Evansville Drag-racing

Aug 13, Sat
Bliss to sleep in a little. Up at 7:30 and into town. Breakfast at the Farmer's Table with many of the boat racing crews from all over the country. Tenzin & Bobby strolled off to check the boats out while James & I deliberated over menu items needed in Shenks ("You can't beat our meat!") Supermarket.

Drag racing began at 10am and we anchored just off the start line in the shade of the bridge. Boats dragging at 150mph...Bobby in heaven as he points out weight to water length ratios, horsepower to contour profiles and cylinder diameter to stroke length. We all nod.

We stayed until noon to watch the big guns with boat names such as 'Quit yer Bitchin', 'Just Another Quicky' and 'Neighbour's Nightmare.'

Evansville Days - end

"How far to the border of IL downstream?" we asked the guy sitting at our table.
"You got me by the balls...I'm a local" he answered motioning to the grain silo just off the main street.

I noticed a tall good looking guy gestering to someone to our left. He wore styled jeans, immaculate cowboy boots and hair is a casual style similar to Pierce Brosnan (James Bond actor). It appeared he was 'somebody' in this town of 1500 people. Whoever he was gestering at must have noticed. 'Brosnan' smiled and walked over. He had no front teeth. His walk was timid, unsure. He greeted his aquaintance, hand nervously tugging at the hem of his shirt. His large blue comb stuck out of his back pocket. 'Brosnan' became 'hick' in seconds.

Despite the loud bands we all passed out exhausted.

Evansville Days - start

We realized that making New Orleans was improbable and would, instead, target Memphis Tennessee. We took a left off the river into the Kaskaskia. While we waited for the small lock to open Bobby fed a Canadian Goose and a duck (curious duo) our hotdog rolls.

10 miles up we reached Evansville in the midst of celebrating "Evansville Days" and a national boat drag racing event. The streets were blocked off and there were live bands on just about every corner. "I love party girls" and "Brunettes actually have MORE fun" were typical T-shirt themes. Everyone was out in the streets beer in hand. The kind of looseness one doesn't see in Wausau.

We strolled past a street kareoke trailor with blonde corn-fed southern girls pouring out their lyrical hearts, eyes shut.

While we ate home-style ribeye steak sandwiches with stringy coleslaw I watched a burly body-builder type chap wearing a vest and tight shorts come over and joke with a young (paraplegic) guy in a wheelchair.

Mile Marker 131

As we entered the wide turn at mile marker 131 (Hoppie had advised taking the red buoy line due to a shallow sandbank on the green (right) side. There we met Eric & Nate. Eric works at the Wausau Walmart and Nate is from La Crosse with a girlfriend in Mosinee. They were paddling a bright orange canoe. They had spent a month and a half paddling UP to the source of the Mississippi before heading down bound for the Gulf. Both were dark from the sun, shirtless. Eric had one-way shades on and Nate screwed up his eyes under the brim of his straw hat.
"What are you going to do when you reach the Gulf?" I asked from my hammock.
"Go home" Nate said without flourish. We gave them cold beers and said goodbye. We could't believe that they were doing 50 miles a day!

The wind died making our passage a little smoother. Another fish jumped up onto our deck followed by a few others who must have suffered brain damage bouncing off the kayak strapped to the side of the boat.

Hoppies Landing

An hour later we put into Hoppies Landing on the starboard bank. Hoppie himself attended to us. "1000 miles from here to New Orleans...400 miles to Memphis and that'll be your next available fuel stop on the river" Hoppie said with authority squinting out from beneath the brim of an oil stained cap. We all put on a brave air, collectivelycrumbling inside. ANOTHER 1000 MILES!!!!???!!!!

"Got enough gas to git yer ta Memphis?" Hoppie asked.
"No"
"Got yerself a VHF radio?"
"No" we answered feeling like day trippers from Wisconsin.
"You got charts of the Lowa Mississ?"
"uhmmm..yes, kind of, well they're on CD...they ran out of paper charts" I answered a little weakly.
Almost afraid to ask now Hoppie queried "You got AC power on that boat to run a computa?"
None of us answered.

