A day on the Illinois River

Our only lock today, Starved Rock, locked us through between a 'double' barge lock through.  They had gotten the barges through but had to lower the pool again to get the push boat...we got lucky and they let us through on the 'empty'cycle of the lock, so we didn't have to wait.  

Barges through the lock waiting for the push boat'

We couldn't fit between the barge and the 'cell' ( the round grey structure) so we had to weave our way into the lock.

Weaving our way to the lock wall

The push boat waiting for us to lock through

Grain being loaded onto a barge

Trees showing their "roots"

I couldn't figure out how this tree got here

Does the water ever get this low???

One of the few signs of civilization we've seen on this mostly industrialized, sometimes scenic river

A close up of how they tie the barges together 

The Scenic View

Tonight we are at Hamm's Marina. When we pulled in Gary said it reminded him of Rhadigans marina, Algonac, circa the 80's.  Pretty run down but a nice owner who collected our $42. with a smile. Our return was electricity for air conditioning in the heat, a dock that was spider city and water to try and wash the never ending bugs off the boat.  I know people say Florida is a bug state but they've never been to Michigan or Illinois in September on a boat.  We are a bug magnet and the SPIDERS are terrible this year.  Especially in a marina, which is why we are so anxious to get back on the hook!!!

Not your run of the mill entry into a marina...lots of scrap metal in waiting

 This is a little more user friendly..

Ahhhh...amenities

Spit out of Lake Michigan

And that's the truth...  We had a 15 MPH North wind that just about blew us out of Lake Michigan into the calm waters of the Calumet Canal but we made it.  Our love hate affair with Lake Michigan is now over, with very mixed emotions.  The scenery was some of the best on the trip, the towns also were wonderful.  Lots of action in these west Michigan beach towns, very few closed shops, unlike other places we've been....just thriving tourist communities.  But....as you've heard from me (many times), the Lake is not always on her best behavior.  Enough said....

Sunrise on Lake Macatawa...Holland, Michigan


Holland's waterfront mansions

BIG RED....Holland Lighthouse

Holland State Park Beach

Our plan when we left Holland was to get as far south as we could that day.  As luck would have it the winds picked up about three hours into the trip and the rollers building from the N.W. and the 15 mph winds from the N.E. took us on another joy ride and after travelling ten hours in increasingly unsettled conditions we finally found a marina with an available slip in Michigan City, Indiana.  No anchorages for a boat our size south of Holland

Michigan City Marina

Could it be??  A real Bob the boat dog!!  I'm still working on Gary.

Unusual (to me) variegated Rose Bushes ..

We stayed two nights in Michigan City, waiting for the wind to die down. VERY nice marina right next to the beach, with an outlet mall nearby, a great Saturday Farmers Market, but no grocery store.

We toured the Barker Mansion built in the 1800's by John Barker whose fortune was estimated at fifty to sixty million in 1910, from....building rail cars.  Very ornate place.  I managed to get two pictures of the main receiving room before the docent said "sorry no pictures"!

We left Michigan City Saturday for Hammond, Ind., six miles from downtown Chicago.  It is a 918 slip marina on Lake Michigan with a huge casino on a barge in the harbor, The Horseshoe.

Just a small portion of this very large marina with the Horseshoe casino in the background

When in Rome one must visit the casino so we choked our way through all of the smoke in the place and took note of the unsmiling people in front of slot machines and dealers, and I thought not my idea of a way to spend a day by any means but... different strokes.  I lost a dollar on a slot machine and we decided to head back to the boat before getting tempted to lose another one.

The Casino Barge resting on steel mooring pilings
and pictures from inside

Sunday morning we entered the Calumet Sag. The Cal Sag is the industrial waterway through Chicago, with lots of barge activity. It is totally industrial with yards for loading scrap metal, mulch, coal, salt, stone, oil, chemicals, you name it.  Trains whiz by on the shorelines and barges are not a single being towed but from 6 to so far 15 rafted together and being 'pushed' up and down the waterway from the Gulf to Chicago.  We were told that Chicago is the rail hub of the U.S.

 We passed through the electric fence the Corp of Engineers has installed to keep the Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes.  We turned off all electronics 'just in case'.  It was about a five minute trek with a big industrial plant at the south end of it.


We stayed at the wall at the LockPort Lock Sunday night with Bob & Judy on Sanderling and traveled with them all day yesterday.  We were the lead boat since we were faster and when we got to the second lock it was my job as mate to call and let the lock know we were arriving and would need a lockage.  Ok, NO PROBLEMO....ha, ha... I called the lock on the cell and they're 'okey dokey', we'll have 'er ready when you get here.  Well we got there, idled around for 45 minutes, only to finally find out I had called the wrong lock!  OY VEY...these are some very scary moments!  Sanderling took it graciously...but Gary has definitely got me on probation.


Calumet Canal  slideshow   we're back to clicking the i to see the captions...

