‘Shantyboat’ on journey to capture essence of life on river

In this Aug. 8, 2016 photo, ships' mate Adrian Nankivell reads through handwritten messages left during an open house of the shantyboat Dotty, which is floating down the Tennessee River this summer as part of an oral history project called "A Secret History of American River People." in Florence, Ala. Smack dab in the middle of the Tennessee River near Muscle Shoals, Alabama, a recreated relic of river history is stuck like a catfish on a line, its anchor snagged on God only knows what at the bottom of the river. The shantyboat Dotty is a floating art project crafted by California-based artist Wes Modes.(Dennis Pillion/AL.com via AP) In this Aug. 8, 2016 photo, ships' mate Adrian Nankivell reads through handwritten messages left during an open house of the shantyboat Dotty, which is floating down the Tennessee River this summer as part of an oral history project called "A Secret History of American River People." in Florence, Ala. Smack dab in the middle of the Tennessee River near Muscle Shoals, Alabama, a recreated relic of river history is stuck like a catfish on a line, its anchor snagged on God only knows what at the bottom of the river. The shantyboat Dotty is a floating art project crafted by California-based artist Wes Modes.(Dennis Pillion/AL.com via AP)

By Associated Press August 25, 2016 7 min read

FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) – Smack dab in the middle of the Tennessee River, between the O’Neal Bridge stretching from Muscle Shoals into Florence and TVA’s Wilson Dam, a recreated relic of river history is stuck like a catfish on a line, its anchor snagged on God only knows what at the bottom of the river.

The shantyboat Dotty, a floating art project crafted by California-based artist Wes Modes, is late for an open house at the Florence Harbor Marina, and after 20 minutes of trying to navigate the anchor free, Modes and ship’s mate Adrian Nankivell are starting to wonder if they’ll have to cut the line and figure out where to buy a new anchor.

Modes is working the 8-horsepower Mercury motor for all it’s worth, chugging against the current to get the boat upstream of the anchor in hopes that it might detach from whatever lies in the depths. Nankivell stands at the bow mirroring the direction of the anchor line with his outstretched arm as a guide for Modes as he maneuvers the boxy craft.

Finally, Nankivell tugs the anchor line up and it pulls free, releasing the boat from its hold.

Because it’s a shantyboat, Modes and Nakivell have to celebrate immediately with shots of homemade moonshine that someone gave them along the way. It just seems right.