Final thoughts of 2018

Normally at the end of the year I find one of my favorite river pictures and add a "Happy New Year" greeting to it. But this year ...

Back in September, I was at the boat ramp at the mouth of the Guyandotte River when I saw this guy staring into the water. He was there for several minutes. I didn't want to disturb him, as I didn't know why he was there.

Was he mourning a loss? Contemplating a big decision he would have to make? Thinking about a joyous event coming soon? Or was he examining the ripples in the water to discern a pattern? Was there an object under the water that captured his interest?

Did he want to be alone? Did he want company?

I'll never know. His thoughts were a mystery. And so, too, was 2018 and so, too, will 2019 be. We don't yet know the full impact of the events of this past year, and we have no idea of what's coming.

It's getting late. Too late to ponder the imponderables of existence. So here's hoping you had a good year and hoping 2019 will be even better.

Good night, everyone.

And Happy New Year.

Two old guys looking at boats

Today I went to Lock and Dam 27 so I could photograph the Lady Loren and the Pearl bringing another piece of the Monaca cracker up the river. The pictures I got were okay, but they were a lot like others I've taken lately off all these deliveries.

The best part came as the boats were passing and a guy with a cigar showed up to watch them. He began talking with another guy about the boats, and before I knew it they were discussing where they lived and what their names were and then they were talking about long-gone people who played the bluegrass scene in this region.

Cool.

Another big load, and other boats, too

The M/V Mister Mac brought another piece of the Shell cracker plant through my home area today. I figured that while I was out getting pictures of it, I would grab a few shots of other boats, too.

Such as the Pat Voss at the Marathon Petroleum fleet.

(I almost said Ashland Oil. Old habits die hard.).

The Capt. Tommy Parrish at what once was Merdie Boggs'.

Here comes the Mister Mac through Catlettsburg harbor.

Later as it passes Athalia, Ohio.

The M/V The Caroline downbound after encountering the Mister Mac.

And the Mister Mac again between Miller and Crown City, Ohio, in an area my father called The Narrows.

Soon I hope to share some thoughts about the future of this blog. I hope both of my regular readers will find it interesting.

More on McAlpine barge pileup

I haven't seen new photos of the barge pileup at McAlpine today.

There is this statement from the Corps of Engineers today.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and Tennessee Valley Towing Company, the responsible party, are continuing their response to a tug and barge accident on the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky, Thursday.

The Coast Guard reopened the Ohio River to all vessel traffic from Twelve Mile Island to McAlpine Lock and Dam.

Traffic movement is currently only permitted during daylight hours and with an assist vessel, which is available pre-stationed at McAlpine Lock and Dam.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley received a report at approximately 8:10 p.m., Tuesday, that the towing vessel Debbie Graham, which was pushing 15 loaded coal barges, made contact with the 2nd Street Bridge on the Ohio River.

The contact caused the vessel’s 15 barges to break free.

Six barges have been recovered.

The Army Corps of Engineers reported nine barges are lying on the dam just above the falls and three have capsized.

The Coast Guard is working with the Army Corps of Engineers and the responsible party to plan and direct response efforts using a variety of resources.

The cause of the incident is still under investigation.

Here is an article from The Courier-Journal with more information, if you can read around the ad that wants you to subscribe.

UPDATE: The WAVE-TV Facebook page has video of the towboat and its barges striking the bridge. The boat was upbound coming out of the locks when for some reason the current grabbed it, turned it sideways and pushed it into the bridge pier or piers. It happened at night so it's not that easy to see, but you can see it.

Here is a link to the video.

Barges at McAlpine

You've probably heard about the accident at McAlpine. No sooner had the mess at Markland been cleared up than this occurred at the next dam down.

From the Louisville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and Tennessee Valley Towing Company, the responsible party, are responding to a tug and barge accident on the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky, Wednesday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley received a report at approximately 8:10 p.m. Tuesday, that the towing vessel Debbie Graham, which was pushing 15 loaded coal barges, made contact with the 2nd Street Bridge on the Ohio River.

