This was a short day, just about 29 miles and four hours worth of river travel. Though short, it did have a lesson to teach. We were cruising through a place where it looked like some dredging was going on. There was a small tug pushing a shallow draft barge toward us with a lot of room off to his port side. I didn't see any reason to call him as it was clear what we were going to do, and he didn't call me. All of a sudden a man ran out to the front of the oncoming barge and started waiving his arms. Deb called out “STOP, STOP”. I haven't had to panic stop the boat from cruise speed, but it is something I regularly review. Power back to idle, shifters into neutral, wait a moment, shifters into reverse, wait a moment, power as required. Each step taken deliberately and as smoothly as possible. The result from doing it for real? From near eight knots to full stop in barely a boat length.
Deb called the tug. The captain told us to drive on by without saying another word. No clue as to what all the hand waiving was about but, we think, the man waiving his arms just wanted us to slow down. We have been passing tugs for days now, slowing down was never an issue. Still, had I thought about it for a minute, the freeboard on the dredge barge was really low. There is a good bet at least some of our wake would have washed over the deck. I should have slowed down. Of course, the tug could have called and asked for a slow pass as well. I am getting the impression that a lot of tug drivers have a low opinion of pleasure boats. Not an uncommon thing in any working world. A lot of airline pilots think the same of private pilots daring to fly in and out of major airports.
The rest of the trip was a “Ground Hog's Day” kind of travel. (Think the Murray/MacDowell movie.) Pretty much the same thing mile after mile. It was remote, twisty, with few indications that humans were around (other than the two on the boat going by) and not the least bit unpleasant. We saw flocks of King Pelicans, eagles, and egrets making their way to wherever it is they make their way to. There were families of deer walking the shoreline. I think it was the furthest we have gone along a river without seeing a single bridge. Apparently there is no one on one side of the river interested in anything going on on the other side of the river. Humankind could use a bit more of that attitude.
This leg ended with First Light tied up to a working barge holding two cranes in an active tug station. For this old mechanic, it is the coolest place we have stopped. Friends are tied up to a tug just off our bow. Inbound friends will tie up pretty much anywhere there are cleats. (Really, really big cleats!) One of the tugs just left the station off to some kind of job. How fun is that? The gentleman who runs the yard and lets the transients stay for a night and I are cut from very similar cloth. (Though I wouldn't be surprised to find out we are at opposite ends of the political spectrum.) After tying up the last of the group to arrive, I asked the Yard Master how much he would charge to let me see the wheel house of a tug. He gave four of us a complete guided tour of one tug, PINTAIL, engine room to bridge, no charge, and full of interesting information and stories. On this trip we have visited museums of all kinds, watched an airshow of antique airplanes, taken a train ride into a canyon...but that tour of the tug was one of the coolest things we have done in all the months we have been traveling on First Light. I can't say I would trade my life in the sky for a life on the river, but it would be a close call.
Anyway, we are going to take the afternoon to just relax, explore a little, and get off the boat for a while. Tomorrow is a very long day. And the day after that?
Home.
There's lots of abandoned farm buildings on this river.
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