Day #216: Oops...

Mississippi Harvest a 28' Tall Bronze by Erik Blome in Celebration of Muscatine's River Heritage

Lock 16, one mile above the Muscatine Marina, was closed for repairs yesterday.  Today there's a traffic jam trying to get through.  We call the lock expecting bad news.  Instead we're told to "hurry up" as they're about to pass rec (recreation) boats through.

We quickly cast off and get underway.  There's a good head of stream on when, all of a sudden, Nellie burps and emits a cloud of black exhaust.  Bicki and I exchange a brief, quizzical, and anxious look before Bicki throttles Nellie down and I dive into the engine room. 

Duckweed Can Easily Clog Raw Water Strainers So It's Best to Check Strainers Often

Yesterday's project list included cleaning the raw water strainer.  To do so, its thruhull must be closed.  Of course a competent mechanic opens the thruhull right after the job is done; lest he forget...

We dodged a bullet.  When the valve was opened the raw water flowed.   Amazingly, the rubber impeller hadn't been destroyed and indeed saw us safely through the remainder of today's trip. 

Two Towboats in Front and One Oncoming

Having done its duty the impeller will be retired, with honors, tomorrow morning.  The first step in replacing the impeller is to close the strainer's thruhull.  Now if I can only remember to open the thruhull when I'm done...

The burp and black smoke were fortuitous for they alerted us to the closed thruhull.  But, what caused the burp and smoke?  To discover the answer we need to know how the muffler was made.

Nellie's 15 Minutes of Fame

The fiberglass muffler, which was fabricated in the same yard as Nellie, has some small lengths of PVC pipe inside it.  The PVC was a temporary form over which wet fiberglass was laid.  The PVC probably sould have been removed after the muffler was built, but it wasn't. 

When the uncooled exhaust gas entered the muffler it curdled the PVC pipes and they partially peeled away from the fiberglass.   This restricted the exhaust's flow and built-up
back pressure.  The burp we heard was the pressure clearing the PVC obstruction.  The black smoke was a result of poor combustion  due to the high back pressure. 

After changing the impeller I'll be probing the exhaust hose for PVC kidney stones.

Muscatine, Iowa to Rock Island, Illinois

It was an exciting 25 miles to the Sunset Marina in Rock Island, Illinois.  The flood waters peaked today so hopefully future speeds will be greater than the 4.8 mph we managed today.  Total under the keel is now 3,864 miles.  DBH

Day #215: Muscatine, Iowa, Day Two

Today was a down day; at least from traveling.  However, keeping a boat continuously moving means there are lots of jobs to be done.  We got many of them scratched off the list this morning.

Button Blanks Drilled from the Mussel Shell

Several months ago in Tennessee we learned that at the turn of the twentieth century there was a huge demand for freshwater mussel shells.   Today we learned the rest of the story: it was Muscatine, Iowa that was driving the demand.  Muscatine had learned how to make pearl buttons from the shells.  By the mid 1910's they were making 1.5B buttons per year.  That takes a lot of shells!

Still in the Municipal Marina in Muscatine, Iowa.  When we went into City Hall to pay our slip rent we were told it's free for transient boats.  That's mighty neighborly!  No miles today and the trip total is 3,839 miles.  DBH

Day #214: Muscatine, Iowa

Coop Vanguard and Helper Tug

Exiting Bluff Harbor Marina we find ourselves behind the towboat Coop Vanguard.  With him infront of us we're looking at four hours of delay going through today's two locks.  With 50 miles between us and the marina in Muscatine, Iowa, it looks to be a long day...

Wahoo, Coop Vanguard pulled over to the shore and we went right on by! 

A Hopper Barge Taking on 3,000,000 Lbs of Grain

The Invisible Town of New Boston, Illinois

  As previously mentioned, some towns hide behind walls and some hide behind levees.  Some towns just plain hide.  New Boston, Illinois is a case in point.  According  to the charts New Boston is a fair sized town right on the water.  But, good luck trying to spot it. As the picture above shows, there's nothing there but a tree-lined bluff. 

The River's Breaching It's Banks

While waiting below Lock and Dam 18 we got a VHF call warning us that all its Tainter gates were opening and that we should expect a lot of debris in the water.  They weren't kidding.  It looked like the charge of the stick brigade.  Being somewhat versed in the military arts, we turned tail and ran.