The contact caused the vessel’s 15 barges to break free.

Six barges have been recovered.

The Army Corps of Engineers reported nine barges are laying on the dam just above the falls and one may be capsized.

The Coast Guard is working with the Army Corps of Engineers and the responsible party to plan and direct response efforts using a variety of resources.

The Coast Guard closed the Ohio River to all vessel traffic from Twelve Mile Island to McAlpine Lock and Dam.

The Indiana Department of Transportation also completed inspection of the 2nd Street Bridge and reported it is for vehicle traffic.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

For more information please contact the Sector Ohio Valley public affairs officer, Lt. Cmdr. Michael Metz, at (502) 715-1429.

The Courier-Journal of Louisville posted this photo gallery

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M/V Sea Oak

Seen here right after leaving the Gallipolis Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam downbound today, Christmas Day.

Thanks to Shell, we're seeing more tugs on the Ohio.

Potpourri, 12/21/18

Here are a few photos that didn't make it into the blog the past few weeks for one reason or another.

At the riverfront park at South Point, Ohio, across from the mouth of the Big Sandy, the Ohio flag flew at half staff during the period of mourning for former President George H.W. Bush.

Here's a black-and-white of the M/V James E. Anderson in the bright early morning late autumn light.

Under the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge (the old suspension bridge) at Maysville, Ky.

Here's an attempt at a handheld photo of downtown Huntington about an hour before sunrise.

Finally, I've been walking on the sidewalk of the Robert C. Byrd Bridge, known locally as the Sixth Street Bridge, for years. The other day I noticed this footprint in the concrete sidewalk. I assume it was made when the concrete was poured in 1994. Comparing it with my own shoe, the best estimate I can give for a size is between 8 and 10.

More to come eventually.

M/V Glenn A Hendon before daybreak

There was some light in the countryside there at old Lock and Dam 27, but not much.

This boat came up the river before the Leslie M Neal, featured in the previous entry, arrived there.

M/V Leslie M Neal at daybreak

I wanted to try something this morning, so I found a couple of boats around sunrise. Here is one.

More later. Right now I need to get some stuff ready to write about a bridge.

Helping out a real photographer

So this morning as I got ready to go in to work, I asked myself if I want to bring my camera. No, I said, it would just be in the way and there's probably not anything to shoot. So I get there and before I get settled in the boss comes into my office and says a photographer on her way in saw a big thing being pushed by two boats down at Ashland. She was getting photos and she wondered if I would know anything about it.

As he described it, I realized it was one of the pieces of the Shell cracker on its way to Monaca, and here I left my own camera at home. We talked it over and I explained that there would not be many good shooting opportunities until the boats got to Huntington because of where the sun is relative to the river before 1 p.m. and because of the limited river access between the office and where the boats would be.

Anyway, we figured we would get some photos from the sidewalk on the 6th Street bridge. I met her up there and pointed out various landmarks on the bridge that would help her with her shooting.

Perhaps I should mention that the photographer, Lori Wolfe, is the daughter of a man who formerly was a captain of the M/V Harllee Branch Jr. She's also my favorite working photojournalist.

As the boat appeared, I got off some shots with my free cell phone. I made the mistake of holding it vertically. That wide angle lens really messed things up on a lot of  images, such as these.

Lori and I went up the Ohio side and got a few shots of the boats as they passed.

Later we went up to the boat ramp at the mouth of the Guyandotte River. The river  was up, so most of the area was under water.

If you want to check out Lori's photos, the link is here. Prepare to be impressed.

M/V James E. Anderson

As it passed by Huntington, W.Va., a few days ago.

I like this classic boat design.

M/V William H. Barr

Seen here passing Huntington, W.Va., just before the sun came up on a cold morning.

Notice how the fog froze on the coal in the barges.

Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge at Maysville, Ky.

There comes a time when you wish you had bought that remote shutter release.

