July 2021 Upper Mississippi River Trip

[@DonReynolds-p7o]

I love the river life. All the sights and the smells, the other boats- love it all !!

[@kevinwashburn9687]

Thanks for that. Recognized Mcgregor IA atea. Best fishing there is the sloughs of Indian Isle, great boating and sandbar camping! Real nice!

[@jellybean9396]

I’m amazed at the beautiful views I need to get out see that part of the country thank you captain

[@adventureer]

Thanks for the great footage. We really enjoy the stories too.

[@terrywynn9767]

Now I know who your voice reminds me of. The legendary Don Williams.

[@greghoffstadt667]

Crazy number of hours of listening. While you are up in the wheelhouse

[@beckyumphrey2626]

Upper is beautiful. .....

[@marktwained]

You are living my dream. I’ve almost done it a couple times. Actually looked at some places with a real estate person.

[@natehancock3877]

AWESOME video. Thanks for sharing.

[@marktwained]

Thanks, Nate.

[@kevinroberts361]

Cool stuff !! Hope u feeling better Captain !! I have my weights outside, I love working out outside. You gotta take care of yourself first sir !! Good luck. God bless America !!

[@tomcarr1358]

Pictures10/10: backgound comments9/10: Scale of operation impressive. Little to compare in Europe except the frequency of traffic on the Rhine. As you say floating boxes are hardly hydrodynamic but with the current you still seem to achieve 6-8 knots. Much appreciated. It would be interesting to see what the Russian rivers are carrying like this.

[@marktwained]

Thank you, sir. Glad you enjoyed. 9/10 on commentary? Thank you very much. I think that’s very generous. I give myself 3 maybe 4/10 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@tomcarr1358]

Marktw. You do not need a script. It's just good to her your musings about the views, the settlements with the houses on stilts, the tightness of the cables holding the tow together.etc. including the extensive crew facilities below. It still amazes me that such a wide waterway should not be as deep as it looks. I must catch up with some of your previous and look at the tornado one again.TC

[@michaelgarrity6090]

This is a beautiful area, at least in the summer. These days pontoons can kick ass. I've seen ones offered now that have twin big huge honking outboards on them, like 350s or 400s. They haul butt, but they price out well north of a hundred grand. That really is kind of overkill though for pontoons. A nice one for around 30K is just fine. Get a nice tri-toon with a 150 HP on it. Very cool you went out to walk to the head. Sure looks different than it does from the pilot house. It was a pretty day when ya shot this. Very cool. You can get in a great exercise walk on board the tow. It is nice and quiet walking around the barges. Don't even hear those whining diesels. The boat has a nice galley. That was an interesting lock you went through.

[@truthseeker2321]

I wonder if those houses get flooded out every winter? Nice looking homes with waterfront. Can't have that on the Ohio River where I live, unless you can breathe underwater, lol.

[@ChaiLatte13]

wow really love these videos.

[@danielmangan7617]

Keep wanting to hit pool 26 in Alton north of me about an hour. Looks nice and blue from Alton Bridge. Meremac to the Arch is diiiiiirty. Leaves a film mark on my hull. Looks beautiful up there for sure!

[@marktwained]

From above Mel Price (26) to St. Paul all looks great for boating, to me. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@commonwealth2682]

Thanks for the footage had no idea how gorgeous the Mississippi is

[@glenndaugherity6187]

Some beautiful places up along there !!

[@jamesscott8591]

When you break up a tow to lock through how long does it normally take to hook back up

[@rickpellegrin3192]

What is this little river town you came through. Me and the wife are retired and love driving around seeing the beautiful little towns around the country. Thanks for sharing these.

[@jimschlaugat6475]

McGregor iowa

[@katienkids6464]

Hopefully you can come back in a few weeks to the way upper for our fall colors

[@davidsuperdavelarson6174]

I'd love to either live along that area and north or on Grand Lake.

[@fergieferguson2457]

I got a lot of family on tow boats,most run out of Paducah ky,one cousin a captain one cousin engineer,I think them 2 run gas oil boats,3,more run long barges,all from Savannah tn

[@marktwained]

I know lots of them Savannah folks. You know Barnhill?

[@marktwained]

Worked with many from that area throughout my career. Parsons and that area also.

