Dredges are important. I was out on the Mississippi river once, in early October during the week, when we broke a shear pin in the outboard motor. We were able to paddle to a sandbar made by a dredge and got ashore. Finally we found the remains of some welding rod, with which we were able to create a temporary shear pin and get back.*

Dredges are important. Without dredges I might still be out on the Mississippi, living with my friends on a sandbar, surviving on beer and catfish, trying to get to shore. Instead, I live in Idaho.















*The next Spring the owner of the boat took it out fishing and hit an submerged log. My friend had forgot to mention to his father that we'd had to use welding rod for a shear pin, and welding rod is a LOT tougher than the soft bronze of the correct shear pin. In short, the clutch of the motor broke and his father had to paddle five MILES against the Spring current of the Mississippi River to get back. That's five MILES of paddling with a board, not a paddle or an oar. He wasn't in a very good mood after that....