Al,
I think a good bit of the river form Itasca south would be doable in a C-Dory. In 93 or 94 one fellow wrote a book about doing the entire river in his homemade john boat. When I get around to writing some more about this trip I will try to remember to include some references. I never saw a canoe until the last day on the river. Then two people went through a lock southbound and later near Hastings one fellow in a large canoe, and loaded for long range travel was paddling southbound. He was a bit younger than we are but looked at peace, and eager, at the same time.
Gary,
My lock system was this (some of this is for persons not familiar with locks)-
Announce presence on radio when I was close to the lock and politely ask for estimated time of entry. (Lockmaster this is the downbound pleasure craft 1/2 mile from your location, etc.). Sometimes well before I was near the lock I heard other radio traffic of a tow boat approaching or locking or I passed a tow close to the lock then I would speed up if it meant locking through without waiting. I think I surprised some folks when they saw the C-Dory had a turn of speed in her.
Either just before lock or after entering and slowing (depends on if I was hurrying to get into lock or not) I would put out a 12 inch round fender toward stern (I hang it on a downrigger swivel but the stern cleat would be fine) and I pass an 8 inch diameter cylindrical fender out sliding window and hang it on forward cleat. Big fenders are a real plus. I carry four for rafting, docking, and towing - never needed more than two on the river for any reason.
Wait for green light, enter lock, look for where the lockmaster might be, usually he/she showed up close to the building but not always. Sometimes they asked if I wanted to tie up or float. On downbound I always asked to float if I was alone in lock, usually out window or hailing from cockpit but sometimes on the radio. The lockmasters never asked if I wanted to float if there were two or more boats in lock and so I assume it is not allowed. One lockmaster asked over the radio if I wanted to float, I think he was trying to avoid walking down to the lock wall.
I approach the spot on the wall where the lines are dangling. The lockmaster would usually wiggle a line or two. The lines were all either 3/8 or 1/2 inch damp muddy ropes with some form of weight on the end. The weight so they would hang straight to the side of the lock when discarded. I would slow as I approached the lines at a slight angle but almost parallel to lock wall. A quick burst of reverse with engine angled toward wall would slow me more and move me close to wall. Engines left running in neutral and I would go to the cockpit and grab two lines. I was usually still coasting verty slowly forward at this point.
The lockmaster would sometimes hold two lines together or sometimes the two lines would be separted by several feet. In the latter case I would keep enough forward momentum to grab both lines. It was always easy to reach the lines so I think you will find this concern really isn't a deal. I would pass one line through the vertical handhold rail and the forward line through my radar arch. The lines sort of make a vee down to the boat from where they are tied to the lock rail above. Downbound one line at this location was enough but two worked better. Upbound I tried to float one time and then tied up the rest of the time.
I spurned my idea of using my tow strap line as a single point to work the lines. The hand hold rail and the radar arch worked better than passing the lines through the loop of a line attached to stern and spring cleats.
It did work better to have the two lines one on the short hand rail and one on the radar arch so the lines didn't pinch each other. If you use only one line and keep it taut and perpendicular it should hold your boat straight next to wall. It can take some real pulling to keep it tight, though, (for us more experienced guys, younger guys or women should have plenty of strength) so using two lines was better for me.
Thanks everyone for your kind words on the photos. I will get some better quality ones up on this site, etc. This trip was great fun and eleven nights on the boat was a treat not an ordeal. The boat ran great, (no leaks for those that recall my redoing the stemguard). I encountered an hour of waves on Lake Pepin to keep me feeling at home, but mainly got to boat every day, see new stuff every day, never got shut in port by September weather, met some new friends. Never saw a boat on the river I would swap with from houseboat to tupperware yacht, well maybe that steam dredge at the museum.
Regards, Mark
for sharing the fruits of your adventure. My hat goes off to you. You did a wonderful job in capturing the tranquility of the trip... Thanks again for sharing. :thup Butch