[@charlenemcmillin4763]

You know when you say something without saying it !!!!! They way the river runs thru it is pretty freaking clever man at lengths it goes thru to get where it’s going

[@williambillwaynerobertson930]

Captain Kyle I've been meaning to ask the front color lights on the barges are they stationary or does the deck crew have to install. I have never seen cords or wiring for the bow lights just curious Sir. Stay Safe love your videos🇺🇸🤙🇺🇸

[@marktwained]

They are portable and run on battery. The setup varies quite a bit. We used to run cords to them, back in my deck days. Lots of heavy cords to run back then. There are some that have solar charging, and quite a few that are rechargeable batteries that they can swap out. It really matters on companies, barge setups and such.

[@robertschubert2464]

Stunning views. I never thought Iowa was so pretty! Great footage on the head of the tow. You’re right, it’s quiet up there. I used to work on tugs and towboats and that was always a good place to get away from the heat and noise of the boat. Question: When you break tow to get through a lock, how do you move the head barges out of the lock? Is there a winch or capstan on the wall that pulls them ahead? I worked on smaller boats, and we never had a tow that was too long for the lock.

[@1kuhl]

.........Bellevue, IOWA nice micro brew next to the lock.

[@chrisdavidson9159]

Hard to beat ol Deon talking you into a lock!

[@Jv977]

The house at 27:37 has a sick HAM radio tower setup.

[@brentboydston2565]

Cool, KF5THB!

[@galegregory97comcast]

Yes sir all that's pretty up in there

[@jillsmcfarland2001]

Thank you 😊

[@MikeSmith-ei9pj]

Put some rubber on those tow knees. I always hated down streaming at Cora without rubber on them and it's hard to get her to stick. Lol

[@fergieferguson2457]

Dam skipper I would love to cook in that galley,but the Folgers coffee would have to go!!INVADER COFFEE COMPANY is the best coffee you will ever taste..100% veteran owned is a plus…

[@marktwained]

I’ll check it out. Thanks for information on coffee. 👍🏻

[@jg-xx8oh]

Sounds like EMDS

[@milkman1944]

I enjoy your videos and have a nephew that is a captain on the Ky river and a nephew that is a deckhand on the Mississippi. Was this filmed before or after 6/25/20 and did you know Captain Winders?

[@marktwained]

This was recently. Yes I knew Capt. Bill very well. He first gave me my “check ride”, with Marquette Transportation back in 2002. I relieved him (for his days off) just a few weeks before he passed away. A great man.

[@milkman1944]

@@marktwained Thanks.

[@lt1nut]

Some year I will have and live aboard a "research vessel" for at least 7 months in order to "survey" all pools of the Upper. The following 5 months I will rank them for beauty and attitude. Each year afterwards I will further "research" one individual pool, including its backwaters, to determine the suitability of its various individual locales and habitats to provide a vibrantly soothing atmosphere that is conducive to the cognitive, physical, and psychological betterment for a defined subgroup of society. I am, at this time, accepting applications for an internship; terms to be further described and discussed on an individual basis. I am also continuing to seek further benefactors. I have a somewhat virtuous and myopic dream and strive to keep hope alive.

[@marktwained]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@lt1nut]

@@RRRIBEYE Oh hell, I'm not that good, not even close in real life, but s I'mof the

[@chiefjohnsonBR549]

👍💯👍

[@haroldadkins770]

Did you ever take magnetite up the ohio

[@WCGore]

Are paying passengers ever allowed or accepted?

[@marktwained]

No… with exception of captain’s wife now and again. 🖐🏻

[@bigiron8831]

Lacrosse area is still God's country.....

[@galegregory97comcast]

Yeah I could do that fishing pole or lawn chair a little bit of suntan lotion and a cold one of some sort nothing else but iced tea yeah living a good life bro

[@wolmntn]

I would love to go on a trip at night with a full moon on one of those. Bring the fishing rod and life would be perfect.

[@randyk8685]

Where is this at captain

[@dally8399]

5th wheel set up what city was that ?

[@dally8399]

I like that walking out to the end of the barges

[@timfaughnan6021]

What boat you drive do you drive for Ingram barge ?

[@marktwained]

I haven’t worked for Ingram, yet.

[@harthek2000]

Not sure how much you pay them to let you pilot that boat. Not near enough though I bet !! :)

[@marktwained]

It’s plenty… but never enough. Lol

[@johnleach7879]

Well, now things have turned around. Nobody can reach you, unless you want. You're suddenly kink of the maountain. JL