Aug 27

Kimswick MO to mile 100 on the Mississppi north section.  53 miles average miles per gallon 12.2


As the above shows the Mississippi south of the chain of Rocks is moving like a run away horse and gave us a very cheap ride today.  We were moving at just idle on the engine all I had to do was keep enough speed to stir the boat.  


Lots of barges today plus a dredge so at least once an hour I had to take control and move the boat one why or another.  To keep out of other peoples way.  Only one bridge today which I found a little different as normally we see a lot more and fews boats.  Only 10 fishing boats most of those were anchored and fishing in place.  One was beached and a guy was fishing from the beach and a women looks like she was collecting stuff (clam shells, river glass or perhaps trash).


Even the Radio was quite and limited chatter there.


Last night at dinner met a nice guy our age (read OLDer) and felt the problem with kids today was lack of reading skill.  He wanted to discuss what the best national parks were and who were the best presidents. 


Anchoring was a chore today.  The current makes it really hard to get a good hold have to have a lot of rope out.  The story is like this the site recommended had changed due to new wing dams. So our first attempts at the recommended site failed very quickly lots of drift and no protection from the old wing dam.


We moved to a second site based on my opinion.  (remember I am an amateur  anchoring a boat this big and current makes inexperience even more noticeable.) The site was better the current was little weaker at the first drop moved a little up and tried a second drop and still better.  However the swing was not good to solve this problem i decided we would add a stern anchor.  How to get it there?  Well I tried to swim with it.  This worked well for about 50 feet then it snagged and current took me down with it.  Time to let go and swim to shore.  OK, I am fine Dianne seems calm.  I walk way up stream past the boat wade in and current is almost not there.  I swim towards the boat as I get further out I go faster and faster the looks like it is rushing at me.  I grab one of the fenders and it is ripped out of my hand I grab the second and hold on this time.  Then climb up to the swim platform.  (only a Canadian male would swim with an anchor but it is not heavy and depends on wedge to set).  Now to move the boat to the new spot but the stern anchor has set so hard that I have let out the front anchor to get enough slack to release the stern.  Then the bow anchor is released another lift and move the boat to the calm spot reset the front which when it holding I have to set a stern anchor.  This time I float the anchor on a life jacket and it easy and done no movement since then.  







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