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The River: Sometimes after a storm and rising water, a riverman has to rescue a lost 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.

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

(Photos by Jonathan Evan Hartford Sanders)

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.    


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3 Comments

  1. Cirnelia Reade-Hale says:

    Love it!! Ive seen this done.but your simple words and the great pictures(congrats to Jonathan your photographer pat excellance) bring it to life so all can understand.. I loved your story on making possums. How long does Monkeyfist take? Since smaller easier or not?. Keep the living history and past history coming please.

  2. Connie Bays says:

    Very educational!

  3. Béla K. Berty says:

    What sort of filler does Captain Don Sanders uses to fill the monkey’s fist?

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