Ol' Man River flexing his muscles...

WOW

Bruno Krause;10462 wrote: Thanks to Judy she pointed me to these pictures and I thought I should pass them on. These pictures are from the Natchez Democrat, and if you've ever been to Natchez I think you'll realize that the water is up a bunch, a whole bunch. Per the sternline telegraph I was told that the only place for the AQ to land on the Lower MR is NOLA, Natchez and Baton Rouge. For those familiar with BR's Paperclip, only the very top tier is dry! I was also told the AQ is only making 4 MPH upbound against the swollen river current.

Keep in mind these pictures were from last Wednesday, I think, and the river is still rising as I type, I don't think the Mississippi is supposed to peak for a few days yet...Good Gawd...

Notice what I perceive as the AQ using the wheel to hold her against the bank, as I assume there is nowhere to tie off.

My prayers and crossed fingers to the Delta Queen leaving NOLA this Friday.

B.

WOW WE ARE GOING ON THAT CRUISE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!

My wife was worried about the ramp to the road . WHAT RAMP??????
Never seen Her that way before sound like an Adventure to me.

Daniel, you just made me and Deb suitably envious...

The AQ passed Baton Rouge at 8:35 PM Sunday, when it passed the spillway it was moving at full power at 0.7 mph.....heading for Natchez and then will return to NOLA.

The Mississippi crested today at Cairo, 52.8 ft., almost 13 feet above flood stage. Projected crest at New Orleans is 17.0 ft. on April 22nd, according to NOAA. I think, though, we are in for an extended period of high water, even if there is no more significant rain. The Upper Miss. is in outdraft conditions at all locks (gates all out at most), and the White River (of Missouri & Arkansas) is in a record flood; all its tributary reservoirs are full, as are the Arkansas River tributary reservoirs. The only saving grace is that the Ohio is getting back down to a reasonable level (though still up a bit), but the ground in that valley is saturated, too. More rain will mean another jump. TVA is in the process of filling reservoirs to summer pool levels, so that will hold back some. So, while it may crest soon, it won't go down significantly for quite some time!

Carmen, sorry 'bout that...I guess I don't have this copyright thing down...thanks for the fix.

As Matt has informed above, the AQ is NOT gonna make Memphis on Saturday morning, not even gonna try, as there is no place to land. So this week's American Queen cruise ends in New Orleans not Memphis, which means next week's American Queen cruise is now a New Orleans roundtrip. People on next week's AQ cruise will need to adjust their flights...as will the people on the AQ now, but I'm sure they are aware...

WOW

Wonder if the DQ will be able to make the cruise? The floods stages up river are what I have been looking at from NOAA Mud Island most be close to being under water I know where we land is at high water . I just wondering how fast the DQ will make it up river. We do have a couple of days of open sailing so I think she will do OK. Those pics from Nathez are wild. Looks like a WILD ADVENTURE for the HOOD's this year. I thought the "THE GREAT AMERICAN STEAMBOAT RACE" was wild this may take the cake.

There are a lot of e-mails flying back and forth about whether the Legendary One is up to this wild and wooly Mississippi River current. My take is that I think she will do OK if the company chooses to eliminate shore stops, ALL shore stops before she turns east into the Ohio. As a rabid DQ groupy, I can only imagine what non-stop Steamboatin' days, over and over, day after day, river going by, paddlewheel making non-stop rainbows would be like, what a dream...Per my calculations, if she can make 4 MPH and makes NO shore stops before Cairo, she'll reach the Ohio in about 9 days. Once in the Ohio, she'll probably do great. So to the company, short tours or no shore tours? And can she make 4 MPH against the current? And does the current settle down the farther North you go?

I will tell you that Oak Alley, St. Francisville, Vicksburg, Helena and Memphis are no longer stops as there is no place to land and tie up, so the sternline telegraph says... Above Memphis, I haven't heard...So, this is better news toward making the Louisville race and better news that the ol' gal will make it up the river. Can she average 4 MPH, and will the company eliminate Natchez and Baton Rouge, I'm not really sure if these are stops on this cruise, I assume Natchez is at least?

