Bringing in the Dock Lines
The first day of a cruise is always stressful; mainly because the boat is unproven and the crew rusty. So it was with some trepidation that we cast off this morning into the murky waters of the mighty Mississippi.
Three Locks Today: 4, 5 and 5A
The Black Lines are Wing Dams--Underwater Rock Piles--Lying in Wait for the Errant Mariner
The refrain from Rafferty and Egan's, Stuck in the Middle with You, kept playing over and over in my head, except with a more distinctly Mississippi twist: Wing dams to the right of me, wing dams to the left, here I am...
We averaged 10 mph today. I know, big whoop. But hold on. After 800 upstream miles at 5 mph, 10 is traveling at light speed. Going downstream is definitely less stressful. Hmm, maybe that's what's meant by the saying "Go with the flow." Moore's A Gentleman Never Sails to Weather almost says it all. He should have added, Nor Upstream, to the title of his book.
The Portable Helm Station--iPad with Charts Handheld Marine VHF, and Electronic Steering
Timing is Everything! An Hour After Tying up in Winona this Blew Through
Surviving the Abyss (and the Storm) Calls for Champagne!
It was 51.6 miles from Lake City, MN to Winona, MN. I'm happy to report that the crew survived their first day underway. At the Winona Marina, mile marker 724.8. DBH