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Welcome to the HeartLand Boating Newsletter
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May 19, 2010
Vol 5, No 1-10
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WHERE SHALL WE GO THIS YEAR?
Family Vacations issue
tackles the question
Despite weather
surprises and human-made setbacks, there's no happier subject for most families
than "Where should we take the boat this year?" That's why this issue, solely
devoted to family fun, features facilities and destinations guaranteed to
deliver.
Sharing what he learned
while researching for this year's Quimby's Cruising Guide, (have you ordered your copy yet?) Gary Kramer guides parents through the ins and outs of the many river museums in our area. Some are huge well-supported institutions that cover
many topics; others are modest and run by volunteers. Here are pictures of two
hidden gems, the Howard Steamboat Museum in Jeffersonville, Ind., and the
Granville Museum, in Granville, Tenn.
The Howard Steamboat Museum
Granville
Museum Photos courtesy of
the museums
Children love this
diving suit from Man in the Sea Museum, in Panama City Beach, Fla., as much as they love suits of armor.
And you cannot keep
adults away from this snagboat displayed at the Tom Bevill Visitor Center in Pickensville, Ala.
Even Joan Wenner's Waterway Law department, which this month talks about arbitration
clauses, gets into the act. The photo illustrating her column is of Capt.
Charlie Meyer and friends on the Lake of the Ozarks, where Capt. Meyer operates
a tow service. TowBoatU.S. recently gave him their "Tower of the Year" award.
Here's his picture at the helm of the MV Point Young.
Photo courtesy BoatU.S.
Ever wondered about poker runs? Sandy Lindsey explains all about this popular form of socializing.
More fun awaits in the Florida Keys, as newcomer Dan Armitage tells about how his own family relaxed in the
warm sea and sun in June's Cruise of the Month. Just take a look.
Photo by Dan Armitage
Want some great
destinations? We talk about them. James and Dorothy Richardson explain what makes Huntsville, Ala., such a blast--or blast-off--when
they talk about the "Rocket City." Here's the complex that gave Huntsville that
nickname.
 Photo courtesy of NASA
River Harbour Marina in Bridgewater, Pa., and Blue Springs Marina in Ten Mile, Tenn. are Marina Profile subjects in June. And
finally, publisher Nelson Spencer discusses vacationing in the one spot on earth without any water,
the Atacama Desert of Chile. Here's a picture by Paul Shoul showing just how dry it is.
Photo by Paul Shoul |
FUN
EVENTS IN THE HEARTLAND
As big believers in the
saying, "Life is short. Eat dessert first," we are happy to point out that Gumbo Ya Ya is scheduled to take place June 11-12 in The Downtown Rock Island
Arts & Entertainment District. Rock Island, Ill., is one of the Quad Cities.
This
"Mardi Gras in The District" invites visitors to the upper Mississippi to enjoy
Cajun food, authentic southern Louisiana music on two stages, Mardi Gras
children's activities, and a French Quarter marketplace. The festival is
conducted outdoors, on the Great River Plaza. Here's a shot that our friend
Jessica Waytenick sent of a band performing last year.
Photo courtesy Quad Cities Convention & Visitors
Bureau
Children
12 and younger are free when accompanied by an adult. For details, call (309)
788-6311 or go to www.ridistrict.com online. See lots of other festivals on our Web site calendar, too.
In late-breaking news, Bsquared
Promotions sends word that a new outdoor boat show, Making Waves, is planned
for May 21-23 in St Charles, Mo., at the Heart of St. Charles Banquet Center parking lot. St Charles
is just across the Missouri River from St Louis. (If it sounds familiar,
perhaps it's because in 1804, the Corps of Discovery under the leadership of Lewis and Clark, left from St Charles.) For
details about the boat show, call (314) 479-6702.
Shows
displaying vintage boats, such as Muscatine's are a special summer treat. The
33rd Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show in Hessel, Mich. won't take place until Aug.
14, but here are some pictures of last year's show to put you in the mood.
Photos
courtesy Les Cheneaux Historical Association
Remember, you can find boat show
listings any time on our Web site.
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ENGINEERING
NEWS
About
Those Locks and
Dams
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St Paul District, recently urged boaters to use caution in Lower Pool 4 near Wabasha,
Minn. on the Mississippi River this summer. Pool 4 is the lake created by, and
upstream of, Lock and Dam 4.
