Chicago to Joliet

Sun-Thurs 9/10-14

We had planned on staying in Chicago for a couple days, but the first night was quite windy (remember it is called the windy city). The wind formed continuous rollers on the water from the southeast which jerked and pulled the boat all night-absolutely no sleep! For another first, we spotted this Stealth plane flying over Lake Michigan!!!

We left the next morning through the Chicago Harbor lock which separates Lake Michigan from the Chicago River. There are plenty of tour boats and pleasure boats and even a Coast Guard patrol boat down the narrow river/channel. Thanks to Loopers Craig and Sherry on Cha Cha and Gilberte and Yvon on Lake Effect for capturing the great pictures of In Deep Ship.

Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

In Deep Ship cruising by Navy Pier

We were concerned that we might be a tad too tall to fit under the bridges in Chicago, but we had almost a foot to spare!

Then comes the section of the Chicago Sanitary Canal with a gazillion barges and tugs pushing them all over. One tug asked us to find a hole to hide in because he needed all the available space to move the barges.  We found a string of barges two wide with one missing. We pulled in, wrapped a line around the cleat and waited for the tow to pass. Well it was traveling so fast in this narrow (4 barges wide with maybe 8' to spare) channel that the tug sucked the back end of the boat towards the barge which caused the front starboard side to scrape against the moored barge. (Ronnie, we have some more repair work for you, but we still have the yellow paint.)

Then we come to the part of the canal that is electrified!! It is designed to keep the Asian Carp from getting into Lake Michigan. 

We finally get out of the industrial area, what a relief! We wait about an hour at the last lock for the day and pull into the city of Joliet. They have a free wall we can tie up to with free electricity. We are staying here a few days to wait on boat parts and visit Kelly's sister.

Enterprise showed up the next morning right on time with a fantastic $15 a day rental. A small car, but it was easy to drive and great on fuel. Google helped us find our way out past the cornfields to visit Kelly's sister and brother-in-law, Donna and Jerry. We had a talkfest and went out to dinner then talked some more. What a great visit!! By the time we got back to the boat all the other boaters were in bed.
                                     

The excitement the next day was simply laundry. Then the next day was grocery shopping. But the boat parts came in and the mechanic showed up to replace the injector tubing that was repaired way back in Betsey Bay. We are ready to go!! That evening there were 11 boats at the Joliet wall with new people to meet every day!  

RioMarLago also pulled in. Remember-they flew by us on the Ohio River about 1 year ago at the start of our Great Loop. We actually met them in Florida and now see them again. But they are a speedy Bayliner and  will "cross their wake" before we make it to the Ohio River to cross our wake and finish the loop.

There was a Nascar race near Joliet so they had fireworks that night in town--right across the river.