DOWN THE RIVER

• It is a relief to be out of Lake Michigan and on our way down the river to the Gulf of Mexico. The rivers all flow down, so we should be able to gain some time and save a little money on fuel. From Chicago we had a choice of two routes to go down the river. First choice is to go right through the heart of the city. The only problem is that the bridge height is less than 17'. So the decision was made for us. We will go the Calumet Sag Canal. It's a little longer and much more commercial, but has more clearance.
• We went through a dozen bascule bridges and our first lock is the Thomas S. O'Brien lock. When we approached the lock we saw a boat tied up to the outside lock wall. We pulled up behind the boat and they took our lines for us. We called the lock and found out we had to wait while a barge came out. We started talking to Ruth and Dennis, they were also loopers. We told them we were hoping to get to Joliet by the end of the day. It was their plan also. About an hour later a tow pushing 9 barges came out of the lock and it was our turn. After the Welland Canal this was a piece of cake.
• We passed a sign that said "Caution, no fishing, no swimming, no contact with the human body." Really makes you think. We are on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The reason it's called the Sanitary canal is they raised the river so that all the sewage from Chicago can not enter the Great Lakes. It forces all the waste to go down the river to the Gulf. How ironic is that...we spend $5. to $10. to pump out our 40 gallon holding tank.
• In the Des Plaines River it was so narrow that you had to pay attention every minute. Mike gave Dennis plenty of room in case he needed extra space to move around. On the side there were barges tied up, this made the narrow passage even more tricky. There was a barge in front of Dennis, he followed the barge until it was clear to pass. Now it's our turn. Mike asked permission to pass, the captain said he could pass on the two whistle, which means to overtake him on our starboard, his port. When we were almost passed we looked ahead and saw another tow and barge heading toward us. Mike raced passed the first barge and pulled in front of him. Then he changed his underwear. That's a joke, Mike doesn't wear underwear. Too much information.
• The next sign we came to said "Danger, Electric Current. Must wear a Life Jacket, No stopping, Danger, Danger." We found out it was because of the Asian Carp. The Federal Government has spent millions of dollars trying to keep the Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes. I found this in one of the books. Asian Carp that jump out of the water and can not only hit boaters but injure them is not a joke on the Illinois river. They become stimulated by an engine's vibration and leap well out of the water. The ones that end up in boats average eight to ten pounds. If you stay in the channel, they generally are not a problem. Locals say that if you venture close to shore where they gather, you will definitely find them.
• The Redneck Fishing Tournament is held in Bath, Illinois on a backwater and the winner is the boat with the most Asian Carp in the boat at the end of the three hour contest. In 2006, 78 boats brought in 1,840 fish. The only gear allowed are hand-held deep nets. Protective gear like football helmets, baseball bats and rain gear for slime protection are optional. Injuries requiring stitches from getting hit by the fish have occurred. Bow hunting for Asian Carp is also a growing sport and archers now come from all over the country. Ray, I think this beats frog whopping! If anyone would like information on this, give me a call, I get it for you.
• The wait at the locks had its toll on us. It took us 9 hours to go 44 miles. We tied up at Joliet with about 9 other loopers. Dennis said it was the toughest day he has had since he started the trip. The dock was across the river from Harrah's, we were too tired to even make a deposit.
• The next day we traveled 6 hours and did 36 miles to Hidden Cove Marina. Again the long hours are due to waiting at the locks. Very quiet until the couple next to us, Linda and Ray from Old Saybrook, Conn., had to vacate their slip because a very nasty blowhard started cursing at them to get out of his slip. It appears that the marina owner did not expect him back and rented out his slip. We had dinner on board and watched a movie.
• On to Henry Marina, this time it was 56 miles in 6 hours, that was better. We did a little shopping and a group of us ate dinner at the Henry Restaurant. The good thing about Henry was that the barmaid did not know how to make a martini. Mike told her to put 5 oz of Bombay Sapphire Gin and 1 oz of dry vermouth stir over ice and strain, add 3 large olives and serve. She only charged $4.50, the same as my rum and coke. This might seem boring, but the only way we can get to the Gulf is to go down the river.