Passing the Stephen Colby
Yesterday's storm knocked a million leaves off the trees under which Nellie was docked. Today's first job was to remove the camouflage. Easier said than done, it turns out.
The Locks are Long
It's a rare bridge on the Mississippi that Nellie can't fit under. La Crosse's Soo Line railroad swing bridge is one of them. Last year, when the water was high, the bridge opened for Nellie to pass. Today, with a lower water level, the bridge tender reported 17' of clearance. Since Nellie only needs 14' there should be 3' to spare. I trust bridge tenders, but only to a certain extent. That's because there's a high correlation between bad information and decapitated boats. Ideally we'd approach the bridge slowly and confirm the clearance. Unfortunately, the 3 mph current would do its best to sweep us under. Our solution, which admittedly lacked 'cool points', was to back under the bridge. The bridge tender took no umbrage to the manuver. In fact, after giving us a quizical look, he said "Oh, smart."
Sitting Idle in Locks Causes the Mind to Wander
I learned today, by dramatic example, what my favorite river phrase is. It came from the master of Lock 7 when Bicki queried him about our chances of getting through. "I'll have it ready for you when you get here", he said. Now, compare that to the words of Lock 8's master: "Expect a two hour delay." You take what the River gives you. In the later case I took a nap.
Waiting on the Wall to Enter a Lock
Tonight Nellie's in the Lansing Marina in Lansing, Iowa. From Winona to Lansing it was 60.9 miles. Total for the trip is 112. DBH