Port #19: Bridging Our Way to Joliet...

Great Loop II Date: 9/6/2014

Day #37 (Saturday): 36.5 miles (1066 total miles)

Locks: 1 (4 total locks)

Port #19:  Joliet, IL

The clock rang its happy sound at 4:45AM.  Charlie and I got up, put the first pot of coffee in our thermos and started the second pot.  With a few sips of Joe on board, Charlie and I headed out the door so he could sniff some grass and stretch his legs.

By the time we came back to OB, Todd was up, dressed, had our route on both navigations systems and was ready to cast off.  Our neighboring boat, Andante, was measuring his height to make sure he could transit under the last fixed bridge on this route.  Once past that railroad bridge, there are no other height restrictions.

We talked with Andante about our plans.  Theirs were the same however they decided to leave a little later.  We cast our lines off and were underway.

The morning air was cool, crisp and dry.  A nice front had come through the evening before and left a good amount of rain.  Wind was minimal and not a factor for us in the river or the locks.  We only had one lock ahead of us, the Lockport Lock.

As we headed down the Calumet River, we passed four boats that were sunk at their docks.  One was at a private dock and three were in a marina that looked abandoned.  There was no information published about this area but it sure looked strange.

Charlie checking out the situation.

Todd busy with Captain's duties.

The tranquil setting of the river.

The Little Calumet River joins the Calumet Sag Channel.

Old locks along the riverside abandoned after new locks were built.

Next on the Calumet Sag Channel was bridge after bridge.  We cleared all of them including the fixed 19 foot bridge.  Also along the way were many barges ready to be staged for transit on the rivers.  A few tows were working the barges.  We found all to tow captains to be very accommodating.

The bridges were close together.  All were high enough to go under without any concern except ONE.

Most of the graffiti was common place, however some was really beautiful.

There even was some graffiti on the rock walls between bridges.

Also, there were some beautiful waterfall spillways in park settings.  They help control the drainage from little creeks and pools off of the Cal-Sag.

This was the last waterfall and where the Cal-Sag joins the Chicago Shipping and Sanitary Canal.

The red arrow is the Chicago Shipping Channel and the green arrow is the Calumet Sag Channel.  Many Loopers never see the Cal-Sag opting to come through Chicago if their height permits.

This was a nice backyard with a ready made retaining wall left over from an old lock wall.

The Chicago Shipping Channel was busier with tows moving barges around.  All of the tow captains were very good to help us get by them safely.

THAT'S the bridge that causes some concern.  When the water levels are up, the clearance may be less than the documented height of 19 feet.  We passed under it with more than 2 feet above the highest part of OB.

My view of the railroad bridge.  Looks frightening but it really wasn't.  We go slow especially in tight spaces.

The famous Fish Barrier signs came into view alerting us to check the status of transit with Channel 16 (USCG).  Todd did so with absolutely no response.  We moved through the 0.7 miles without any problem and no communication on the radio.  I did find it interesting that all the ducks and sea gulls were lined up on the south side of the barrier.  It must tickle their feet so they know not to go further.  Fishing is probably pretty good for them right there since any fish going past that point are supposedly stunned or killed by the electrical current in the water.

The early warning sign before entering the Fish Barrier. This is when a call is made to the USCG on Channel 16.  They didn't respond to our call during this passage nor did they in 2010.  We're beginning to think we don't exist!

The channel leading to the Fish Barrier...with a huge petroleum refinery just before it on the north side.

The barrier starts at this arch.

This is the 0.7 miles worth of electrified water.  There were signs all along like the ones above.

The end...notice the ducks and seagulls all sitting on the other side of the sign.  Either they can read or they've had their toes shocked a few times.

Shortly after the Fish Barrier we were at our only lock for the day, the Lockport Lock.  A barge that had to be brought up-bound in two sections was just completing their lock through.  A down-bound barge and tow were staged to transit next.  The lockmaster asked the tow captain if Ocean Breeze could come through with them.  After a little discussion, the tow captain invited us in alongside.

Just before we were cleared to enter the lock, 5 more Looping boats came to the lock wall.  The lockmaster asked the tow captain if they could lock through as well.  The tow captain felt one was enough.