The
Corps constructed rock vanes at three locations, to include Read's Landing,
Crat's Island and Teepeeota Point, in Lower Pool 4 in October of 2009. The
vanes vary in length from 25 to 50 feet and are either straight or have a fish
hook shape at the end. Caution is encouraged for recreation boaters using the
sand beaches in these areas, since all the vanes were designed to slope under
the water. Depending on spring water levels, the vanes may not be visible where
they connect to the shore. Questions about the project? For answers, contact
the St Paul District's Channels and Harbors Office at (608) 687-3112.
The Waterways Journal reports that the Fort Loudon Lock, at Mile 602.3 near Lenoir City, Tenn., on the upper Tennessee
River, closed for maintenance on April 20. This lock primarily serves recreational
boaters. Plans call for it to remain closed for a month. The lock will be
dewatered to allow the gates to be painted and the valves worked on, the WWJ said. The same kind of work is scheduled for Watts Bar Lock in the fall.
OK,
just for fun, follow this link that contributor Sandy Steele sent us.
It's locking through,
done with time-lapse photography. She writes, "We put our boat in one year on
the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien, Wis., and motored up to St. Paul,
Minn. In the process, we had to go through Lock & Dam #1. I remember
when the gate opened and we went towards the wall, they threw the line down 30
feet to us! It felt like we were in a cave. Even though the lock was smaller
than most, it had the largest drop."
For
more information about the Army Corps of Engineers, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil on the Internet. |
ONE NATURAL, ONE HUMAN SETBACK
Flash Floods in
Mid-South
Overactive spring
thunderstorms dropped 17 inches of rainfall on the Nashville area in only a few
days, which flooded creeks tributary to the Cumberland River. The river itself,
which runs through Nashville, crested 11 feet above flood stage. Follow this link to a YouTube video to
see some of the havoc the water created.
YouTube lists several
other videos posted by observers of the flooding.
Here's a second video that Becky Hovas, vice president of NewSouth Marine Construction,
in Greenville, Miss., sent to publisher Nelson Spencer.
Bill
Brummett III, owner of Gibson Boats, also sent pictures. Follow this link to our Web site to see all the shots he sent. Here's a sample for now.
 
 
Photos via Bill Brummett III. Our thanks to him.
Oil Spill Gushes
An oil rig exploded off
the shore of south Florida and as of newsletter press time, has been unable to
be capped. Because the well is under water, it's difficult to estimate how much
crude oil is gushing into the Gulf of Mexico as a result, but some experts put
it at about 200,000 gallons a day. For details, go to The Miami Herald or the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
As of May 18, tar balls were washing up on beaches of the Florida Keys. Plans devised by British Petroleum engineers involved closing the well head with pulverized rubber, golf balls and cement.
Kelly
Schulz, vice president of communications for the New Orleans Metropolitan
Convention & Visitors Bureau, suggests that boaters go to www.neworleanscvb.com for the latest
information about how the spill is affecting the Louisiana marshes and
coastline.
For more information
about both events, see the Marina and Waterways News column in the June HeartLand Boating issue.
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NATIONAL MARINA DAY GAINS MOMENTUM
How will
your marina celebrate?
This year,
National Marina Day has been moved from August to June 12, which is also National Get Outdoors Day. The Association of Marina Industries, (AMI) an organization dedicated to the needs of marinas, manages
the day.
A new
release from AMI explained that it "is a day for celebrating marinas and all
they bring to their communities as gateways to our nation's waterways. On this
day marinas are asked to open their doors to their neighbors and let them
experience the marina lifestyle, learn about the waterfront environment and see
firsthand all the fun that can be had recreating on the water." Wendy
Larimer, AMI's legislative coordinator said that as of as of April 20, marinas
in 22 states, "from California to New Jersey, Michigan to Texas," had
registered at the National Marina Day Web site. From
Ottawa, Ill., Heritage Harbor Ottawa sends word that its staff will host
a Junior Fishing Derby to celebrate National Marina Day. The event includes a knot-tying clinic, a hook-baiting clinic,
instructions about how to identify and clean your fish, a casting contest, a
fishing contest, and of course, games. Winners get prizes! In the evening, Big
John Karaoke will take place at Crawdad's Bar and Grill. Here's a photo of one
of the spots for fun at Heritage Harbor.
Photo by Lee
Braff
Lee
Braff
Editor
HeartLand Boating
Editorial Offices |
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