See so interesting things out here. Been spending a lot of my finger wiggling time up on the second deck just sight seeing


Wonder what this is /was ?


Gotta say y'all Kentucky /Tennessee folks must really stay on the state when it comes to fishing access. Seems to be a boat ramp with a nice little park Evey few miles. Honestly waitign to see Matt Jones cruising by running lines any minute now

Wolf, that's some big water you're enjoying.

On my river back home north of Tuscaloosa a tow is restricted to three barges single file. And you have to radio ahead before rounding bends because two tows cannot pass without one pulling over to the side and there's only a a handful of spots wide enough for that.

I always respected those river pilots and their boat handling skills because some of those bends do a 180° in less than half a mile. But I've also seen more than one scrape his way around with the nose of the tow on the bluff, lol.

I catch myself just floating the rivers here when I'm trapping, just looking when I should be motoring!

There's something awe inspiring about large bodies of water like major rivers, the Great Lakes and the seas and oceans. Tall mountains are that way too and even the deserts. It's been far to long since I've seen any of them.

Yesterday, a friend of mine sent me a couple of pictures of Mount Rainier, which he is visiting. I must have opened the pictures half a dozen times. I need to go see the world again before I die.

Keith

Just think, our rivers run between and around mountains. Lots to look at.

There really is!

Keith

You’ll have to check out Tug Trash Outdoors on YouTube in your free time

Here ya go, wolf.

“Yellow over white my towline is tight”

Wolfie that looks like a spot they fill the barges with grain

I love the rivers , Miss is my favorite but the Wisconsin is a second not much for locks on the WI

Will do !

Speaking of , made a few of them turns yesterday

That's what I was thinking !

Net lil island in the middle of the river this morning. Reminds me of those creation stories about world turtles

How far north are you going?

No clue lol but here I am currently

Fishing is great . Ky. is an all around great state for sportsmen.

Interesting voyage. Looks likes you are haling mixed cargo. Big tug. How many crew members? Did I see a speck of dirt on that deck or was it your camera lens ?

Some of those islands in the Mississippi river are used to tie up to as they are building the loads.

One thing I don't miss from the river is the may fly hatch.

I think it is great that you get to do what you love to do. That is the way it is supposed to be.

Living on the river the willow fly hatch was looked forward to every spring. That was fill the boat with fish time. Bream and catfish.

1850s was the high point for steamboat traffic on the Mississippi River. Then came the war and then came the railroads which were the demise of the steamboats.
History says that at one time there were 178 steamboats counted on the levee there at St. Louis during this period. Mostly on the Missouri side but some on the Illinois side. Off loading freight, on loading freight, waiting for a departure date, having their ship looked after by chandlers or artisans or .... whatever.
The levee ran approximately 6 miles up and down river from a point close to where the Arch is now. The Arch area was the center of it all. I'd pay good money to go back in time and walk that levee. So much history there. Hawkens gun store would have been in operation then too. Frenchman, Indians, immigrant Germans, river people, westward pioneers, 49ers, military people...........It would have been a colorful place.

Yet steam boats held out for longer than most realize on smaller rivers in hinterland areas where the rail did not reach.

The last paddle wheeler to retire in Alabama was a CoE snag boat in the 1940s. It ran the Alabama and lower Tombigbee.

Youre the modern day Mike Fink Wolfdog.

That would be tupelo honey.

I've seen it like a heavy snow storm with depth acumulation in inches!

For WolfDog. Steam Boat Willie.

Yup, don't smile when running on plane lol.

Saw them heavy enough had to shut down traffic to wash em off the bridge with fire hoses. Slick slimy stinking mess.

I was on the high cliff at Old Fort Kaskaskia north of Chetser, Ill. overlooking the Mississippi River. I saw a tug down there pushing 12 barges up river and as I remember and the tug was putting out quite a roostertail. So I figured the throttles were pretty well open. Looked like he was just making 2 or 3 mph and maybe a 4 to 6 mph current. It was the spring of the year so the water was high and fast so he was just creeping up the river.

