The flag flies proud
St. Paul
The first close call
Thank you Uncle Ben. You may have saved four lives today. We were negotiating the currents and barge traffic very well as we passed through downtown St. Paul. That is until we came to a bridge that spanned the river and created a very narrow channel between a Pillar and a retaining wall on the left. There were several pillars to the right where the bridge was too low to allow tows to pass beneath so we headed in that direction but the upstream current that circled around from behind the bridge was too strong to row against. Stealthily, we peered around the pillar scouting for north-bound traffic and found the coast to be clear so we went for it. Kyle and I each had an oar to maximize speed and quench the vulnerable situation as quickly as possible. We couldn't of had more than 20 yards to the other side of the passage but it was still nerve racking. Directly under the bridge we encountered what seemed to be an artificial bore tide. We theorized about what could be creating the anomaly and were deep in discussion when a 15 barge tow pulled out of dock directly in-front of us. Kyle and I sprung into action like we were paddling class V. I furiously pulled on both oars trying to negotiate the Big Getter as close to the pillar as possible. With all the agility of a gymnast and the speed of a superhero Kyle bound through the cabin to the stern of the boat. He dropped the outboard and yanked the starter. He yanked again, and then with urgency commanded "get down here Hyfte" I panted and pulled and yelled to Kyle "get it going." I had my sights trained on the tow, pillar and current like a three eyed chameleon. The tow had halved the distance between us and although it was still a hundred yards away it was less than two minutes away from crushing us with ease. My tension grew black. I felt desperate. The short distance between us and safety seemed to be a never ending hallway from some horror flick. Hyfte flew down the ladder and immediately went through his mental check list of engine knowledge. Being a Minnesotan he had considerably more experience with motor sports than the rest of us. He quickly found the problem and yanked hard like a stage coach driver cracking his whip. The engine roared, my heart took a calming breath and we glided to safety. I don't think the tow captain ever saw us.
Second night's camp site
10 comments:
Yea!!! so great to see pictures of the beginning of your journey. Thinking of you and enjoying hearing and seeing what's happening plus hoping those MN mosquitoes are leaving you alone. Go Big Getter! Kris Bloom
Jeff von H told me to check in here. Good for you. Dreams are tough things to follow, so I'm glad you've got yours and are afloat with it. Right now my dream is a little trailer and a life on the road, after retirement in a few months. It's never too late to have a second childhood.--Dale, http://rvgolfer.blogspot.com
Glad to see your off and running. Nice pics of downtown St. Paul
FYI - just in case:
Coast Guard Auxillery Stn
Prescott, WI
(715)262-3236
If you need a place to land in Red Wing I could contact the chapter house for the Izaak Walton League - they're on a right hand slough just downstream from town. Let me know
Call if you need parts, groceries whatever - I'll do what I can while you're still in range.
Tom from Eden Prairie (spoke with you at the boat ramp Sat night)
I'll send my contact info. to your e-mail address
Those are my cousins! Yes! They told me all about your plans...Awesome idea. It's going to be a crazy journey! I'll have to check in once in awhile to see what's new. Hope the weather hasn't been too bad. and make sure Kyle and Emily take a lovely swim in the oh so clean and warm Mississippi. ;)
Loved to see the boat at the put in and in the river! How come Kyle was sitting down relaxing?
Mom
now, now, mom...controlling a hand held outboard motor stem is not all that easy, you know. Vibrations put the hand to sleep~!!! Hi to Justus, Kyle and Emily ~ love and hugs to you!
Great pictures, thank you for the ones of Em and Kyle. I can tell that a close call on the Mississippi is a different situation than on the Colorado or the Selway. Looks like Kyle handled it with the same skill and determination level even though there were no oars in his hand or even in the photo :^)
Wish you a grand voyage and a "bon" one as well and safe passage for all throughout.
Mark and Marie Johnson
Although Benjamin Franklin helped create the American rattlesnake symbol, his name isn't generally attached to the rattlesnake flag. The yellow "don't tread on me" standard is usually called a Gadsden flag, or less commonly, a Hopkins flag.
These two individuals were mulling about Philadelphia at the same time, making their own important contributions to American history and the history of the rattlesnake flag.
Christopher Gadsden was an American patriot if ever there was one. He led Sons of Liberty in South Carolina starting in 1765, and was later made a colonel in the Continental Army. In 1775 he was in Philadelphia representing his home state in the Continental Congress. He was also one of three members of the Marine Committee who decided to outfit and man the Alfred and its sister ships.
Gadsden and Congress chose a Rhode Island man, Esek Hopkins, as the commander-in-chief of the Navy. The flag that Hopkins used as his personal standard on the Alfred is the one we would now recognize. It's likely that John Paul Jones, as the first lieutenant on the Alfred, ran it up the gaff.
You young fellas make me smile BIG! and how sweet to see Kyle! Hope you are getting it down and the sailing is smooth. Stay safe, dry, bugless, cool and happy! Love you, Susan
Carry on. Looks like fun. Take care of my niece and nephew. I hope you are doing a little fishing on the side.
Uncle Monte
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