Down the River We Go

Yesterday we started down the river system.  Our goal was to get as far as the free wall at Joliet, further if possible.  We departed DuSable Harbor along Chicago's lakefront at 8:00 a.m.  After our very windy day Chicago on Saturday, we woke up to a beautiful, calm day!  

Our first challenge was the Chicago Harbor Lock which turned out to be a piece of cake!  The drop is only 1 foot and we were the only boat in the lock.  The next challenge was the Amtrak Rail Road Bridge which must be raised to allow most boats to pass under.  Nancy used her one of her many charms and called the bridge tender; he agreed to raise the bridge even before we arrived.  After the rail road bridge, we traveled approximately 15 miles where the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal joined the Cal-Sag Channel.  We then crossed the famous electrical fish barrier which is designed to keep Asian Carp out of Lake Michigan.  We approached the Lockport Lock and only had to wait approximately 30 minutes while the lock chamber filled.  Once we entered the lock it lowered us 39 feet.  Expecting delays at this lock, we planned to spend the night at the free wall in downtown Joliet.  Since we were able to lock through so quickly, we decided to proceed through the Brandon Road Lock and on to Harborside Marina in Wilmington, Illinois.  Fortunately, we the Brandon Road Lock was ready for us when we arrived and we were able to lock down 32 feet with no delay.  Harborside Marina was a bit of a disappointment, but it was inexpensive and there a good restaurant on site.
 
Today, we departed Harborside Marina for Starved Rock Marina.  The distance was only around 40 miles, but we had 2 major locks to clear.  Our luck held and we were able to lock through Dresden Lock and Marseilles Lock with virtually no delays.  At Marseilles Lock, we locked through with a couple from the Netherlands who are doing the Loop on a sailboat.  We arrived at Starved Rock Marina in the early afternoon.  

Having our friend, Hal Gilpin, with us was really helpful as we maneuvered through the locks.  Sadly, he will only be spending one more day with us.  His wife, Wendy, will pick him up tomorrow near Peoria.  It's been great to have an extra crew member on board as we learned how to pass through the locks!

During our river travels, we have met many several tows (pushing huge barges) head on and have even passed a tow or two.  Our new AIS (Automatic Identification System) was helpful in that we were able to hail the tugs by name.  The captains responded immediately and were very cooperative in assisting us in passing.  It has been a positive experience so far.

We plan to add pictures in a day or two.  We are still learning how to post the pictures!