shantyboat
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Riding Out a Bug
Cozy night on the river, laying low and riding out this bug. Grateful for a warm little corner to hide in.
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Rain on a Tin Roof
A cozy rainy morning after a cozy stormy night in the shantyboat loft, snug in fresh sheets and two quilts, with the rain pounding against the tin roof.
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Free Concert from the Anchor
There’s an outdoor stadium music venue along the river down past the bridge. I heard you could anchor out and get a free concert. I didn’t know the country singer but thought it might be fun. So I’m bobbing out here. There has to be 50 boats out here as the moon rises. Sorry I…
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The Artist’s Walk-In Closet
What DOES an artist living in a shantyboat in a marina in a new city do with all their clothes? Dotty’s art gallery and head becomes a temporary walk-in closet.
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First Movie in the New Home
First movie aboard the shantyboat in my new Cincinnati home. Seemed… appropriate.
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Kentucky Breakdown: Truck-Stop Angels (3/3)
About 12 miles up the road I turn into a truck stop. Next door: a big-rig shop. Maybe they’ll recommend a mobile mechanic. The tech says, “Oh, we can go get it and fix it here. Lemme call the boss.” After a cigar and a little rye, the boss—Bobby—crunches into the lot at speed and…
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Kentucky Breakdown: Smoke Signals (1/3)
This is a tragi-comic story that begins in King City, California in 2019 and ends with me alone and desperately stranded on the shoulder of a busy-yet-remote Kentucky highway, less than an hour from Cincy, with smoke pouring from a sizzling, popping trailer wheel hub. But let’s back up. After 35 years I’m leaving my…
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Windell Curole Knows the Coast
We rolled back into Thibodaux the other day to interview Windell Curole, the now-retired longtime general manager of the South Lafourche Levee District—and a literal lifesaver for coastal Louisiana. Windell grew up fishing and trapping along Bayou Lafourche, learning its rhythms before levees even existed. In 1980 he took the helm of the Levee District;…
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The Harvey Canal at Sunset
The sunset coming into New Orleans via the Harvey Canal didn’t quit. Every time we rounded a bend, it gave us something new—industrial cranes in silhouette, sugar mills turned to shadow, bridges tipped to the sky. The water lit up like neon oil, and even the rust looked holy. This is how the river delivers…
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What Happened in Simmesport
Well, the case has been heard and I can finally tell the full story—a tale of white supremacy, weaponized power, and small-town corruption. June 26, 2025. Simmesport, Louisiana. We tied up at an unmarked patch of riverbank. No signage. No fences. No purple paint. Just a strip of land beside the water, quiet and ordinary.…
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Finding the Delta Queen
In a weird bit of serendipity, we ran into our old friend the Delta Queen tucked away in an obscure side channel off the Intracoastal Waterway. Last time we saw her was in Chattanooga during Tennessee River fieldwork back in 2016. Now she’s looking a little sad and lonely, but still unmistakably herself.
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Word of Mouth in Houma
Great pop-up exhibition this morning in Houma, Louisiana. No museum, no press, no institution behind it—just word of mouth and the power of the socials. And yet… a couple dozen folks showed up, curious and full of stories. They packed into the little boat, asked thoughtful questions, lingered on the dock to chat. A reminder…
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The Dubuque Visit
Today’s pop-up exhibition in Houma has me thinking of past visits, especially one that’s stuck with me for nearly a decade. Back in 2015, while docked in Dubuque, Iowa, we had a visit from a big family—five kids, I think—but it was two sisters, Lexie and Gracie, who stole the show. They were so curious,…
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Two Voices from Thibodaux
Today we had the great pleasure of interviewing two incredible folks in Thibodaux: Quenton Fontenot, fisheries biologist and professor at Nicholls, who spoke about the health of our waterways—from phytoplankton to redfish—and how Cajun culture is inseparable from the water it grew up beside. Misty McElroy, photographer and storyteller, shared memories of growing up on…
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Summer Reading: Shanty Boat Girl
Three covers. One torrid tale.Shanty Boat Girl by Kirk Westley: my summer reading, theoretically. When we first started the project, I assumed we’d have nothing but time—while floating, while docked, between interviews and cooking. In reality, there’s barely space for pure leisure. The demands of the boat, the work, and just basic survival keep us…
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Secret History Pop-Up: Houma, July 26
Secret History Pop-Up in Houma – Sat July 26, 9AM–Noon📍Terrebonne Parish Marina Park, Bayou Terrebonne We’ve floated and trailered our way down rivers and bayous all summer, and now the Secret History shantyboat lands in Houma. For one morning only, we’re throwing open the doors to the public. Come aboard, meet the crew, hear what…
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Dwayne Crawford and Bayou Chêne
Unexpectedly met Dwayne Crawford cruising by on the Intracoastal, checking his fish and crab traps.We talked about where he was born and raised—Bayou Chêne.He brought us several big catfish for dinner and, being a generous, full-service sort of fellow, even offered to fillet them for us.
