Thursday, May 8, 2014

W.P. Snyder Jr. is almost home

The sternwheeler W.P. Snyder Jr. got back to Marietta today, but the Muskingum River was running too high for it to get under a bridge, so it's sitting on the city's riverfront until Monday.

Here's a TV news story with more information.

This should be fun

First, I see the main lock at Robert C. Byrd will be closed for repairs from now through Aug. 29. That should help us towboat photographers find some boats sitting still and posing for pictures.

But the real fun should come up near Pittsburgh between now and June 6 when the main lock at Dashields is closed for repairs. That means traffic will have to use the small lock, which is 56 feet wide and 360 feet long. That's enough for one barge and a boat, but not enough for two barges. Deckhands will be busy taking tows apart one barge at a time and locking them through one by one.