15. Navigating the
Mississippi River is an
Ever Changing
Process. The
Channels are always
Moving and the River
Conditions can be
Treacherous.
This Year the Water
Levels were Especially
High. Sailing under
Bridges can be a Real
Challenge.
16. To get Under Certain
Bridges, the Ship has
to Literally be
Lowered.
The Following
Sequence of Photos
Shows how the Smoke
Stacks are
Hydraulically Rotated
onto Cradles.
17.
18.
19.
20. Once the Smoke
Stacks are Both
Rotated Down, then
the Pilot House must
also be Lowered
Sufficiently to fit under
the Bridges.
The next photo is an
Interior View of the
Pilot House.
21.
22. The Entire Pilot House with all its
Controls is also Hydraulically Lowered
Far enough to allow Bridge Clearance.
(At left, Pilot House in Fully Raised
Position.)
23. Just enough Clearance to Allow the
Captain and his Crew to Operate the
Ship Utilizing Secondary Controls as
we Sail Under a Bridge.
24. Captain’s (Pilot’s) Licenses are Not
Easy to Obtain. The Test Requires the
Captain to Draw the Mississippi River
by Heart with all the Obstacles, Locks
and Channels.
25.
26. We Sailed Through Twenty One (21)
River Locks During our Journey from
Alton, Illinois to Red Wing Minnesota.
Each Lock Includes a Complex Dam
System with River Level Controls.
27. In Order to Control the Mississippi
River Water Levels between Each Set
of Locks and Dams, there are a Series
of Huge Doors that Are Able to Rotate
Deep Under Water Regulating Flow.
28. The Locks are Controlled by Doors that Either
Move Vertically Up and Down (Left) or Hinging
Doors (Right). Ships are Raised or Lowered inside
the Locks by as Much as 120 Feet.