Floating Through Lock 17

With the Tainter gates open, the dam's head and tail heights are the same.  Which begs the question, why is locking through even necessary?  The answer is simple: one set of doors must always be kept closed because the door-actuators don't have the horsepower to overcome the river's current.  That's why Nellie had to lock through at 17.  The upside?  It only took five minutes :-)

Burlington, Iowa to Muscatine, Iowa

Tonight Nellie's in the Municipal Marina in Muscatine, Iowa.  It took 10 hours to go 53 miles.  The trip total is now 3,839 miles.  DBH

Day #213: Burlington, Iowa

We Get Underway at Sunrise

White Pelican (credit Bill Hubick)

Suddenly we're seeing lots of white pelicans.  They're hard to miss as they're huge.  Among North American birds they're only second to the California condor for the largest wing span.  They're migratory and go as far as Canada in the summer.  In winter the Mississippi birds can be seen as far north as St. Louis.  They must not mind the snow, brrr.  Unlike brown pelicans, white pelicans don't dive for food.  They hunt alone in deep water or cooperate, in shallow water, by herding minnows.  Funny, the things you can learn by reading a cruising blog ;-)

Fort Madison Bridge Opens

Fort Madison is the last double swing-span bridge left on the Mississippi.  The lower level accommodates side-by-side train tracks while the upper level carries a two lane road.  When the bridge tender asked us to expedite our transit I called  down to the engine room and asked for more power.  In response, I heard Scotty, in his Scottish brogue say, "Aye Captain, I'm giving you all she's got!"  I know the bridge tender was impressed when Nellie jumped from 5-1/2 mph to 6.

A Pump Out--the Quintessential Dirty Job

Postcard from 1945

Tonight we're in Bluff Harbor Marina, Burlington, Iowa.  A total of 38 miles today and 3,786 miles for the trip.  Our average speed was a very fast 5.7 mph.  We'll enjoy it while it lasts.  DBH

Day #212: The Walled Towns

Hannibal's Wall--Keeps the Elephants in and Flooding Waters Out (Just Kidding About the Pachyderms)

Towns along the Mississippi are generally 35 miles apart.  This isn't by happenstance but was determined by the distance a paddlewheeler could go before needing to refuel.  Selecting town locations this way has a huge downside: many of the towns are on ground which isn't high enough. 

Paducah's Wall Tells Her History in Pictures

Walls and levees have been built to protect the towns.  Seen from a boat, these walled cities look to be out of the Dark Ages.  Heck, they even have huge iron gates through which the peasants can access the river ;-) River commerce made these towns wealthy.   Seeing as that era has passed, I wonder if the river is more of a curse today.

Sometimes the River Wins

Tonight we're at the Yacht Club in Keokuk, Iowa, MM 366.  All day we followed the towboat Mary K. Cavarra.  Her speed and ours was about the same.  Unable to pass we followed her through two locks.  This added three hours to the trip.   Today's average speed was 5.5 mph while turning 1950 rpm.  We made 40 miles which increases the trip total to 3,748 miles.  DBH

Day #211: Quincy, Illinois

Stormy Day Underway

There's rain in the forecast.  Much of it well to the north of us.  One thing is certain, the water will all drain down the Mississippi and what doesn't fall on us will pass under us.  The river level is now rising and projected to do so for several days.  Flood warnings are being issued.

Sarah Hunter and Tow Under the Hannibal Railroad Bridge

Today we spent a bit of time dodging towboats.  We've actually gotten pretty good at it.  The trick is understanding how the towboats work.  By knowing where they need to be, we can stay out of their way.

Aubrey B. Harwell, Jr. Churns Up the Water While Leaving Lock 21.

The picture above doesn't do justice to the amount of prop wash Aubrey Harwell was generating while exciting Lock 21.  It looked like a 10 mph raging current.  While I had planned to zip right into the lock, prudence dictated otherwise.  As though reading my thoughts the lock master radioed, "You're cleared in; whenever you think it's safe."

It took a little over 4 hours to go 19 miles today.  That got us to the Quincy, Illinois Boat Club's dock at MM327.  There are now 3,708 miles under the keel.  DBH

Day #210: Hannibal, Missouri

Looking North at MM290

The current is running about 3 mph.  The river itself is generally very wide.  The banks are often broken by sloughs.  The channel is fairly narrow (100 yards wide) and shallow (less than 20' deep).  The countryside is getting hillier.

What's Wrong with this Picture?  An iPad Mini has replaced the right-hand side of the right-hand chartplotter.

