LOOP Report 09/28/2004

Tuesday, Sept.28, 2004

Ottawa, Illinois, USA (yes, the name of the town is correct)
Golly Gee Whizikers, staying at “The 4 Star Marina” in Ottawa, it’s up a crick with half a foot under our keel. And it has taken some 2-days from Chicago and has been exhilerating, breath-taking and downright stressful, to understand you need to sit behind a humoungus tug docking a barge load the size of a lacross field. This is a major 1-hr exercise in boat handling for everyone. But,.. back up canal to Chicago… Arrived by car Thursday thanks to Hertz and found our boat with David and Sue ready to bust out for the locks and down river. But first did a tour of Navy wharf (Coney Island, Wonderland and large sized tourists). Went for dinner on the advice of good friend Martin to Shaw’s Crab House. Dinner was a treat as we were expecting just a simple seafood dinner. Forget that!! Martin knows his high end gourmet stuff and I mean stuffed. A great place, but rich food.

Back to the boat, for adventure next day. But need to tell you a niffty other story about getting through USA Customs Border Protection before carrying on. Pat had a medical test (Ultrasound) 5:30 PM on Wed. and when arriving at the border at midnight the officer asked who had just been to the hospital? They asked us very politely to drive the car through a special gateway. Then asked pat to go to the office and that I should drive through the gate again. Then I was asked to leave the car and also go to the office. Turns out pat was radioactive and glowing from the injection and they had a gieger device at the entrance. Made their day and gave us a little penetrating thrill unexpectedly.

So now we are on the river and moving nicely straight through the city “spectacular”…and on through big locks, drops of 40’ and 30’. Some very industrial sections with many coal fired electrical plants and other cement, gravel, scrap and rail yards. Once out of that area the river is tree lined and gets wider as we go. The water is a nice beige colour, Chicago Sanitary Canal might have some bearing on that. Overnight stayed on the wall in Joliet and woke up to a Carp Fishing Derby, these are serious fisherman! Still so hot the bimini is up and the sunglasses are on. Arrived at 4-star marina to find 1/2 foot of water under the keel.Needless to say the water is low in this section. Actually this is rated as –4-star unless you like honky tonk bars, people were arriving at nidnight looking to party. Got away next morning in more bright sunshine and blue sky, this weather is unbelievable, have a feeling we’ll pay for this later somehow. Had to wait 3-hours at Starved Rock lock. Barges had first go into the lock and they squeezeee..ee.e them in 3 abreast, tug and all, sometimes they will break it up into 2 sections - they’re that long, we have seen them pushing as many as 12 barges in front of them. When passing, we always ask their preference as it takes a while, us going at a fast pace of 10 miles an hour and they surging ahead at 6 miles an hour. When they steer around a corner in the river they block it all so we wait behind. Can’t argue with tonnage.Everyone is very kind to us on radio and are meeting friendly locals giving us good advice. Have arrived in Peoria at the IVY yacht and canoe club. Good dock, electricity, water and internet service.Sue has headed back to Alliston/Toronto for meetings by rental car with our new boating friends on the 38’ trawler “Boomer”. We are servicing engines with filters and oil as we have put on more than 100 hours.Will stay another day and then head for St.Louis next, picking up Sue down that direction in one week.Still have blue sky today but heavy winds stirring up the river. Must mention coming into this Marina we registered minus 1/2 foot so suspect soft bottom, this place is shallow! All is well and we are having serious fun !!!!

Ted and Pat and David and Sue.