The HUCK FINN--Adventures of a canal boat on North America's waterways

Photos, captain's notes, and crew's tales from the 26' canal boat HUCK FINN. Itinerary: roundtrip St. Pete. FL/St. Paul MN.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Alton (IL) Marina and highway bridge in my wake. After nearly 8 months sequestered in the Alton Marina, it was time to move farther South. We took a year lease on a covered slip in the Kentucky Dam Marina, on Kentucky Lake. This lake is actually the Tennessee River permanently spilled over its old banks by the TVA projects for creating hydroelectric power. The Alton Marina is a very protected and modern facility, but can't match the rugged forested beauty of the Ozark area.
I wish I could have gotten closer to show more detail of this amazing sight. This tiny raft, composed of one or two sheets of plywood and some plastic barrels, had two occupants. It appeared to be without any means of steerage or propulsion. Incredibly, there were two passengers aboard. This reckless crew was flying down the Mississippi just below the Kaskaskia River entrance when I passed them by. The river was churning with roils and whirlpools still churning from the Spring flood. At any time these hapless rafters could have been dashed into rocks or near shore tree stumps and other debris. Worse, they could be swept into the river's midstream, where they would have been helpless to avoid being run down by the many huge tows plying the river. I thought about trying to approach them to see if they needed help, but the current would not allow me to backtrack, and I didn't want to risk navigating outside the channel. In over 25,000 miles of river travel, this is one of the wildest and craziest projects I have witnessed. I can't stop wondering if these guys managed to get off the river before they met with seemingly inevitable disaster.