Back on the river. Windy. Strong current. New Orleans or cut the trip shorter to Memphis is now the topic. More on that later.we're not sure what to do....

St. Louis

"Make that 4 BIG burgers and beer...." 30 minutes later Les arrived with his friend Renee. No real attractive spots along the river here to dock, so we ran our lines to ashore under a bridge. Great to see Les again. Told him the amazing event in the channel....a fish hopped clean out of the water onto our deck.....stuff you only hear about. "We should put skillet on the deck as bait!" James joked.

We left St Louis waving at Renee and Les at 2pm. The current now that we are past the last locks is swift and makes a visible impact on our speed (up to 14-15 mph).

Distance Alert (screw-up)

Alert! Stopped in Alton (15 miles North of St Louis) to refuel. After hearing lots of people refer to Quimby's Guide, we decided to spurge the $25 to get our own. Shite 1074 miles to N.O. and not the 600 we had researched! Thats 12 hrs a day @ 11.4 mph to make it to NO next friday! Much thinking in progress now....

2 days ago Alton was hit by high winds. The marina roof was ripped off, docks on their heads and poles like toothpicks. Good thing we are running behind schedule. It would have devastated the Sunbird.

In the side channel now approaching St Louis. Water temp 85 F! Many fish bobbing dead on their backs due to high river temp.

See Link "Pics" below for some images from the river

More to come when I have more wireless access for PC

Pics

See http://www.greenglass.org/gallery/album10 for pics

Sherwood Marina - end

Tenzin conjured up a pasta meal while I called Mara who was in Spring Green visiting Kobus and Jami. We used the dock hosepipe to shower. Bobby and I were very happy to kip in the tent on the roof. Man! Bobby can snore something powerful!

We got up at 5:20am. "Did you hear that bird this morning?" I asked James who looked like he felt after being attacked by formations of Southern mosquitos.
"I think it was a crow. He was relentless!....I wonder what he had on his mind?" Love Jame's quips.

We did 109 miles yesterday and are 30 miles from St Louis. Looks like a clear, hot day. Listening to NPR on our radio about people sitting in a plane for 7 hours on the Heathrow runway due to the strikes seems a million miles away here on the mighty Mississippi River.

Sherwood Marina - start

We put in at the Sherwood Marina opposite Grafton IL.
"It's an hona system" the guy in a yellow cigarette boat slurred when I asked where we checked in. The 3 guys on it were totally hammered. I slipped $10 into the battered box perched on a crooked pole while the others docked the boat in a mooring with a roof. Walking to the dock I chuckled recalling yesterday evening. "That piece of mainland there is called Apple Island" Bobby had said pointing to a crouching landmass. "Did he just say that piece of mainland is an 'island'?" James had asked turning to me. "We're in good hands" I said. We had a good laugh!

Lock 24 - end

We ran the Sunbird ashore and ran out the windward stern anchor just as the major gusts slammed into us. Thankfully we collapsed onto the sand and watched the heavenly orchestra!

Lock 24 - cont

Clarkesville is a tiny town trapped in a time machine. Just the proverbial hound nuzzled the trash in the burning sun while the town stood still. Bobby returned with his smokes and a happy pack of beer. Apparently optimum weight plans exclude having enough beer on deck for a wedding!

Sky greyer now with warm drizzle. 80 miles to go to St Louis.

The pages of "Deception Point" (by Dan Brown, great read if you get it) fluttered wildly. I rolled out of my hammock bracing myself on the pitching deck. The whites of their eyes reflected mine. "Storm coming up river" the cry went up. Lightening tore the horizon up in front of us like a stratospheric sewing machine. The white horses raced towards us. Hurriedly we stowed the gear as thunder shock-waves ripped overhead. The stiff wind had the motor straining to make headway. Bobby headed for the beach as fast as we could go. Beads of sweat dripping into his open can of Busch Lite (knew you'd like that Jerome!).

