Towboats in ICE & EXTREEM COLD Mississippi River Alton Illinois
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- čas přidán 15. 02. 2021
- With light snow falling and winds 13 to 20 mph gusting to 25 and a temp around 2 F/-16C and wind chills of -18 F/ -28C it was the most brutal weather I have flown this drone in to date. I was going to wait for the W T Tountant to come down to Mel Price Lock and Dam 26 and meet up with the Prairie Dawn who was helping clear ice and getting boats into the lock but the weather got worse with increasing winds and snow preventing my flight. I will be attempting another flight later in the week. Thanks for watching!
- Auta a dopravní prostředky
This SW Florida granny was sent here by Saucy. Had no idea how dangerous the water can become in winter. I wonder the weight of ice alone this boat had to push. And the drone did not freeze up & fall into the water. I wish to verbally salute the Captain for a job well done 🙏🙏
These Captian’s are very skilled but even Mother Nature can throw in loops around them. 😊❤️😊❤️
Great video. Thanks. I can remember not too many years ago when the Midwest was suffering a drought and the flows in the Mississippi R were so poor that the barges could not operate. Using a Tow as an icebreaker is neat.
Currently
Trying to sleep with all of the ice going through the wheels of the boat can be sorta challenging.
Great drone video considering the conditions! 🤙👏❤️
Great video Mr. Bowzer. Have yourself a very nice day.
I live in Alton. You’re right the weather has been terrible lately. So icy the ferry quit running in Grafton.
Does anyone in Alton remember an old Minesweeper named ATLAS that stranded ashore back in the 90s ?
I worked as engineer on her when she was up in Michigan.
98 feet long, direct reversing Superior Deisel main.
Former Telson Queen.
Pretty cool flight and some great footage, much respect for these towboaters in these super cold temps !
Outstanding presentation, Bowzer. Didn't realize the Mississippi got so icy.
Every year it gets bad on the upper rivers. Bowzer does a great job with his drone! My boat is tied up for the winter due to these conditions 😊❤️😊❤️
It use to freeze over back in the day all the way down to Memphis. Frozen enough to walk and drive on with all traffic on the river stopped basically
A tip: watch series on flixzone. I've been using it for watching lots of of movies lately.
@Justus Jaziel Definitely, been using Flixzone for since november myself :)
After kayaking the river in 2019 i look at this and think to my self what an adventure the frozen river must be
Well hey ya Jay!! 👋 What a small world to see you here!!! Do you remember me telling you the other night I have a friend who's a chef on a towboat that goes up and down the Mississippi?? She sent us all to this video! She's in the comment section here, her channel is Saucy the Towboat Chef. Hope you check her out! :)
Nicely done! Interesting and entertaining. Thanks!
That brings back fond nightmares.I worked for WBL then into the Artco era from the late 70's thru the early 90's. I made many trips on the Praire Dawn.My regular boat was her sister vessel The Sierra Dawn.Both were 5,000hp boats built by St.Louis Shipyard in 1969.I worked with some good people back then.
I tripped on Prairie Dawn as well my regular was Coop Spirit and then Coop Mairner . Rode trip on all of Arco Boats at one time or another in 15 yrs with them
Thanks again for your videos and for taking the risk with the drone well done 👏
Remember catchin my first boat there back in 1975 working for Weathers Towing Co. boat was the old lonesome George Weathers. I grew up on pool 26 as a kid fishin n riding my bicycle on the river road. Was hard work n good food n everyday somewhere new. Was a good life.
Beautiful Towboat.Thanks for the video
Wow just came across your chanel! Excellent drone work, love seeing the tows working, those guys I give credit to work in that environment!
Hey bud, great to see another one. Love the radio chatter in the vid too. Lock & Dam #25 is still closed for repairs/upgrading since the Port of Lincoln is NOT coming in. Have fun, stay warm & keep E'm flying...
