Havana to Grafton

A fixer upper

Two days without a blog post – let’s blame that on the lack of wi-fi connection, which is true.  But we can also site some extremely long, hot days sweltering under 97 degree heat while covering mega miles on the Illinois River.  Also very true.

Logsdon Tugs and Barge

After leaving Tall Timbers, we motored to our most interesting mooring to date.  We docked Tuesday night alongside a barge on the side of the river.  Yes, Logsdon Tug Service will allow transient boaters to tie up alongside one of their tugs – a very good thing because there is almost nowhere else that a good sized trawler can safely harbor for the night.  The tug workers were very hospitable and we were welcomed to Beardstown with a map of all the places we might want to visit.  We tried out the Mile 88 Pub – their location on the river map – and we visited a Mexican bakery to buy an anniversary treat for Chuck and Sue on Blue Moon.  Charlie and I even found a place to get a pedicure so civilization has been restored to its rightful order.

Moored to the Barge

No protection but no problems either

Barges waiting to be filled

Today we covered 88 miles by river.  That’s eleven hours in the (again) 97 degree heat and we were just about wrung out when we reached Grafton Harbor.  A few hours in the pool, some Illinois wines and some snacks at the Kahuna bar and restaurant – by tomorrow we should be returned to normal again.  

Interesting architecture

One of the things that we are noticing is that the barge traffic is not as great as we expected.  Because its mid-September, barges are being “stockpiled” next to the great grain elevators along the river, waiting for the corn and soybean harvest.  In the next couple of weeks, the elevators will fill with new crops, and the barges will be moving up and down the river to bring us all the grains of the bread basket of America here in the Midwest. 

Heritage Harbor to Tall Timbers Marina

IVY Marina

The Illinois Valley Yacht club where we spent last night is one of the oldest yacht clubs in America – 107 years old.  They are currently refurbishing, rebuilding and re-dredging after serious flood damage invaded a couple of years ago, silting in the marina and reaching well into the 2^nd floor dining rooms.  Some of the work was done, much is left to do, but this will again be a magnificent club in a beautiful setting.

Peoria Downtown

Coming down the river through Peoria we got a new perspective on that city, and continued out into the area of Havana, Illinois to the Tall Timbers Marina.  This is a small but well run marina and it accommodated 5 looper boats, 3 forty foot, a 34 foot and a 56 foot boat in the transient slips. This is a great stop everyone should make, Bob is dredging the marina and plans to have 7 ft. water depth. We had a “docktail party” early this evening to discuss plans for upcoming anchorages.  There aren’t many good places where larger boats can stop overnight and so everyone’s input and research is welcome.  The “Integrity” from St. Petersburg, Florida is making the loop for the second time, after a pause of 12 years.  They were describing the differences they have seen over that time.

Loopers Tucked in for the Evening

 Tonight we are enjoying the peace and quiet inside our cozy little AIR CONDITIONED home.  Some days you really can appreciate the finer things in life…….. like electricity.

McNaughton Bridge

Heritage Harbor to Peoria

Starved Rock Dam

A steaming hot day but we covered a lot of distance.  We left Heritage Harbor at 7:30 in the morning and fortunately the overcast sky kept the heat down until about noon.  The Illinois River is wide and shallow and on a Sunday it’s got a ton of recreational traffic.  We enjoyed seeing speedboats, boogie boards, giant tubes, water skiers and a lots and lots of fishermen.  Families were camped along the river bank and fishing from shore. 

Since we were northeast of Peoria, but southwest of the fish electrification zone, we also saw quite a few Asian carp leaping behind the smaller boats.  Only a few were out in the center of the river where we were, but at least 4 made the jump that seemed like they were aiming to board our dinghy.  Being an aluminum dinghy set up vertically against our stern, it made a great sudden thump that caught us by surprise the first time – but got to be funny after a few more.   One of the boats traveling near us had to scoop a big carp back into the river.  Their boat has a lower stern than ours.

Supper with other Loopers

Arriving at the Illinois Valley Yacht Club around 5 pm, we were greeted by 4 other couples that we have already met – some at the Chicago Pizza Party (thanks Wally and Ellen) or while waiting for a lock to open.  So we joined them at a bar across the street to watch the end of the disappointing Packer Game and had some supper.   Any of you that were worried about me not getting enough social life can relax now. What does this make:  Five nights on the water, and five nights of socializing?   These folks were from New York, San Diego, Tampa, and Alabama.

