YOU WILL LIKE THIS..TOW LINGO

YOU WILL LOVE THIS...THE LANGUAGE OF BOATING AND OF RIVER BOATING IN PARTICULAR IS SOMETIMES MORE CONFUSING THAN IF YOU WOULD JUST SPIT IT OUT IN PLAIN OLD SIMPLE ENGLISH......IF YOU ARE MEETING A TOW COMING AT YOU ...YOU CALL HIM ON THE RADIO AND ASK HIM WHERE HE WANTS YOU TO PASS HIM...HE WILL SAY ON THE ONE WHISTLE... OR...HE WILL SAY ON THE TWO WHISTLE...THE ONE WHISTLE IS PORT TO PORT... THE TWO WHISTLE IS STARBOARD TO STARBOARD.....BELIEVE ME THERE ARE OCASSIONS FOR BOTH ..BUT COULD WE NOT MAKE IT A LITTLE HARDER....O.K......YOU GOT THAT NOW GET READY FOR THE OVERTAKING A TOW FROM BEHIND...CAPT WHERE DO YOU WANT ME TO PASS YOU ...ON THE ONE WHISTLE OR THE TWO WHISTLE.....ONE BEING ON THE INSIDE AND TWO BEING ON THE OUTSIDE....CONFUSED...NOT ME...I HAVE IT WRITTEN ON MY HELM....ALONG WITH A KNOTS TO MPH COVERSION....AND AN EXPLANATION OF ...RED RIGHT RETURNING....WHICH MEANS IF YOU ARE GOING TOWARDS WHERE THE WATER CAME FROM OR ORIGINATED FROM...YOU ARE RETURNING...HENCE ...RE RIGHT RETURNING....OR ON THE OTHER HAND YOU ARE GOING AWAY FROM THE ORIGIN OR YOU ARE GOING WITH THE CURRENT...THE RED WOULD BE ON YOUR ...LEFT...NOW IS THAT NOT SPECIAL....SO MUCH FOR THE EASY STUFF THANX FOR READING...TOM

MARRIAGE SAVER

I WANT TO TALK SOME ABOUT LOCKING THRU AND THE DEVICE REFERRED TO AS A MARRIAGE SAVER.....JAN AND I WERE AT AQUA HARBOR LAST YEAR VISITING WITH A FELLOW BOATER WHEN HE TOLD US OF THE M S ....YOU HAVE A LINE THAT IS PERMANENTLY ANCHORED AT THE CLEAT ONE THIRD OF THE WAY FORWARD OF THE STERN CORNER OF YOUR BOAT...IT IS TIED TO THE COMPORABLE CLEAT ONE THIRD OF THE WAY BACKFROM THE PULPIT....THE LINE HAS A PERMANNENT LOOP IN IT...GENEROUS ENUFF TO ALLOW EASY PLACEMENT OVER THE MOORING BIT....COACH CALLS THEM MOORING BITS I CALL THEM BOLLARDS...BOTH ARE CORRECT...THE LOOP IS IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN THE TWO CLEATS...NOW BEFORE I GO ON REMEMBER THE LOCKING RULE ......ALL LOCKAGES ARE TO BE UNEVENTFUL....ONE TAKES THE LINE OFF THE FRONT CLEAT AND SLIPS THE LOOP OVER THE BIT AND THEN THE LINE EITHER GETS TIED BACK TO THE FRONT CLEAT OR LUST WRAPPED UNDER IT AND HELD...HELD QUITE EASILY WITH ONE HAND EITHER WAY THE BOAT IS UNDER CONTROL AND THE LOCKMASTER MAY BE NOTIFIED THE BOAT IS SECURE...........NOW YOU ARE READY TO APPROACH THE LOCK WITH A RADIO CALL TO THE LOCKMASTER SEEKING LOCKAGE UP OR DOWN WHICHEVER THE CASE MAY BE......HE WILL RESPOND TELLING YOU TO GO TO CH 13 OR 14 TO GET OFF OF 16 THE EMERGENCY CH....HE WILL THEN INFORM YOU OF HIS PLANS FOR YOU....COMING ON IN OR WAITIN AWHILE......ALWAYS BE NICE FOR IT IS SAID THEY ARE A TIGHT GROUP AND CAN CALL AHEAD OF YOU AND MAKE YOUR LIFE MISERABLE AT THE NEXT LOCKS....GO IN WHEN TOLD TO DO SO...THE CAPTAIN MUST MUST GET THE BOAT CLOSE ENUFF FOR THE MATE TO GET THE LINE ON THE BIT ...SO THE CAPT WILL ENTER THE LOCK WHEN THE GREEN LIGHT COMES ON AND THE HORN SOUNDS......AND YOU ARE OFF TO THE RACES......BE SURE TO STAY SECURED TO THE BIT UNTIL THE LOCKMASTER SOUNDS THE HORN TO RELEASE YOU .....AND THEN THANK HIM......THANX FOR TUNING IN SEE YOU AGAIN SOON

