Locking Through on the Mighty Mississippi

In my last post, I mentioned getting to see the Port of Savannah by way of a boat tour. It was quite a memorable trip, if only because it was so unique! Back in 2021, Kent and I made another unique trip, and since I’m on Memory Lane these days anyway, I thought I’d go ahead and share it with you!

On Sunday, May 30, 2021, we hauled our little 14-foot fishing boat out to Davenport, Iowa, where we put in on the Mississippi River at the Veterans Memorial Park: Boat Ramp. From there, we navigated east, just a couple of miles, to the Locks & Dam 15, Rock Island, Illinois.

The Mississippi River itself is a force of nature. Wide and powerful, it carries so much history and commerce. Seeing it from the water, in our little fishing boat, gives you a whole different perspective. The scale of the river, the currents, the tugboats pushing barges laden with goods… it’s really something to behold. And the locks and dams! Such incredible feats of engineering!

I talk a lot about firsts on this blog, but this was a big first. First time through a lock, and the first time communicating with the lock operator via the radio. Radio communication is always a little tricky to do this because of the conventions, and it can be hard to hear. But somehow, it always works out.

About 15 minutes before we arrived, Kent radioed the lock operator to let him know we were approaching. This is standard procedure, and it’s always a little nerve-wracking, even for Kent, who’s much more comfortable with the radio than I am. We announced our location and our intentions, noting that we are in a small white fishing boat.

When we got to the lock, we had to wait a few minutes before anything happened. It’s a bit of a surreal experience, just sitting there, trying to hold your position in the middle of the river. You can see the massive concrete walls of the lock looming ahead, and you know that soon, you’ll be lifted (or lowered!) to a different water level.

Then, the action started. A flashing light signaled that the lock was ready. The huge steel gates began to slowly swing open, revealing the chamber within. It felt enormous from our little boat! We carefully motored inside, following the lock operator’s instructions relayed over the loudspeaker. It was most challenging to maintain our position within the lock as the water level changed.

And then, the water started to rise. Slowly, steadily, we were lifted up, up, up! It was fascinating to watch the water level change against the lock walls. We could see another boat waiting on the other side, higher up than us. It’s a strange sensation, being lifted like that.

Once we were at the same level as the water on the other side, the gates opened again, and we motored out, ready to continue our journey. It was the same process on our return.

This was such a cool experience. It’s amazing how these locks work, the engineering and ingenuity that goes into managing them. Have you ever been through a lock and dam? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!