According to Nellie's Garmin chartplotters, the Mississippi ends at Lock and Dam 22.  Nevertheless, and at great personal risk, we continued north.  Shortly we came across a marvelous little settlement called Hannibal.  The natives were friendly and adamant that the Mississippi continues north for hundreds of miles.  We'll have to let Garmin know.  But, until Garmin's charts make into the 17th century, we'll have to rely on the iPad and Navionics charts.

Mark Twain's Childhood Home

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started."  Mark Twain

Bush Blossom

"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure."  Mark Twain

The Young Mark Twain, Riverboat Pilot

In river jargon, the call 'mark twain' means the water is 12' deep and thus safe for navigation.

"Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company."  Mark Twain

Free Concert Downtown

At the municipal dock in Hannibal, Missouri.  Today's trip was 26 miles.  There are now 3,690 miles under the keel.  DBH

Day 209: Playing with the Big Boys

Jamie Leigh with Six Hopper Barge Tow

The 2 mph current in last night's anchorage didn't challenge Nellie's 10:1 rode.  Having a strong windlass makes recovering all the chain painless.  While the windlass alone could pull Nellie through the current, we use the engine to motor forward. 

The Popco and Jamie Leigh Pass Nellie

We enter the river to find two towboats about a mile astern but closing fast.  They're going to beat us to Lock 24 and that's going to make for a long delay.  We make peace with our fate, reduce RPM, and settle back.  No sooner do the towboats pass us when we hear them on the VHF talking to the General Warren, an Army Corps work boat.  The river ahead is narrow and the towboats agree to stop, which allows the downward bound General Warren to continue.  It's a kind act.  And one we pounce on to our advantage.  While big towboats can't pass in the narrows, little Nellie certainly can.  We up the RPMs, pass the towboats, and get to the lock first.  As the old saying goes, all is fair in love and locking ;-)

Army Corps' General Warren, A Floating Menagerie of Equipment

The injector pump's diesel leak is still there.  Naturally, it's on a part of the pump that's all but hidden from view.  For now I've decided to live with it: it's a small leak; it's not getting worse; and it's not affecting engine performance.

Where's Nellie?  A Long Way from Where She Started in Naples!

Tonight we're in the Two Rivers Marina near Louisiana, Missouri.  It's 27 miles from last night's anchorage and ups the total to 3,664 miles.  DBH

Day 208: Anchoring Strategy

Grey Day at Mississippi MM225

We had to change the depth alarm from 20' to 10' as it was going off too often.   The river has gotten shallower and wider with a lot of sloughs.  The current is between 2 and 4 mph. 

The wing dams are much more obvious now. Some are completely above the water.  Some, ominously, are only visible by the ripples they cause.

Anchorage at MM258 (Hamburg, Il)

  We overheard two towboat captains talking about the tows they were taking north.  Apparently the tows were smaller than normal and had been for awhile now.  Nothing overtly was said, but it was obvious they were concerned about the trend. 

Nellie floated through Lock 25 as it was only a 1-1/2' lift.  The 15 mph tail wind made it a challenge to keep her away from the walls.  In the future we'll opt to tie to the wall rather than float through.

At Anchor Off the Main Channel

These river anchorages are a challenge.  Getting out of the channel is tough.  Getting out of the current is next to impossible.  The ever present wing dams add to the urgency if the anchor should drag.  To help avert 'exciting' o-dark-thirty events our scope is 10:1 (we're in 10' of water and there's 100' of chain out--double what we normally use) and we backed down hard while setting the anchor.  Time will tell ;-)

At anchor near Hamburg, Il, MM258.  Made 37 miles today which increases the total to 3,637 miles.   DBH

Day 207: Right or Left?

Limestone Cliffs North of Alton

During yesterday's tour of the Mel Price Lock and Dam, our guide explained how Tainter gates work to slow the river's flow. 

Cross Section of a Tainter Gate

He then told us about a guy that rented a jetski and with it got too close to the dam.  Both rider and jetski were sucked under one of the Tainter gates.  Luckily both popped up down stream relatively unscathed.  As the tour was nearing its conclusion the guide asked if there were any questions.  I asked if the jet skier got his deposit back...

Today's Choice: Right on the Illinois River to Chicago or Left on the Mississippi to Minneapolis

Just because a boat can go there doesn't mean it's a place you want to be.  So how can the discerning cruiser differentiate between the two?  Allow me to put forth the Pontoon Metric.  Every time we saw lots of pontoon boats it was a place we enjoyed.  Both the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers are prime examples.  The absence of pontoon boats is also telling.   For example, in the last 260 miles there wasn't a single pontoon boat.  True to form, this isn't an area I need to cruise again.  Good news, there are lots and lots of pontoon boats between here and Minneapolis!