Lock down was uneventful.  We were held in the lock for almost an hour from the beginning to the point the doors opened and we were given the all clear to leave.  OB was extended a little forward in the path of the lock doors, so the lockmaster did notify us when we could untie from the bollard and back up enough to allow the doors to open completely.

The spillway before the lock.  It controls water levels at the lock.

The tow leaving the lock before the Robert Wagenstall could enter.

There's our lock companion...the Robert Wagenstall with his barges.

This is what Todd sees from the bridge...the lock doors.

This is what I see while keeping us to the lock wall.  That big pin in front of me is a bollard.  It moves up or down with the water as it fills or leaves the lock.  I have to put a line around the bollard and hold it while we go up or down in the lock.

Joliet was just down river from the lock.  We transited the three lift bridges quickly and were at the free park wall to tie up by 2:15PM.  The Loopers behind us were held up by an upbound tow that had to be broken into two sections followed by a down-bound tow that also had to break into two sections.  By the time they entered the Lockport Lock, 10 Looper boats had congregated to make the transit.  They all arrived at the Joliet free wall around 7:30PM.  There were three other boats on the wall besides OB so all hands were on deck to help these tired Loopers tie up.  Needless to say, the free wall was full and it looked like a convoy!

OB tucked in for the night at the Joliet Free Wall.

This 4X4 Barge (4 across and 4 deep=16 barges) and tow came by us around 10PM. He REALLY struggled to manipulate his load at an angle to get positioned for the next bridge one block away.  We watched him for 30 minutes until he finally made way past the bridge.  In 2007 a barge took out 3 pleasure boats along the Joliet wall on the other side of this bridge.  They no longer allow pleasure craft to dock there.  The bend it too tight for barges such as this one.

Port#18: Docktails in Dolton...

Great Loop II Date: 9/5/2014

Day #36 (Friday): 13.5 miles (1030 total miles)

Locks: 1 (3 total locks)

Port #18:  Dolton, IL

On August 28^th a 57 foot tug capsized and sank in the Calumet River just past the 106^th Street Bridge in Chicago, IL.  Other than the headlines, who would think it would cause us problems as we prepared to start our trek down the rivers.  Because of Ocean Breeze’s bridge clearance, we chose to take the Cal-Sag Shipping Channel both in 2010 and again during this Loop.  The 106^th Street Bridge was part of this route.  Worse yet, we were informed the Army Corps of Engineers responsible for removing the sunk tug planned to close passage through that area for a week.

Todd and I had already decided we wanted to get underway and get to a point where we could pass through the famous Aquatic Nuisance Species Dispersal Barrier (Asian Carp Fish Barrier, for short!) on Saturday or Sunday when it was open.  During our 2010 Loop trip, we traveled down this corridor on Sunday and it was quiet.  No barges were moving, all the plants along the waterway were still and the locks and bridges opened as soon as we arrived.  We knew leaving on a Friday would put us amid a working river but we had to get down stream before the river would be closed.

By Friday, a large group of Loopers had come into Hammond Marina to prepare for their river transit.  A few made the decision to stay in Hammond.  Andante (Sue and Tom) and Sweetwater (Pam and Tim) were ready to make a run for the rivers.

Bye bye Hammond

We met our first barge before we even entered the Calumet River!  Only one barge being moved toward one of the steel plants.  We saw quite a few being moved around and repositioned in the river.

The entrance to the Calumet River.  We're finally off the lakes...until next summer.

The first bridge we had to wait for...although this one went up fairly quickly and our wait was short.

Believe it or not, we fit under this railroad bridge...and wouldn't you know a train came over it as soon as we started under it!

At normal pool we would have fit under this bridge.  With the higher water levels in Lake Michigan this year, the clearance was lowered to 17 feet.  We eased up to the bridge but there just was not enough room so we waited with this trawler.

There's a sunk 57 foot tug at the end of that crane.

This is a pretty big operation to get this tug pulled up and out of the river.

More barges in various stages of loading and unloading along the side of the river.

Scenes like this also populate the river and always catch my eye.

The last freighter we'll see until we come into the Hudson River...unless we catch them along the East Coast.  That won't be until next May.

The rivers were busy with small numbers of barges being moved about and positioned for taking on a load or travel.  Some of the bridges were open as we came down the river, others had to be called.  It was very windy and hot, so waiting was not pleasant.

