Well it’s New Year’s Day

We have emerged from two days of cell phone hell, and communication limbo. We left the tug angels and headed on down the river, all systems were up and running and the world was good to live in again.

The first day was relatively short but we expected that. We had a crew meeting after dinner and I requested that we get the hook up and get underway and then go have breakfast. Well to my surprise they all agreed and lo and behold the next morning we got underway at 8:30 and got in almost 100 miles. We then anchored in cell phone hell again. But it was behind this small island on the Kentucky side (it seems that Ky. claims all these small islands).

The next morning I had to call the crew up on deck for the most spectacular sun rise I have ever seen. Then Mair uttered those forbidden words "red sky in the morning" and things went down hill from there. We only got 20-30 miles when the engine room crew came to the wheel house with the news that Rita was spitting sparks from her under belly somewhere. After reaching the engine room and shutting down the girl we found that the aux drive unit had shifted its main pulleys, flipped a couple of belts, and de commissioned the hydraulic system. we lost steering as well.

We managed to get the hook down next to a camp ground when Victor informed us we were anchored right in front of a cannon aimed at our port quarter. We were undeterred. We started working on Rita when Mercedes threw a belt. We started up our auxiliary generator for lights and kept on working.

It took the rest of the day to effect repairs even with a little jury rigging. When we re belted Mercedes we did it with a not so proper belt and it wasn't long before she got steamed again. We then had to do some minor re plumbing to reroute a hose that had gotten to cozy with the not so proper belt. We tested all our handy work and were satisfied enough to relax, have dinner, and play some cards.

Today we started late on purpose; we only had 40 or so miles to Cincinnati and supply's. We took our time and arrived to find the town locked up, shut down and turned off...nobody home anywhere. No phones answered, no radio calls received. We traveled all the way thru and could not raise a soul. We have anchored on the down river side in hopes that tomorrow will bring a better response. We need water and a few belts as well as some resupply in the galley. More to follow

Capt. Bob