Which lock as they have 2. They have a 1200ft lock and a 600ft lock. I hate to see the boats on the canal above this lock get frozen in waiting to get thru. ❤️😊❤️😊
@@SaucysCreativeCrochet From what I see the whole durned thing is shut down at Winfield
@@almirria6753 yes and probably stay that way until April
I greatly admire and appreciate your drone vid. many thanks!
The drone footage is excellent.A great safety device as well
Hi Bowser! Saucy sent me! Great footage and piloting! ✌
Hiya Sista! ❤️😊❤️😊
Great video,love it ,thank you for sharing and hugs from MN
Great flying!
you did a great job with the music and radio com integration, nice video thanks
Very cool video! Saucy and Carrie Jo sent me! :)
Hiya PJ!! 😊❤️😊❤️
I use to live there. I remember when that bridge was built.
Great video AND it looks cold, but some wouldn't believe if you told them. Thanks again
Love the drone shots.
I worked on a boat in Saint Paul. Great video !
Just seen this and saw Alton. I had a uncle that use to captain a tug out of Alton and also had a uncle in law that was a captain of a tug that was killed, tug flipped I heard from my dad about Fourty years ago. I still have lots of relation that lives around Alton and Godfrey. I heard that laugh at the beginning of the video and it sounded lots like my uncles laugh but I think he passed several years go too.
I wonder why barge companies don’t adapt a floating triangle shaped nose to hitch to front of barges to slice thru and shove broken ice off to the side. It seems like savings on fuel, labor and maintaining scheduling would offset cost of pointed bow not to mention greatly reduce prop/rudder damage.
Those kind barges they use in finland and there is engine on front witch use steering
Thanks for showing that ice, It's way beyond Dangerous for Crews and Equipment. The Sweetest place to be now is the Ohio.
So well done. Thanks man !
Awesome video very cool 👍 Saucy sent me lol 🇨🇦🛠️
I knew you would love this Bro!! ❤️😊❤️😊
Wow! I am going to take short clips of this and share with my subs! And send them over to see the full effect!! Cuz they keep asking me why the boats get tied up! Awesome footage my friend!! 😊❤️😊❤️
I came here to check out this video because of you and Carrie Jo! It was a good suggestion sweetheart! Hope you're staying warm and safe!!
@@nextpagepj9058 it’s starting to warm up some but we have another storm on the way. Hopefully I can get out of here on Sunday to head to Florida ❤️😊❤️😊
Super cool great job
Thanks man you could have lost your drone in those below zero temperatures. Fantastic video
Brutal work!!
very good filming enjoyed ty !!!
Thank you, that was very good,
great video... awesome job... I have an older brother who was a tug caption..
I just found your channel this morning. You do a great job on your presentation. I watch a lot of the Duluth videos and Shipspotig Nederland on CZcams. This is a whole different world. It would be really nice in your drop down to give a little “thumbnail” about the boat.
Oh geez. You guys be safe out there. Holy cow. Hope y’all can tie up somewhere. Prayers for your safety
Hiya Ruthie!! ❤️😊❤️😊
@@SaucysCreativeCrochet Hi ya there Saucy💕💕💕💕💕💕
Thanks it’s very beautiful
Just put in seven applications for different towboat companies ( including this company)! I was born and raised in the Elsah/Grafton/Alton area and would see them going up and down everyday. I hope I hear something back.
Great video Bowzer. The music by Asher Fulero “Night Snow” is very appropriate.
excellent. thanks
Large rivers are really neat. A lot of history on them that nobody knows about.
Not only is this guy pushing barges. But look at all the ice he's pushing too.
Hey, don't bring that ice down here. We have enough already. Lol!
Bad part of pushing all that ice that some of it goes under the barges and pray that it doesn’t go under the boat. Ice can do major damage to the rudders and propellers. 😊❤️😊❤️
@@SaucysCreativeCrochet I am pretty sure that is an extra load to push requiring a bit moar thrust...?
WOW WHAT A MESS. THANX 4 THE VID
CAME OVER FROM SAUCY THE TOWBOAT CHEF. THAT IS A MESS
SWAMP HUGS TO YOU. BE CAREFUL AND SAFE MY FRIEND
Hoya My Swampy Queen! Hugz BACKACHA! 😊❤️😊❤️
Having to push all that ice is like having several more barges to push. Doing a good job though.
