Barge Adventures

Before I get on with today’s update let me begin by telling you what happened last night. About 9:30 pm we were just getting ready for bed when we noticed a spot light skimming the tops of the bushes next to the barge and us. Tom and I watched from the pilot house as a tug w/barge slowly approached the kitty-corner end of the barges we’re tied to and slowly smacked into them. It’s a chilling noise when you hear two such heavy steel things come in contact with each other. Then we noticed someone walking around on the ‘abandoned barges’. With the spotlight behind him it was all quite eerie looking as the bugs flew everywhere. At first we were afraid they were going to move the barges WITH US ATTACHED. Eeghads! So Tom got his big spotlight/flashlight and hopped up on the barge himself, approached the guy in the spotlight and yelled “HEY HEY!” He explained our position and the guy relayed everything to the captain via walkie-talkies. Turns out they were just “getting rid of some garbage” (dead bodies?) It was all very mysterious and spooky, but we were very thankful they did not nudge and/or move the barges. After they left I was very nervous and opted to sleep in the salon on the settee. Well they returned at midnight and did the same operation – got rid of some “garbage” on the abandoned barge. We both thought it might be interesting investigate in mornings light to see exactly what they got rid of, but decided to mind our own business. So in dawns first light we are on the bow of the boat discussing which line to release first, start the engines, etc and a double-wide loaded barge starts down the channel and slowly begins to turn into the area we are!! They yelled something at us but we didn’t wait around and ask them to clarify. We just unhooked and got the hell out of there! When we left the barge was sitting crossways in the channel waiting for us to move before he moved in the two side-by-sides he was towing.

Okay, now for today – not as dramatic as last night and this morning. Twice we found ourselves part of a long parade of tugs and barges, there was lots of traffic in both directions all day at a consistent 6/7 knots. We also encountered a couple of big boys in Port Arthur. As we road past Adam’s Bayou we were tempted to go in and see if the Sabine Yacht Basin was still there and still abandoned, but didn’t. Otherwise uneventful and very hot day.

We’ve anchored in an oxbow 2 miles up the Calcasieu River. The CQR held as it should have in the mud and Tom threw out our new (used) stern anchor to keep us from swinging too much; so far so good. There is some sort of industrial plant relatively close to us and of-course tugs and barges seem to be working there as well. I think we are in a good enough place as to not interfere with them. A few little fishing boats whiz in and out of the oxbow, but I think this will be a nice anchorage especially since we have just enough of a breeze to not turn on the generator and run the a/c and instead enjoy silence. Might be pretty bright once they light up all the equipment at the plant and so far there's no smell.