I can see how you would have good control (steerage) over the tug and barges going UP river. You get in a tight spot, just slack off the throttle some and bring her to a stop right there in the river. Kind of tread water. Then figure out what you're gonna do.
What I can't see is how you maintain good control when you're taking that mess DOWN river. You have to go faster than the river to maintain good (steerage) control. Say 4 mph current and add say 4 mph forward speed to have good steerage, that means you're cooking along down river at 8 to 10 mph. How in the world to you get that rig slowed down or stopped if there is something in the water ahead. Throw it in reverse or run it into the bank is all I can see you could do. That would be a heck of a strain on those cables.
You get up around St. Louis and those barges are anchored everywhere. Along the banks and even anchored out in the river. I'd like to see a drone U Tube of of a tug and barges negotiating that area going down river. Be like driving through a mall parking lot on a Saturday morning I guess.
Or get on the radio and tell everyone to "Get the **** out of the way, I' coming through".

Sometimes the river takes control.

https://www.rioleo.org/mv-cahaba.php

I've seen barges broke loose from the port up river coming down spinning like a top taking out docks on both banks. A few made it all the way down to the dam.

Up on our stretch of the warrior high water meant nothing moved up or down. The river was too narrow and twisty in good conditions much less when up and running.

But we caught it because we were above Tuscaloosa and there was only so much water they could let through the dam to keep it off Tuscaloosa. There were 6 locks and dams between us and Mobile.

Picked up some empties on a tow swap and headed back down river . In the galley with our engineer cooking up a litl something

Picked up some empties on a tow swap and headed back down river . In the galley with our engineer cooking up a litl something






Yeah haven't seen any of them yet. They where going crazy down in Texas when I was finishing up deckhand school though

Colorful would've been Natchez Under the Hill. If it lived up to just half of what has come down to us today it was a rough place by rough place standards.

But let's hope our young riverboat friend doesn't find his boat tied up in those sorts of places, lol.

All those boats tied up rail to rail was a recipe for disaster. In 1904 one ship caught fire and wiped out 100's of boats, some of the remains can still be seen during periods of very low water.

I recall reading about that. Boiler explosions and fires were a common occurrence.

Every Alabama kid of my generation knows of the Eliza Battle and how she rises up out of the Tombigbee on cold winter nights still trying to make it to Mobile.

I believe that the Sultana disaster still remains the worst US maritime disaster.

Cruised my this yesterday. Think where where my Mt.Vernon ?

That's the LST that's on display in Evansville.



That's the Rockport power plant and the 2 spires to the right are the bridge over the Ohio. Been over that bridge many times. You were in my territory Wolf.

Thanks for all the pics Wolfie, keep them coming when you can. I love seeing the scenery and comments on it. I miss the pics River Birch used to post on here.

Not too much goin on today everyone. O ment to tell y'all made my first lock the other night and over done two more since . The first mate and captain seemed kinda impressed.... Well honestly I think their just happy I know how to speak on the radio and I do key up just to go " yeah uuuuuughhhh I think your ummmm 10.....no no 8 wide and uuuummmm": but yeah nothing too special see today so here's some pics of outlet galley. It's pretty nice

That's a nice galley. Looks very clean .How does the cooking work? Do you cook your own meals? I assume there is not cook on board? Any wolf equipment ? Looks like a very nice tug you are on.

So where up river a few hours from mound city just waiting for the lock. Fist time we've had a line. This trip. At least while I was on shift. Anyhow pretty cool being around all these pilings . Lots of wild life seems to lien to congregate around these locks.