THE BOTTOM AND THE END OF THE TRAIL

WELL I AM SO SORRY I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO POST FOR AWHILE AND I AM SORRY I HAVE NOT POSTED THE LAST TWO ENTRIES PROPERLY FOR I SEE THEY ARE NOT COMPLETE....HAVE NO IDEA WHY...BUT I WILL SOON HAVE THE REAL CAPTAINS HELP AND THINGS WILL GET BETTER....THE BOAT IS OUT OF THE WATER AND THE BOTTOM IS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN I HAD EXPECTED...A FEW SMALL BLISTERS ACTUALLY ON THE SIDE WITH NONE ON THE BOTTOM.....SOME GELCOAT SHOWING ON THE VERY FRONT WHERE IT CUTS THRU THE WATER....AND SOME GELCOAT SHOWING ALONG THE MID LINE OF THE BOTTOM AND JUST A FEW OTHER SPOTS....BUT NOT BAD....SOME WORK TO DO BUT NOT THE END OF THE WORLD....KATHY AND ERIC CAME SUNDAY WHILE JOHN TOOK CAM TO BHAM AIRPORT ...WE COOKED OUT SOME GREAT ST CHARLES BURGERS AND THEN TOOK A BOAT RIDE AND A DINGHY RIDE COMPLETE WITH ERIC TOM AND CORINNE SWIMMING WHILE COLE AND COACH TALKED FOOTBALL AND KATHY RESTED HER RECENTLY OPERATED ON FOOT.....FUN DAY.....I THINK THE GOOD DOC FROM FLA HAD A GOOD TIME BUT WE SURE HAD OUR HANDS FULL THE LAST TWO DAYS WITH SOME STORMY WEATHER COMPLETE WITH LIGHTENING AND ALL.....A GOOD FUNNY ONE IS WHEN WE ARE COMING INTO DEMOPOLIS HARBOR ALL THE STORM THAT HAD FOLLOWED US ALL DAY HAD FINALLY CAUGHT US SO I AM ON THE RADIO TO THE DEMOP HARBOR FOR SOME HELP COMING IN....GUESS WHO IS ON THEIR RADIO GIVING ME INSTRUCTIONS....I SAID WHO IS THIS AND THE VOICE SAID THIS IS COACH COOK..VERY SURPRISING BUT VERY REASSURING.....HE HAD TOLD THEM WE WERE CLOSE AND THEY LET HIM BRING US IN ON THEIR RADIO...SEE HE HAD DRIVEN THE TRUCK TO DEMOP TO MEET US ON THE FINAL LEG OF THE JOURNEY....EVERY DAY IS AN ADVENTURE AND A STORY...JUST FINDING THE TIME TO DO THE ENTRIES IS A JOB...AND JAN IS SO MUCH BETTER AT IT THAN I AM BUT SHE DOES NOT GO TO THE COOLER AS OFTEN......THANX FOR READING LET ME HEAR FROM YOU