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Dotty’s Mark on a Barge in Amelia
Maritime graffiti on a barge in Amelia.Not sure who left this.Looks familiar, though.Dotty, doing her best to be remembered.
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Catfish and Cheesy Grits
“But what do you eat?” One of the questions we get a lot. Tonight, fresh caught catfish and cheesy grits.
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Lucinda Williams on the Radio
Bayou Teche near Centerville with @lucinda_williams bumpin on the radio nearing the Centerville Bridge to meet Age in the truck to take out and drop back in on the other side of the Atchafalaya Cut.
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Growing Roots in Franklin
I was gonna make a joke that we’ve been in Franklin so long we’ve established a garden around the boat, but the reality is maybe we have a lawn of water hyacinth now, but in the next hour the river’s clear. The current is somewhat inexplicable due to the floodgates at Calumet being closed and…
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Cribbage under the Moon
An enjoyable evening playing cribbage with Age while the moon was showing off over Bayou Teche at New Iberia.
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Dotty Back on the Teche
Shantyboat Dotty back on the water in Bayou Teche. Prepping and launching are definitely harder solo, but I’ve learned to just be slow and methodical. Slightly complicated by a date with a bridge tender at 8 AM requiring special equipment.
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We just lit the fuse.
It’s getting real. We just launched our spring Kickstarter. We need you on board. The arts are under attack, and projects like ours—focused on memory, justice, and stories from the margins—are in the crosshairs. Grants we’ve counted on for years have vanished. So now we’re turning to our community. To you. Over time, I’ve gotten…
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The Tribunal Convenes
There comes a day in every shantyboat’s life when the accumulated cruft must be held accountable. Today was that day. Every object not nailed down faced trial. Some were redeemed. Others were detained indefinitely. A few were possibly innocent but didn’t make a strong enough case. Justice is complicated. What matters is that Dotty now…
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Dotty Work Day – Engines, Bilges, and (Almost) Explosions
Keeping Dotty afloat takes a village and good tea. Today was one of those deeply satisfying shantyboat work days. The whole crew pitched in—Chris got Freddy (our trusty outboard) humming beautifully; James battled bilge wiring; Miah took one for the team handling propane lines and sink leaks. And me? I kept obscure boat parts streaming…
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We’re Not Going to Lie—This One’s a Bit Urgent
There’s no poetic way to say it: the federal government has effectively gutted the arts and humanities. Cultural projects everywhere, including ours, are reeling from this sudden defunding. Grants vanished, promised support evaporated. It’s tough out here for storytelling and truth. But we’re scrappy, and we’ve survived storms, pandemics, and river pirates—so we’re betting on…
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We Violated the One Cardinal Rule of Boats
We moved everything not nailed down out of the shantyboat, derattified, scrubbed, laundered, and hosed down every inch we could reach—including the bilges. Yes, we put water inside the boat on purpose. Dotty is now cleaner than she’s been in more than ten years… well, except for the places we can’t reach.
