Gotta Smile!: Everyone asks "What Do You Do All Day on a Boat".

October 2, 2011

Well, the four of us agree we don’t know where the days go, but they sure go fast!
** We will go through 1 or 2 locks per day. That means putting out fenders and being on deck to talk to the dock master and handle lines. When we get a little further south, the locks are set up with a bollard system. We connect one line in the middle of the boat to a floating bollard that is in a channel on the wall. This allows us to hold securely while we float down to the next level. We pull the line on the bollard so tight that it squeezes the big ball fenders in to distorted pancakes – I call it the mammogram squeeze!
** We all enjoy watching for eagles, pelicans and herons. The algae was so thick in one area that the seagulls were walking on it. Yes, this is the kind of excitement that we have come to look forward to.....dorks!
** The next item of interest are the work boats.

A buoy tender travels the river making sure that the buoys accurately mark the navigable channel. Unlike the St Croix River (which is 30-80 feet deep from shore to shore), the main channel of the Mississippi is only 9-12 feet deep. Once out of the channel we would quickly run aground or hit a wing dam. Yes, I was the first one to miss a channel marker on this trip. Luckily I discovered the error of my ways before there was an incident.

Dredges on large barges work to keep the channel navigable. Continuous shoaling would quickly make some areas too shallow if not for the dredging.
Tow boats loaded with barges are our main entertainment. We talk on the radio with the captains. Most are very cordial. We need to know which side of the channel they want us on when we pass. A lot of the time it doesn’t matter, but there are times in an especially narrow channel or a turn that it is critical. When they are beginning to push coming out of a lock or making a turn, the turbulence is amazing. The largest load a tow boat can push on the Upper Mississippi is 15 barges. Each barge holds the equivalent of 15 railroad hopper cars. That’s a lot of weight and starting from a dead stand still they use every ounce of their 2 – 5000 horsepower engines.
There is every imaginable configuration of sightseeing boat. Excursion boats, party boats, big overnight river boats and casinos – they all have one thing in common a paddle wheel. It might be their source of power, decorative or painted on the side.
And, of course, lots of fishing boats.
** We have 5 computers on board. Everyone has their own and one for the navigation system. The problem is – getting a strong enough signal on the wifi to use the internet. The river flows through many small communities that apparently don’t care about cell phones and computers! Thus, the delay in sending updates and replying to messages.
** We read our navigation books about the towns we are passing, plan where we will be able anchor or tie up for the night and decide if there is a town that we want to stop and wander around. Gail is always figuring out how far to a good restaurant. Tonight we are looking forward to tying up to the city dock in LeClaire, Iowa and eating at the Faithful Pilot. Brian has eaten there several times and promises it will be memorable.
** Nobody seems to miss a meal. Everyone fixes their own breakfast unless I’m making pancakes, hash browns or roast beef hash and eggs. Lunch is casual – sandwiches or soup. Gail or I spontaneously decide we want to fix something for dinner and then we search to see if we have all of the ingredients on board. So far, the pantry has not disappointed.
** And, then there is time on the deck enjoying the sun and scenery or reading.
Gotta Smile – we’re lovin the ride!