There's still a small diesel leak from the bottom of the injector pump.  Next up, tightening the fuel cutoff solenoid.

Alton to Port Charles Harbor

We considered jumping off on the Illinois River and heading to Chicago, but that's in next year's itinerary.  So, we hung a left and continued the Mississippi.  Nellie is safely tried to the guest dock at Port Charles Harbor, MM 221.  It was a short 21 mile day.  The total for the trip is now 3,599 miles.  DBH

Day 206: Alton, Illinois

Downtown Mural in Alton

We walked all around Alton and visited the National Great Rivers Museum.  The museum explained a lot.  For instance, the 27 locks and dams on the Mississippi don't help at all in flood control.  Their job is to maintain navigable depths during low water periods.  There's good news here.  Since the dams are in use now, heading north we will see diminished currents. Yahoo!

A Towboat at Work

In the past I've not used the correct name for river tug boats.  They are called towboats.  Why?  When barges are lashed together they're called a tow.  Thus the boat that moves the tows is called a towboat.  QED.

There are Still Some Wild Flowers About

The most common tow on the Mississippi is made up of Hopper barges.  Hoppers are 195' long, 35' wide and can carry 3,000,000 pounds--that's enough wheat to make 2,000,000 loaves of bread.  The average tow contains 15 Hoppers.  Let's see, that's 45,000,000 lbs!  Nope, I don't want to get in the way of that.

Gary Lucy's 'Eating Up the Lights'--A Paddlewheeler Following the Lighted Trail to Safety

A little diesel leak just appeared on one of the injector line banjo bolts.  I tightened the bolt and my fingers are crossed that that will take care of the problem.  I'm happy to report that the troublesome gasket between the turbo and exhaust header hasn't leaked a drop of coolant.

In Alton, Illinois.  No miles today so we're holding at 3,578. DBH

Day 205: The Arch

Guess Where We Are!

In a NY Times article yesterday Porter Fox wrote about his experience as a passenger aboard a freighter going from Montreal to Minnesota.  Going slow, he wrote, gave him a chance to really observe things along the route.   He went on to comment that "Most people don't travel anymore.  They arrive."  Well, in the last six days Bicki and I did a lot of traveling and not enough arriving!

The Huge Mel Price Lock at MM200

While underway we're always playing a 'what if' game: What if the engine quits?  Ideally, we'd simply drop the hook and fix the engine.  That's easier said than done in the high currents and deep waters of the Mississippi.  In fact, if the engine did quit, I wonder if anything could stop us from being swept all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.  I'm happy to report that that's no longer a possibility.  The first lock on the Mississippi, is just north of St. Louis and we're through it.  So, if we lose the engine from now on, the worst we can do is get swept down to the last lock.  Whew, that's a relief!

The Bridges of Madison County

Best worst story of the day goes to Randy who we met here on the docks in Alton, Illinois.  He was helping a friend bring a 40+ foot Meridian up the Mississippi.  Not 10 miles from here they ran up on a submerged wing dam and holed the boat.  It was a total loss.

In the last 300 miles we've seen fewer than 10 recreation boats.  Tonight we're surrounded by them.  This has to be a good omen for the better waters that lay ahead.

Hoppie's to Alton, Illinois

At the Alton Marina, under cover, with wifi, electricity, pool, and a jacuzzi.  Oh yea, it's also Twofer Friday, pay one day's slip rent and get the second day free.  We made 40 miles in 9 hours today.  That ups the total under the keel to 3,578 miles.  DBH

Day 204: Hoppie's

A Misty Mississippi Morning

The river level continues to fall.  This is good news because Nellie can be run at slightly slower RPMs and we won't have to start eating pet food.

Vern, Owner of Hoppie's and River Sage

Vern has owned and run Hoppie's Marina since the 1970's.  Being the only marina for 240 miles makes it an oasis for cruiser's.  For us, Hoppie's is the first time in six days we've been able to get off the boat and go for a walk.  It was worth the $46.25 slip rent.

Kaskaskia to Hoppie's

Today's 42 mile run, to just south of St. Louis, was a breeze.  Life's pretty easy when you steer clear of all the barges and the wing dams.  Total mileage is now 3,536.  DBH