[Part 2] Exploring the Calumet River to Illinois River

September 28-October 8, 2017

Today we started our journey down the river system.  We had hoped to take the Chicago River through downtown Chicago.  To do this would have meant a short trip up the coast on Lake Michigan.  The forecast told us the trip was a no-go, but be we wanted to be sure.  We headed back out towards Lake Michigan, the last we would see her for many months.  We had almost reached the harbor we had entered just a few days before, and we could already tell the waves were intense.  Sadly, we decided to turn back and take the Calumet River instead.  We noticed Rilee’s anxiety as we got closer to the lake, she was definitely relieved we turned back!  We are so glad we left when we did, I think we left with the last bit of good summer weather.  We’ll catch you next time Chicago!

Yesterday our mast came down.  It was not nearly as complicated as I had imagined it to be.  In a matter of minutes, the mast was off and it was being prepped for shipping.  We left our mast behind in Chicago, where it will be shipped to Mobile, Alabama.  To us, our sailboat looks little and naked.  We also quickly learned how often we relied on the mast and stays to steady our feet as we walked along the boat.

We motored on down the Calumet River.  It is very industrial, and we are starting to experience some barge traffic.  Calling the tow boat captains on our VHF radio, we find most to be very friendly and helpful.  In just a matter of a few miles, we are to our first of MANY locks, the Thomas S O’Brien Lock.  We have heard stories of what to expect in these locks, and this was nothing like it.  We pulled right in, were quickly locked through, and on our way again.  Wouldn’t it be nice if they were all this easy!

We reach the junction of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.  A few miles in, we go through the electrical dispersal fish barrier system.  We follow the warnings and put on our life jackets, though not sure what good that would do if we happened to fall in?!?  The barrier is designed to keep Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes.  It seems to be working so far, though after going through, it seems so easy for one or more carp to jump on a boat and hitch a ride over the barrier, falling in on the Great Lakes side.  Signs warn the barges to check for stowaways, so let’s hope this doesn’t happen!  We have seen the videos of the carp jumping like crazy the other side of the barrier…so we wait for it…wait for it…and nothing!  I guess this is a good thing, but I was ready to see some jumping carp!

We continue on the down the river, and reach the Lockport Lock and Dam, where we have a short wait.  There are two other “pleasure boats” or “pleasure craft” as we are all called that go through the lock with us.  As dusk sets in, we continued on down to Joliet, where we would tie up to the downtown free dock for the night.  Thankful for free 30A outlets so we can run the air tonight in this crazy heat!  We introduce ourselves to one of the other boats.  Mick would become our traveling buddy on and off for a good part of our river trip.  Mick is a “Gold Looper” on his second time around the Great Loop!  We are very impressed!

The next morning, we shoved off early.  We had a few hour delay at the Dresden Lock & Dam, so we rafted off with Mick and talked over lunch.  It was a beautiful day, and hey- we really had nowhere in particular to be!  This is a strange concept for me, stopping to enjoy an afternoon chat, to stop and really be present instead of rushing off in my mind to the next task of the day.  We watch cows wander into the river and drink.  We finally get through the lock as dusk is setting in.  We have been warned to be off the rivers at dark, as there is still 24/7 barge activity.  We rush to make a city dock by dark, and as we pull up, we feel the keel tapping the bottom…not good!   So we decide to push on, and after an hour or so in the dark, we reach the Anchor In Marina in Seneca, IL.  The Anchor In isn’t much for a marina, a very rough wall of old concrete stacked high.  Chad and Rilee almost took a dive in the river, and we quickly learned we needed to use the dog ramp!  Regardless, we are happy to have a place to tie to for the night.  After a quick bite to eat at the local pub, we are exhausted!

We wake early, ready to get a start on down the river, to find foggy conditions.  The sun appears and quickly burns the fog off, and we are off down the river.  We found another delay at the Marseilles Lock, so we had another long travel day, though we didn’t make much headway down the river.  We were happy to arrive to Heritage Harbor Marina in Ottawa, IL.  We have heard great things about this place and town, and are looking forward to the marina manager’s daily briefing on the river conditions.  We decide to hang out here for a day or two, as there is much to do.  We spent one day exploring Starved Rock State Park, and another exploring downtown Ottawa. We even found a cool local brewery, Tangled Roots Brewing Company, to enjoy.

The moon over the river at Ottawa, IL.

We set off on down the river, and find another delay at the Starved Rock Lock & Dam.  We are finding these locks to live up to their reputation!  We make it to the Henry Harbor Marina in Henry, IL.  Since the marina is too shallow for us right now, we have to tie to the outside abandoned Henry Lock wall.  This wall is also in very poor condition and we are thankful for every bumper we have!  Henry is a very small town, but we manage to find a grocery store.

The next day we set out to reach the Illinois Valley Yacht (IVY) Club in Peoria, IL.  It is a very hazy day, but we got to see some white pelicans.  We are happy to reach the IVY Club and ready to explore Peoria.  We spend a few days checking out the town.  We found another cool local brewery, Obed and Isaac’s, which was in a beautiful old church.  Chad also got to explore the CAT museum.  We found some really cool people at the IVY Club who were very friendly and helpful with local river knowledge.

After being spoiled a few days at the IVY Club, we prepared for a few nights on the hook (or anchored for you land-lubbers!).  The first day we made it to Havana, IL and anchored behind Quiver Island.  We took the dinghy to shore with the dog and explored the tiny town.  Chad was really excited to see our first mysterious Indian Mound.  On the way back, in the dark, a carp jumped right into our dinghy!  Rilee and I almost jumped into the river!  The second day we made it to Florence, IL where we anchored outside of the channel of the river, behind a bridge.  An even smaller town!

We woke early and pushed on through the rain, eager to reach Grafton, IL.  Grafton is located at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.  The sun came out, and so did the speedboats!  We fought down the river, getting beat up by all of the wake.  Arriving at Grafton was quite a sight after days at anchor – it was quite the party!  We were energized and ready to hit the town!