Some cobra chickens as me and my friends call em

Whole lot of these little gar too I've been seeing a lot of them closer and in the locks. Pretty little critters how they just lazily like cruise around at the top. The mate said I could have been fishing right now if I had a rod actually so I'm a little bummed about that never caught a gar before



Also saw this , looked like a dorsal fin . Was coming up shaking and went back down and didn't come back up after a minute. Paddle fish mabye? Too far up for bull shark I thin

Well the engineer likes to cook lunch most days. He's a cool guy but really anyone can cook. And if you don't want whatever's been cook up you can make yourself whatever. As long as you don't make a big racket ,or leave a hug mess or your doing too much on watch no one really cares

River Birch posted some amazing pictures. And keep yours coming, Wolfdog!

Great fishing below a lock and dam. Either schools of bait coming over or through the dam or fish running upriver stacking up at the dam has the cats and stripe on belly filling mode.

Spent many a night tossing out jugs below Lock 17, Bankhead Lock and Dam. Funny how cold it can get on a summer night with that spray mist coming off the dam.

But when that horn sounds you better cut and run because the boil that rises when the chamber drains will swamp you. Learned that no anchor rope is ever tied off hard and fast, ever. Cleated but ready to be tossed.

Oh and life jackets, the lock master has binos and a phone.

Some enterprising souls dug up one of those steamboats that sunk, and made a museum with all the cargo.




https://www.1856.com/

Out of a cornfield some distance from where the river is today! I like looking at aerial photos and you can see where rivers have twisted and turn and changed course all over those bottomlands.

Those old river pilots really had to know how to read the river as it could change on you with each season.

I've always thought this was one of the prettiest river views of my home state.

The white bluffs aka Ecor Blanc of Demopolis on the Tombigbee.



https://www.ruralswalabama.org/attraction/white-bluff-at-demopolis-al/

BTW, they were 50' taller before the locks and dam raised the river. I would've loved to have seen that.

So we've been tied up most of the day. Got a fleet boat to help us re arrange tow so where sitting 4 wide four long now and where just creeping on down the river


One of the anchors bargers we where tied up so had a bunch of bird life having around it. Swallows....well what I think are swallow I'm pretty sure where nested under the rake and inside of it there where a bunch of old stacked up damaged lids for the dry cargo barges and a flock of pigeons made it their little roost. Honestly I have to say it's pretty amazing how critters adapted and nature it's self has made little micro ecosystems out of all our junk and places we never really look.


But yeah other then that been pretty laxed day. Engineer had to do a oil change sor he started lunch and I tended to it for the most part. Some of they guys where complaining about beef roast vs pork roast but idk tasted good to
me.



How where heading south somewhere now

That Land between the Lakes area you're about to go through is some pretty country.

Hmm, just realized that if you're on the Ohio you won't be going LBL unless headed to Nashville.

If going to Paducah check out the bridge at Brookport. Two lane steel truss with a grate deck. Fun to cross if you got nervous Nellie's in the car, lol.

Like a freind once said " life's a garden dude, just gotta dig it sometimes"

Great pics Wolfdog.

Looking at those pictures, the river boating does have its perks as well. I only did something like that once but it was in the winter. Taking the ICW from Baltimore to Hilton Head Island on our honeymoon trip south. The admiral driving the houseboat and me on my home made sail boat loading the way. We did it slooooow and the trip took us the best part of 2 month and only stopped of at a marina once and spent the rest of the time anchoring in pretty places. These days I do most every trip running offshore as its way quicker to cover distance that way. With motor boats I just pop into the inlets when I need fuel or the weather really turns bad. I am picking up a 42 foot sailing catamaran on the 19th in St Augustine and bring it up the coast to Hilton Head Island. You cary on carrying on Wolfie ..... it sure beats taking stuff by road

GUYS !!! LOOK AT THIS LITTLE PUSH BOAT

Where's the boat, lol?

Those little midgets are quite grunty. They usually have a couple of good size detroits in them and will move those barges quite efficiently

Interesting boat Wolfdog. Never seen one. Thanks for the picture.

Really ?! Intresting.are they also jack up boats usually where the wheelhouse can move up and down ?

There was a small one up at the Port, Birmingport, but it at least had a deckhouse and looked like a boat just shrunk down.

