Getting ready to make a tight turn in the bend of the Mississippi River at Vicksburg.
Got to get around those buoys...
Making the turn near Diamond Jacks Casino.
A visual of where I was standing taking the pictures. Vicksburg Riverfront Park below with Diamond Jacks Casino in background.
Almost there...
M/V Capt. James Anderson on his way northbound.
Maritime tugboat pushing two empty barges.
Maritime tugboat up close.
Working boat headed north.
United States flag atop old Hwy 80 bridge at Vicksburg at sunset.
Sun setting over the MS River at Vicksburg.
Flock of birds flying by. Getting ready to leave and took this picture inside truck.
As I was pulling out from the overlook I saw another working towboat (Ergon) coming under the bridges.
Soon a huge working towboat was making it's way north under the bridges.
It's the Corps of Engineers M/V Mississippi.
Notice a working towboat in the background that has gone aground.
After church we got some ice cream and headed over to the overlook to watch the sun go down and check out the river traffic. The Mississippi River was hopping with towboats, north and south. As I pulled up saw one heading for the bend in the river. It is a tight turn because the sandbars have built up in the middle of the river around the bend. Soon another smaller towboat came by and must have come out of the Yazoo Diversion Canal from the harbor heading south. Three more working towboats soon passed by and the last one was huge. I believe it was the Corps of Engineers, M/V Mississippi which is a working towboat Memphis District. Ninety percent of the time it is moving barges, equipment and supplies in support of mat sinking operations. It also serves as an inspection boat for the Mississippi River Commission (MRC) during a high- and low-water inspection trip each year. Commissioners hold meetings at river towns in the boat's hearing room, which can seat 115 people. Its dining room has a capacity of 85 people. The boat has 22 staterooms and can handle 150 passengers. The corps also uses it as a "giant floating ambassador."
In the last 3 pictures you can see a working towboat that has run aground.
2 comments:
Great set of tow photos!
In "Life on the Mississippi," Mark Twain provided a provocative insight as to the extraordinary memory a skilled riverboat pilot needed, in his day, to earn a license to operate a steamboat the 1,200 miles to New Orleans.
Add to that extraordinary boat handling skills, such as that at the mouth of the Yazoo!
Thanks so much Robert for your compliment on my set of tow photos. Looks like I hit it just at the right time of day. I don't think I have ever seen so much traffic at one time. Usually, you see one or two and sometimes nothing at all. Thanks for coming by. :)
Post a Comment