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Cleaning Tasks
What wonders to behold in our cabinet of curiosities?. . . Answer: Mostly rusty cans, cheap beer, and rat poop. Now empty shelves and a daunting cleaning task.
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Delta Films, Second Line, and Squirrel Gumbo
Once a week we gather at Secret History HQ for the Delta Film Series—a deep dive into the culture, history, and tangled realities of the Louisiana Delta. These films aren’t just movies; they’re waypoints on the journey ahead. This week, we enjoyed a doc about young musicians finding resilience and rhythm in the streets of…
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Props to Me
What did global capitalism bring me today? Something that gets us one step closer to the river. Over the years, we’ve left a few propellers behind—Sacramento River shallows, low driveways, maybe some questionable navigation choices. This time, we’re thinking ahead. No more scrambling for replacements in tiny marina shops. Now we’ve got a backup Mercury…
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Getting Straight With the State
It’s a special day to honor the sacred pact between punk hobo shantyboat river rats and the State of California. After five years of nautical delinquency… the moment has arrived. 🎟️🚣♂️ Stick around to witness history.
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Big News: Summer Fieldwork
Big news: Shantyboat Dotty is heading to the bayous of Southern Louisiana this summer! The Atchafalaya River, Cajun and Creole culture, cypress swamps, delta blues, and jambalaya are calling. There’s so much to prep—fundraising, reconnecting with folks in the Delta, and getting Dotty river-ready—but we’re excited to bring these stories to life. Stay tuned for…
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You Forgot? Felton Remembers.
Mr. and Mrs. Goodman prepping to float down highway 9 in the Felton Remembers Parade.
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Whusky Rhymes With Shantyboat
Came home to a big surprise! A case of River Shanty Rye from @of_the_earth_farm_distillery
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It’s Christmas in Shantyboat Town
Midwest thunderstorm and hail weather catches up to us in the Pacific Coast mountains on Christmas Day.
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Remembering Betty Goins
Remembering Betty Goins who passed away yesterday. We had the immense pleasure to interview Betty in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2016.
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Shantyboat Dotty looking good in the early spring sunshine.
Shantyboat Dotty looking good in the early spring sunshine. #Shantyboat #HomemadeBoat #DIYBoats #CabinPorn #Cabins #BoatsOfInstagram
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People join us aboard the Dotty at the East Bay Mini Maker Faire
People join us aboard the Dotty at the East Bay Mini Maker Faire. Hundreds of parents and adults came through the shanty bar to check out the project. #makerfaire #shantyboat #exhibition
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Please join us at the East Bay Mini Maker Faire
Please join us at the East Bay Mini Maker Faire in Oakland at Day Park School on Sunday (10/27)! We’ll be there with the shantyboat Dotty and give a presentation on the project. #exhibition #mymodernmet #shantyboat #riverhistory
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Now our boat hangs out in Reno with the burning man kids until the burn
Now our boat hangs out in Reno with the burning man kids until the burn. #Shantyboat #Storage #burningman #RoadTrip
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Beautiful day on the Ohio River in Louisville as we make our way up river to take out
Beautiful day on the Ohio River in Louisville as we make our way up river to take out. The shantyboat Dotty on the trailer is headed to the Portland Museum for a closing reception for our exhibit there. #Shantyboat #OhioRiver #Louisville #Trailer
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We met the American Queen again near Madison, Indiana
We met the American Queen again near Madison, Indiana. This was sent to us from a fan. #sternwheeler #shantyboat #playingchicken
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Good homes will be furnished these helpless children
While we were in new Richmond, Ohio, I interviewed Beth Dearwester who told me about several generations of her family who lived aboard a shantyboat in a shantytown at the mouth of Mill Creek in Cincinnati and were considered disreputable riffraff, occasionally charged with fighting, petty theft, and “loitering.” It was common place for children…
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People ask us all the time, “What do you eat?”
