GL: Wing Dams and Sailing line

[Elliott Bray]

We've now made the trip between St. Louis and the Kentucky Lakes twice, once
each way. That doesn't qualify me as an expert but I can relate my findings
and suppositions.

One of the COE's jobs is to ensure that the river channel is at least deep
enough for tows and barges, 9-12 feet. One of the reasons the bouys are not
on their charts is because of the frequency they have to be moved to ensure
marking the channel.

When I look at the COE charts and see underwater structures and the sailing
line in the light blue portion of the river I feel pretty confident that
they are part of the channel that tows can safely use. The channel will be
marked regardless of what the chart shows and as long as they argee I have
no quams.

Examples:
Here are references to a couple of underwater structures under the sailing
line. MM 94 Red Rock Landing;  MM 49, 56 in the Cape Girardeau area. Plenty
of water at September-October levels.

Notice that they face upriver. Their purpose is to create turbulence there
in order to keep the silt and sand in suspension and moving on. (the Mel
Price Lock and Dam complex at Alton has a great museum explaining all this
and is well worth a trip).

They will create turbulence!! When we went upriver against a 3-3.5 mph
current I started looking for them because I could pick up an additional .5
to 1.5 mph boost. That doesn't sound like much but since Letitia can only go
9.2 every little bit helped.

I would like a little more guidence than "...keep between the markers.." too
but there isn't a lot.


HTH


****************
Elliott Bray
  wintering in Austin
M/V Letitia - Gulfstar 44 MC
  lounging in heated storage in Michigan
****************
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:51:01 -0700
> From: "vbhodges@cableone.net" <vbhodges@cableone.net>
> Subject: Re: GL: River Charts Lk Michigan to Tenn (wing dams)
> To: great-loop@lists.samurai.com
> Message-ID: <2629.1168271461@cableone.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> I'm interested in hearing about this also. I am currently
> underway (mile 61 on the Tennessee as I write) headed down
> the Tenn, Ohio, Miss., then up the Arkansas to Sallisaw, Ok.
> We're looking to arrive in Salisaw around the 19th with stops
> this weekend in Memphis (MYC) and an overnight in Littlerock
> aound the 17th.
>
> TIA
>
> Brent Hodges
>
> On Mon Jan 8 3:47 , "Scott Coles" sent:
>
>   The question I have is regarding the "Sailing Line" that is shown on
>   all the
>   charts. In some places, it goes right over wing dams. How
> exposed and
>   dangerous are wing dams? I have heard that in some places
> and at some
>   water
>   levels they are exposed and easy to see but at other times they can
>   lurk
>   just below the surface. Just how dangerous are wing dams?  (endsnip)
>
>
> ------------------------------