Last night, after a long hot day, we arrived at the free wall with electricity (music to our ears) in Ottawa, Ill.  We've traveled about 110 miles on this waterway. Barges are everywhere. We've passed a 2x3, a 3x4 and the biggest a 3x5.  In layman's terms this describes the number of barges tied together with one push boat.  The 3x5 was something .....15 barges loaded coming at you in a big lump is nothing to fool with.  

But our guide books say communication is the key.

When you see a barge coming you hail the captain and ask which side he'd like you to pass on. Then he'll say "on the one" (Port to Port) or "on the two" (starboard to starboard).  Those phrases go back to the old days before VHF radios when they would blow one whistle for a Port pass and two whistles for a Starboard pass.

We decided we'd follow Bob and Judy and stay hooked up to power on the free dock today.  The temperature did reach 97 degrees!  Tomorrow we are down-bound  again.  There don't appear to be any good anchorages along the Illinois so we will probably be  marina rats for the next week.

On a final note...the Asian Carp problem is real.  Last night we saw them jumping out of the water under the bridge near our boat when another boat went through.  Chuck from 'Luv n Life' who is quite a bit further south had a carp land on his deck....splat like a bug on a windshield!

  

And so it goes......

Tomorrow is the day...we are OUT OF HERE!  Nice neighborhood but it's time to go....  Today we did accomplish one ongoing task and a few do it while you cans.

After three days of trying Gary finally beat the grill into submission....(this may prove to him that you don't have to be injured to have done it right)

Lots of penetrating oil and torch heat over three days ....the torture worked with the help of hammer chisel and pliers....the rusted in burner finally caved

Such angst from such a tiny part.  Rest assured the new is in and the next time this happens...
"I Matey.. " it'll be a watery grave!!"

I had another day of spider detail....water+ Michigan= spiders.....and tightening screws that have been loosened by our daily rock and rolls...

We  are confident that tomorrow we will be able to get to Benton Harbor and the next day Calumet and into the River System.

Lake Michigan we loved your shores, hated your winds, but will miss you!  Can't believe I said that but it is true....we love the water and here lots of water is what you get...Kind of like the old saying "I love you, but I don't always like you".......

What's Up With This Wind!

.

A gift to me from my daughter, Dorian....Couldn't be more perfect,
a daily reminder to keep me focused!!

We have almost consistently had two kinds of wind directions to deal with.  Either SW or NW. Southwest is do-able as long as they stay under 12mph, Northwest we don't like much as it's following us on our aft quarter but as long as they're under 10mph we go.  

The problem being ... the wind Gods have a mind of their own and they don't necessarily  pay attention to what Dapper Dan the Weatherman has forecasted, so we have had to make lots of short hops.  It should take 5 days running to get down the coast of Michigan for us and we started 12 days ago with 8 running days. Bob Seger may like that Old Time Rock and Roll, but Tie A Knot is not loving it!

We left Muskegon on Sunday...beautiful, perfect, but our destination, Saugatuck, proved to have a lack of accommodations, duh Labor Day Weekend, should have known.  So we back tracked to Holland where we are still sitting, anchored, on Tuesday night, due to unfavorable winds.  We're starting to get cabin fever and we have been anchored in water sports central for two and a half days.  We, once again seem to be a magnet for every tuber, skier, kneeboarder, jet ski, etc.  Yesterday one boat even asked if we'd tie their tube up so they could go skiing!!

Gary said OK but trailed it way off the stern to keep them away from the boat.

I guess if you're gonna' get stuck you might as well have a good view!

Off track again, sorry, anyway Pentwater was a GREAT stop.  What a nice town.  Lots of stores and restaurants, a great waterfront with a State Park.  Just lots to see and do.  We shopped, had lunch off the boat (wonders will never cease) and trolled the marinas to find other loopers.  We met a few who we may see again in the next few weeks.

From Pentwater we went to Great Lakes Marina in Muskegon to visit with Gary's brother Leigh, and his wife Gail.  The Marina had a special rate for Loopers....$25.00 a night.....we were liking it ....stayed two nights.  Gail fed us, they both took us shopping....(and after our provisioning in Petoskey I thought I had enough for 3 weeks) ha!  Turned out it was only 10 days  :-).  We really didn't need a lot but it was nice to get a ride to a farmers market and Meijer.

We also toured the Milwaukee Clipper which is being restored through donations and volunteers.  I forgot my camera so didn't get any pictures.  Leigh & Gail have 'adopted' a stateroom which they have volunteered their labor to strip the old paint and redo the room.  Volunteer have been working on the ship since the late 90's....it is a labor of love that is going to take a long long time to complete...

I had to revert to the previous slideshow format :-)  so you need to click the   i   at the bottom of the slideshow screen to see the captions....  just a minor technical difficulty to keep you on your toes!  

Pentwater to Muskegon  Slideshow

Part II

This blog has been a few days in the making so  "It is what it is" a little thought scattered. Seems I'm falling apart in the blogging department...no discipline! Leigh & Gail drove to Holland yesterday to show us the land sights.  We were only 45 minutes from Muskegon after being underway for about seven hours....what a sad state of affairs that is...

