Week 1: The Mighty Mississippi Strikes Back

Shouldn’t sailors always check the weather? I’ve checked the forecast more often from my living room than I have aboard Hazel, but that’s about to change. This morning, Peter and I paid the price for our oversight. With the butterfly hatch wide open, port holes ajar, and the companionway inviting in fresh air, we thought we’d engineered the perfect breeze. Instead, we woke to a full-blown indoor rainstorm. The cabin was soaked. Lesson learned: ventilation is great until the sky opens up.

Another surprise was discovering we had burned through nearly 100 gallons of water in just seven days. For two people, the sailing rule of thumb is two gallons per person per day. That’s 30 gallons, not 100. So we’re switching to Polish showers for now, a splash, a swipe, and a smile. Once we refill the tanks, we’ll ease up a bit, but for now it’s conservation mode.

We also spotted a bridge to nowhere today. Move over, Alaska. This mystery span had us scratching our heads. No road, no destination, just a bridge suspended in solitude. The river is full of surprises.

Pete’s been feeling a bit under the weather, so he took a long, restorative nap. I kept things moving while he rested, and Hazel hummed along just fine. He also rigged up a hammock at the helm, a rocking seat for a rocking boat. For someone like me who never sits still, it’s the perfect perch. Steering Hazel while gently swaying felt like bliss.

I keep wondering what this stretch of the Mississippi looked like 150 years ago. The untouched shorelines, swamps, bluffs, and forests feel timeless. We’ve covered so much ground and seen so much beauty that seems barely changed.

We’ve decided to shift to a weekly format. My daughter Ingrid has been doing all the posting, editing, and frankly all the heavy lifting. She’s done a fantastic job. But to keep things sustainable and to give her a breather, we’ll publish once a week going forward. (Fear not, readers, the joke’s on him. I genuinely enjoy doing this, and I have every intention of keeping it going more than once a week -Ingrid)

Signing off from Fort Madison, Iowa.

The crew of S/V Hazel.