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
