So you thought we left on this trip with no crew. Think again. We would never attempt this without a competent crew. To
the right is Carrie Bou. She is a very special member of the crew to us.
We first met Carrie at a Leukemia Man Of The Year fund raiser in which
Pat's nephew Scott was named the Man of the Year! She sat atop a crate
of Caribou Coffee for which we paid handsomely! Carrie is here to
protect us from any hazards that come our way, and to remind us to
remember Scott, and all other leukemia patients in our prayers.
Next is Goriller. Goriller likes to reside in the Stateroom, lounging all day long on his
comfy pillows. Goriller's job is to make sure we be super nice to each
other. After all - his name tag says “ I Need Love”. He also sees the
world through those rose colored glasses we received at the F-Dock going
away party. Just imagine taking off with your best friend, all the
clothes, food, equipment, and provisions you’ll need for a year.
Basically, your entire house. Now - pack this into 500 sq. feet, and
maintain for a year. We think we have it figured out.
Are you ready for the update on the pooper cap? Well - the marina manager came through, and reimbursed us for the cost.
This is just not any common cap. It is specific to the fitting on the
boat. I called Cruisers Yachts, and Frank in parts shipped one to our
home in Burnsville. Of course, we could not just purchase the cap, but
had to buy the entire thru hull fitting that the cap attaches to. But it
was much less than I thought - only $66.00 + shipping. Our house sitter
e-mailed that it is already there. However, I did not think to ask the
marina manager for reimbursement for all the engineering, designing,
patents, and miscellaneous costs associated with the temporary
replacement cap. But that’s OK. We decided to let anyone copy our
patent.
A few posts back we mentioned the tugs and barges which travel the
river. You REALLY, REALLY do not comprehend one of these behemoths until
you see it right up close on the river. Believe me when I say that if
you get too close to them, they will literally “suck you right under the
water”. The pull of the water from the barges plowing through the
water, and the prop wash off the tug are very powerful. I have had them
spin our 25,000 lb. boat around like it was a tinker toy. Below is a
photo of the Artis Randell taken across our bow. She was sitting idle
along the shore, waiting for lock 22 to process another barge. You can
get a pretty good perspective of her length, but remember that she is
also three barges wide.
Yesterday, just before our arrival at Quincy, we noticed this flock of boats on the beach for the weekend. Party Time!
Today, as
we headed out of Quincy, we heard the Coast Guard on the VHF radio,
asking all mariners to keep an eye out for two missing persons who they
suspected were in the water. We later learned that two boats from this
“Party” had collided, and two people were in the water, still missing
the next morning. When will people learn!
OK - I’ve been way too serious here. Time for some River Trivia!
We are posting two questions for you.
E-mail us your answers. We will announce the winner in due time - IE -
when we get a chance! We MAY even award a PRIZE!
-
Where is lock and dam #23 located?
-
How many locks are there from well above St Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, to Grafton, IL., where we will be tomorrow.
It’s dark out now - time for bed.
Good Night
Captn Ken
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