The rain started while we were watching the movie. A scamper to be sure everything is in order for the big storms starts. Tarps are on, windows and vents closed, and checking of the lines. We’re good.
After midnight the big storm comes to life. Everywhere around us is thunder, lightening and rain. No winds. Straight down rain. The lightening show never disappoints but the duration is a problem for those of us wanting to move on. The next stop is our only stop and it is in a diversion canal. The diversion canal directs all the water from storms into this canal from the city of Cape Girardeau, MI. A little rain isn’t a problem but a big storm will cause 8 mile an hour current, debris and literally a wall of water from the drainage. This storm has put a damper on our spirits. We head back to bed and will check weather in the morning.
After our storm passes the morning is damp but dry. Nothing like receiving a flood warning on your phone. Emergency procedures, etc. We’re good as we sit on a floating cement lock weir. Our hopes that Cape Girardeau got shielded by a southwest wind was quickly diminished when we look at the data. They received over an inch of rain. Not knowing how big or how much rain this canal can take before it gets bad makes us stay again. I wish we had the ability to know this info. I’m writing to Cape Girardeau after this trip. Even a town dock of sorts would be a nice opportunity to stop for travelling. The diversion canal is 70 miles away and the next anchorage is almost 90. There are a couple others but Scott doesn’t like the looks of them on the charts. Too much possible shoaling. At 10-12 miles an hour on the Mississippi going 70 miles will take several hours and adding to that cuts it close to nightfall. Going fast is out of the question due to needed diesel preservation and debris hitting potential. So we go back to bed as it is only 5 AM.
So I try to clean the boat. Aiden finishes up his DaVinci clock that he received from his birthday. He also repairs a cabin light in his room. Scott looks at stops on the Cumberland River. Our last river and the books we have don’t cover it. So he studies the charts for available stops. Lunch is approaching but the guys are too wrapped up in repairing a blown speaker on our TV that we use for movies. It happened last year so Scott bought the speakers to replace and has never found the time.
It’s a hot one too. Little sun through the clouds but this far south you never get a reprieve even during storms. It’s just a movie night but with the 15 amp service we are able to run one air conditioner to beat the heat at night. The voltage drops a bit so we use a fan to move the air around using our smaller air conditioner.