From the 2013 St. Paul Almanac Early in the morning on June 21, 2007, my son Cullen encountered a rowing scull, crewed by five young women in the Saint Paul Harbor and pinned by a heavy current of the Mississippi River. This crew team had misjudged the current and was trapped against the Padelford wharf…
Stayin’ Safe on the River: Big Boats and Right-of-Way
A large commercial vessel would have a hard time steering around or stopping for a fallen water-skiier. One of the most unnerving things a river pilot can see is a small pleasure boat disappearing from view in front of the bow. A rowing scull crew crossed my bow one day as I was maneuvering in…
Call Her Captain
Dawn and Andrew relax on the porch of Toad Hollow. There is a small community of live-aboards at the marinas up here in St. Paul. One of them is a tough young woman who has faced the challenges and learned to love the life and the tough times. Dawn Brodey has earned the title of…
Return of the Voyageur Canoe
Dennis Davidson and Ella on the steps of his shop at the former headquarters of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The first white fur traders quickly learned that the bark canoes of the Native Americans were far superior to their small boats and over time developed larger, “canot du nord” models. A modern version of these…
21st Century Steamboats on the River
Tim Reichel takes his steam-powered boat, the Isabelle, out on the Mississippi. (xx) Folks at Harriet Island Park this past summer were treated to the unmistakable toot of a steam whistle. Seconds later on this sunny, cool August afternoon the aroma of burning wood caught my attention as I was getting the pilothouse of the…