I lived in Dubuque, Iowa for my high school years. We'd take a canoe out on the Mississippi on occasion - exploring the back channels. To paddle across we'd find an area with a decent north-south view to watch for barges and paddle like mad to get across as fast as we could.

We did get swamped once by a barge - they are powerful massive beasts! We turned into the waves, but the water came right over the bow. Luckily we were close to the west shore.

I was also lucky enough to spend a day on a U of WI research boat on the Mississippi - even going through a lock (a big deal for me).

Later I spent a year involved in a Army Corps of Engineers research project on the Missouri River. Wow, what a difference. Super fast flow and very little (no?) commercial traffic. Lots of fun though. One evening while taking samples we came across a family on a boat whose engine had died. They were just floating downstream. We towed them to a place on the shore where they could get help. Keep in mind this was well before cell phones came along.

Ken K.