You may have to zoom in on this one to see what the problem is. I'll just have to invest in a shutter release and a new tripod. While I'm at it, maybe a new lens or two, too.

Rising Sun and Dilles Bottom, plus Monaca

A few weeks ago the Rising Star casino at Rising Sun, Ind., opened its new ferry service to Rabbit Hash, Ky., in hopes of drawing more customers from the Cincinnati metro area. Now the casino's parent company says it may move the resort to another city. It seems Full House Resorts can't justify offering all the table games it is licensed to operate at Rising Star, so it wants to relocate some of them to Terre Haute.

Read this article for all the details.

Meanwhile, the process of securing environmental permits for an ethane cracker at Dilles Bottom,  Ohio,  across the river from Moundsville, W.Va., continues. The next public hearing is tomorrow night.

And in case you were wondering about how many more trips will be made from the Gulf Coast to Monaca, Pa., to deliver production units for the new ethane cracker Shell is building there, the answer is at least through the end of next year, according to this article.

Pre-dawn at Huntington

Clear skies plus a rare free morning mean I'm out getting pre-dawn photos. Here are a couple of Huntington's East End bridge with contrails overhead.

And here's one of frost or frozen fog or something on a stick sticking out of mud on the Ohio River  bank.

The top layer of mud was frozen. In some places the frozen layer was thin and broke under my weight. It made me glad I was wearing my boots instead of sneakers. I might never have gotten the mud off of them.

M/V Janis R Brewer

Passing Huntington the other day.

I just like the look of this line of boat. What can I say?

M/V Chris in black and white

This photo is from a couple of weeks ago or thereabouts. I figured I would play with it in black and white to see how it came out.

M/V Chris Arden

Seen Nov. 29 upbound past Huntington, W.Va.

Delta Queen

By now you've all probably heard the news about the Delta Queen. I don't have anything to add except that I'll get really excited when I see the boat back on the river in 2020, assuming it happens. I may have to fight every photographer and every drone operator to get a good spot to shoot, but I'll get something, God willing.

I'm already planning my shooting spots (and hoping my contacts who can get me access to some really good ones that are off limits to the general public have not retired by then).

Who knows, I might even drag out every photo I took of the DQ in the film era, including when I squeezed every shot possible out of every roll.

Perhaps 2020 will be a good year after all.

Nightfall at the Gallipolis locks

On the way up the river today, running late for a delivery to a family member, I went through Glenwood, W.Va., and saw three boats upbound, all heading for the Gallipolis Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam. I figured with luck I would see one or two at the locks on the way back down. Which I did, just as night was falling.

The A.B. York was about to leave the locks, and I saw the Catlettsburg waiting.

Downriver, between the thriving metropolises of Bladen, Ohio, and Apple Grove, W.Va., the West Virginia was out in the channel waiting its turn.

Then it was time for the Catlettsburg to enter the lock.

One regret: The Steven J. Mason was out there, but I didn't get to see it. At least Jeff Cumptan did. He posted  photos on the Facebook page Ohio & Kanawha River Photography if you would like to see them.

The Ohio River at night

I gotta remember to carry a tripod so I don't have to do these night shots handheld.

M/V Morgan Leigh and M/V Chris

I saw the two boats today when I ran out to the store to get stuff we needed for dinner.

First, the Morgan Leigh passing under the Sixth Street Bridge as seen from Chesapeake, Ohio, with Huntington, W.Va. (America's Best Community) in the background.

And then the Chris as see from Proctorville, Ohio, again with Huntington in the background.

It was a dreary day, the kind that sucks the life out of me but gives my older son joy. He takes after his momma's side.

Happy Thanksgiving

And thank you to the loyal followers of The Ohio River Blog, both of you.

Whether you're with family or whether you're working, have a good day. Please.

Deckhand on the M/V Louise S

Getting all artsy for a day

Here with minimal comments are a few photos I got of boats and barges today.

Enjoy them if you wish

I still plan to write that piece on the M/V Tri-State sometime this week, by the way.