A day aboard the M/V O. Nelson Jones

It started in 2004 aboard the M/V Capt. John Reynolds. Later there would be the J.S. Lewis, the Mountain State, the Hoosier State, the Charleston and now the O. Nelson Jones. So now Adam has been between the sticks (steering levers) of three of his four favorite Ohio River boats. The only one missing is the R. Clayton McWhorter.

We had a good time talking to the crew while we were aboard during the open house. We were told the boat had to leave the park at Point Pleasant so it could be at the repair dock a mile away, with the engine cooled down by 6 p.m. After an 18-hour job to replace part of a turbocharger, the boat was to depart upbound with 15 loaded coal barges.

One of the deckhands told us they mop the floors at least once a day. Even then, people track in coal dust on their boots almost immediately, he said. He showed us the sole of his boot, and it was obvious the tread would pick up quite a bit of dust from the barges.

Although the O. Nelson Jones is owned by Amherst Madison and is crewed by Amherst employees, the boat is leased to Ingram. It pushed Ingram barges, and it gets its orders from Ingram.

More to come later, including photos.