I ANCHOR OUT

September 20, 2011  Dateline: Little Diversion Canal, IL USA

I left Hoppies marina in the morning for the 110 mile run to Little Diversion Canal.  The Canal is a small cut at mile 48 on the Upper Mississippi River’s right descending bank.  The trip down the river was very uneventful and the 3-4 knot current made the trip even faster. 

The Mississippi River looked somewhat like the Hudson River with high vertical cliffs coming straight to the river’s edge, just like the New Jersey Palisades.  The leaves of the trees on the side of the cliffs, the west side of the river, are beginning to change color.

I got to the Canal before MY WAY and Rich steered me in.  It was a challenge to get into the canal as the same strong current that pushed me down the river now fought me as I turned and went back up stream.  I got into the Canal and Carol went to put my anchor down.  Ooops, the circuit breaker tripped and my anchor would not go down.  MY WAY came into the Canal, then Rich and Wayne tied me and MY WAY together. MY WAY ‘s anchor held strong enough to hold both of us in place.  Carol searched my manuals and found where the breaker was located.  Rich reset it and down the anchor went. I held well in the mud but Rich and Wayne decided to stay tied together for the night. That made it very easy for all to get together for cocktails at 5.  We were all tired and at the end of the day it was good to call it a night.  

The Canal is just south of Cape Girardeau.  Like many towns along the rivers, levees or walls were constructed to keep back the flood waters.  The wall in Cape Girardeau has a mural painted on it. These walls may also have doors in them to allow access to the river.  In this picture you can see the mural as well as one of the doors being open.

Tomorrow I am off to Green Turtle Bay Marina in Grand Rivers, KY