When we reached our only lock of the day (the Thomas O’Brian), the lockmaster was filling the lock and two sailboats were waiting.  A trawler and a small johnboat joined us, as well.  The transit took an hour and the drop was only 3 feet.  We didn’t have to tie to a bollard since the drop was minimal with no turbulence.

Good Ol' Thomas O'Brien, the first lock of 8 we will go through on our way down the Calumet, Des Plaines and Illinois River System on the way to the Mississippi.

When we're in the rivers, the scenery seems so remote and rural that we often forget civilization may only be a bridge away.  This is the I-94 bridge that runs north into Chicago, on up the west side of Lake Michigan into Milwaukee then inland into Minnesota!

We arrived at our stop for the day only 13 ½ miles downriver from Lake Michigan.  The trip took us 2 ½ hours, which is not unusual with wait times for lift bridges and locks.  The run positioned us well to transit the Fish Barrier on Saturday morning.  We also had our first Docktails get together with 4 other Looper boats: Andante, Sweetwater, Satisfaction and NancyAnn.

Port #17: Making a Home in Hammond!

Great Loop II Date: 8/26/2014

Day #26 {Tuesday): 60 miles (1016 total miles)

Locks: 0 (2 total locks)

Port #17:  Hammond, IN

After an uncomfortable night, I woke up with the clock at 5:30AM.  NOAA’s reports were for afternoon and evening thunderstorms developing southwest of Chicago.  During the last 3 days we had heard severe thunderstorm warnings accompanied by severe weather marine warnings for Chicago and southern Lake Michigan.  Looking at the radar, all looked well with a line of developing storms well south of the Illinois/Indiana border and heading due east.  Lake Michigan was calm with 1 foot or less seas that would be on our stern.  That would make for a nice ride.

Before we left our dock at North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor, IL.

We cast off our lines at 7:30AM and Todd set course for Hammond, IN south of Chicago.  We had decided our tour of Chicago during the last Loop was good enough for us.  Another determining factor was Todd had received a call from the VA Outpatient Center in Columbus, Ohio for a long awaited appointment.  This appointment would determine his hearing loss related to his service in the Air Force from poor ear protection while working in the loud missile launch bays.  Hammond would be a good place to stay, rent a car, and travel to Columbus, Ohio for the appointment.

Our trip from Winthrop Harbor to just north of Chicago was unremarkable.  The following seas had been comfortable, although the day had become overcast and dismal.  We were busy killing biting flies that continued to try to make a meal of us.

By 11:30AM it was evident a big storm had developed and was heading east.  It looked like it would hit us.  Todd opted to put OB up on plane and try to outrun the storm.  His strategy and some help from God worked.  The storm blew up directly behind us.  The skies were menicing, there was plenty of lightening and thunder behind us and there was plenty of rain.  It did look like it would overtake as at some point but never did.  The winds were very strong but were also on our stern along with growing choppy waves.  At one point we felt we were surfing 3 foot with an occasional 4 foot wave.  However, with them on our stern, the ride was never uncomfortable.  Part of that comfort was due to the excellent driving abilities of Otto (our autopilot).  We did dawn our life vests and put Charlie in his.  He immediately went to his safe place and hid.

The Chicago skyline did appear and is just under those clouds on the right.  The black dots on the windshield are flies!

Charlie's safe place...our master stateroom in the front of the boat under the pilothouse where we are stationed.  He's in his life vest.

We passed the Chicago skyline around 1PM.  It had just begun to reappear from under the dense clouds.  So far we’ve not gotten a good skyline shot of Chicago in either Loop.  Chicago was incased in heavy haze when we approached in 2010.

Todd slowed OB to a crawl just after passing Chicago.  There was another big storm to our south that had developed southwest of Joliet and worked its way northeast into our path.  It took us another 1 ½ hours to get to Hammond but we didn’t get a drop of rain out of that storm.

There goes that storm to the south of us.

Hammond Marina is a large facility that sits right behind the Horseshoe Casino.  Our dock was a good long walk from the main office and not quite as far to the casino.  Since I hadn’t fixed anything for dinner, we decided to go to the casino.  We went to the buffet and enjoyed excellent food from many cultures: Asian, Latin, Italian as well as American cusiene were available.  Todd and I left totally satisfied.