I work on these towboats. In the winter time, it absolutely sucks. But at least I have a job. I’m also from the Alton Illinois area, and my job is in Hartford il.
I wonder how thick it is closer to the bank. ice fishing the sippi would be a once in a lifetime experience lol
Retired now since September of 2021- Don't miss any of that at all but I do miss some of the good friends and times.
The Toutaunt is one of the last 251f alco powered towboats.
It is a beautiful boat that’s for sure! I am surprised that it’s up that far in the river. That is usually a lower river boat. ❤️😊❤️😊
I usually run from cincinnati to battletown/cape sandy and it has been up my way a time or two in the past six months.
Brings back memories when I worked on The Green River
Brr.
Did plenty of this, while running in ice, sleep is difficult to impossible. Retired now, and I surely don't miss winter on the river.
Shared to my facebook page!
47,000 views. Holy moly!!!
You don’t know cold till you work on river
Pull wet ropes 🥶
Stay safe out there👍
bEEN THERE, done that - - - - memorable, but not necessarily fun - - - - thanks for the coffee-by-the-fireside memories
Peoria Lake - - - back in '64-65 - - two towboats cleared path for 1 towboat with small tow
Great to see you back, hope you are keeping well . Enjoyed the film & the content .I have a question does the freezing condition's have an effect on the battery life or do you bring out multiple battery's. Apart from this thank's for the show & keep going you are appreciated on this side of the pond.
I was wondering about the batteries myself.
Thank you for the nice view of Alton, IL, as shown along the mighty Mississippi.
I didn't realize the river ever got that icy and we don't live that far from there.
It used to freeze solid enough to walk across
@@richardschipper5989 . . Wow, I sure didn't know that.
I'm up river from here I guess - by LaCrosse Wisconsin. I saw Wisconsin on the map at the beginning and was wondering where on earth a tug could be breaking ice on the Mississippi River here, but you are way south of here. Now I realize the Wisconsin is another boat! That makes more sense as the Mississippi River is frozen solid up here. Do you guys push barges up this way in the summer?
Great video work....and because I have drone envy, any chance you could do a bit of describing how you did the shoots? What kind of got me, was at the outset you were talking about the wind...and you had the drone way out from the boat....?? Many thanks.
A giant D11 bulldozer couldn't move that much ice. Wow that is impressive
Nice video. Heard the river is closed at Ft. Madison.
thought i was looking out my back window... many a time i have seen em stuck in heavy ice.. on the upper lake..
wonder if you could get a small audio recorder with a mic on a long line and record the sounds of the ice breaking/barges pushing through
I could hook u up if u add me on Facebook under scott Jackson I got a video from the head of tow breaking the ice up like 2 days ago i
after the pelican flocks flying, towboats in snow are my favorites.
Hiya Judy! Being I work as a chef on these boats some don’t realize the dangers of being in the ice hence why we tie the boats up for the winter. This first boat is ran by my company and they are trying to get to Cario to tie up. As you can see that after they went under the bridge there was too much ice in front. They had to turn around. The other person they are talking to is going to be helping him break they the ice to get by. But he had to find another place to be able to park the boat without freezing in. If major blocks of ice get under the boat can damage the rudders and propellers. Then they are dead in the water. Which is not good. We just pray for the safety of all those that are out there working trying to get the job done. ❤️😊❤️😊
@@SaucysCreativeCrochet oh my. Thanks for explaining why he turned around. 🙏🙏🙏they are all home now-safe & warm
I'm on the cooperative mariner and we where up is elsah Illinois waiting on the prairie dawn where in havana Illinois now just got groceries and delivery groceries to the her as well lol
Those boats really must have a lot of horse power to not only push the barges but to shove all that ice out of the way.
All I got to say walking frozen decks with one arm over the rail and a ratchet in the other hand
That was crazy job
Alton Illinois where a 5 foot Bull Shark was caught in 1937.