That one is like those yard jockey trucks, fugly and probably of not much use over the road or river.

They are not made to travel. just shunt barges around it probably draws about 7 plus feet .... They are like icebergs with only a fraction sticking out of the water lol. The wheelhouse is usually fixed on them to save top weight

I was wondering how they were ballasted with all that weight up top.

The yard boat I remember was just a small tow boat with a big hp powerplant. It could run the river and was the chase boat when barges broke loose from the port. Faster and more maneuverable.

Some tugs are very deceptive and you don't appreciate them till you see them in dry dock ....... The one I woked on as a sea going tug that had a Void schneider drive ..... all of 4 foot or so of freeboard but drew 14 feet at an oil of 105 feet and around 30 foot beam .... unless you see the thing in dry dock you would think that folks are bad taking something like that off shore , But you could go through 5 foot seas at full tilt and the fried egg in a pan would not move.

Aren't all those tugs diesel electric like a diesel train engine?
Diesel runs a generator which runs the big motor on the prop?

Had a buddy working out of the Memphis local told me one time they had them go on board a tug and replace some contacters on a 3 phase drive.
He said it was a backup and if one burnt up they could transfer to another one and keep going. He said it was all 3phase 480 volt. Are they all like that?

No they are not all like that. There are a bunch of different systems out there depending on age, size, application and phase of the moon

So iv had next to no signal last two days but where floating down river and sould be round Natchez soon. Anyhow some stuff from the last few days. Thought alot of thes banks and cliffs looked cool with their striations ( think that's what their called.
Wonder what this is


Some more engineering stuff it seems


And some grain being loaded/ dropped off bet theirs good fishing to be had there with all that spilled corn constantly feeding the fish




Construction looks like



The banks and cliffs I was talking about

This adorable lil push boat

Saw th SE two places yesterday. Not sure exactly what they are but one of th guy said he thinks it's like a theme park or something


Think I did a half decent job shing up our bell apparently I was polishing it for two hours lol. Completely zoned out and the mate had to come tap me . That being said they said they like how I'm usually busy doing something. They actually kinda run out of stuff for me to do lol .


And yesterday was fish day so we cooked up some crawfish and shrimp etouffee, was really good

Love me some etoufee.

Had me some crawfish étouffée the other day with some red beans. I got to say those beans were beyond great. Gonna have it again this week. Will post a pic.

The first pic you are wondering what it is. Its a vechile ferry ( conman must be back as my spell checker turns "ca"r into "vechile" ) . Sometimes those are just current powered using a steel cable that runs across the river and a bridle system to angle the ferry to sheer across the current from side to side , depending on the angle.

That's what it looked like to me as well but those are getting to be a thing of the past for river crossing.

Neat !

Casino is likely what that castle-looking building is...

Nothing much to report today. Made it down past Natchez and got to Baton rouge last night and where just tied up right now.




Beautiful sunrise this morning

Found this lil guy on the steps so took some pictures , not sure what it is, Dotson fly mabye ?



O and our pilot is cooking up duck for lunch. Never had duck I don't think so this whole be neat

Not a dobson fly. Similar, but heavier and darker, to a willow fly.

Also saw some beaver swilling around this morning while we where checking tow. They have zero cares in the world about us or the barges. Where just cruising up and down these rocks

Intresting!

Thanks for the pictures again. Are those duck thighs? Would you post a picture of the completed meal if you get a chance please. Looks like creole spice used on a lot of dishes ? 10 people working on that tug? What is your time schedule? How many days on and then off ? Do you get paid for all hours on the boat ?

