Nellie's All Alone in Dubuque's Ice Harbor
When I called the Marina yesterday for a reservation, I was told that they'd be glad to take one, but it really wasn't necessary. Upon arrival we saw why. Except for two rescue boats we had the 50+ slips to ourselves.
Ice Harbor is One of the Rare Marinas that's Inside the City's Flood Gates
Chasing Jennie K
Tug calculus starts early on the 'ol Mississip. The southbound Jennie K. had caught us while still tied to the dock in Dubuque. We heard the turbines long before we saw her. She was pushing 12 (barges) and making 7 (mph). Lock 12 was 20 miles away. The question was, could we get underway and beat her through?
This All Wood Railroad Bridge is an Anachronism. Holding Out for Infrastructure Subsidies is One Thing, but Since the 1800's... ;-)
Nellie's Bread Crumb Trail Died Just North of Cassville, WI, Yesterday
While we didn't know it at the time, yesterday's lightening strike disabled Nellie's APRS tracking beacon. Like the AIS and wind instrument, it came back to life after cycling its power.
Overtaking Jennie K
The math said we'd catch her at 0700 and be 3 miles ahead by Lock 12. The reality was a 0704 pass. Close enough. Bottom line, we got through Lock 12 without incurring a two hour delay. If only we'd been so fortunate at Lock 13.
Where Wing Dams Come From
Leave it to the Army to try and trip up us sailors. Here's proof of their malevolence, two Corps tugs building yet another wing dam.
Inside Lock 13, Two Rec Boats and Belle
We arrive at Lock 13 to learn that we're number four in line. Let's see, two hours for the tug at bat, one more for the tug on-deck, and a quarter hour for the in-the-hole boat. That's a lot of waiting. We drop the hook, have lunch and otherwise make ourselves comfortable. About 30 minutes later Celebration Belle, the in-the-hole boat, politely explains to the lock master that she's carrying over 150 passengers and is entitled to priority locking. The lock master concede?s and then asks us if we like to lock through with Belle. Uh, yea!
Dubuque, IA to Clinton, IA
We were in by 1400 and even made 63 miles to the good. As the map above shows, Nellie is now close in latitude to Chicago (our near term destination). By road Chicago is only 132 miles away; by water it's 740. No one ever said boats are the fastest mode of transport. There are now 260 miles under Nellie's keel. She's safely tired to the dock at Clinton Marina, mile marker 518. DBH
