Big beautiful Cat leaving Hoppies

Looking at our boat tied to the barge

Interesting?

Gas dock on the barge is covered for a little sun break

Isn't Hoppies gorgeous?

Bladder is filled and ready to be used

Another bladder picture.  It is covered with white vinyl to block some of the heat.




Friday
9/2/2016

After Hoppies, we headed to the Ohio.  At the mouth of the Ohio there was a lot of barge traffic.  It looked like grand central station.  It was a long drive to our next quiet anchorage.  We got there at 6:45pm.  Had a cocktail and cooked brats rather quickly.  Wanted to get in before the mosquitos and no-see-ums came out.  Mike fished with a cicada as bate and got a bite before turning in.  In the morning, the cicada was still on his hook.

Travel view before anchorage

Logs that drifted down river were piling up

Cool rock island

At quiet anchorage

John and Joanna at anchorage

Tied two boats together

Mike's Cicada used for bate.

Three old boats kept at Hoppies marina

Wednesday

8/31/2016

We haven't talked much about problems, but who doesn't have them.  This morning we received two sea strainers by Fed Ex.  The chlorine tablets we added , to keep out the zebra mussels and long grass reacted with the metal strainers (ate it away).  Right after the new strainers came in we noticed a drip under the toilet.  We will have new parts for that sent to the next marina we stop at.  We then went into town, by cab, and bought clamps at the hardware store.  We needed more support for the gas bladder.  After shopping we went to the old town of Kimmswick, MO and looked through the Door County type stores.  The only thing we brought back to the boat was fresh smoked pulled pork, for supper.  Nice end to a ruff day.

Sea strainers

Leaving Grafton Harbor

Trying for one last glimpse of Matt on the hill

Just south of Grafton

Mike's barge

Chain of Rocks Canal

The Chain of Rocks canal is a small canal all boats must navigate, as the Mississippi is too shallow.

Tuesday

8/30/2016

Today we left Grafton Harbor Marina very early.  We wanted to make sure we got through two very crowded lock/dams.  The first lock we breezed through, although later we saw pictures from other loopers showing piles of logs in the lock.  We were lucky to have avoided the dam logs :)  Both of the two lock'n dams we went through had a large lock and a small lock.  The small lock had all the clutter in it.  We were lucky to have been directed to the large lock.  The entire day of traveling, we had to contend with large logs, which

were floating down the river along with us.  It was a very tiring ride, as we tried to zig zag past them without issue.

St. Louis casino with trees on a raised deck

We saw the arch

There are no marinas' or walls to stop at in St. Louis, so we took pictures and then kept going on to Hoppies Marina, known as the last stop.  Hoppies consists of four barges connected together.  We got gas and filled our gas bladder, to ready ourselves for the long 270 mile stretch without gas docks.  That evening we went for a walk to the historic town of Kimmswick.  It is the second oldest town in MO.  The entire town closes at 3:00pm, so we will explore it more closely tomorrow.

Saturday

8/27/2016

Met up this morning with nephew Matt, wife Ginger and daughter Lily.  We had a wonderful home made breakfast at their home.  Their home is in a beautiful setting.  They live on campus at Principia College, in Elsah, Illinois.  Just down the road from Grafton Illinois.  The college architecture is so beautiful, we had to include a few photos of it.  Hope you enjoy.

The beams look like wood but all walls and ceiling are made of cement.

And of course family pictures are important.

Matt's family came out to see the boat.

Saying Goodbye

In the evening we and our friends spent time on the boats.  We grilled out with John and Joanna.

Sunday

8/28/2016

Elwood received a bath today, as did the boat.  Last night we had heavy rains, so Mike polished her up this morning.  Then we walked around town and tried to stay cool.  

8/25/2016

Below are a few pictures of the Big Blue Anchorage.  When we turned on our anchor lights for the evening, we didn't realize we would attract a thousand mayflies, but you have to have your light on.  

8/26/2016

We took off from the anchorage quite easily.  

Cows cooling along the rivers edge, on this hot day.

Army Corp of Engineers dredging the river.

Homes along the Illinois river.

In Grafton Illinois, we enjoyed a wonderful evening at the Marina Oyster Bar.  It was the best dinner on the trip so far.  Jambalaya, Snow Crab, Mussels, fish tacos etc.  Wonderful large menu. 

Grafton Harbor Marina

8/23/2016

This morning we took off from Heritage Harbor Marina in Ottawa.  Skies were blue and the river water levels were beginning to recede.  Two other looper boats left with us.  

Below is a group of Pelicans along the way.

We arrived late in the afternoon at the Illinois Valley Yacht (IVY) club Marina, in Peoria.  It was a very nice stop.  There were 3 other looper boats there with us.  We all had tacos at the bar that evening.  

8/24/2016

Today we took off from the IVY club.  It was very windy, but waves were much smaller than yesterday.  We passed through a wicket dam, where the dam sinks under water and you drive right over it.  Pretty cool.

Arrived at a wall in the small town of Havana, Illinois.  Very nice park in front of the wall.  It was humid and hot, so we sat under a picnic shelter and had drinks with lots of ice.  Later in the evening we met up with some other boaters, John and Joanne, for a nice glass of wine on their boat.  The air conditioning was great.

8/25/2016

This morning we left early and traveled 60 miles, to anchor south of Big Blue Island.  We are still in Illinois.  Hope to hit Grafton, after another 60 miles tomorrow.  Tonight we raced the dingy around, ate dinner and are going to watch a movie on John and Joanne's boat.  As you can guess, they travelled from Havana with us and are also anchored out.  There are no marinas or gas docks from Havana to Grafton.  We will be staying 4 nights in Grafton.   

8/21/2016

Left Joliet very early on 8/21.  We called into the lock and were told we needed to come now or wait for quite a long time.  There were a few barges coming down the river.  Barges have priority over pleasure craft.  We put down our coffee and casted off.  It wasn't easy casting off.  There was long grass accumulated beside our boat and we had to pull the boat back far enough to maneuver past the other boats, who weren't ready to leave.  Funny thing is they caught up to us later.

Below is a picture of how crowded the river got at times.  We had to squeeze our way through.  Later in the morning, due to high water and fast current, we had to keep a lookout for logs.  Decided to spend two nights at Heritage Marina in Ottawa, Illinois, to wait for a slower current and less debris.  

Heritage Marina is new and beautiful.  They have a Chevi Suburban, which we used to do laundry in town, lunch and Farm & Fleet.  We later went swimming in their new swimming pool.  There were quite a few loopers here.  Most of them came down the river with us.  George from Lydia E spent his life as a commercial fisherman.  He mostly fished for lobster in Maine.  One of the first investments we made for our trip was on 4 collapsible lobster traps.  George said they could use some improvement.

Below, Mike is on the pier with Elwood, at Heritage Marina

We took a walk to the Marina entrance to take a picture of the sign.  It welcomes loopers.