Of course! Just noticed my post got the little flame sticker so looks like folks are enjoying all I'll be sure to pst some pictures of the food. The pilot has some on the grill and the mate is air frying a few too. Got something e se going on the stove and I'll be cooking up some jambalaya. And I think their all just breasts. And yes definitely! I'm sorry but be like our seasoning that whole salad and pepper thing only goes for steaks for me as far as my schedule I work 5:30a.m -11:30a.m then 5:30p.m to 11:30p.m not too bad once you get in the swing of it. I'm on 28 days off 14 and I make $185 a day right now with benefits. Also get paid travel , company pays for and sets up my rentals ,flights hotel rooms and I get reimbursed for fuel. Pretty good all the way round

Sounds like a good gig... and it'll only get better...

Duck breasts, that makes sense why the bacon then. I am a fan of creole (southern) food. I lived in New Orleans for several months once and decided to incorporate that style of cooking into some my dishes a few years back .Make some duck gumbo for the crew and you will get a big tip
I understand how the pay and schedule works now. Thank you. Sounds like you drive or fly to where you get aboard and start your shift (28 days) and then finish where ever you are at the 28 day time frame ? Does everyone on the crew work the same 28 days ? Once you are assigned to that crew then they are the ones you work with all the time on every trip ? I am glad you got a good career type job. Hand in there. I am sure there will be a few bad days along with the good. Take it all in stride and carry on!

Lunch is coming along

Dobson the wings lay flat on the back length wise, and they are longer than the body.

We got air fryer duck and we got grilled duck

Here you go slick pan !

Thanks for the pics. What did you think of the duck? Stuffed with jalapeno and cheese?

Yes sire and actually it was pretty good ! Best way I can describe it is a really good welld done steak. An oxymoron I know but when you lady likes she beef cooked into boot leather well you learn to deal

So after lunch yesterday no much happened. This big heffier swam by

A smaller feet board came next to us and was playing Tetris
Saw this abomination

We made it up to this little ship yard this morning and have been here since getting some work done

Thought these farries looked pretty cool..sleek and low profile like battle ships

These little fleet boats have been cruising by doing a lot of hip towing which I think is just cool as all get tout

And was asked to cook for the crew today all by myself ( imma big boy now ) and they wants spaghetti so, some ground meat some Onion some bacon yaddy yadda


Burned the Texas toast a little though which irrted me but the crew is scarfing it down and going back for seconds so think I did something right

Be careful making spaghetti sauce in a cast iron pan as the acid of the tomatoes can damage the seasoning in a hurry ... I would use a different pan for that.

Not bad not bad. To make it better one of the big wigs front he ship yard brought use some boudin and cracklings

Livin the dream.

Being a river rat all my life living along a river, I'd have loved your new job! I'm jealous.

So many different types of vessels. I would have never known without you pictures. Pretty darn interesting. Duck breast cooked medium rare is the way its served in restaurants. I am not a fan but put some thighs in some gumbo and I will line up for that. Good looking lunch! Glad to hear they let you put your big boy pants on You could cook that garlic bread on that flat top. Boudin and cracklings well now we are talking! How do you get you food supplies? Does someone on the tug put in an order and then it is ready for pick up or delivery ?

One of the smaller barges in the portable dry dock next to us in the ship yard

And off we go again

Hay there hiring like crazy out here

If only they would stop PUTTING THE DANG COOKIES ON THE TOP....well middle.. SHELF !!

But as far as food the company has this website hooked to a wholesale grocery store I think , we just made a list , the captain oks it and the mate went on and ordered Everything and they just brought it to a dick in Memphis and loaded it. I was off shift and asleep when they did the last load though so noc pictures of that unfortunately

Well I know your are not gonna grow up to the cookie shelf. So maybe you could bribe some tall guy to move um within reach

Wolfdog, cook that duck medium rare like a good steak and it will be a lot better next time. Well done duck is no bueno. Thanks for taking us along

Breads not burnt!, , could even be a little darker, lol

Next time put some garlic and parmesan cheese in the butter before you spread it on the bread....

30 years ago I'd be game but at this stage, I'm gonna sign on the line and collect easy money in about 8 months.

