These stories are the experiences of a harbor towboat pilot in Saint Paul on the Upper Mississippi River. They contain descriptions of this unique barge port which includes the navigable section of the Minnesota River and the only gorge on the Mississippi which lies between Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Much has been written about the river south of Minnesota but this may be the only testament to life on commercial vessels working at the very head of navigation. The adventures are comical and hair-raising, the characters are true river-rats and the local boats are just as quirky as the men who work on them.