#6
Paducah & lock 52 are in our rearview mirror. To be fair, We didn't meet ALL of Paducah. I'll leave it there.
We "floated" over the next lock because the water level was high. They are building a new lock a few miles down. It IS something to see!!! Here is a good spot to tell about river traffic. The rules of the road don't apply to barges. They choose their course & stick to it. They have to, they are so big. It was up to us to get where they were not. If they overtake you going the same direction there is no "passing blast". There is no interchange with them on the radio either. Not that you can't talk to them, BUT...keep it simple and brief and respectful. A few times we were "the meat in the sandwich" In a narrow channel with 1 on the port, us, and another overtaking us on starboard. Stay cool, don't get froggy & start jumping around. We interacted with well over 300 tows. Not 1 time was there a danger. Use those binoculars, make your decisions early & get where they won't be. Its easy. One point you MUST know about bends in the river. Pay attention to your charts & know if there is a bend ahead of you. IF meeting a tow on a bend, you go to the inside (your starboard to his starboard) and pass. As a tow enters a bend, the rear will swing out as the turn is made, sweeping the whole channel width. On some channel bends there is no room for you to move over. Other than that, everything is like driving a car.
We swept into Cairo, mid afternoon in a rainstorm. How exciting! All hands on deck! My bud NOT at the helm. It was like rush hour traffic. Ferries crossing in front of us, big tows, little tow, crew boats, tugs & even a paddle wheel. Helter- skelter, everything alive & moving. Lightning and thunder to boot. I'll never forget it & for 30 minutes we were part of it!
Well, we weren’t in Kansas anymore, that was for sure. We were on the Big Muddy. We bade goodbye to the sweet gentle blue-green waters of the Ohio. With a collective "gulp", we headed down the Mississippi.
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