Day 227: Maintenance Day

Would You Trust this Guy?  Me Neither.

Good news on the over temp front, we found two smoking guns.  The wall of the exhaust hose closest to the engine was partially detached and impeding the coolant's flow.  Where this same hose attached to the muffler we found a buckled piece of PVC which was also obstructing the flow.  You might remember that a few weeks ago I forgot to open the raw water thruhull after cleaning the strainer.  Well, it was uncooled engine exhaust from that episode that caused the problems.

The good news is that Nellie is repaired, was successfully sea trialled, and is heading towards Lake Pepin tomorrow.

Sea Trialing the Repaired Coolant System

We thought about moving north today.  But, seeing as the repair wasn't completed until 1 pm, a little R&R was in order.  Nellie's still in the Municipal Marina, Winona, Minnesota.
Two miles today and 4,115 miles for the journey.  DBH

Day 226: Winona, Minnesota

Wisconsin Limestone Bluff

It's been a wonderful boat ride thus far.  But, as of today, we're officially cruising.  Unfortunately, that's not such a good thing.  Especially when cruising is defined as fixing the boat in new and different locations.

Hmm, Problems...

The engine is running a bit of a high temperature.  So far all the tests have come back negative.   The thinking now is that there's an obstruction in the exhaust hose.  Tomorrow the proctologist will do his thing. 

La Crosse, Wisconsin to Winona, Minnesota

It was a 30 mile run to the Municipal Marina in Winona, Minnesota, MM726.  Yup, Minnesota!  That's another new state for Nellie.  We averaged 4.4 mph.  Total for the journey is now 4,113 miles.  DBH

Day 225: Rain, Rain Go Away

7:30 AM Weather Radar--Yikes!

7:30 AM Outside View--Yikes!

Last week, after looking over Nellie, a local boater expressed surprise at the lack of damage.   I thought it an odd comment but the conversation moved on before I could get clarification.  Today, while scrubbing fender raspberry's off the hull, the comment's meaning became crystal clear.  Locals know it's just a matter of time before the current and a dock collude to take a chunk out of a pretty, painted hull.  I'm hoping that since Nellie's paint job is eight years old, the Gods will find their entertainment elsewhere.

Attack of the Duck Weed

Going Up!

When we leave tomorrow the river will be 1' higher than when we arrived.  The question is, how much will that impact our speed?   Using the flow numbers above and doing a little math, the 1' rise will slow us down by about 1/2 mph.  This means tomorrow's cruise will take 33 minutes longer.

Nellie's Voyage on the Upper Mississippi (i.e. from the Confluence of the Ohio River).

Today's weather pinned us down so Nellie's still in the Municipal Marina in La Crosse, Wisconsin.  We've now traveled 700 river miles up from the Ohio (as the crow flies it's only 480 miles).  Holding at 4,083 miles for the journey.  DBH

Day 224: La Crosse, Wisconsin

Huge Wake from a Towboat Leaving Lock 8

I think I know why most of the pleasure boats in these parts have unpainted metal hulls: you don't have to sweat it when the current pushes you up against the dock.  Leaving our dock this morning I wished Nellie had an unpainted metal hull...

La Crosse Municipal Marina, Funky but Friendly

We like to walk.  We like Chinese food.  Today we walked 8-1/2 miles for Chinese.  That was too far.  Indian food at 5 miles would have tasted better. Live and learn.

Lansing, Iowa to La Crosse, Wisconsin

Tonight Nellie's 34 miles farther up the Mississippi and in the Municipal Marina in La Crosse, Wisconsin.  We're now 4,083 miles into the trip.  DBH

Day 223: Lansing, Iowa

Just North of Marquette, Iowa MM635

After a string of beautiful days we woke today to heavy rain and thunderstorms.  In a lull we pushed off and head north.  Gotta love the pilothouse!

Along the shoreline there's a small 'bathtub ring'.  The river level is down about two feet exposing the mud bank.

Lady Luck Casino Dock

Coming in yesterday there was a strong and unexpected current pushing Nellie into Lady Luck Casino's dock.  As the picture above shows, the dock parallels to the river's flow.  My mistake was coming in only 50' off and parallel to the dock.  By the time I noticed how quickly we were being pushed in, there was little choice but to stop the boat.  It wasn't a pretty landing, but nothing was broken either.

