The River: A memory — Sometimes after a storm a riverman has to rescue a missing sawhorse

The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story. Given the recent storm, we are sharing this story from 2018.

By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune

After a huge storm blasted through the area, earlier this month, we found a sawhorse belonging to the CLYDE. blown into the water where it drifted under a steep bank along the shore. Retrieving it was no problem using a length of “Handyline” and “Monkey’s Fist”.

The Errant Sawhorse… So close, but still too far

A Job For a Monkey’s Fist – a masterfully-woven ball used to weight a throwing line

A Length of 1⁄4 to 3⁄8-inch Line – some 30 to 50-feet in length is selected.

Wedded, They Become a “Handyline.” Some boat folks may also call this a “Heaving Line.”

How We Hold the Handyline.

Ready to Toss. It was windy, too.

Bullseye! A perfect toss dropped the Monkey’s Fist into the water on the inside of the sawhorse.

Steady So – Steady as She Goes! The trick is to pull so the Monkey’s Fist doesn’t jump off the sawhorse.

Almost Home.

Sawhorse Retrieved. The “Handyline” earns its name.

Back To Where We Started.

We’ve always kept an ax or hatchet mounted on the bow of all the boats we commanded to chop a line in an emergency. CLYDE. is no exception.

When we are done with any project, everything is returned to its place and the area is cleaned so that no trace of our being there is evident.

Captain Don Sanders is a river man. He has been a riverboat captain with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company and with Rising Star Casino. He learned to fly an airplane before he learned to drive a “machine” and became a captain in the USAF. He is an adventurer, a historian, and a storyteller. Now, he is a columnist for the NKyTribune and will share his stories of growing up in Covington and his stories of the river. Hang on for the ride — the river never looked so good.

Click here to read all of Capt. Don Sanders’ stories of The River.

Purchase Captain Don Sanders’ The River book here

ORDER YOUR RIVER BOOK HERE

Capt. Don Sanders The River: River Rat to steamboatman, riding ‘magic river spell’ to 65-year adventure is now available for $29.95 plus handling and applicable taxes. This beautiful, hardback, published by the NKyTribune, is 264-pages of riveting storytellings, replete with hundreds of pictures from Capt. Don’s collection — and reflects his meticulous journaling, unmatched storytelling, and his appreciation for detail. This historically significant book is perfect for the collections of every devotee of the river.

You may purchase your book by mail from the Northern Kentucky Tribune — or you may find the book for sale at all Roebling Books locations and at the Behringer Crawford Museum and the St. Elizabeth Healthcare gift shops.

Order your Captain Don Sanders’ ‘The River’ book here .

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