Delta Sparrow inbound Baptiste Collette

Crewboat inbound in Baptiste Collette

Northbound on the Mississippi with our deck barge. We are bound for Cat Island, but are taking the longer inland route. We will run 84 miles from our mooring in Baptiste Collette to the Inner Habor Nav Canal in New Orleans and the eastward for Cat Island

The small (110' x 30') light barge allowed us to make around 7 mph upstream

Looking back down the river

A shrimp boat heading south with a three barge tow - house, screen house and generator barges. It would have been interesting to see him round up on them later!

Refinery just south of New Orleans. The blue lights are on a towboat.

Dawn as we approach the Industrial Lock on the Inner Harbor Nav canal. The bridges are the Crescent City Connection Bridges

Headed in towards the Industrial Lock. Because of our small tow, we will wait on the dolphins for a trip boat with a barge and a light trip boat heading east to enter the lock. We got lucky. There were forty others ahead of us waiting on queue. At an average of an hour per lock turn, we could have spent a long time waiting!

Looking back towards the Mississippi. The area to the left is referred to as the fore bank by the lock tender.

Sunrise

Wendy C headed for the lock. We will lock through with her and the Sebring. Both boats work the lock tripping tows through. The lock is too small for the larger strung out tows, so these boats take barges through for the other towboats.

Heading for the lock. The first bridge - St Claude Bridge - (before the lock) - is another one of those models of government efficiency. They stand by on Ch 14 with the lock, but will not open when the lock is open and waiting for you. You have to call them seperately and ask for an opening. For an out of town boat it can be frustating. All the other bridges are on Ch 13. Without this little bit of local knowledge you could waste a lot of breath!

To our starboard are homes behind and below the levee. Technically not the 9th Ward, but devasted by Katrina just as much.