People ask us all the time, “What do you eat?” We eat extraordinarily well aboard the shantyboat. Today an Egg McBenzy, a bagel sammich with cream cheese, eggs, bacon, and strong coffee. #breakfast #bestmealoftheday #Shantyboat #food meals
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On the shantyboat Dotty, even the captain swabs the deck
On the shantyboat Dotty, even the captain swabs the deck. #swabbies #shantyboat #mud
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Ordinary scenes from shantyboat living
Ordinary scenes from shantyboat living: a bath in the river, making eggplant and green tomato Parmesan, and doing dishes. #shantyboat #whatdoyoueat #eggplantparm
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Shantyboat on the Great Miami
Shantyboat on the Great Miami River under a train bridge. #shantyboat #trainbridge #greatmiamiriver #sunset
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What’s up Cincinnati? We are in you
What’s up Cincinnati? We are in you. #OhioRiver #Shantyboat #Hooters #Skyline #Bridges #Cincinnati
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Age messing about in the jonboat while we are anchored
Age fooling around in the jonboat while we are anchored in an inlet. #shantyboat #johnboat #jonboat
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The entire crew of the shantyboat Dotty for a few hours
The entire crew of the shantyboat Dotty for a few hours. Soon Jeremiah was to head off to his flight out. #shipmates #crew #shantyboat
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Benzy having a dude seriously with Squirlsey
Benzy having a dude seriously with Squirlsey, who she hasn’t seen since the start of the journey. #reunion #dudesrsly #shipmates #shantyboat
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Reading time from Harlan Hubbard’s Payne Hollow
Reading time from Harlan Hubbard’s Payne Hollow dangling my feet in the river while Age casts fruitlessly in the dusk while the frogs and crickets provide the soundtrack. #harlanhubbard #paynehollow #shantyboat
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Shantyboat Dotty arrives in Augusta, Kentucky
Shantyboat Dotty arrives in Augusta, Kentucky. #shantyboat #kentucky #ohioriver #augusta
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Squirlsey riding out rough seas on the Ohio River
Squirlsey riding out rough seas on the Ohio River. #squirrel #shantyboat #harlemprotocol
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Jeremiah at the helm and the Kentucky hills in the distance
Jeremiah at the helm and the Kentucky hills in the distance downriver. #blindcontour #singlelinecontour #ohioriver #drawing #shantyboat
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Apparently it rains in Southern Ohio
Apparently it rains in Southern Ohio. 10 minutes later it was sunny and we were drying out #rainstorm #shantyboat #ohioriver #southernohio #rain
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Shantyboat supermarket run in stolen golf cart
Shantyboat supermarket run in stolen golf cart. #OhioRiver #Portsmouth #AwesomeMarina #BorrowedGolfCart #Shantyboat
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In 1944, artist Harlan Hubbard built a shantyboat on the banks of the Ohio River near Cincinnati
In 1944, artist Harlan Hubbard built a shantyboat on the banks of the Ohio River near Cincinnati. He wrote that he scavenged 12×3 timbers from a building being demoed to build the hull of the boat. A common building style in the area that I’ve noticed is 12×3 floor joists set into the brick on…
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When the captain’s away, the mice will play
Here is what happens on the shantyboat when the captain is away. Sunday shantyboat cleaning! #Shantyboat #SundayCleaning #TimeLapse
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The Portsmouth Marina and the Kentucky hills. Where’s Dotty?
The Portsmouth Marina and the Kentucky hills. Where’s Dotty? #shantyboat #marina #ohioriver #ohio
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Nancy tracked us down in Ironton, Ohio
Judy, Karen, and Nancy Buell who you may remember from her story about her family’s shantyboat tracked us down in Ironton, Ohio and regaled us with banjo tunes and stories. #ohioriver #familystories #shantyboat
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Sunset light in Huntington on the Ohio River.
Sunset light in Huntington on the Ohio River. #ohioriver #huntington #sunset #shantyboat
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Reminder that this is very much an industrial river.
