This is the sign not to miss (heading south) just north of St Louis on the Mississippi River!
Unfortunately, the crew of White Widower recently followed the main river and took a right here. (Believed to be Oct 5). A few miles later they hard grounded on the “Chain of Rocks” as shown in this remarkable drone video:
Youtube.com/watch?v=rDhDqHSLvRU
Above: where the left should have been taken down the canal.
Below: you can see the canal, and red “X” shows where the 44 ft Hunter sailboat went aground having missed the canal entrance upstream.
This man-made “Chain of Rocks Canal” gives all boats access to a safe way down the Mississippi. At the south end of the canal is Lock 27 in Granite City IL.
We safely transited there on September 20. Click on link:
Shellerina on Chain of Rocks Canal Sept 20
As for the less fortunate White Widower, at least there were no injuries. The rescue was performed by St Louis Fire Department. The incident happened last week (Oct 5, we believe.)
Local news report with more video: https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/boaters-rescued-after-vessel-stuck-on-chain-of-rocks/
Addendum October 13, 2021:
Local scuttlebutt is that the sailboat has still not been recovered. The cost to remove it may exceed its salvage value. If the environmental impact of leaving it is not too severe, perhaps no one will endure the costs (and risks) to have it removed.
Unrecovered shipwrecks have occurred for millennia. Might this be the latest? Time will tell.
The fact that this one happened in shallow waters so close to an urban center makes this one more intriguing to be sure.
While the crew of White Widower is not a part of the Looper community, we all feel a mixture of both relief for the safe rescue of the crew and remorse for the mishap of fellow mariners.
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