SUNDAY AUG 23

WELL YESTERDAY WE TREATED OURSELVES VERY NICELY WE WALKED AROUND THIS PLACE LOOKED AT THE BOATS TALKED WITH SOME FOLKS WHO WERE DOING THEIR OWN REPAIRS MET UP WITH THE TWO GALS JOHN AND I HAD MET AT PARIS LANDING THEY ARE SAILBOATERS AND QUITE KNOWLEDGEABLE YOU MAY RECALL JAN AND I WERE VERY PLEASED FOR ME TO HAVE MET THEM BECAUSE ONE OF THEM GREW UP ON CHESEPEAKE BAY AND KNOWS IT LIKE THE BACK OF HER HAND SOME DAY WE WANT TO GO THERE AND KNOWING THESE GALS COULD BE VERY VERY HELPFUL I THINK THEIR NAMES ARE HEATHER AND JENNIFER BUT I ALWAYS FORGET WHICH IS WHICH ONE WAS WORKING THE BLISTERS ON THE BOTTOM OF THEIR BOAT AND THE OTHER WAS CHANGING A TRANSMISSION FLUID DELIRERY HOSE ON THEIR CAR CAN YOU SAY QUITE CAPABLE LADIES CAM OR THE DOCTOR HAS TO FLY OUT TODAY BUT WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS AGAIN SOMETIME IN THE MEANTIME JOHN AND I WILL VISIT HE AND HOLLY AT HIS FISHING CAMP IN YANKEE TOWN FLA HE HAS A GREAT SET UP AND ABOAT FOR FISHING THE GULF OF MEXICO AFTER WALKING AROUND AND DOING SOME ODD JOBS ON THE BOAT WE GOT THE DINGHY DOWN AND WENT EXPLORING UP THE BLACK WARRIOR RIVER AND GUESS WHAT IT WAS EXACTLY AS HAD BEEN ADVERTISED BEAUTTIFUL BUT SIMPLEY

SPARE PARTS

I WILL SURELY LEAVE SOMETHING OUT SO FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW OF YOUR ADDIONS TO THIS LIST I AM NOT TRYING TO ACT LIKE AN EXPERT JUST SHARING EXPERIENCES I LEARNED ALONG TIME AGO AS A COACH BEG BORROW AND STEAL IDAS FROM EVERYBODY AND ADD THEM TO YOUR OWN BAG OF TRICKS AND MAKE THEM WORK FOR YOU THE OLD TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE IDEA WE KEEP OIL AND A LOT OF IT ON BOARD 15 40 AND 30 TRANSMISSION FLUID OUTBOARD TWO CYCLE FILTERS FOR EVERYTHING IMPELLERS THERMOSTATS PACKING MATERIAL DIESEL SOCKS DISTILLED WATER ANTIFREEZE DIESEL FUEL WD 40 WINDSHILD WASHER FLD BELTS SEPARATOR FILTERS ZINC PLUGS RADIATOR CAP

