I ate oatmeal for breakfast which I cooked the night before. I have been feeling weak but not really hungry the past couple of days and decided to eat more and eat more often.

About midday I see four barges all aimed upstream parked along the river bank. I’ve never seen that before and I’m unsure what to make of it. I cautiously make my way past. Many miles on I round a bend and see 13 barges parked along the banks. All facing upriver.(I counted them) I guess that something happened upriver like an accident or a runaway barge to stop all traffic. What to do? I decide to go right down the middle of the river. There are no barges there. At least at first.

As I made my way down one barge was coming up. I moved out of the channel but not too far as all the other barge engines were running pushing themselves against the banks. Apparently I wasn’t far enough for the oncoming barge gave me two long blast of its horn. I grump at him as he passes. It looks like an army corp barge with construction equipment going up river. Shortly after another came by and blasted me with the horn. The river may look big enough for all but when you are moving 4 or 5 miles an hour your options for moving are limited.

I get past the large group unharmed accept for my ego. I don’t like getting honked at. I would have liked to hear what they were all saying on the radio about me. (If anyone else noticed at all)

I have been making good time all morning the wind seems to have changed in my favor. Once past the parked barges I went straight down the middle of the channel and did not see a moving barge after. This allows me to continue making good time and I stay in the boat foor twelve and a half hours finishing just at sundown. I had travel 60 miles for the day!