Downtown Holland

Leigh, Gail and Gary in front of the Boat Works Holland Restaurant

Gail and I having a little fun...she even gave me the wheel...brave soul

Gary's heritage...the old Chris Craft plant tower in Holland

Goodbye guys....it was a fun day!!!!

Today, since we had to wait out the wind, (the Gods again decided to play with us and by 1:00 it was half what was forecast) we got a few items off the "bucket list".  As you can see Gary is sticking to his philosophy....if there is no blood he isn't doing it right.  He was changing the valve cover gaskets and boinked his head on the engine....Since I didn't have a butterfly bandage he will now have another "Manly Scar"....

And so it goes .......

Fright Night

Michigan is fabulous!  Except for Lake Michigan which is a fickle, excuse my language, Bitch!  We left Frankfort yesterday and got into Portage Lake early.  A good place to anchor for the night.  It started out well.  Very calm, light winds, protected water.  We went for a dinghy ride around the small lake.  Returned to the boat for dinner and a beautiful sunset.

In the light of day maybe the dark horizon should have been a clue, but it's been there many times with 'nada'

Should have known better.  Complacency set in.  We thought our one anchor had a tight hold seas calm, wind non existent, so we crashed early only to be pulled out of our sleep at 3am when the rain started.  No biggie, close the open port lights, it was a gentle rain.  

Well.....3:30 am was a different story, winds howling, time to check our position. 

Then all hell broke loose.

We had drifted over 300 yards ....NOT GOOD....in case I didn't tell you before, Lake Michigan Lakes are very deep, to anchor you must get very close to the shore.

We had anchored about 500 yards off of a couple of boat hoists.....getting our bearings with visuals on shore, only to find we had drifted about 150 feet away from them.... in the dark, wind howling, rain pelting......Every boaters worst nightmare crashing into another boat....the other being crashing into a rock seawall....you get my drift...these are the things we hope will never happen.

                                 This is 500 yards imagine being 150 feet

We ran up to the bridge, started the engines and like a smooth operating machine under great duress, who under extreme pressure managed to get the anchor up, repositioned, and put two anchors down thanks to the Captain. I must add that I did not blind either one of us with my use of our handheld spotlight, a skill I am still learning! 

Of course by now it was 4am and there was nothing to do but wait the storm out.   Gary got not one wink of sleep from then on and I tried to sleep for an hour.  Our plan had been to set off early and get to Ludington.  

We did leave at 7am for Ludington but pulled in at Manistee at 9 am for an encroaching storm. Stayed there until 12:30 and checking FOUR weather apps. things looked OK for heading to Ludington.   Seas were fairly calm for about an hour when again....all hell broke loose. 20 Knot SW winds and 4 to 5 foot seas

Suffice it to say when we reached Luddington 3 hours later we were never so glad to see a Lighthouse.  It was a nasty day on a snotty Lake Michigan.

24 hours to be remembered!   Not with fondness  :-)

City of Milwaukee...Manistee

A lighthouse we passed don't ask me which one..I was having a hard time hanging on. Actually I was astounded the photo wasn't a total blur!

We are now anchored in front on the Dow Chemical Plant in Ludington, hopefully safe and sound.

Tie A Knot.....over and out

'Pure Michigan'

Michigan is without doubt a beautiful state.  Every time I come back I wonder why we left,. Actually I remember pretty well when the skies are gray for days on end, but that aside someday I hope to be able to return to Michigan for the summers. With the short summer season there is constant activity, fairs, car shows, boat shows, art shows, antique shows, camping, boating, kayaking, boat races......and on and on. No matter what your passion is you will most likely be able to pursue it here.  

We met Carl and Wendy on South Manitou Island sixteen miles off of Leland.  These Islands are part of a chain (with Beaver Island in the North) that were formed after water filled the Lake Michigan Basin that was created by Glaciers eons ago.  We hiked almost eight miles (oh my aching legs, hips and neck), rule of thumb, inactivity on a boat should not be followed by hiking eight miles!

BUT it was worth every ache and pain....it was a picture perfect day for the Pure Michigan ads you see everywhere.   Blue sky, bluer water, no wind and gorgeous scenery.  The only way you can get here is by ferry from Leland or personal water craft and it is one of the few places of natural beauty that hasn't been disturbed by man mainly because of its inaccessibility. 

It is an uninhabited island which is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. We were able to dinghy over the wreck of the Three Brothers (1911) in water so clear we could see the remains of the hull 20 feet under water.  We saw giant Northern White Cedars, some of the largest in the world, one estimated at being over 500 years old.  There is a restored lighthouse, a 'village' of houses that were once occupied by settlers on the island.  Google "South Manitou" Island and you'll be amazed at the history of this gem in Lake Michigan.

SOUTH MANITOU SLIDESHOW           (speaker upper left corner...new slideshow)

Yesterday we walked to the beach to see the wave action in the 15 to 25 MPH winds and then walked some of the streets.  It's amazing what you see if you just stray off the beaten path!

And here are the swans bobbing around in 18 MPH winds.  We were in the dinghy and didn't want to get too close.  They can get pretty darn ornery.