Rollin' Down the Rivers

Tug on the Misty Muddy Mississippi

We made it to the Mississipppi!!

It's pretty incredible when you think of it.. what an adventure it has been just getting here, and there is more to come just around the river bend. Unfortunately, we have a  few more days here at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers before we can officially start heading down the river. Since Monday the 15th we have been docked in Grafton, IL awaiting our turn to head down the river. About 58 miles past Grafton sits Hoppies Marina, in Kimmswick, MO -- really just some barges secured to the stone cliff by cables.  From Hoppies it is 228 miles to the next marina. Every night one of the owners Fern shares her knowledge of the river and what to expect in the coming miles to the assembled boat owners.  There is only room for 5-6 boats per night, thus the delay in our departure. When we arrived in Grafton  there were 12-15 Looper boats here, all awaiting their turn to leave, some having been here for over 10 days, delayed by high water, debris, and lock closures. It was fun to celebrate the with one couple who just completed their Loop, and to reconnect with  Loopers we had not seen since the Erie Canal -- especially our "advance team" Gerald and Cheri on Takes Two. Every morning we stand on the bow and wave good-bye to that day's group heading to Hoppies.  By mid to late afternoon word comes down the dock that they have arrived safely and information on debris, delays at locks, and water levels.

We have filled our days with a car trip to St. Louis, a visit to the Great Rivers Lock Museum at the Mel Price Lock, re-provisioning in Alton, IL,  and lots of walks with Hamilton.

Many of our fellow Loopers experienced long delays coming through the locks between Chicago and Grafton -- sometimes up to 4 ours - but we only had one 1 hour delay.  Yet, our trip was not without obstacles, especially our first day out of Chicago. We had a bumpy trip across Lake Michigan from the Chicago Yacht Club to the entrance of the Calumet-Sag Channel. Immediately, the water calmed and the industrial traffic increased. We passed barges being loaded with all sorts of aggregates, and countless barges waiting to head down the river.  We passed under numerous railroad bridges -- some high enough for us to pass under and some requiring a lift.  Tyler and I lowered the arch to allow FREEDOM to pass under the 19' bridge about 33 miles into our journey down the channel.

An assortment of bridges on the Cal-Sag

The Industrial Waterfront

San & stones waiting for their turn to be useful....

The next obstacle came 4 miles later at the Asian Carp Fish Barrier -- a permanent electrical barrier designed to prevent and slow the spread of this obnoxious species from entering the great lakes. You might recall news reports a few years back when a community drained a pond to kill the carp and instead of succumbing the fish walked to a near by pond!  They are one tough species!

Good Advice

Phew!

In years past, boats had to be towed through the barrier after shutting off all electronics and even disconnecting their batteries. Oh, and pay the tow company $600.  Thankfully that foolishness is over.

Ham keeping an eye on things on the bow -- while ahead a tug passes under a bridge

We continued to dodge barges and tows as we headed toward Joliet, IL but passed through the 39' Lockport Lock without incident, and without any anticipated construction delays.  Just miles from our destination , and the afternoon slipping away, we were stopped for about 20 minutes waiting for a bridge opening. We were happy to slip into one of the last spots on the wall at Joliet 10 1/2 hours after leaving Chicago and we slept well that night.

The next day brought more bridge delays, more locks, & more tows to dodge,  The industrial shore had given way to pockets of green and we saw eagles soaring above the Illinois River.  We arrived in Ottawa, IL early enough to walk about town and take in the the series of murals called "A Brush With History" sprinkled throughout town on the sides of the Victorian buildings.

Ottawa was also the site of the first Lincoln - Douglass debate and this is memorialized at the site of that debate, Washington Park, by two massive bronze statues. Lincoln is 11' and Douglas is 9'

  Just beside the free dock at Ottawa Landing was a terraced garden full of flowers and vegetables where visitors are encouraged to pick their own. We did!

FREEDOM in the morning mist, Ottawa, IL

Over the next few days we traveled through remote, tree lined areas -- passing barges here and there and very few pleasure crafts.  One night we tied up at a river side restaurant called Kuchies where we were welcomed by the owner Jan, and the next we anchored out behind an island called Grape Towhead. Trees, logs, and other debris floated by often bumping our hull. Tows pushing anywhere from 6 to 15 barges passed throughout both nights -- making me happy for well tied cleats and a firmly set anchor.

Having Tyler aboard gave the Cap'n a nice diversion and me a break from my usual Admiral duties. He also provided moral support as we got the hang of passing barges and  was great help in everything from navigation to getting Ham on shore when the jump from ship to shore was a bit further than usual.  We were all sad to say good bye when he headed home from Grafton on Tuesday.

Friends since Sunday School,the Cap'n and Tyler on a chilly morning in Ottawa, IL

So, here we sit, waiting to continue our adventure and with plans to walk up the road to a local BBQ joint for dinner and our cold beer on a Friday night.