Lock 24 - start

Last of Krista's amazing tomato's for lunch with peppered cheese, ham and bread in Lock 24 just below Hannibal. Discussion on Fedexing another mother lode of tomato's in care of Les in St. Louis....

Very friendly lock chap. He told us this was a pretty long stretch without fuel stops. Good thing we bought more fuel cans in Louisiana, MO. He told us two Canadian's had canoed through yesterday, on their 3 month trip to New Orleans. Bobby was relieved to hear there was a cafe in Clarkesville MO where he could stock up his Winston supplies. While waited for Bobby we watched a father son team in action trying to get their boat onto a trailor to haul out of the water..."I'm going to have to cut him off the beer" the son called to us after the elderly father took a 7th try at reversing the trailor down the slip.
"Try an' hit that, asshole!" the father countered after he managed to get the rig into the water.

Quincy, IL - end

There is often the smell of burnt rice…..a signature of the busy factories around the corner. We often pass through sections of the river where there is brown foam floating around like mini-islands……it does little to prompt us to take a cooling swim. It seems to get worse as we get downstream.

So far no tension amongst us. When we make coffee, change fuel or pack up the upper deck…we all move about in sync, with precision…’tis a beautiful sight:)

Quincy, IL - cont.

A jungle of electronics festooned the dock power pillars as we hungrily recharges our respective gadgets. We decided to sleep out on the end of the jetty under the stars while Bobby slung himself in the hammock on the boat.

At 4:20am my Treo bleeped intrusively. The sky was still black. I snoozed it until 5am and then roused the crew up. Coffee, some packing and we were off to an early start at 6:15am. As we idled out of the channel everything was still. The water like a mirror as we passed under the span bridge running into Quincy.

Bobby wrapped himself up in the starboard hammock…he had not slept at all he said. The mosquitos made a meal of him he said. A little while later we locked through Lock 21. If we can do 7 locks today (137 miles) we will be in St. Louis this evening (we had called Les to give him an FYI we were coming).

The river is a curious blend of factories-pumping their effluent into the Mississippi- and long stretches of thick trees protecting its banks.

Quincy, IL

Aug 11, Thursday
We made it to Quincy, IL at 7pm...70 miles for the day. Initially we stopped to refuel at the Art Keller Marina but decided we needed an earlier stop. Docking fees were $25.00 per night and the marina chap directed us off to a docking area complete with overhead roof, solid gangplanks, power sockets every few meters and hosepipes. As I headed the boat into the dock I heard “Aim for me!” and there in front of us was an old lady with her arms outstretched, knees bowed. They were a couple from Burlington also on a (fancy) pontoon boat. It became clear they hadn’t talked to anyone for days. Within minutes we had the condensed version of their lives. We bolted for the end of the jetty where we lounged in deck chairs while James created fine fare with some Eastern European sausage. Tenzin took off across the river in the kayak in search of needed supplies. 10 minutes later he returned to get his ID…they would not sell him beer without it.

Deep 6 the grill - end

Exiting, we tested our lightened boat. Bobby was right. 14-15 mph was now effortless!

Through Lock 20 at 5:25pm...still blazing hot! Lockmen finished telling us how often they are 'flashed' by woman boaters.

We're going to push for Hannibal (32 mi), Missouri.....where Huck Finn began his travels.

Deep 6 the grill

Took a leak off the stern. Noticed puffs of smoke from the motor. Chief Inspector Buchanan took a squint. Overfilled oil reservoir was the prognosis.

While I cycled off down Main St of Fort Madison, IA Bobby disassembled the Honda and Tenzin whipped up an omelette.

Robin had Captain Kirk's Landing shuttled Bobby off to find a oil filter replacement. A crisis at the office had be on the cell throughout. Dependable Renee was there to help me sort things out.

