Officially Spring?

Okay so it's now officially SPRING.  We've all set our clocks ahead and toyed with the notion of storing the winter coats but wait a second... it's 26 degrees!!!

But enough semi-complaining.  It is Spring and that means it won't be long before our boat is sitting in our slip and we are sitting in it enjoying a relaxing afternoon.

As I'm writing this I'm looking out our front window at the night sky and the amazing view of the Mississippi River.  The water is like glass with an occasional ripple.  The lights from the town across the river are reflected in the shimmering water and it makes for a pretty spectacular view.

So it's cold out.  No big deal, right?  We can put up with it for a few more days.  But hurry up Spring!

Where is SPRING???

I'm sure I'm not the only one getting fed way up with Old Man Winter.  It just keeps hanging on and refusing to let go.  The weatherman is sounding encouraging but I am waiting to see if the proof is in the pudding as the old saying goes.

Looking out the window this morning, the river appears to feel the same way I do.  It's covered with patchy islands of ice.  There are 2 bald eagles sitting in a tree resting before doing some fishing.  The eagle population is very healthy if the numbers we have seen this season are any indication.  At one of the lock & dams the DNR estimated 1200 eagles were gathered.  They are a magnificent site to see and we're lucky to have a perfect spot to watch them.

Now mother nature needs to get the show on the road and give us all a little taste of Spring!  We're waiting...

Sunken Tow

You've probably heard about the tow that hit something and sank. It's sitting in about 16 feet of water in LeClaire, Iowa, just across the river from our home in Port Byron. Divers will arrive this weekend to assess the damage.

Currently crews are working to contain leaking fuel. 

Foggy Morning

I woke up this morning and looked out the window at the river and it slowly dawned on me that like it or not - November is here.  I had a little bit of a sinking feeling, knowing that our river activities were pretty much over until sometime next May.  It seems the Mississippi acquires a different sort of personality in the colder months.  During the boating season there's a different way of thinking about the river.  There is the option of going fishing, going for a cruise, spending a warm weekend afternoon playing in the water, or just leisurely strolls along the river's edge.  But Winter changes all that.  Winter demonstrates the inhospitable side of the great river. The wind whips the water into ice sculptures.  The leafless trees contribute to the bleak appearance.  I've decided to try to be more accepting of this season and enjoy it as one of the many characteristics of this amazing natural resource we are lucky enough to call our front yard.

I took a little extra time this November morning to enjoy the beauty of the river with a completely still surface.  There is a little fog that lends an air of mystery and is in contrast to the stark hard edges of the trees and rocky shore.  Just goes to show that this river has the ability to give up some great views regardless of the season.

Happy Labor Day

ABCs Part III

After stuttering our way through the ABCs of boating with a few "A"s and a "B" and then "A" again, here we are at "C" (Cruise).

Our inaugural cruise was great.  I had a minor hiccup, mainly just an embarrassment compounded by the fact that I had an audience.  Mental note... untie ALL of the ropes before leaving the slip.  Otherwise you look like a moron!  Hahaha  Like I said, no damage other than my pride.  The new carburetor made a noticeable difference in how the motor runs and hopefully will bump up our mileage a tad as well.

My fiberglass project over the winter turned out great as well.  I rebuilt the mushy feeling engine hatch and it turned out great - solid as a rock.

We had a wonderful time on the water and made one of our favorite trips. We like to cruise past our house.  It always looks so massive from the river and it's a good feeling to know that's where we live. 

So our trip through the ABCs of Boating is now complete for 2013.  To be repeated in 2014 hopefully in a more straightforward manner.

ABCs Part II

Okay so the boat is in the water - it floats and the engine runs but it won't idle or run at all below about 1800 rpm. No good.

After checking all the linkages to make sure they were free and not binding, I decided the carburetor probably needed to be rebuilt. I got the numbers off the tag on the carburetor and headed to the local auto parts store. The parts pro found the correct kit and had to order it. I guess parts for a 27 year old engine aren't just on everyone's shelves. So now we're back to "A" again  

When they called to say the kit came in I drove right over to pick it up. Just to be sure I opened the kit and right away I knew it was wrong. This was a kit for a 2 barrel and I had a Quadrajet 4 barrel. I was frustrated at this point and decided to turn matters over to a pro so I had our marina rebuild the carb. Naturally they were busy and would work on our boat as soon as they could but probably a week would be the soonest. 

More "A"nticipation. This is getting tough. Good news - they got to it sooner that we thought. Bad news - rebuilding the carb made it better but it didn't cure the problem. Due to the age the linkages and shafts on the carb are all worn out. Time for a new carb. More expense and more waiting. Stuck on "A"!

A few days later the new carburetor arrives and gets installed. Now there is a new problem. We are experiencing a strange anomaly of no water due to high water.  Huh?  We are in the midst on yet another flood on the Mississippi and the lock and dam just below us has the rollers all the way up to let the maximum volume of water pass through the dam.  Our marina is situated behind a lateral dam.  The combination of the high water, open dam rollers and lateral dam create the weird condition of the water being literally sucked out of the marina, causing extreme low water levels in the marina.  It's bizarre.  We are in a flood and our boat is sitting on the bottom in about 10 inches of water.  Great - we are STILL stuck on "A".

We go check on the boat every night after work.  Still not floating.  Finally after another 10 days we are floating again.  Now there is enough water to run the engine and make the final adjustments to the new carburetor.  The engine purrs like a kitten.  We spruce up a bit from the aftermath of repair work and putt around the corner to our permanent slip.  Ahhh we have finally moved into full "B" mode.

We make plans for the following weekend to jump into "C" mode with both feet.

Stay tuned...