Topic starter
09/10/2006 4:42 pm
Tall Stacks 2006 is now history, the "calliope postlude" has been played and I look forward to seeing pictures and hearing more accounts from those who were "on deck" for the festival. Judy called this morning and was preparing to check out of the NewportTravelodge and head for Rock Island, after one more stop at the NATCHEZ to assist Suzi with the dismantling of a temporary gift shop. Judy was "faithful to the cause" for the entire festival and worked ALL of the nearly back-to-back trips. To drive over 400 miles each way, pay for 7 night's lodging in a hotel and work as a volunteer from dawn's early light each morning until midnight (and beyond!) is DEDICATION in the truest definition of the word. A whistle salute to YOU, Miss Patsch, for all your endeavors!
The NATCHEZ was planning to depart Cincinnati between noon and 1 PM today to start her long journey homeward to New Orleans. Like last year, it has been wonderful to see her up here on the Ohio again. And I look forward to having our BELLE back home in Louisville. I've really missed her each morning as I cross the bridge into downtown. Her absence on the waterfront always creates a dark void. The Belle's twin stacks are as much an iconic symbol of Louisville as the twin spires of Churchill Downs!
Thanks to ALL who have posted news bulletins, experiences, photos and opinions regarding Tall Stacks!
09/10/2006 7:45 pm
And here are the first pictures of Tall Stacks and the Belle of Louisville cruising up the Ohio River from Louisville to Cincinnati. http://www.steamboats.org/php-scripts/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=37
09/10/2006 8:08 pm
Nice pictures Franz...
I was onboard the Natchez as well for the race Friday. My dad and I were some of the first ones onboard the boat for the ""race"", and I stayed on the second deck near the starboard bow most of the time. I took alot of pictures, and I will post some of them very soon. Being aboard the Natchez was the first time I have ever been aboard a moving steamboat, and I wouldn't have rather it been any other boat.
I was disappointed this time though that the DQ, and MQ weren't at the city front. I was really looking forward to that.
09/10/2006 8:27 pm
Franz,
Wunderbar!! Your photos are absolutely marvelous and capture all the excitement, beauty and pageantry of that magnificent celebration of steamboating. Thanks so much for sharing them with us. May I humbly suggest that photo number 19 in your Tall Stacks Gallery make its appearance somewhere permanently on the website? That is a classic shot and deserves to be seen by all who visit steamboats.org every time they log on.
Again, my sincere thanks to all who posted their reflections, observations, insights, and photos for us to see and enjoy. You made it possible for many of us unable to be there to experience the excitement and wonder of Steamboating Today! Hopefully, other river friends who were there in the Queen City will also post their own messages in the days to come. What a special gift to be part of this steamboating family!
09/10/2006 11:30 pm
I second Dave's comments on all counts. I have a bunch of photos taken from the vantage point of MISSIE and will send some of same to Franz for posting. Cap'n Walnut.
10/10/2006 12:56 am
I, too, was at Tall Stacks, and saw a number of people, but not Franz and Carmen! So sorry to have missed you. I was priviledged to have dinner Tuesday evening with Helen "Hotfingers" Prater and daughter Lil on the MIKE FINK. Saw, but did not speak to Tom Schiffer as he steamed past on the MISSIE several times, his wife holding both gunwales tight! Capt. Don Sanders visited for a while, but Capt. Bill Judd was conspicuous in his absence.
When we went to S&D in September, a grand deal fell into my lap....David Smith asked if i'd like to work in traffic control at TS, and that's what I did. Stiill had time to spend with Sharon and the boys at numerous other things, and rode the NATCHEZ along with 1196 other folks, including the Steinikes. For those I did not get to see or speak with, I'm sorry we missed each other. It was indeed a great time, and aside form a short period when we thought the water might mees things up, it was a great event, with good weather. To those who did not or could not come, we hope to see you next time!
10/10/2006 2:54 am
Hi Bob: You guys did a good job. Been there and done that. Talked to you several times. Thought to myself who is that controller with that Memphis drawl. Oh well five days on the Belle of Cincinnati was fun. Capt. Troy Manthey is a treat to work with. It must be that Streckfus gene.
10/10/2006 4:29 am
Missie at Tall Stacks
Here's a photo of Tom and company in the Missie. When the Tall Stacks cruises were on hold Friday morning, here comes Missie cruising by. I took this photo from the fleet in Newport.
Topic starter
10/10/2006 12:51 pm
The BELLE is BACK! It was great this morning to see our beautiful steamboat back home where she belongs, snug at her landing and aglow in lights. The NATCHEZ is already "way down" the river, having gone through here in the wee hours.
10/10/2006 6:41 pm
Bob: You surely did have your hands full! Getting the ferries thru the crush of boats must have been a big chore in itself. Most of the small boats out there that I saw behaved pretty well. Likely if the Coasties were not there, it would have been another story. One of the big boats looked like it might eat one of those cruisers that refused to move with her paddle wheel after sounding her three blasts. She needed to back for the turn to get behind the DQ for the parade of boats Sunday. Where was the traffic center located? Could you see the harbor from there?
