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The Tugfest blog 
is an international maritime enthusiasts news weblog. Articles that are posted here include news about the annual tugboat festival (read the festival), photo essays, world tugboat news, events and other general maritime news related to the great lakes and beyond. Have news to share? Simply click here - if it floats - we'll post it for you.
Capt Rolands Journals:
Conclusion to Part I
It is now mid-October, and the weather guessers are predicting that Sunday might allow a halfway descent day, for a dash across the bottom end of the lake for Chicago. What happens after that, I could care less. At 5:00 AM, I stick my head out of a port, while horizontal in my bunk, and observe what seems as calm winds, partly cloudy skies and fog. Listening to the VHF weather channel forecast of: 50% chance on rain, winds west to southwest 10-15 kts, waves 1-3 ft until late afternoon, is enough for me to start casting off lines. Chicago or Bust! I need here to give some description of my boat. Restless is old. Old as in vintage. Old as in Classic. Old as in Slave Ship! Built by Palmer Johnson in 1938 as a Tug Proto-type for the Army Corp of Engineers; she is 38’ in length; all wood, and built like a bridge. After failing to obtain government contract, it was relegated to the back of the boatyard, until purchased by a Great Lakes Aficionado who had also collected a small museum of nautical artifacts. Many of these items he would have P&J incorporate into the original hull. One such collection, were the Beveled Glass panes from the wheelhouse of an old Great Lakes Freighter, which he had installed throughout the boat. In daylight, these look very impressive, however as I was to discover that very morning; looking thru them in darkness, is like piloting the Millennium Falcon thru asteroids in the movie Star Wars! There is glare coming from every direction. As a cure, I install masking tape around the edges while steering out into the lake.The initial slop that I feel transiting St. Joe harbor entrance I tell myself, is just the funneling of ground swell and its confinement. That would soon prove wrong, as things would soon begin falling apart in a hand basket. The wind is in fact westerly, but with a confused sea state. Fog soon turns to rain, and the waves appear far less. The Hell with it! I’m going! (have we heard this phrase someplace before?) With a ballasted full displacement hull, she rides like a submarine in a head sea. However; when things start coming on the beam, her round bottom causes a most impressive and uncomfortable roll. When you only cruise at 8 kts and find yourself backing down further because of the ride; you really begin to realize just how long a trip this is going to become. With this additionally, comes the call of nature and a full kidney. This complicates things a bit when you're alone and places a far greater dependence upon an autopilot, which is already maxed out in the present sea state. With things trimmed up as best as they will allow and a lull in the sea state, I make the mad dash for the lone head forward. All is well, until the solid paneled cypress door to the head slams shut during a violent lurch of Restless. Aside from getting a swift kick in the pants, this would not normally be a problem. Today however; that beautiful, polished, old brass antique door latch has taken its last breath. I’m locked in the head, with the boat on George (autopilot) and alone. Did I mention that Restless also has a beautiful nickel plated cast iron Shipmate Wood burning stove in its galley, and that it presently has no shortage of wood to burn for those brisk days on the river? But that’s another story! Stay tuned for part 2 in the coming days.
Capt Bob |10:58 EST |Comments (0)
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