The Sterling Lady cruising
America's Great Loop,for the
secound time!
The Moskegan Municipal docks are nice,but located in an industrial area, and surrounded by a bob wire fence. We stayed aboard that nite.
Because we have to meet guests in Chicago in 2 days, and because the weather window was only for today, we opted to cross directly to DuSable Harbor, Chicago, some 115 miles away. Do the math, that's a long day at 8 mph!!
We left before dawn.
What's this? A dingy, adrift, a Carolina Skiff dingy just like ours??Adrift 50 miles from any shoreline??
Yep, my tow line frayed in the middle of Lake Michigan, we had to back track 4 miles to recover it.
What with loosing the dingy, and recovering it, and changing a clogged fuel filter, we lost about 2 hours time, and finally arrived in Chicago at 9 pm.14 plus hour day. Whew!
More entrys in the ongoing boat name contest....
We were board by fellow loopers Danny and Susan from "Protest Fieri" and David and Judy from "Ja Juda"for Happy Hourz and a stroll thru Chi Town.
<--------Remember the Chase scene in Batman, and in the Blues Brothers....
Chicago at nite.
8/27/09 What do you do on a cold,rainy, windy , miserable day in Chicago??
You go to Navy pier, do happy hourz at Bubba Gumps..then....
You express you unedited opinion to the first lady....followed by....
discovering how slick Chicago mud is. Aw,the things you do after a good Happy Hourz!
Click here to add text.
8/28/09
What's this, the Chicago Police boat towning the Sterling Lady??
We left at dawn, got half way across the basin ,and clogged a filter. A $60 cab ride, a new filter, and we were back in business.
By the time I replaced the filter, it was too late to depart, so we called Kevin, a Chicagoan, and long time friend of Judy, who took us out for authentic, Chicago deep dish pizza. Yummy!@
Judy, her daughter Kim, and Kevin.
Lake MIchigan was good to us the next morning, and we are heading down town by boat.
On 8/29/09 the Lake was smooth, the Lock was open, and the city was waiting.
Wow, what a view!
Luckily,the fountain that shoots water across the channel, was not operational as we passed.
Here's a pictorial of what it's like to cruise thru downtown Chicago...
Goodbye Chicago, hello Chicago Sanitary Cannal, and the Fish Barrier.
Our only delay was this bridge, but the 10 minute wait wouldn't effect our 2 PM appointment to get towed thru the Electric Fish Barrier.
The Sanitary Cannal is narrow, and the traffic is heavy.
Just before the Electic Fish barrier, the Costees pulled out, lights and siren, yelling for us to stop.
Oddly enough, I had already done to in order to tell them I was here for my appointment to get towed.
The tow pulled over to the wall, we rafted along side with the requested 6 line, wearing our life vest, as required. I then disconnected all the positive terminals on the 6 batteries on board, and they towed us thru the 7 tenths of a mile barrier , for a cost of $600. DAM!!!
But it's the only way to get thru. If you don't use the tow, the fine is $32,500. Where do they get these figures?? I know, but can't say it here.
These are some of the cables that run across the canal, putting the electric current barrier in the water, to keep the fish out of Lake Michigan. This is why I had to be towed thru.
This whole river closure , and fish barrier fiasco is a typical government FUBAR!
And as we lock thru Lockport Dam, we were informed the lift bridge at Joliet is broke in the down position, and with only 9 feet of clearance, we will be in Joliet till Monday, when the bridge is fixed.
There is some good news, however. The Dock wall at Joliet is free with water and electic, a town with laudry, hardware , and grocery,and a Casino.
Did you know your not supposed to take pictures in a casino?? They don't like that, and I was informed of this fact.
Turns out, since we were stuck here for three days, the city of Joliet arranged a huge tire recycling plant fire for our intertainment.
The caption for this picture might be
"Never bar b Q on your boat!"
9/02/09
After 3 days, the 9 boats that were "locked" in at Joliet, were released with the bridge raised. We all ran for the dam.
and of course.. waited .
Steve and Ran "Barefoot Shoes"
Dave & Judi "JeJuda"
Sue (not pictured) & Danny and their stowaway.
Karen & Roger "Karen Ann"
Ray & Linda "Secound Noelle"
The dam gates opened, and we were Southbound.
This has been the year of No Summer! It has been rainy and spitting rain, nearly daily since we left Florida. Look, it's early september and the trees are already changing.
We stayed at Black Marina, in Senica,$1 a ft.
9/03/09
Just a bit of fog this am, so no early departure.
Dresdon Lock and Dam.
The lockmaster and Tug Captain allowed us to lock thru with them. It got a little exciting when he pulled out, but doable.
It was 15 miles and one dam to the free docks at Ottowa.
Ottawa is a terrific stop. Free Docking, free electric, free water and a great little city.
Ottawa gets my personal award for more bars in 3 square blocks than any other American City.
So many bars...so little time....
Now I know what they do in Ottawa in winter. and summer. and spring, and fall.
<------love the town logo. It fits.
9/3/09
Starved Rock Lock, with starved rock to the left.
Early settlers were surrounded by Indians on this rock, and "starved out"
Hense the name, Starved Rock.
The dreaded Dead Head.
And this one's been hit a few times.
Passing Peru's marina, with covered boat slips.
Hennepin's free dock. Shopping is available there.
The Barge companys store their barges all along this sectoin of River, tied to the trees with cable.
There is very little barge traffic so far on this trip.
A first class duck blind,complete with a garage for the boat.
We were going to stay at the Chilocothe free dock, but, they now no longer allow overnites, so we pushed on to Peoria.