Professional Taggers

These guys are on their way to Nashville

Heritage Harbor Marina

Today was a rest day at a nice quiet marina near Ottawa, Ill.  The place is planned for a development of cottages, townhouses, marina and hotel space.  The progress was held up by the recession, but its still a great spot and perhaps in a decade it will be a thriving vacation destination.

We met Mark and Becky here, people that we enjoyed in Door County, and Mark and Dennis rebuilt our radio antenna this morning so we should get great reception and communication.  Thank you Mark! It rained on and off all day and this evening we took the Mathers out for a burger.  They had a vehicle here so we got a lift to the grocery store in town and enjoyed a lot of laughs hearing about their family and sharing stories.

Our cruise planning says it should be about 9 travel days from Chicago to the Mississippi and another 5 days on the Mississippi to the Ohio River.  We have been traveling at about 7.8 knots in this current, about a 0.7 knot favorable current.  This info may be useful to other boaters on this branch of the loop.

Joliet to Ottawa, Illinois

DesPlaines  River.  47 miles.  3 locks.  Trees.  Water

The lock personal take pride in providing assistance

Each lock holds 1.7 million gallons of water, so every time a boat is locked through, that is the approximate amount of water that goes from upstream to downstream

Tonight we are at a very nice marina called Heritage Harbor, just east of Ottawa.  What a great place, the personnel are the most helpful we have encountered thus far and the facility is clean, pretty and all around first-class.  PLUS they cater to Loopers so it was only $1 per foot – for Reunion that’s $40 for the night. We highly recommend this stop.

We chose not to stay at this marina

A floating village on the river

Need a lift?

We also encountered Becky and Mark from the Mara Beel, whom we first met in Door County – they are so hospitable and easy to visit with, we enjoyed the evening very much.

Chicago to Joliet

Chicago Lock control center

We left DuSable Harbor this morning in a very brisk wind. Fortunately we only had to go as far as the river entrance.  We went through the lock and into the heart of the city.  What an exciting point of view – all the people the traffic, the grand buildings and lots and lots of bridges.  The early part of the trip is beautiful, and then the river changes to an industrial landscape, and finally the Chicago shipping and sanitary canal.  The scenery heading southwest out of Chicagoland isn’t bad, but sometimes it smelled a little suspicious.

We passed under every describable variety of bridge – from a low of 10 feet (The Amtrak bridge that of course had to be raised) to highway bridges about 50 feet above the water.  We had taken down our radar arch to pass under the fixed bridges.  We can get down to 16 feet tall, and several fixed bridges were just 17 feet above the water.  That’s a little weird when the trucks are rolling over you 12 inches overhead.

About 60 bridges today, the small lock at the entrance and a great deep lock and dam at Lockport, Ill..  Dennis did all the hard piloting, and Carol was the longshorepersonat the locks.

Lake Shore Drive Bridge

Trump Tower

Everyone is going to work, us too!

Amtrak Bridge

Constructed in 1900

Very Industrial

#1 Mate, Everything is under control

38 foot lift, Lockport Lock

Lauren drove down to have supper with us at Joliet and we really enjoyed it.  We are soon getting out of range for these “family drop-in events”

Racine to Chicago

First day of the Great Loop for Reunion – and it was a wonderful way to start.  We departed Racine Harbor at about 5:30 this morning to make the most of a calm weather window because small craft warnings are expected for late afternoon.  The sun was just beginning to rise and shortly after we left the harbor, Jenny texted to tell us we had been on the Ch. 12 news – It was just a live shot of the harbor but we happened to cruise right through and Jen and Eliot recognized the boat.  Not a lot of boat traffic at that hour.

Cruising to Chicago we had 1-3 foot waves and a cool breeze in the sun for the 7 hour trip.  It was fun to recognize so many towns and landmarks along the way.  The Bahai Temple at Wilmette was especially beautiful, and shortly after that we were watching the Chicago skyline come close.  We had a great view of the city from the Outer Harbor – came around Navy Pier and past the old Chicago Lighthouse.  We pulled into a slip at DuSable Harbor, chosen for proximity to Lake Shore Drive, Ruth and Norm and Mallory and Justin’s apartment buildings.

The perfect 1^st evening out included dinner for 6 on the sundeck and then a view from the 56^th floor roof deck of Mallory and Justin’s building.  Finally, Poseidon, their Great Dane, took us all for a walk along the lakefront. Couldn’t have asked for a better cruise, or better company on our first day.