INGENEOUS INVENTIONS

NEED IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT ANYWAY SOME OF OUR GOODIES INCLUDE THE USE OF BUNGEE CORDS TO HOLD A ROTATING FAN UP IN THE WINDOW OF THE FLY BRIDGE ON ESPECIALLY HOT DAYS TO COOL THINGS A BIT NEXT A CARDBOARD BOX WITH A HOLE CUT IN THE TOP FOR THE COMPUTER TO SIT ON ON THE FLY BRIDGE NOT ONLY TO RAISE IT FOR EASIER VIEWING BUT FOR COOLING IT ALSO WE USE THE COMPUTER WITH A PROGRAM PETE HANSEN TOLD JAN ABOUT IT SHOWS THE RIVER OR WATERWAY YOU ARE ON AND A LITTLE REP OF YOUR BOAT IN ITS EXACT LOCATION ON THE RIVER AND THE SAILING LINE WHICH IS THE CHANNEL OR DEEPEST WATER I ALWAYS SAY YOU COULD DRIVE THE BOAT WITHOUT EVER LOOKING AT THE WATER IF IT WERE NOT FOR DEBRIS THAT WOULD SOON END THE TRIP OR AS COACH CALLS THEM TRIP ENDERS WE USE RUBBER COATED CLAMPS TO HOLD THE PAGES OF THE CHARTS THE ATLAS THE QUIMBEYS OUR LOG AND ANY OTHER PAGES IN THE BREEZE FOR THEY WILL NOT LAST LONG IN THE WIND WE ALSO USE A POP CASE BOX FOLDED INTO A SUN SCREEN FOR THE COMPUTER FOR COMPUTERS ARE HARD TO SEE IN THE SUNSHINE TO HOLD THE CARDBOARD IN PLACE WE HAVE A FLEXIBLE PIECE OF COATED ROD THAT WILL BEND AND HOLD SHAPE QUITE WELL JUST FIT IT TO THE COMPUTER EDGES AND PRESTO IT HOLDS THE SUN SCREEN IN PLACE WE HAVE A DIAL ROD ABOUT FOOT AND HALF LONG WITH A RED BALL ON ONE END AND A GREEN BALL ON THE OTHER END SO YOU NEVER FORGET WHERE THE RED AND GREEN MARKER BUOYS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE I WILL BET I CHECK THAT ROD AT LEAST 20 TIMES A DAY AND OF COURE YOU HAVE TO CHANGE IT END FOR END AS THE WATERWAYS CHANGE I E GOING INTO A MARINA OR UP A CANAL TO A MARINA JUST SOME FUN THINGS TO THINK ABOUT BUT PEOPLE ARE QUITE INVENTIVE WHEN THEY HAVE TO BE

YAHOO DEMOPOLIS 22 AUG

I DO NOT SAY YAHOO BECAUSE I AM GLAD THE TRIP IS OVER I SAY IT BECAUSE A GOAL HAS BEEN REACHED WE ARE HERE SAFE AND SOUND EXCEPT FOR THE GOOD DOCTORS BIG TOE WHICH HE PROBABLY BROKE AND IS LOSING THE NAIL OFF OF THE DOC AND I RAN THE LAST TWO DAYS WITHOUT COACH FOR HE DROVE MY TRUCK FROM WAVERLY TO DEMOP WE SPENT THE BIGGEST PART OF BOTH DAYS IN BAD STORMS HEAVY RAINS AND ALOT OF LIGHTENING COACH GOT TO DEMOP BEFORE WE DID SO HE WAS HERE ON THE MARINA RADIO BRINGING US IN IN THE STORM VERY CLEVER AND VERY HELPFUL WE BASICALLY HAVE BEEN DOING BRKFST AND LUNCH ON THE BOAT AND EATING OUT AT NITE LITE BRKFST AND LUNCHMEAT FOR LUNCH WE HAVE TO CLEAN THE REFRIG FOR THEY TOLD JOHN THE ELECT IN THE HARD AREA IS NOT VERY RELIABLE CAM DID A GREAT JOBWITH THE LOCKS I LOVE MY WIFE DEARLY AND SHE IS QUITE CAPABLE BUT THERE IS A DIFF BETWEEN A LADY ON THE LOCK LINES AND GUYS WHO WERE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS AND WRESTLERS CAN YOU SAY MUSCLE NOT TO MENTION NO BROKEN ARMS WHILE WE WERE AT GRAND HARBOR WE HAD DINNER TWO EVENINGS WITH TOMMY WILLIAMS JAN AND MY TOW CAPT FRIEND THE LAST EVE WE WENT TO HIS HOUSE AFTER DINNER AND WATCHED VIDEOS OF TOW DISASTERS WRECKS SINKINGS ETC AND TALKED AND TALKED ABOUT BOATING IT IS SO MUCH FUN YO TALK AND ASK QUESTIONS OF SOMEONE SO KNOWLEDGEABLE ANOTHER NICE GUY AT GRAND IS CHIP LUCAS THE MGR HE IS VERY WELL INFORMED ALSO HE IS HEADED FOR M CITY BOAT SHOW GREAT GUY STOP AND SEE HIM MY ENDING ARTICLES WILL BE ABOUT LOCKING THRU PASSING TOWS ITEMS TO CONSIDER WHEN LEAVING THE BOAT ELECTRONICS SPARE PARTS AND FINALLY OUR INGENEOUS INVENTIONS