Wednesday, September 4: Short Day and Two Locks

Date:                           September 4, 2013

Day on the Cruise:     142

From:                          Harborside Marina, Wilmington, IL
                                       
To:                               Heritage Harbor Marina, Ottawa, IL

Statute Miles:              32.1 SM

Time:                           4.5 Hrs

Cumulative Miles:       3,421.8 SM

On Board:                   Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

We are on the Illinois River at Ottawa, IL tonight.

Ottawa is about Ninety Miles by River from Chicago

This was a short day after a tiring day yesterday. We made it to a very nice marina just below Marseille Lock.

We got off at 9:15 and went through the first Lock of the day about 40 minutes later. We were the third of three boats today with Journey and Always Five O'Clock in front of us. We had to raft with Always Five O'Clock in the lock because there were not enough floating bollards. Our first rafting experience!

Making our way through the green scum out of the Harborside Marina

Rafted to Always Five O'Clock in the Lock

Journey is in Front of Us

The second lock came in the early afternoon when we went through the Lock at Marseilles, IL. We hung onto ropes dropped by the Lock Master as we went down about 20'.

Our marina for the night was just a couple of miles below the Lock. It is a newer marina with nice docks and a restaurant at which we ate with several other loopers tonight. We and Always Five O'Clock turned into the marina harbor. Journey went on to the free town wall at Ottawa.

This afternoon we refueled and got another pump out. The fueling facility was right at our slip so we did not have to move, although the fuel price was the highest that I have ever paid! Hope this is not a trend on these Rivers! The pump out was also right at our slip. Rule of thumb is don't pass up a convenient pump out!

I managed to dispose of the used gas in my 3 hp outboard motor and it's little fuel can here today. I put fresh fuel in the engine and it started right up. I puttered around the marina harbor in our dinghy, and the engine ran fine. Just getting ready for anchoring out on the Rivers!

We will probably stay here tomorrow with our running buddy, Always Five O'Clock. This is a nice place and we need to do laundry so we will probably go into town.

Thanks for Reading!