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