My very crossed fingers toward the DQ's captain (good luck B!!), you have Deb's and my prayers. Don't beat her up too bad trying to get there...and Mary, if you are reading, please keep us informed, thanks...

And Daniel, I will tell you with all true sincerity, that even if the shore stops are curtailed a bit, you will have a Wonderful time, the beautiful Delta Queen, her magical crew, great food, the unique entertainment and the friendliest bunch of fellow passengers is the experience. You're still gonna have a ball. As I said earlier, Deb and I would trade places with you in a New York minute. Have a great time, and of course there are a bunch of dot.orgers here salivating to hear your post-cruise report.

But then again, what do I know? (Dale, that is the best line, ever!)

Bruno, it all depends on the schedule. They may need to stop for fuel or water (I do not know this for sure), but with the extreme high water, they should be able to "run the willows" a good bit, and make quite good time in places. Another thing they could do, as far as shore stops are concerned, is stop for a short time to drop off tour pax at a spot, then continue on up the river and pick the pax up at another location...been done many times. I will also tell you that there have been several occasions when the DQ never made it to Louisville in time for the race, due to high water. Hope that doesn't happen this year.

You ask if she will pick up speed the further north she gets; probably once she is on the Ohio, if it is not in a flood, she will pick up above Smithland Lock. But, as you say, it is the trip, not the destination!

Bruno,

No problem :-). As far as I´ve heard Majestic started to inform the passengers of the April 19 cruise on Tuesday. This cruise definitely will be a NOLA roundtrip. I heard of some landing downriver near Vicksburg where they might be able to stop and bus the people?

Here´s a slideshow by the Vicksburg Post

http://www.vicksburgpost.com/content/current/special_sections/floodpics.html

There´re a couple of night shots of the landing and the floodwall. I try to imagine how far we walked up to that floodwall last time we´ve been there!!!

Carmen

Thanks, Carmen. What a great slideshow, and great photography! I tend to forget all the animals and what they have to do and what has to be done with them.

Wow, powerful pictures...and humbling ...I wonder how close the Sprague's wheel is to touching brown water again? Do I gather from the pictures that some of the closed gates in the flood wall really aren't holding the water back?
And I would give a bunch to see it, just to get a different perspective, probably gain a higher respect for the power...

'GATES' ON FLOOD WALLS/REVETMENTS:
Hi, Bruno and steamboat colleagues:
Interesting question on the integrity of the floodwall gates etc. I'm no engineer or hydrologist and there are other veterans on the web like Bill Judd, Alan Bates, Kenny Howe, Shipyard, Bob Reynolds etc., etc., who know more from experience. I lived on/along the Ohio here seeing many a flood. At this moment the Ohio is running high--but no flood stages. Some of the old timers in my neighborhood were pros at predicting rising rivers and crests over the years even beating out the official weather reports etc. Many of them now long gone marked on cellar steps, door posts, etc. levels of the river like 'year 1913, 1937, 1948 etc.' as a reference. As a kid there was an old lady living next door to us who vividly recalled the big flood of 1888. Imagine that!

High flood walls/revetments, even when sealed with gates, can experience no small amount of gound water upwelling from beneath. Sewers etc. can/are closed and sealed. Cincinnati's Lunken Airport over the hill from me here is surrounded by several miles of high earth walls. The gates are closed and sealed at Wilmer Ave. near old Coal Haven Landing. On the Little Miami River side there are huge electric pumps that kick on and run to keep ground water from entering the airport similar to big subpumps.
Well, what do I know?

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick

Anybody know if any Baton Rouge riverfront pictures are available? I'd love to see what the Paperclip and the Kidd look like right now...

Natchez is/was on their schedule but not Baton Rouge. They had 3 steamboatin' days already built-in, they just might get a few more! I agree with you that it can be done but only IF, and that's a big one, they let the Captain make the calls - not the company out in Seattle! Buford knows the boat and he knows the river - if anyone can make it he can!

