All That Is Transferred By Water !

You're right, Ted, it is indeed amazing. I cannot tell you the number of times I would talk to folks on the DELTA QUEEN who, upon departing New Orleans, marveled at the traffic and commerce on the lower river. Most of them thought that had all died with Mark Twain. I have always said I work in an invisible industry, and for the most part that is true.

Most people don't understand that the chief reason Thomas Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase was to gain control of New Orleans and the mouth of the Mississippi River, both for defense and to promote commerce. What wise men our founding fathers were.

Capts Davisson Reynolds you fellows are so right and even though I havent worked out there for 25 years I have still kept up with it and what goes on out there and trying to explain the river industry to people is like trying to teach someone how to read and write Korean. When I try to explain how difficult it is to make the Vicksburg Bridge southbound in high water with a 25 barge tow or explain why a ship has to take on a Pilot when they enter the River system they look at me in total disbelief as if well the river is so wide why cant they just drive it through. One girl said to me one time I thought Pilots were on airplanes. It really is as Bob said an invisible industry. And when I tell people how I would like to go back to work on the river the first thing they say is "Oh on a fishing boat". The other thing that gets my goat is how people automatically say Tugboat because they have no concept of the difference between a TOWBOAT and a TUGBOAT and I do understand that they just dont know but it still gets my goat. If the Discovery Chanel would do something on towboats and Ships and Harbor Tugs maybe people would better understand the concept. Its the one of the few places that a man can have the least amount of formal education and still have a great career and make a very good living. Now speaking of things Transported on the river the one that sticks out in my mind is when they transported the Space Shuttle by barge back in 1984.

As NASA's Apollo program fades in memory, even lesser known is the fact that the first and second stages of the Saturn V were shipped by barge throughout the inland rivers and the intracoastal waterway.

Just A Few More Shots Of Water Born Commerce !

Greetings From New Orleans ,
Just a few more shots of the different examples of the water born commerce that is shipped on this country's water way system !
In the first shot are some stacked river barges waiting to be shipped over seas on a submersible ship , in the second shot is a container ship being off loaded with containers and in the third shot is a submersible ship waiting to load the stacked barges form the first shot !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
WA-4141

Ted Davisson;27069 wrote: Greetings From New Orleans !
I am and for that matter , have always been amazed and impressed by " All That Is Transferred By Water " , in this country and this country's water way system !
Now I grant you that my observations to what is transferred by water , here on the Lower Mississippi River is some what limited to the Lower Mississippi River System , but having said that , what I have witnessed in my opinion is nothing less than amazing and quite remarkable !
I have been fortunate enough to witness the transfer of everything from river barges , river tow boats , huge tanks , huge container gantries that were literally off loaded from a submersible sea going ship , dock and fender systems , 18 wheeler trucks , sea going and multi million dollar yachts , large sections of the Old River Control Structure and all manner of everything else from A to Z . Furthermore , our water way system has provided for our country's ability to both import ( foreign crude oil and petro chemicals ) and to export goods ( grain from the mid west ) that have made our standard of living second to none !
With out a doubt , this country's water way system is responsible for this nation's development and is and will always be one of the major reasons that this country has grown and prospered through out the years !
In the photos below are just a few examples of what I have been fortunate to witness that was transferred by water and the river , here on the Lower Mississippi River !
Hope you enjoy !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
WA-4141

Just Another Example Of What Is.............................

Greetings From New Orleans ,
This is just another example of what is capable of being transferred on the water . In the shots below is the submersible ship , M/V Swan , with a load of two full size river tow boats and an entire fleet of river barges .
I was told that this ship and its cargo is now well on its way to South America and in all likely hood the Amazon River .
It is also my understanding that some of the different countries of South America are now in direct competition with this country with the exportation of grain . As further prof of that if you notice closely the FORTY barges on the submersible ship are all hopper dry cargo barges , specifically designed and constructed to transport grain ! Ha ! Go Figure !
These shots were taken from shore and near the New Orleans airport and where many Pilots here in the Great New Orleans area refer to as the Williams Blvd. Landing , approximately river mile 113 AHP , LMR . In the second shot I was fortunate to include an approaching jet liner as it makes its final approach to the same New Orleans airport .
Also , in the shots , near the front of the ship you can see the two full size river tow boats " Faced Up " to one another with their respective sterns protruding well out and over the starb'd and port sides of the submersible ship . Astern of the two river tow boats is literally an entire fleet of the hopper dry cargo barges in a " Stacked " formation for their voyage to South America !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
WA-4141

Ted Davisson;27084 wrote: Greetings From New Orleans ,
Just a few more shots of the different examples of the water born commerce that is shipped on this country's water way system !
In the first shot are some stacked river barges waiting to be shipped over seas on a submersible ship , in the second shot is a container ship being off loaded with containers and in the third shot is a submersible ship waiting to load the stacked barges form the first shot !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
WA-4141