What I learned.  (1) Never assume what the current is doing.   Stop the boat and see how quickly and which way the boat goes. (2) The current's effect can sneak up on you.  I should have given the dock more leeway, say 100' instead of 50'.

Lansing's Mid 1800's Main Street

Today's docking at S&S Marina was perpendicular to the river's flow.  We approached the slip slowly and from downstream; so far so good.  Bit, with Nellie only a quarter of the way into the slip the fast current pinned her to the downstream finger.

What I learned.  There's no way to get Nellie all the way into a slip that's perpendicular to a fast current.  But there's a way to make the landing easier.  On the approach the skipper should aim at the upstream finger with just enough power to get the hull partially into the slip.  Meanwhile, the crew, with fender in hand, should protect the hull from the inevitable impact with the slip's downstream finger.  Then it's just a matter placing fenders in the right position while powering the boat slowly forward.

Race to Lock 9

Here's what the race to Lock 9 looked like today.  The contestants were both equidistant away but the current was giving the towboat John R. Rivers, and his 15 barge tow, a 4 mph boost.  It was nip and tuck until high winds kept him from making a tight turn just above the lock.  Wahoo, Nellie won and averted yet another two hour locking delay.  When we finally passed the John Rivers he was pulled over to the bank still waiting for the contrary winds to abate.  I kind of felt sorry for him.

Marquette, Iowa to Lansing, Iowa

Nellie's in the S&S Marina in Lansing, Iowa, at MM 663.  Today's was a very rainy 28 mile trip.  Last night's heavy rains filled the waterway with duck weed and other floating debris.  The rain was wide spread as every river gage, for the next 200 miles north, is now climbing.  Looks like we're going to get more practice operating in currents.  The trip total is now 4,049 miles. DBH

Day 222: Guttenberg, Iowa

So live that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip--Will Rogers

A Lonely But Brilliant Performer

We cruised by several small signs on a beach.  They seemed important but were illegible from our distance out in the channel.  Our paper river charts said the signs warn of unexploded ordnance.  Seems kind of masochistic, small signs, attracting the curious into the danger zone, only to let them know they might be blown up.

Wide Vista and Limestone Bluffs

All along folks have been telling us that the river gets prettier the farther north you go.  I must say, I agree with them.  It has gotten wider, shallower and the adjoining terrain higher.  There are lots of pontoon boats and the number of marinas has increased dramatically.  Personally, I like the fact that the river seems less intimating the farther north we go.

Pinky--A Northeastern Iowa Landmark

In August 1978 Pinky Water-Skied across the Mississippi, from Marquette, Iowa to Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin, to welcome President Jimmy Carter on the occasion of his visit...

Guttenberg, Iowa to Marquette, Iowa

The river's height is leveling out.  It's still high but the currents are slowing.  We averaged 5.6 mph at 1900 rpm.  That means the river was running at about 4 mph.  It was an easy 20 miles to Marquette.  Nellie is in the Lady Luck Casino's marina.  Can't argue about the casino's name as our slip was free.  The total for the trip is now 4,020 miles.  DBH

Day #221: Guttenberg, Iowa

A Guttenberg Porch

The water isn't the only thing in constant motion on the Mississippi.  The trains are too.  They would be easy to miss except for their horns going 24/7.  No kidding, they're so noisy we're actually losing sleep!

Guttenberg Flowers

For the first time since getting on the Mississippi, Illinois is no longer on the right asending bank.  That honor now goes to Wisconsin.

It's Labor Day and the Mississippi beaches were jammed.  Yup, I said beaches.  Sand collects just downstream and on the inside of some bends.  Locals take their runabouts right up on these beaches, unload their crews, and then set up umbrellas and chairs.  One particularly popular spot had 30 boats on it.

Jimmy buffet's song, Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes , came to mind as we cruised passed the Chestnut Mountain ski area.  Clearly, we're not in Naples any more!

Dubuque, Iowa to Guttenberg, Iowa

The water level is dropping and the current is easing.  Turning 1950 RPMs we averaged 5.9 mph.  Tonight we're in Guttenberg, Iowa, MM615.  It was a 35 mile trip and that ups the total to 4000 miles.  DBH