Carmen, there is a landing near Vicksburg they can use and then bus the pax to Vix. It;s called Natchez. :O) I've seen this done a few times.

Phil told me that Andre, the owner of Under the Hill, is "complaining" that the AQ has the last available parking spot because the parking lot at the top of the landing is under water.

Any closer and they'd have to rename the bar "Under the River"

Paul

Bruno,

I took these pics on the 27th of March...the river has come up alot since then. But it will give you an idea.

~Travis~

Travis, thanks. I am amazed and I find the pictures very spooky, and very attractive from a FRN standpoint. Gawd, to be there. And I appreciate that it is a Bitc_ for anybody trying to navagate in this mess, but it is intriguing/fascinating, really. Deb asked the question, what happens to the Kidd, if the river continues to rise, as the Kidd only has so much allocated space to rise before the big-as_ muffler clamps/U-bolts stop the allowable rise. I explained to her that the allowable rise on the Kidd was engineered to be the same allowable rise as the rise of water on the Baton Rouge levee, before the river spills over the levee...the river will go no higher at that point? True? It is VERY hard to imagine that the 2nd to top tier at the Clip is underwater now. Looks very surreal to walk off that landing. Almost looks delicate, fragile...

And Paul and Phil, the AQ needs one of those "American Queen Reserved Parking" signs at Natchez, right outside the Saloon. That would be a hoot...And, as a confession, we don't have a good reason, we've never been in that bar...

Bruno Krause;10498 wrote:

And Paul and Phil, the AQ needs one of those "American Queen Reserved Parking" signs at Natchez, right outside the Saloon. That would be a hoot...And, as a confession, we don't have a good reason, we've never been in that bar...

Bruno,

You must at least go into the bar and look around. It is a living, breathing bit of river history. It was not so far from Under the Hill that Mike Fink jumped across the river. Going to Natchez without going to Under the Hill is like going to Cooperstown and not going to the Hall of Fame.

Paul

Paul,

That´s what was told a passenger of the next cruise. And I was wondering whether there is some spot outside Vicksburg they still can land... I never heard about that before. But with that spot being Natchez it does make sense :-)!

Carmen

Bruno Krause;10498 wrote:
. That would be a hoot...And, as a confession, we don't have a good reason, we've never been in that bar...

Wow, I would have thought "Under the Hill" would be a major stop for today's power-repeater...
Back in my day, it was the first and sometimes only or last stop for me when in Natchez!

Whether or not the crew cared (so what...they shouldn't have with all the drinks that my grandfather & father treated them too! ) the captain, one of the cruise directors & one of the band members invited us up to the bar for their crew party...I think I was only 16 or 17!! I was never carded, nor did anyone care! I think there are pictures in my photo collection somewhere???

Not going to Natchez Under the Hill!!!!!!??????? Some "FRR" you are......I wish I had a nickel for every time I bent my elbow there! Many a crew party there.....One round cost me more than my whole tab for a 7 day cruise even the DQ Master was drinking top shelf one night !!!! Vladimir

Go to:
http://www.underthehillsaloon.com/custom/webpage.cfm?content=content&id=2

By the way, the steamboat models behind the bar were done by Captain H. Tate.

Ok, I sit here suitably chastised, head hung low, tail between my legs, misty eyes, quivering lower lip. I WILL try to do better... 🙂 And Paul, true story I spent one day a week for a whole summer on the construction of a County Correctional Facility in Cooperstown and, you guessed it, I've never been to the Hall of Fame either. I ask, what is wrong with me?

A fellow FRR/FRN sent this recent picture of the Paperclip along... that is just spooky looking.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherlin/2422788014/

Carmen;10500 wrote: Paul,

That´s what was told a passenger of the next cruise. And I was wondering whether there is some spot outside Vicksburg they still can land... I never heard about that before. But with that spot being Natchez it does make sense :-)!

Carmen

Carmen,

Now that you mention it, there is some kind of marine construction yard that I remember using a few times. And they do bus the pax from there. It's about a 15 minute ride as I recall.

But I always preferred the "overnight in Natchez" option.

Paul