Rumpshaker Adventure

Monday, 9/17/2012

We are up at 6AM and excited to be on our way.  There is a dense fog giving very limited disability, but we are confident the fog will lift so we can leave at 7AM.

At 7AM, the fog has lifted enough for us to see but we don’t like what is revealed.  It’s a tow with 15 barges and it’s headed for LD#19 at a pretty slow pace.  We are ready to go, so we phone the lockmaster to see if we can lock through before the tow, but the tow has made their bid for the spot, so we will just have to wait the 2 ½ hours for it to lock through. 

Used the time to shower at KYC, give the dogs a longer walk, and have a big breakfast.  And visited more with Mike & Cindy.  They shared some good stories and are blogging on their website,  www.inventurer.com.  Next time we have internet access, I will look it up. 

We get to LD#19 and lock through in 20 minutes.  19.8 miles to LD#20.  The weather is a sunny 73° with a 20% chance of showers later in the day.  We hope to be somewhere in port by then. 

We are making good time.  We had discussed stopping at “Art Keller Marina” to potty the dogs and gas up, but we decide to get through LD#21 and to Hannibal, MO where we will stay the night.

About 3 miles out of Hannibal, the rain and wind hits us.  It’s not too bad driving.  I’m on the radio with a tug captain that we are passing to make sure we are on his preferred side.  The wind gets stronger and Rob starts moving cushions out of the weather and takes our phones and Quimby down below. 

As we approach Hannibal Boat Harbor, the wind has really picked up and the harbor entrance is rock pilings on each side.  Rob does a great job maneuvering us in.  We’re almost through when “THUNK” – what was that?

Rob thought he’d backed PITA into the rocks.  I knew that hadn’t happened because I was down on the cockpit keeping PITA off the rocks and getting ready to jump off and get the Rump tied off.  I got the midship line secured and as I was tying the bow line, Rob starts laughing and calls me over to see that the “THUNK” we’d heard was a very large Asian Carp that had launched itself into PITA.  After I got a picture, Rob gutted the carp and threw it in the river. 

We had dinner and settled in for the night.

57 miles, 7 hours, 3 LDs, a storm, and an Asian Carp.  Not a bad day!