On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 11:47:16 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

On 19 Jul 2005 15:49:37 -0700, "
wrote:

How far inland are you?

That would be a "whistle", not a "horn" here in sal****er land, and
while towboats will have a whistle, vessels we call "barges" are
unpowered and will not. I think I've seen some photos of riverboats
that look something like landing craft- big flat decks with ore, etc.
piled up
infront of a pilothouse on a tower. These may very well and properly be
called "barges" back east somewhere......just curious.

Technically, what Dave is referring to is called a "tow", but it's not
a tow - it's a group of barges being pushed by a push boat.

http://pushboats.leefelterman.com/specs/pb107.jpg

as opposed to a "tug" or traditional tow boat.

http://pushboats.leefelterman.com/specs/tug110.htm

This is a combination boat/barge deal thingy.

http://www.morantug.com/images/mt_gal03.jpg

This is how it fits together at the stern of the barge.

http://www.morantug.com/images/mt_gal21.jpg

This is a traditional tow.

http://www.morantug.com/images/mt_gal27.jpg

This is a better look at a combo boat/barge. These are considered
separate vessels by the way.

http://www.morantug.com/images/mt_gal28.jpg

I think what Dave was discussing was a group tow - bunch of barges
tied together and pushed.

In any case, the idiot pleasure boat didn't know, understand or care
about the danger.

Later,

Tom

The following shows a small but fairly good picture of a 15 unit river
barge as well as a close look at a tow pushing its load into a river
lock.

http://www.orn.usace.army.mil/pao/ky...und/barge1.htm