Reminder that this is very much an industrial river. #Shantyboat #OhioRiver #WestVirginia #Industry
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Swimming in a rain shower at the confluence of Sandy Creek and the Ohio
Swimming in a rain shower at the confluence of Sandy Creek and the Ohio at Ravenswood #shantyboat #swimming #rainshower #thunderstorm #ohioriver
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Shantyboat at the mouth of Sandy Crick
Shantyboat at the mouth of Sandy Crick #swimmers #ohioriver #shantyboat #railroadbridge
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A beautiful day to be on a shantyboat on the Ohio River. Despite everyone upstream promising us apocalyptic weather.
A beautiful day to be on a shantyboat on the Ohio River. Despite everyone upstream promising us apocalyptic weather. #ohioriver #shantyboat
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Mayflies caught in a spiderweb under the eves of the shantyboat
Mayflies caught in a spiderweb under the eves of the shantyboat. Water quality experts tell us that the return of mayflies on many rivers is a good sign. Way to go Little Kanawha River. Age told me that this was his art installation that he’d worked all night on. #mayflies #ohioriver #littlekanawhariver #shantyboat
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Shantyboat at the mouth of the Little Kanawha River.
Shantyboat at the mouth of the Little Kanawha River. #shantyboat #parkersburg #ohioriver
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Pop-up exhibition of the Secret History project at Marietta’s First Friday
Open house and pop-up exhibition of the Secret History project during Marietta’s First Friday. #OpenHouse #Exhibition #Shantyboat #OhioRiver #Marietta
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“Go with the flow” a button made by my new 10 year old friend Iris
“Go with the flow” a button made by my new 10 year old friend Iris who had many many questions about shantyboat living. #kidphilosophy #shantyboat #madebykids #openhouse #buttons
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Hundreds of people came to visit us in Marietta
Hundreds of people came to visit us in Marietta during First Friday. #shantyboat #openhouse #exhibition #firstfriday @mariettamainstreet
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Full house(boat) in Marietta Harbor. Kids, grown ups, and grown ups excited as kids
Full house(boat) at First Friday in Marietta Harbor. Kids, grown ups, and grown ups excited as kids asked one million questions about the shantyboat and about the Secret History project. Thanks to @mariettaadventurecompany, @justajar, @clutchmov, @rtafest @mariettamainstreet, and @mariettaharbor for making it happen. #shantyboat #exhibition #openhouse #ohioriver #muskingumrive
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The Valley Gem makes way up the Muskingum River at the Marietta waterfront
The Valley Gem makes way up the Muskingum River at the Marietta waterfront #Sternwheeler #MuskingumRiver #OhioRiver #shantyboat #excursion
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The textures of Marietta’s Harmar Village are killing me. Beautiful, old and unprecious.
The textures of Marietta’s Harmar Village are killing me. Beautiful, old and delightfully unprecious. Busy Bee diner, Laborer’ Local 639, Harmar Tavern, all used and well loved. #ohio #marietta #ohioriver #shantyboat
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A landed shantyboat at Marietta’s Ohio River Museum
A landed shantyboat at Marietta’s Ohio River Museum, it’s older grandpa, the flatboat, and finally the famous W.P.Snyder sternwheeler tug. #Ohio #Shantyboat #FlatBoat #Sternwheeler #Steamboat #Tugboat #Marietta #Ohio
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An interesting docking at Marietta tested our mettle
The public dock at Marietta is challenging. Two of the fingers point up the fast-flowing Muskingum River, tangled around the complicated currents off the railroad bridge pier. We had to ease in backwards to ensure that we had enough control and steerage, the whole time being pulled toward the jagged snags near shore or toward…
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Shantyboat anchored in our secret little hidey hole
Shantyboat anchored in our secret little hidey hole. #shantyboat #fishingspot #anchoredout
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Sistersville is a classic adorable small river town laid out parallel to the river.
