Wednesday, July 15, 2009

High Rollers

The rough waters were a little too much yesterday, so we pulled onto an Island for a few hours. We made repairs and improvements to the Sea Monkey. It's an ongoing project. We set sail again when the wind looked like it had died down, but it really didn't. Soon it was dark and we realized that our spotlight wasn't charged. We don't have a depth finder, so the best way to be sure to keep from hitting bottom is to stay in the barge lane. It's marked off by buoys and you need to find them in the dark. As each wave soaked the deck, we searched for the buoys with a flashlight, which worked but inflicted some wear and tear our nerves. We passed a barge, which had a few spotlights. We could see the buoys from their lights, but didn't want to hang around a boat that big for too long, so we high-tailed it out of there.

We decided to pull over in Mineiska, MN and look for a dock, but we ended up anchoring for an hour or so, to let the spotlight charge and to let the wind die down. We set sail one more time, using the spotlight sparingly. By then, the wind was pretty calm. I would use the spotlight for only a few seconds at a time to mark the buoy, then turn it off. I'd point the flashlight at that spot until it reappeared, keeping us on course. The spotlight died again as we were approaching lock and dam #5. Right out of the lock we found a dock in Wittman and called it a night.

This morning, we finally got a break. A tailwind! So I strung up the front tarp on the top deck as a sail. We'll post pictures later.

7 comments:

  1. I'm glad you guys caught a tail wind. Hopefully it'll serve you well for quite a while! I'm also thankful that I didn't hear of your 'feeling your way around in the dark' until after the fact...

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  2. It's fun to read about your trip. Hope your adventures are everything you expect them to be! AND MORE! Keep Safe. dar

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  3. Josh, Ryan was bummed when you left but soon realized that he now had complete ownership of Bud.

    Jim

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  4. Don't you have a camera? Put up some pics of the raft and the scenery!

    Nick Monson

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  5. Am enjoying reading about your adventure. Can't wait for the next installment! The Sea Monkey sounds like it's evolving on a daily basis--more pix please. Stay safe!

    Julie

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  6. We just spotted you out our window at around 6:57 pm very exciting! We are from Chicago and visiting my parents. Their place is about 3 to 4 miles south of the Black Hawk Bridge in Lansing Iowa! My 8 year will have something to share when school starts up! Travel safe and we will continue to follow your progress!!! Have fun!!!

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  7. I am really enjoying following your excellent adventure via your website. I find myself just shaking my head and closing my eyes, wondering what you will experience next. By the time you reach your goal, you will be master shipbuilders, carpenters, sailers, and god knows what else. Good luck, good weather and good sailing guys! John Schutt

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