Upper Mississippi River C-Dory Trip - Sep. 2021

TyBoo · Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:16 pm Post subject:

We even got a photo album set up in time for once!

Right Here

colbysmith · Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:12 pm Post subject:

Thanks Tyboo Mike!

Fairbro · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 11:58 am Post subject:

If you make Prescott, Wisconsin at lunch time there are several good restaurants but the town will be busy on this weekend. Prescott Daze features small town car show on Main Street (one block up from the municipal free dock ( which may or may not be full), street food and concessions as well. If you have a need for any forgotten essential items I can help transport you back to Watergate (20 mi) or any stores for supplies you might need.

Fairbro · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 11:59 am Post subject:

If you make Prescott, Wisconsin at lunch time there are several good restaurants but the town will be busy on this weekend. Prescott Daze features small town car show on Main Street (one block up from the municipal free dock ( which may or may not be full), street food and concessions as well. If you have a need for any forgotten essential items I can help transport you back to Watergate (20 mi) or any stores for supplies you might need.

colbysmith · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:14 pm Post subject:

Hey Gary, I'll keep that in mind for Friday. I just dropped the truck and trailer off at Alton, and my Kid and I will return to Watergate with his car tomorrow. Plans are then for him to cruise around some with me on the 10th, before he heads back home to Madison. (He had vacation and wanted to do a road trip, so graciously agreed to come get me after I dropped the rig off.) Not sure where we'll go yet on Friday, but if I feel like doing the distance before we start the main cruise on the 11th, and Lock 2 doesn't seem to busy, we might head to Prescott for lunch. Colby

Gilbertsons · Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 9:34 am Post subject:

Hey Colby and gang,

Nice to see you tucked into the slip next to us. Like your new boat. Cat Claw's here but they haven't launched yet. We will do a little local Mississippi cruising with some relatives as well. Hope all is well with the CA contingent. Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Scott & Barb
Little Bit

Fairbro · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2021 5:55 pm Post subject:

They passed through Prescott, Wisconsin around noon and paused in front of my condo for some pictures before continuing down river on their grand excursion. I emailed the photos to Jim so they may be showing up on the trip album soon. Happy bunch making memories!

colbysmith · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:13 pm Post subject:

Thanks Gary! Jim sent them to me and I uploaded three of them. I’ll upload some of my own photos later. Colby

colbysmith · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:14 pm Post subject:

Made good time today even with some delays at both locks. Had two tows ahead of us at lock 2, and sadly lock 3 was shut down for a bit as recovery operations were going on for somebody that went over the dam in their boat before we arrived.

hardee · Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 1:29 am Post subject:

Back into the I-net world so will be following this one with interest. Sure hope all goes well. Take care and stay safe.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

colbysmith · Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 10:33 pm Post subject:

The last two days we've gone through 3 locks each day. While my experience has been the locks stay busy with tows, we were able to breeze through all six locks. With a call to them about 10-15 minutes out, they had the locks ready to go, and opened the gates as soon as we arrived. Well, almost. I forgot. The last lock today, we did have to wait about 15 mins, as the locktenders were busy with some other duties. I have been surprised that we haven't seen the tow traffic I expected. Perhaps as we get farther south, we will see more tows.
I also learned a little more about the incident that happened at lock 3 before we entered it this past Saturday. The lock was shut down when we arrived, for what we heard was a recovery operation. Today I heard that it was two guys in a fishing boat that got to close to the downstream side of the dam and were sucked in. One guy stayed with the boat and was rescued. The other, without a PFD decided to jump off the boat, and I believe drowned. Stay away from Dams. The fishing just isn't worth it! I also asked why they would shut the lock down, if they were doing the recovery near the dam end. They didn't want the increased flow with draining the lock chamber for locking boats thru.
I've got a few photos I'll upload when I get internet with decent band width. We have internet here at Guttenberg, but it's too slow to upload anything right now.
So far we've had no problems with water levels or the boats. Hoping it stays that way. Actually, the water levels within each pool have been about normal for this time of year. Colby

colbysmith · Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:43 pm Post subject:

Last evening, while in Guttenberg, Ron and Connie Fisher came by to say hi. Some of you will remember them from the first few "Meet in the Middle" C-Brat gatherings they put together in Guttenberg and Dubuque. While in Lansing two days ago, I decided to go looking for a geocache, that took me 500' up a bluff, the awarded me with a great view of the Mississippi River valley for miles. (While I didn't climb straight up the bluff, but rather hiked up a very steep paved road, my calves are speaking to me today!) (I'll try to get some photos uploaded to the album shortly. Today was an easy day with only 34 miles, and one lock that we got right into. We are in the Port of Dubuque Marina tonight, and will be here two nights. I recommended this marina over the Yacht Basin, as we are right next to the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, and can walk into town from here. (The other marina is on an island, and would require transportation to get anywhere.) We saw only one tow today, and in conversation over the radio with me he said it is slow. That the hurricane down south has affected the traffic somewhat. Yesterday, while in Guttenberg, most of us visited the Lockmaster House museum, and walked through town. The Button Factory is no longer in existence, and the large building is now an Inn.

colbysmith · Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 10:31 pm Post subject:

Just uploaded quite a few photos.

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_albumName=Upper-Mississippi-River-2021&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

Dora~Jean · Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 2:56 pm Post subject:

Thanks for posting the pictures Colby. Looks like a great trip and adventure.

colbysmith · Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 3:42 pm Post subject:

Wish you were here with us Steve. Easy day today. Got right through the two locks, and slipped at Clinton now. I've been surprised at the lack of tows on the river. Perhaps several reasons. One of the tugboat captains told me some of it was from the hurricane down south. Yesterday I had one of the riverboat captains tell me that the Chinese have bought up a lot of the grain and they are wanting it shipped by rail rather than barge. Whatever the reason, it's been very quiet for barge traffic! Colby