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2012-05-08 tl;dr: After dealing with technical difficulties I have finally run the Illinois River and am on the Mississippi. I decided to track down the leak in my boat. I replaced one bolt and tightened another. That should do it.I checked out of the quaint little internetless hotel early. I dragged the kayak down to a creek and paddled out into the river. A hundred yards later I realized I was taking on water at an alarming rate. I paddled as fast as I could down to Hardin's boat landing. It turns out all of this dragging isn't good for a kayak. I wore a hole right through the keel. After wandering around town until shops started opening I was provided with some two-part epoxy by Calhoun Auto Collision and Repair. That did the trick! Several hours late, I was back in the water. Today's weather was near perfect. Sunny, seventies, with a backing wind. I had also tweaked my homemade sail, so I deployed it. The Mississippi River is big. Between the current and occasional wind gusts I managed to hit a whole 8 miles per hour a couple times, according to my GPS. That's almost slow bicycling speed! At the Melvin Price Locks and Dam I decided the portage would be preferable to the lock. The portage sucked. Also there were a couple dozen fisherman on the lower side, each and every one offering me opinions. Because the water was so roiled I was forced to hug the bank, so each fisherman had to reel in as I passed. A few didn't appreciate it. I'm camping on Maple Island on the Missouri side of the river. There is a deer snorting outside my tent as I write this. Been carrying on for about five minutes. Just go away already. |
 let me get an early start  leaks!  two-part epoxy ftw  come sale away  WALTER HAGESTAG  CAPT. GERALD BOGGS   almost to the end   bluffs along the Mississippi  just getting started, again   I stayed ahead of this towboat for an hour  the Mississippi is a big rivier  sandbar   Alton, IL  Melvin Price Locks and Dam |