The Log

Mile 82.  Behind Neal Island, just upstream from Parkersburg  WV. 
Anchoring behind islands  has been a total success. I woke to a concert of birdsong.  Yesterday I learned that the small islands have become nature reserves, with no human dwelling.
More on anchoring. My plan was to use anchors at each end, one ashore. However, with the mild current and generally no wind, my bow anchor keeps me pointed upstream all night.
A woman rowed by in a single shell while I was pulling my anchor.

 Once moving, I kept on at slow speed.  This story goes back a couple days. When I departed the Willow Island
Lock, I returned to speed. Very soon after that, the 
boat collided with something massive The bow rose up, and the boat abruptly slowed.  The scenario was complete in half a second. If the object (which felt like hitting an underwater truck) did not stove in the hull, at least it would wipe out the prop, if not the motor’s entire lower end. Already stopped, I tilted the outboard,
 but saw no damage at all. The bilge did not show 
major water inflow.  A towboat and barges was nearby. 
 A crew man shouted: was I okay?  I appreciated the possible  offer of help.
Whatever The object, it was fully below the surface.  I’m always on high vigilance for floating debris. And I had seen nothing. The whole thing rather shook me up. If you can’t anticipate and see a hazard, this river travel got a lot more dangerous.
I continued down to Marietta, where I would spend the 
night and the next day. At the dock, no damage to the 
bow was visible.  The bilge water was stable. I went ashore.
For the next day, the collision was never out of my mind. An unpleasant realization presented itself. The 
log or whatever, like my boat, was headed for the 
Mississippi.  Only it travels 24 hours, even as I sleep or enjoy Marietta. Last night I cast off, to spend the night below the downstream island, going slow speed. Several times I came to full stop to check the flow rate. 
It was .75 to one mpg. The log travels maximally 24 miles in a day, if you subtract snag, back eddy, or the time spent in collision.  The lock is at mile 162. The log could be at mile 186, and Marietta in between, at 172.  Like most people I start by saying, “I’m not 
superstitious, but...”

 Beyond safety concerns, I didn’t want to remember this
trip as The  Time I Hit the Same Log Twice. In the 
evening I plodded slowly down river, past the mile 
markers (((which exist only on my charts). This made for a quiet pleasant evening cruise. 
This morning, same slow speed till I passed Mile 190.  That should be a safe margin. 

River wiggles today, going from SE to NW.

From before this trip, my biggest out-of my-control 
concerns were heat and mosquitoes. Heat is a standstill issue. Moving along, the breeze cools 
adequately. Waiting for a lock in the afternoon, shade 
helps but it’s just hot. I might say I sweat like a pig. Do 
pigs really sweat?  I never saw it.  Stopping too early in 
the low slanted afternoon sun has been the biggest test.  Marietta was hot, despite its many beautiful large 
hardwoods, including the welcoming sycamores. Direct
sun is very hot.


Panting is best. 
 The best time of day is dawn to eleven.

Today my day started with 64°. The water typically is 
dead flat, no breeze.  My new travel plan is to be at 
locks early in the day when traffic is light, and even a 
wait would be pleasant.  Today was the best, no wait. I 
suspect many tows, the local hauls, happen in daylight. I’ll research this with a lock operator. 
As to mosquitoes, I am happy to say, since arriving to the river I have counted just two mosquitos. In Marietta I heard speculation that the large population of swallows over the river manage the mosquitoes. Back 
from the river, mosquitoes are plentiful.
After 30 miles I spotted a public landing for Ravenswood WV. While deciding to find a lunch restaurant, a very fast speedboat launched and did very quick back and forths.  I went to the landing, and met Chip and his friends. Chip is here 
for the weekend, for the powerboat races Saturday and Sunday.  Chip is 80, although he looks much younger.

Tonight starts the 35th Ravenswood’s Ohio River Festival, with music, crowning of the River Queen and a magic show.  The race starts at noon tomorrow.  I may have an official role.  I 
offered to help and might become the official towboat for broken boats.  This will guarantee a ringside seat.
Saturday is a National Powerboat Race. Soon other racers showed up. They all know each other, share parts and tools and beer. They come from Georgia, Michigan and Tennessee, as well as Ohio River. The boats are sleek, high tech .. that are very light, with big motors, typically 200HP. The motors, most of them, are two stroke outboards from 1980-2000. Perhaps when the supply is gone, the sport will go too.
The boats have essentially stock engines, and race at speeds around 70. They have Kevlar-formed cockpits for reasons of health and safety.

Hearing about my trip, Chip said, “When I get a bit older I might look into that (river travel).”

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