Floating Bollards

Floating Bollard in the Lock Chamber on the
Cumberland River nearing Kentucky Lakes. 

They are rare on our journey using the Lock and Dam Systems. Usually, we drive into the lock chamber and tie to one of the chamber sidewalls directed by the Lockmaster. After entering the large lock, gates will close. Lock tenders come to our boat and throw down a line -- a rope to all you land lubbers. We must hold on to the line to keep our boat close to the wall and in position. Millions of gallons of water are moving into or out of the lock chamber depending on the river level. This floating bollard only requires throwing a line around the pin and floating up or down. 

In this photo we floated up 28 feet to the next river. The lock chamber opens at the opposite end and you drive into the river 28 feet higher than you entered the lock. The floating bollards require no lock tender personnel to throw a line and help you tend the line during your ride up or down. We threw a line around the pin and waited while the Lockmaster filled the chamber with 28 feet of water. The gate opened, and we unhooked from the floating bollard that floated with us to the next level. The Lockmaster will give a loud blast of the horn when the gate is completely open. We then unhook ourselves and drive out of the lock chamber. Into the river, to our next Lock and Dam. The Lock and Dam systems are maintained by the United States Army Corp of Engineers and no fees are collected for Recreational craft or Commercial traffic. Thanks for paying your taxes, because this is how the Lock and Dams are administered, by tax dollars with no charge to the users of the Lock and Dam System. We will use over 150-190 locks
during our Loop. 

We are in Tupelo, Mississippi, on the Tennessee Tombigbee River headed to Mobile Alabama. This stretch of our river journey has 12 Lock and Dams. This floating bollard is only the second in all the locks we have been through.