I live in Alton now, was raised in the surrounding area, and I had heard that before about a shark.
Thanks!
Welcome!
They must just have wanted to go for a nice cruise up to the bridge and back huh? I’m getting old and don’t care for the cold one bit!
Bahahaha unfortunately it isn’t a nice cruise! Just pray for the crew that they stay safe and no damage to the boat with ice damaging the rudders and propellers ❤️😊❤️😊
@@SaucysCreativeCrochet And trying to sleep with the ice going through the wheels.
The river doesn't freeze like that very often
I worked in the 90 in st louse on the rive and the tugs wood have to get a run at slide on of the ice and brake throw
It was bad ass🍺
Yes it does every year
@@t-bonearoni8566 You would think with the global warming it wouldn't still be freezing up.😂
I live right by the river in the Quad Cities the river still freezes here lol
That should get the ducks moving south.
Damn, this is what Houston looked like a few days ago
Does the ice cause a problem by clogging the engine cooling strainers?
its just dont stop lol, just fuckin strugglin, i been strugglin here in north texas i feel your pain Cap...
Why did the prairie dawn pushboat stop in the middle of the river? YOU HAVE TO KEEP GOING TO BREAK THROUGH THE ICY RIVER SIR, THERE'S NO OTHER CHOICE.
Because if if you look ahead of where he turned around the ice is too thick in front and then breaks going under the boat will cause damage to the rudders and propellers. Hence why he was talking to the tug service. They were coming to help break the ice to help get him thru.
surprised they let the ice and snow build up on the deck.
Excellent footage.What drone are you flying Bowzer? Many thanks..
Wasn't that in Cairo Illinois we was against the bank and we could walk from the boat to the land
Yep, mad! But thank you :)
I see the wind was blowing down river as you were going up, is it ever so strong the drone can't catch up? If you had barges attached you really couldn't just go back, I guess you might be able to stop but still wind like this you could lose the bird.
Boats with barges have been known to freeze up on the river. Then what they do is unface from the barges and try to break the ice around it. It makes for a long trip and these fuys having to work out in these conditions dangerous. We just pray that they make it safely to where they need to go. About 90% of the boats are tied up for the winter when this happens. ❤️😊❤️😊
Its bad I just brought 30 loads out if the upper ice like that is a whole new degree of difficulty
No steering required...just bounce off the sides if the ice all the way.
I wonder how much more fuel the Tows use to push all that ice.
Roughly 1 gallon per hour per horsepower
@@darrylsouthern1346, So if you have a 500 horsepower engine(s) then 500 gallons per hour? Am I right?
@@WJack97224
Only if they are "using" 500 hp is the not-in-the-weeds explanation.
Good question though.
@@lt1nut, So how much horsepower do the towboat engines produce?
@@WJack97224 Depending on the size of the tug, 3000 hp
Great video, why did the prairie dawn stop and turn around, was this just a photo video shoot?
Does anyone know , on average how far south one has to go before all the ice is gone from the river?
Guatamala. Even Mexico has snow 😏
Down here in Louisiana I have never seen the Mississippi like that.
What tracking app are you using?
Newer hulls need to have ice breaking abilities with hot water pumps to help break up ice
How far up river is Alton Illinois from Dyersburg Tennessee
Alton is north side of st louis
How many tons of ice do you think you are pushing? Do you notice the extra load?
Why do all tow boats have that deck kick-up just aft of what looks like the door (hatch?) into the engine room?
The generator and steering deck?
They're above the engine room deck a few steps up depending on the boat
Нужен был второй толкач,на бусире,чтобы размывать лёд по носу барж,или периодически останавливаться и сдавать назад,чтобы разогнаться..протолкать такую ширину состава нелегко.
USCG doesn't break ice? Private industry (ARTCO/ADM) does it?
It sucks to be a deckhand today.
Nothing like doing a crewchange on 6" of ice
Wish I could go back 25 yrs and stay on this boats
Here's probably a stupid question. Why are they called Towboats when they PUSH the barges, not tow them?