Sorry I haven't been updating, seems everytime I stit down to type and up load pics some things happens anyhow I'll try and do a dump today

So after getting those repairs we went and took off down to go get our new tow. So up the river we go.

Some weird cit looking thing on a sand bar


" Black clouds rollin in off the gulf mmmhmm" if you know what that from we can be friends

Random gutted speedboat... People and their trash man..

Noticed this log tied to this tree and idk... Gave me some weird vibes

Think this is a lil mini light tower

A smaller feet boat with one of the smaller barges


And passe by this place . Think it's a hotel

So that night we tired up to one of these .. idk what you'd call it other then a grave yard barge. Think its really more of a storage /portable docking situation for the fleet but there's where a few boats tired up with no crews as far as I saw and that usually means their being decommissioned or about to be sould off I think.


And we spent a day or two her waiting for all of our two barges to get to the fleet. In the mean time cleaning and Polishing

Gotta have some biscuits getting a little better with the oven

Had a wood duck and her babies floating around us. Was neat to watch her do the whole injury thing to try and distract us

So someone had asked on FB about my work vest set up and here it is



So this is a cool type of boat. It's called a jack up because the entire bridge either the captain controls the boat sits on ram, can't remember if is hydraulic or pneumatic but it can extend up and down to allow it to go under bridge boats like ours couldn't. Pretty neat bit of engineering imo

For a size comparison this is a fleet boat. Cam up and used use to butt up against for a second to off load some stuff and it entire bow only takes up 1/3 of ours , we a big boy

Still working on my photography skills




Like a dang Ole picture on the wall man

Engineer said he wanted to bake some chicken so I helped him quarter up all the wings

Welp got told most of our tow was here so off we go across the river to the fleet

So this is a fleet. Not sure about the actual size and all but basically the barge's are stacked and organized in these teir and worked by the smaller boats and pushed into place to build ties for larger bows like us. It's what we did for two weeks after our classroom training


Wonder what this lil contraption is ?

Not the best picture but this is pretty cool to watch. Basically the boat will catch one head like at the top of the bargers and use it to pivot them in the river and mate them up almost PERFECTLY

It's like playing Tetris with these somtimes

So spent most of the morning helping the fleet boat build our tow . Fun snatching wires and ratchets...my back still hasn't felt this good in YEARS ! and that not sarcasm! But did that and got a call we had some deck supplies waiting on use so we got picked up by whas called the shamrock boat... because it has a shamrock painted on it and took a wet lil ride around the river to the dock to pick it all up before coming back and un loading it all



The engineer made some fine eating!
And one of the guys made these lil strawberry blueberry muffins things. Really good



Back on shift at 5.pm and went back to finishing up our two. Finished up around 7 and the fuel flat cam.bybfor use to take in fuel and off load trash. Look like I've been doin a lil work ? it's only been topping out at like 93 but the humidity is a pain



Well took on fuel and didn't really have much left to do for the rest of my shift . Made something quick up for dinner

Well today was crew change so got tasked with cooking. The mate said he had a 10lbs log of ground meat thawed out in the sink and need to feed a out ten people with the new guys getting on so decided to put the rest of the spaghetti sauce I made the other day to use along with making tacos with the rest. So found some lasagna noodles and some mozzarella and attempted to make a lasagna



And the rest of the meat for tacos



Also said why not the ovens still hot and made some muffins


And must have been good ...it them just really hungry because went up to my room for 15min and came back to this

So note to self order more pasta stuff

That's some interesting pictures. Like the painting. Thanks for all the food pictures . Sounds like you are getting assigned to the galley which is good because it gives you a break from the hard physical stuff. Get some Frank's hot sauce for those wings. Be interesting to see how much bulk you put on from the physical work. Shamrock boat is interesting. Fascinating about stringing barges together. I just though you hooked up to a barge and off you went. Where are you today? What was that weird thing on the sand bar? So you change crews? How does that work? You do not all stay together, then leave together then come back as the same crew? Will you get a different boat when you come back from time off and all knew crew ?