We came into Kirk's at 10am and left at about 2pm.....slipping behind schedule:)

"That grill bothers me." The persistant refrain from Bobby. James, Tenzin & I had cherished the notion of grilling on it some place in the deep South. "We'll get 2 extra miles an hour" from Bobby as we dubiously fought off giving it up. We gave it to a tug boat crew in Keokuk IA along with a water-contaminated tank of fuel.

We dropped 34ft in Lock 19 (waited only around 10 minutes....we've been very lucky).

Boat Landing end

As I dozed the mosquito's plied their trade, but we were too tired to care. It started to rain.

This morning was a soggy affair. Everything got soaked. After a brief debate about safety and lightening, we set off under a grey sky. Lock 18 30 minutes later.

Boat Landing cont..

I thrust the Honda 4-stroke into Forward and nearly wrenched the dock off its mooring. "It's still tied on! ...pass me your knife!"

With the rope cut free, the boat took off like a kite-the upper deck acting as a perfect wing foil. I heard Bobby hollering for James and Tenzin. Futile. Wind carried his words away.

The marina channel was very narrow. The motor was straining to make the corner. Visions of the Sunbird smashing into the blue 20ft yacht. Made it. The deck was adrift with our gear that had sprawled in the dash to the more protected rear of the marina.

Bobby managed to make one cleat fast, but the boat spun out so we couldn't tie off the stern. I glimpsed James peering out of the bar window. I gestured wildly. He hurried down the jetty to help tie her off.

We were exhausted, so pitching Botsford's tent was out of the question. They took the hammocks and Bobby and I crashed on the deck on our 12" wide mattresses.

The Boat Landing

Aug 10, Wed
Last night we lost a mozzie pole, shattered Bobby's tent pole and nearly took out a rather expensive looking yacht in a 18knot blow.....

After covering 122 miles yesterday, we pulled into the ramschackle marina, The Boat House (Oquawka) under the management of new, portly, owner Kevin from New Hampshire.

We gassed up, rigged the tent on a spider-infested dock, and dropped our mozzie netting before savouring a hot shower in a dilapidated bathroom. There were ominous signs of black cumulous and far-off lightening.

In the marina bar, we wolfed down 5 tacos each while listened intently to Lynne's weather radio. Didn't sound too bad. As Bobby pushed out of the bar door, I saw the wind ruffle his by-now wild and unruly hair. Wind before storm. I leapt up leaving Tenzin at the table.

The SUNBIRD was yawing wildly in the fierce wind. Bobby's tent was folded like a noodle over a railing. I jumped on-board shouting to Bobby to cast me off. "You're good!" (go up one for rest)

Lock 17

At 3pm in the blazing sun we hit Lock 17...perfect timing! One can wait up to 2hrs to lock-through with heavy river traffic. We cruised to a filling dock in Muscatine on the Iowa side. In the shop perched high above us we were relieved to find a fuel line. Ours did a wheels-up about 6miles upstream and Bobby jimmied it to get us down. The shop had a large walk-in fridge. As though rehearsed, the four of us stepped into the blissful coolness. "Let's have a meeting" James piped up. It is over 90 degrees F outside today.

Our total distance from La Crosse is currently at 244 miles (we need to be on 300 by nightfall and it is already 4:37pm)...

Lock 14

Lock 14 (out of a total of 27) by mid-morning already and the second for the day! The horn sounds and the light changes to green. We idle in and grab the lines the lockmen throw down to us....their faces uniformally surly until Bobby asks "What's up with the Packer bench?" He smiles..he is from WI and painted a pier bench in the colours.

James whips out delicious sandwiches as we drop 13 ft (Lock 19 we hear has a 34ft drop!). The exit horn sounds and we realise we have no fuel in the tank. A speedy refill and we are out. Bobby needs the loo.....

Like a baby...

Aug 9th, Tues
James froze his ass off ("I slept like a baby......woke up every hour and shat in my pants!") and hardly slept and Bobby was awake...he counted 23 trains! Tenzin & I had no complaints.

