• Members 676 posts
    June 6, 2023, 2:57 p.m.

    I walked along the Tennessee River this last Sunday. A busy day on the river … Olive Parker heading up river ….

    1 Traffic on the River.jpg

    2 Olive Parker.jpg

    3 Heading up river.jpg

    Later in the walk the May Lynn Cooper coming the other way going downstream

    4 MaryLynn Cooper.jpg

    5 Another Look.jpg

    6 A closer Look.jpg

    7 Heading Down River.jpg

    This is one of the few days over many years that I've seen more than one barge on the river at our city but if this keeps up maybe the Tennessee will begin to look like the Rhine! …. Of course there were a few other things to see along this walk but I'll save those for another day ….

    WhyNot

    5 Another Look.jpg

    JPG, 1.0 MB, uploaded by WhyNot on June 6, 2023.

    6 A closer Look.jpg

    JPG, 970.7 KB, uploaded by WhyNot on June 6, 2023.

    2 Olive Parker.jpg

    JPG, 968.8 KB, uploaded by WhyNot on June 6, 2023.

    3 Heading up river.jpg

    JPG, 528.5 KB, uploaded by WhyNot on June 6, 2023.

    7 Heading Down River.jpg

    JPG, 993.6 KB, uploaded by WhyNot on June 6, 2023.

    4 MaryLynn Cooper.jpg

    JPG, 610.9 KB, uploaded by WhyNot on June 6, 2023.

    1 Traffic on the River.jpg

    JPG, 839.3 KB, uploaded by WhyNot on June 6, 2023.

  • Members 567 posts
    June 6, 2023, 3:04 p.m.

    An interesting set WN. Inquiring minds want to know: what is in the barges??? I guess I am not very familiar with the barge concept. I expected that they would be pulled but these are being pushed!

    Where are the big party boats filled with passengers drinking and carrying on? I thought that was what the barge in the first image was, but no! We have party boats in ports on Lake Erie and also at least one that sails on the Grand River out of Caledonia. Dinner and a cruise with commentary.

    Andrew

  • Members 676 posts
    June 6, 2023, 3:23 p.m.

    Well ... not being nautical or very inquisitive .. to me all boats of this nature are tugboats or towboats, although with barges they are usually pushers ... Barges carry all manner of goods.. When I visited the Rhine the traffic was non stop and the barge traffic had to have a small break for ferries to carry passengers across the river .. much like a modern highway .. The Tennessee is not quite there yet .., I don't know of any regular party boats none at the marina.. there are probably private parties and lots of boats large enough to accommodate that reasonable sized party. ...I gather there are tour boats that occasionally are run and the Pinta and Nina occasionally sail down the Tennessee and stop here ... I spend no time on the water so not really familiar with what might be available ... just a convenient walk .... the area is owned and managed by TVA so has restrictions on how this land along the river is used ....

    WhyNot

  • Members 510 posts
    June 7, 2023, 12:45 p.m.

    So they both tow/push the container things all the way, so to speak, not only in troublesome passages? I don't think I've ever seen something like that.

    Interesting. It must be cool to live by a big river. Ours so small. Still, a lot of things were shipped on it back in the day. Now the only thing shipped is tourists.

  • Members 336 posts
    June 7, 2023, 3:24 p.m.

    You're lucky to have that big, beautiful river for landscapes, WhyNot. I like the color in these. I think the barge is carrying Jack Daniel's downriver from Lynchburg to New Orleans and very carefully through all the dry counties in between. Rich

  • Members 676 posts
    June 8, 2023, 6:06 p.m.

    Thanks for stopping by Charlotte .. yes they usually push those barges filled with gravel, sand or whatever up and down the river . ..

    Well generally yes .. we don't in the flood plain and the big river is controlled by the dam system .. several smaller rivers around here are still wild but we don't live close at least until "climate change" changes that ..

    WhyNot

  • Members 676 posts
    June 8, 2023, 6:15 p.m.

    You're lucky to have that big, beautiful ocean for landscapes, Rich .... Lynchburg unfortunately is not on the river!! .. and surprisingly there is no completely dry county in AL ... Of course Tenn where JACK is made is dry ... sort of (they can't serve Jack in the county where it is made!!!) .... Ky not so much and then of course it empties into the Ohio and the Mississippi besides which the cargo is probably gravel or sand ..... Or maybe the one headed downstream will head south along the Tombigbee water way to Mobile. . ......

    WhyNot