10/10/2006 9:28 pm
Nick on Natchez
Nick, did you make it up to the Natchez' gift shop? Please email me: [email protected]
10/10/2006 11:46 pm
Darin: Many thanks for your picture of MISSIE. I have hundreds of photos taken FROM MISSIE, but few, indeed, OF MISSIE in action. I will put it at the end of my photo disc. If you'd like a copy, contact me. There are 150 photos of Tall Stacks related things.
11/10/2006 1:11 am
I'm appreciating the many NATCHEZ photos which are appearing, because like Tom, I've got pix of the boats taken FROM the N., but I was always ON the N so didn't get many of her. By the way, Capt. Walnut, was the mayor of Rabbit Hash on hand to greet the visitors from the SPIRIT OF JEFFERSON on Monday????
11/10/2006 1:37 am
Judy: The Mayor of Rabbit Hash was off a huntin' ducks in North Dakota and din't get in til the wee hours...besides, Monday was a hollerday and the entire Shipyard Crew was off...'way off! Ever tree stand in the county is full! If you want any of Tom's pictures of Tall Stacks etc, let him know and he'll send a disc er two. He got the N commin' out of the canal at Lou and many in Cincy. Cap'n Walnut.
12/10/2006 5:25 pm
David,
all the pictures will stay permanentely in the photo album. But you're right, I should probably find a good place the the very best of them, not so well hidden in one of the many photo albums 😉
Yours
Franz
12/10/2006 5:27 pm
More Tall Stacks pictures are available now. Thanks very much to Aaron Richardson and Tom Schiffer: http://www.steamboats.org/php-scripts/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=37&page=5
13/10/2006 4:37 pm
Franz: Here is some info about the pictures that you posted. No.54 shows a bonfire on the bank on Sunday night at Carrollton. That is Capt'n Kevin Mullen on the left (seated). I don't know who the rest were. Photos 56 thru 59 were actually early morning shots on the way to ride the BELLE OF LOU for a breakfast cruise...shot about 6:30 am. Shot No. 60 was taken from the NATCHEZ at night. Shot No. 61 was taken by my wife, Carol in the NATCHEZ cabin, looking forward.
13/10/2006 6:47 pm
Tom,
I was looking to see if my landing and the BARBARA H were visible on the Indiana shore in photo 54 (I left our guard lights on that evening), but the top of the bonfire flames are in the way. Looks like there is a 3rd boat, rafted off the Spirit of Jefferson... Would that be the Magnolia Belle? We saw her upbound (very slow) at 9:30 PM. Didn't know if she stopped or went on..
13/10/2006 8:32 pm
Steve: That was the MAGNOLIA BELLE rafted up to the SPIRIT. Bill Ray observed that the bow line off the BOL was tight enough to produce a B flat note if struck! In my opinion, it was too dark to see your landing in that view, but it CAN be see off your right shoulder (to the left in the picture) in the view of you and Barbara. Since I used a short lens (24 mm), the apparent size of your rig was quite small...but it IS there.
13/10/2006 9:12 pm
Tom,
Kevin Mullen mentioned that engine tests were being done on the BELLE while undwerway to TS. Did the testing go ok?
14/10/2006 1:25 am
Steve: The testing was done by Keith Baylor who set up an "EKG" for the engines and connected to his lap top computer. This was a follow-up to the engine room capers of last year where similar testing was done to better tune the valve timing last winter/spring. Keith worked until midnight on the Saturday nite before leaving for Carrollton to wire up the transducers to make it all work. We both worked until about 10 PM on Sunday nite removing the transducers and wiring so he could get then back to work on Monday. Last year's data were used to modify the valve events which, I understand, resulted in more speed and better fuel efficiency. My non-calibrated eye and especially my ear, tell me that there is an improvement. Keith's follow-up test on this trip was to "see" the improvement as revealed by taking her pulse again. This time, there was more time to let things settle into a steady state of equilibrium not afforded by the usual harbor trips the BELLE takes at Lou. I have not heard his results, as it take some time for him to gather all the parameters and analyze them. My job was to keep the pigeons away and, upon request, radio the ground speed (as revealed by a GPS) to the engine room from the Texas roof now and then...really tough duty!
14/10/2006 10:17 pm
The NATCHEZ is back too.
The NATCHEZ got back about 2AM Saturday. The NOLA webcam at 1:44AM barely shows her lights as she passed Canal St. It took her 109 hours to travel the 1370 river miles, an average of 12.5 mph. That includes the Ohio River locks and midstream refueling in Louisville! Good thing we didn't waste time in 'races' at TS!!!!
14/10/2006 10:25 pm
Here's the webcam return of the NATCHEZ
http://www.nolalive.com/ecards/bourbocam/index.ssf?ECARDKEY=03756316976000381365 She's the group of lights in the lower left corner, passing the Canal St. Ferry landing.
15/10/2006 12:04 am
To all who took pictures at Tall Stacks---Thank you!!!!
15/10/2006 8:23 am
Some more pictures: Judy Patsch and Gordon Tucker sent some. Thank you very much!
http://www.steamboats.org/php-scripts/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=37&page=7
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