Off motoring at 7am, an improvement. Passing the Roberta Tabor barge that we seem to be playing tag with all the way down the river. It' barges stretch out in front of the tug for about 1/2 mile it seems. We chop through its wake as we wave hello to the deckhand.

Another scorcher of a day and we can feel the humidity levels rising. Thus far, there has been a ton of laughs and no tension at all which is great. The three of us are very chaffed to know Bobby-fix anything-is on board.

It is a beautiful river!

Sunset!!!

The sunset was spectacular! Perfect river running conditions...glassy water, breathless air as we cruised at 13mph to the deep south sounds of the New Orleans CD Nanci had got for Bobby's birthday.

Our nav lights are a problem. The dullest whisper of light. We entered Savanna IL at around 9pm with the aid of a handheld searchlight.

We tied up at a smelly slip in sight of a BP where we refilled our tanks and order two supremes from Pizza Hut. Bobby was unfurling our chiffon-like mosquito netting enclosing the lower deck. By the time we had finished eating three trains had thundered past! Bobby wanted to move the boat to the other side of the river, but we were all too knackered by that stage.

Pretty humerous episode pitching the tent on the roof. It juuuusssttt fit provided we didn't want to get around to the other side. Bobby & I in the tent and the Botsfords in hammocks below.

Distance covered 97 miles.

Beer aloft

This is the end of the entry that begins below:

The right pontoon started to plough! In a second water was rushing over his lap as he held his beer up high lest it be diluted! Tenzin powered down before we lost our Chief Engineer.

Mon 8th Aug 2005

Mon 8th Aug 2005
Well the MGD-effect gave rise to a later than dawn start we had energetically agreed to. After a dock shower & breakfast we cast off at 9am with the mists of the river coiling up around the overhead bridge.

The weeds are a problem. We are supposed to do 100 miles a day, and are behind schedule. The weeds accumulate around the motor stem until enough of them cause the prop to cavitate. We have to reverse to release the weeds and then start back up again. Progress is a bit better today now that we have a sense of weight distribution to allow us to plane. We are now just past Dubuque IA and moving at a good 13mph clip into another stunning sunset.

The barges arn't too much of a problem....but they cause incredible turmoil in their wake. A collossal speedboat shot out past us as we left Lock 11. I called from my hammock to Tenzin to 'surf the wake!' He did and we accelerated as if in a slingshot. Bobby in his deckchair on the bow reached to hold on........

Drenched

More on Sunday's events....

Been 'offline' for a bit...had to dismantle my phone to dry it out! (more below).

Struggled a bit to find our way out to the main channel. Hit the red & green bouyed channel and a huge wake wave from a passing powerboat peeled towards us. The roiling water of the longest river in the world thrashed over the deck soaking all and everything! My Trea PDA/phone blinked cryptically three times and died. Tenzin had picked up my laptop bag..quick thinking but it too was drenched.

I laid out my electronic arsenal on the top deck to dry.

We met Kobus & Jamie just before Lock 8 and they handed us Nanci's cardtable and a bag of Krista's famous tomatoes we had left behind before heading into our first lock.

We made a total of just 62 miles today before docking in Marquette on the Iowa side. James's delicious buffalo burgers signalled the end of our first day.

10:50am

10:50 am
We are off! Ditched some gear to lighten the Sunbird up and she is running schweet! New Orleans-bound.

Goose Island...start day

08/06/05 Goose Island, WI
7:50 am
Misty morning on the ol' Mississ. We are a little concerned about the boat running a little low in the water....there are rumblings about ditching the bike which I'm not chaffed about.

We determined to load everything up and check how it runs and then whittle it down from there.

Goose Island is a wonderful campground with hot showers, wood, and power. This part of the State is very pretty.......hills, trees and La Crosse really takes advantage of being on the river!

The mountain biking here must be incredible!

Raccoons are a problem in this park, and we had our garbage strewn about at 4am this morning.