I like looking at things on the river. I like being alone. I overcoming my fears. I like traveling on the river.

It's so much fun to just keep puttering down the river. There have been times that I got really tired. Times I was scared and afraid to go on. Then there were lots of other times that were wonderfully fun and enjoyable. Most of the time this week has been really good.

But I must admit I was hesitant to tackle the Mississippi River. I had a mental fear of the Mississippi. But it's just like the Big Sandy, but bigger.

Nissan! Nissan's been good to me! This new motor has made my journey so much better.

I have the boat balanced just now so that I don't even have to steer. I lean to the right which makes me turn left and lean to the left which makes me turn right. I don't even have to touch the tiller. I haven't touched it for the last ten minutes or so. Just lean and turn.

It is incredible how little stuff I have seen on the shore of the Mississippi. It's just wilderness all along the shore.

Since I have started today, I have averaged 9 mph. Unbelievable. That's fast.

I think the City of Hickman never knew it was the object of anybody's great ambition. They never knew that anybody would decide to sail across Kentucky and end in their town.

I see the Hickman ferry going across the river with one truck on it.