Hazel: The day was wet, very wet.

As we continued our journey downriver, Arkansas held steady to starboard, while the great state of Mississippi finally appeared to port. There’s something deeply satisfying about crossing into a new state, it’s a tangible reminder that we’re truly making progress, one river mile at a time.

We’re always chasing records, and today we hit a new one: the Mississippi reached a depth of 65 feet beneath us. For context, the average channel depth along the river ranges from 20 to 50 feet. There’s one dramatic exception at Algiers Point in New Orleans, where the river plunges to 200 feet. The deeper it gets, the more unruly it becomes, currents intensify, eddies swirl, and whirlpools emerge with startling force.

Hazel got a taste of that power today. In a matter of seconds, she was spun 90 degrees by a whirlpool, an unnerving reminder of the river’s might. Keep in mind, Hazel weighs in at 30,000 pounds… or closer to 32,000 after Pete’s latest grocery extravaganza. For the river to toss her around like a toy boat? Terrifying.

Pete turned to me, eyes wide as saucers, and declared, “Sailing is 90% boredom and 10% absolute terror!” Truer words were never spoken.

We’re now anchored just north of Rosedale, Mississippi, having dropped anchor early around 1630. With strong winds and intensifying thunderstorms in the forecast, we added an extra chain for good measure. The rain never let up today, drizzles, downpours, and everything in between.

Still, spirits are high. Tomorrow promises more rain, but Thursday and Friday look brighter. Onward we go.

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Crossing the Helena-West Helena Bridge on Highway 49, we catch a glimpse of Peter in action, steadily at the helm as our vessel glides southward along the Mississippi.

Welcome to the Isle Casino Hotel Lula, part of the Caesars family. Ever wonder why the Mississippi River seems to attract so many casinos? It’s a question worth pondering as we drift past yet another riverside resort.

And here’s another beach snapshot, courtesy of Peter, who’s officially captivated by the endless stretches of sand. He marvels at how pristine and deserted these river beaches are: not a soul, not a paw print, just pure, untouched beauty.

No doubt about it, the Mississippi is the lifeblood of grain commerce. Here’s a snapshot of one of the many grain storage facilities we cruised past today. We typically pass six to eight of these daily, each one a quiet testament to the river’s role in feeding the nation.

Also in view: the American Melody! You might remember seeing her docked at a different casino earlier in our journey. Today, she zipped past us at 10 knots while we held steady at 6. The captain gave us a friendly wave and kept the lines of communication open, a nice moment of river kinship.

You know it’s a serious load when it takes two tugs to muscle a barge upstream. I’d never seen that before, then again, I’d never seen 35 fully loaded barges battling a 5-mile-an-hour current either. The scale is staggering, and the river doesn’t give an inch.

Honestly, I’m not sure what to say about this one. I set the timer on my camera hoping for a nice shot of us, and this is what came out. Not exactly what I had in mind, but it gave me a good laugh.