The classic adorable small river town is laid out with its primary commercial district parallel to and a couple blocks up from the river. This also kept Main Street safe from periodic flooding. Historically, the blocks along the river were a busy neighborhood of warehouses, wharves, barges, oil derricks, shipping, drayage, coal and grain elevators,…
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Sketchy McSketcherson’s sketchy homemade dock
Sketchy McSketcherson’s sketchy homemade dock. Note the interesting piles of trash, skillet-hot sizzling sheet metal, and hull-skewering protruding metal pipes. #HomemadeDock #Shantyboat #OhioRiver #Ohio
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Age came from New Zealand to shipmate
Age came from New Zealand to shipmate on the Shantyboat. He also joined me on the Tennessee River in 2016. Now I will have someone to talk to beside myself, Hazel, Nd Squirlsey. #shipmate #shantyboat #ohioriver #age #adrian
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Just got 20 on my turn though Age is still kicking my ass
Just got 20 on my turn though shipmate Age is still kicking my ass #cribbage #cardgame #ohioriver #shantyboat #westvirgina
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It’s a two knee knocker sort of day
It’s a two knee knocker sort of day. While a barge bottom boat tends to be stable, the little bit of freeboard we have allows bigger waves to slosh over our deck. We have removable knee knockers we can install to prevent those waves from washing into the cabin. A little later the river calmed…
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Shantyboat morning with wildflowers
Shantyboat morning with wildflowers #Shantyboat #Wildflowers #poster
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We thought you was a shed that had come adrift
As I made coffee and checked my email drifting down the river in the morning fog, a tugboat crew came to check on the shantyboat. “We thought you was a shed that had come adrift.” #OhioRiver #Tugboat’s #Tow #WestVirginia #Ohio #Shantyboat
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Scenes from a sunrise walk around Wellsburg, West Virginia
Scenes from a sunrise walk around Wellsburg, West Virginia. #OhioRiver #Rivertown #WestVirginia #Shantyboat
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Harvey pulling in a 10lb cat from the Wellsburg WV docks
Harvey pulling in a 10lb catfish from the Wellsburg WV docks told me in detail how he lost his mom a year ago to heart disease after he moved here from Tennessee and that things happen in God’s time even if it doesn’t suit our timetables. #shantyboat #fishermen #westvirginia #wv #ohioriver #fishing #catfish
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See ya, Steubenville. Given the highwater and the decrepit condition of the marina, exhibition canceled
See ya, Steubenville. We had an exhibition planned in Steubenville for the last year, but given the high water and the decrepit condition of the former Marina, they had to cancel. In fact, there isn’t even a place to land a boat safely. It makes me sad that this former river town has so little…
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Shantyboat in Toronto Ohio. We were rocked by tugboats and tows all night.
Shantyboat in Toronto Ohio. We were rocked by tugboats and tows all night. #Shantyboat #OhioRiver #Ohio
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Shantyboat breakfast with cheesy grits. We eat well.
Shantyboat breakfast with cheesy grits. We eat well. #shantyboat
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Beaching the shantyboat for a quick pitstop for Hazel.
Beaching the shantyboat for a quick pitstop for Hazel. #Pitstop #Shantyboat #OhioRiver #River
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Montgomery Locks on the Ohio River
Montgomery Locks on the Ohio River #shantyboat #lockanddam #locks #ohioriver #pa #pennsylvania
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As everyone knows, when you drive under a train, it’s good luck.
As everyone knows, when you drive under a train, it’s good luck. Doubly so if you do it on a boat. #goodluck #shantyboat #sailorsuperstitions
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Do you need power? Water? Do you need any money? Do you need anything? Groceries? My keys are in my truck.
When we arrived in Bridgewater, PA along the Beaver River we pulled up to an open space at the very first marina we saw and immediately a few folks came out to catch our lines and help us out. We were parked in someone’s space apparently but it was okay because that boat was out for…
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First day’s voyage celebration. No one was arrested. No one died. And no one lost a limb. Success!
First day’s voyage celebration. No one was arrested. No one died. And no one lost a limb. Success! Unfortunately, I am losing my shipmates already. Christian the nice reporter from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had to return to his desk. And Josh my artist/professor friend had to return to his fam. So now it is just…
