Saturday October 10, 2009

Waved good by to Beardstown at 7:00AM. Quite, calm, a little rive fog, and 36°. Easy pass through the LaGrange Lock with only a three foot drop. Went through with another craft and we're on our way to the Mississippi.

Oh-Oh. We seem to have hit something on the port side. We're in 18' - 20' water and nothing obvious on the surface. Has been a lot of little ca-ca (see nautical notes for floating debris) below the last damn. We've been watching and avoiding everything however something was under the surface. We're experiencing a little vibration at a higher rpm and need to run at at a reduced speed.

Called our intended destination marina for a referral of a competent shipyard / marina so we can completely check out this problem. Gave us the number of Port Charles Harbor Marina, three miles up river at St. Charles, Missouri. Had them take the boat out of water, eyeballed for apparent damage but couldn't see any. Removed props and checked shafts. All OK. Will have to send propellers to specialist for electronic scanning and proper pitch. Will probably be here a couple of days.

Discussions to what we hit is still unknown, because whatever it happened to be, was totally out of sight. Suggested possibilities have included:

• River Monster
• Submerged tree.
• Damaged and sunken buoy
• Bull Shark
• Diver
• Ice
• Wreck
• Stealth Bat boat