The Hammond Marina.  OB is waaaaaaaaay back in the very back of the picture!  It was a 1 mile walk from OB to the marina office and back to OB.  Excellent exercise.

Since we filled up at the buffet our first night, we stuck with one of our favorite meals the second night...wine, cheese, beef stick and crackers.

Another beautiful sunset...after a rainy afternoon, of course.

We enjoyed meeting and reuniting with many Loopers during our stay.  Akasha with Rosemary and Clark came in soon after we did.  They flew back to their home in Ft. Worth the next morning for a short break and to keep some appointments.  Blue Moon and El Nido came in that same evening.  We had just met them in Leland, MI.  DeDe with Diane and Henry as well as Fruitcakes with Julie and Andy had come in with this group.  All of them had crossed from Michigan and outwitted the storms.

Thursday afternoon we finally caught up with this group of Loopers.  We decided to go to the casino, have some cocktails and try our hand at gambling.  I’ve never had much experience with casino games but decided it would be fun.  Besides, the mention of food will get me to go most anywhere!

First we ate at the Asian restaurant inside the casino.  Again we had a delicious meal.  After dinner, we went to the video poker bar in the middle of the casino floor.  We ordered after dinner cocktails and tried our luck with Blackjack and Poker.  I stuck with Blackjack and managed to lose $4.10.

We took our cocktails out into the casino and Todd and I chose to try the slots.  Within 20 minutes I won back my $4.10 and added another $10.70 in winnings to it.  With that, I was content to stop and head back to the boat.

This was a huge casino with multiple floors.  This was just a small section of the main floor.  The lights and sounds always amaze me.

Friday was a catch up day on the boat.  We had gotten a mail drop from our mail collection company.  More storms rolled in and it made it a good day for inside work (laundry, sorting mail, etc.).  King drop by (from Blue Moon) and more plans were hatched for another trip to the casino for cocktails and gambling.

Todd picked up a rental car from Enterprise Saturday.  We restocked our supplies for the upcoming river trip.  Saturday night we did go back to the casino with King and Sharon.  I lost that night but still came out with $15.70 of the $20 I played.  I doubt I will ever become a high stakes gambler.

Sunday we prepared the boat to stay in place for the few days we would travel to Columbus, Ohio.  We both remarked how different it was to be in a car fighting traffic compared to being on the water fighting waves and wakes.  We decided we preferred the latter.

Sunday afternoon we had a wonderful visit from one of our Aquaholic couples who winter in Cape Coral as we do.  Linda and Bob have a home in St. Charles, IL just west of Chicago.  Bob knows the area well from his business.  After a brief introduction to Ocean Breeze, we went to a good Mexican restaurant south of the marina in Whiting, IL.  We talked and laughed and had a most enjoyable afternoon and evening.

Monday Todd and I packed, closed up the boat and went to Columbus.  Tuesday, Todd had an appointment at the VA Outpatient Center.  He was tested in the audiology department in follow up from his claim regarding exposure during his service in the Air Force.  That evening, we went to the birthday party of a dear friend and had a marvelous time with our boating buddies that all live in Columbus.

You just never know what you are going to run into on the roads!  This did look like a flying saucer.  I was completely round and could only go about 55mph.  I'd love to see it at night with all the lights going around the outside of it!

Coming into Ohio....

...with a fairly quick turn around going back to OB.

Wednesday morning we were back on the road early to get back to Ocean Breeze and return the rental car.  In the process, Charlie tripped me on the way from the car to the dock in his excitement to get to some grass for his duties.  I fell flat on my back and experienced another round of excruciating pain in my right shoulder.  I spent the rest of the day icing the shoulder and popping ibuprofen and Tylenol Extra Strength.  By evening the pain was well reduced which was a big relief.

Thursday presented itself with a day of wind and storms so we delayed at Hammond one more day.  By then we were getting anxious to be underway.  We spent the day checking blogs and Army Corps sites online concerning the locks and the Asian Carp Fish Barrier.  Many Loopers had already made it past this bottleneck in the Ca—Sag Shipping Channel however most have chosen to transit the area on Sundays while the barrier is open and work is halted for the weekend.  By Thursday evening, we had decided Friday was our day to drop the lines and leave Hammond for the rivers.