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Tug Restless Upbound

This Picture has tug Restless doing Warp speed with Lady Marion I at the 2006 Parry Sound Tugfest.

Capt Roland Shultz, has been giving us a journal on his trip around the loop with Tug Restless. After spending some time in St Augustine, doing miner repairs he now continues his journey upbound.

Capt Roland wrote:

As you head north from St. Augustine, height of the tides and currents require greater attention. Their action, with extreme winds and lunar cycles, shift inlets and enhance the affect of shoaling, which makes the latest copy of your Waterway Guide, that you purchased just the day before, very much "Yesterday's News.” Reading this “Novel” is enough at times to make you want to anchor and await the next Lunar High Tide, or perhaps have a crewmember forward, swinging a lead line while you maintain a speed just sufficient enough to maintain minimum steerage.

Near the Submarine base at Kings Bay, GA you'll note such insightful details as “There is a tricky spot in the ICW channel just South of Green Day beacon #75”. If Chapman were alive today to read such rubbish, he 'd suffer from Appaplexity.

Another piece of significant nothing, nearing Savannah reads; “In April 2006, the least depth observed there by carefully following the then marked channel was 5.3 feet at mean low water, this could change at anytime. There have been rumors; that the Coast Guard may remove all markers from this channel.”

With Jacksonville left astern March 22, the ICW takes on a whole new character with open sounds and marsh bordered wide rivers and creeks. In many ways it is reminsicent of the St. Clair Flats and the Canal about Round near Algonac Michigan. A sudden moderating in dock fees and fuel prices, is also an indication that you have crossed the line into Georgia.

Leaving Beaufort, SC. Downtown Marina on March 26th, I attempt to get a head start on things by leaving shortly after daybreak. Three hours later I am overtaken by a small Flotilla of cruisers who appear to be Hell bent on getting out of Dodge . At my steady 8 knots I'm passed on both sides at once, and feel like the preverbal “Willie Coyote ,” as one of the occupants waives to me in a manner of “Bye” rather than that of a “Hello”. Thirty minutes later at (tug speed) I round the marker to enter Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff Canal, and am blocked by what appears as a Squadron of Confederate Gunboats blocking a Union Vessel. In an effort to sort things out, I ring up stop and reach for the Binoculars As near as I can figure, the lead boat of the Flotilla that has passed me earlier, has misjudged his 30 knot radius of turn into the entrance, and made himself a monument until the next high tide. His confederates are milling about at idle speed in circles, and as I inch forward towards the cut, I am hailed on Channel #16. The request, that follows, is to kick Restless in the rear, and provide a suitable wave in passing, to float him clear.

Initially I consider the signing of a standard, “Lloyds Form” might be in order and then think: “What the Hell, I owe you guys one!”. The thought brings a smile to my face. “For what you are about to receive, may you be eternally grateful”.

Normally I reserve usage of the Hyper Drive aboard Restless, only for the Tug Boat Races. During such brief moments of near self destruction, things get rather ugly. With the throttle fire walled she pushes herself to a breathtaking 10 knots. In doing so however. her counter digs a hole in the water and the bow starts to rise as if trying to get up on the plane. An unusual attitude for a Displacement Hull. From her stack, a continuous plume of black smoke trails.... the first indication of bending doom.

For me, the event was fun, for everyone else, I'm still uncertain. With the Tsunami that I was dragging astern, there is a good chance this location on the chart maybe renamed “Point of Arks.” I didn t stop. When you're cruising at only 8 knots you can't loiter around much when passage making.

Capt Bob |18:04 EST |Comments (0)

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