M/V C.A. Savage

Side by side by side

My son Adam and I decided to get a couple of pictures of the M/V Hoosier State as it came through our area yesterday evening. This being November, you might know we would catch it as the sun was about to drop down over the hill. Around here the river runs north to south, so if you want to get good light on a boat in the afternoon, you need to be on the Ohio side of the river. The problem is that a good part of Ohio Route 7 near the river is right up against a hill, so the shadows come early. Or as Yogi Berra said of the shadows in left field of Yankee Stadium, it gets late awful early out there.

We found a decent shooting spot, but as we set up we saw the M/V Yvonne Conway and the M/V Melvin R. Todd coming up the Ohio, with the Conway in front. It looked like the Hoosier State and the Conway would meet at about the spot we had set up. Then the Todd looked like it was about to pass the Conway. No way, we thought. Way, the Conway's pilot said.

So as luck would have it, the Hoosier State, the Melvin R. Todd and the Yvonne Conway met in the same spot.

Were it not for the trees, this shot would have been a lot better, but the pilots of the three boats didn't think to call us ahead of time and ask us where we would like to get the shot. Oh, for a drone, I thought. I don't recall seeing three boats and barge tows side by side by side on the Ohio before when all three were moving.

After this, Adam and I went ahead down to the boat ramp at Athalia, Ohio, where we got more shots and video of the Hoosier State. The sun had about set and we were fighting the oncoming darkness as we snapped away,

We hope to catch it the next time it's up our way. It's one of our favorite boats to chase,

M/V Hoosier State

The M/V Hoosier State is one of our favorite boats for a good reason.

Today, Adam and I got to see it downbound past Miller and Athalia, Ohio.

We don't know if or when it will be up this way again, so we had to take the chance to see it. Adam got some video. If he posts it to his YouTube channel, I'll let you know.

Loads beyond the rakes

M/V Alan P. Hall, again

While everyone was getting nice river pictures yesterday, whether they were on the Ohio, the Mississippi or the Missouri, I was stuck at home fighting off something that's going around. But I did have to go out for a few minutes in the afternoon. A trip that was supposed to take a half hour took more like ninety minutes as this happened and that happened.


But I did manage to see the M/V Alan P. Hall of Amherst Madison going down the river pushing 15 loads.

The weather is supposed to be good today. We'll see if I can get out for a little bit.