Day 19: Holland, MI

Into the Dawn

We're getting into the swing of big water cruising.  After waking, but before coffee, the wave and weather forecasts are reviewed.  So far they have been good to us.  The unsettled weather hasn't been so bad that we can't travel comfortably, but it's bad enough to keep the weekenders at home.   This is a bigger deal than you'd think, especially going into the 4th of July holiday week.  Last night's marina originally told us they were completely booked.  Then the cancellations started to come in.  When all was said and done, we were the only transients in a sea of 20+ empty slips. 

Seaward Entrance to Holland

New Buffalo, MI to Holland, MI

It was a 76 mile run from New Buffalo to Holland.  The trip total is now 1028 miles.  Nellie is safely tired to the dock at Holland's Anchorage Yacht Club.  DBH

Day #18: New Buffalo, Michigan

This is Big Water!  The Far Shore is 90 Miles Away

This morning's weather report gave us pause. Once again big winds were whipping up the waves.  Knowing that the seas would be following, and thus pushing us along, motivated our decision to go.

Fun Facts Courtesy of

Kind of Says it All

Bicki Mimicking the Away! Statue.  Seagulls are its Intended Target.  Chicago's DuSable Marina should invest in these

New Buffalo Flowers

Hammond, Indiana to New Buffalo, Michigan

That's a pretty straight breadcrumb trail on the map above.  Nellie's crew would like to take credit but the fact is the autopilot steered the whole way. 

We traversed two states and a timezone in the 41 miles from Hammond, IN, to New Buffalo, MI.  The trip total is now 961 miles.  Nellie is safely at the Municipal dock in New Buffalo, MI.  DBH

Day 17: Hammond, Indiana

PassageWeather Shows Seriously Building Waves

Shifting one's mindset from river to large lake cruising takes a little work.  For example, I haven't looked at PassageWeather.com since we left Mobile Bay on 22 April 2016.  What it showed this morning wasn't good: big winds creating big waves.  The weather radar wasn't encouraging either.

MyRadar Shows A Storm Brewing

Mitigating a no-go decision was the knowledge that the shoreline south of Chicago is littered with Marinas;  thus, lots of places to bailout.  Also 'weighing' on our decision was all the seagull pooh accumulating on deck...

Bye, Bye Chicago

A favorite going away gift for someone transferring out of the Pentagon is a picture of the building as seen through a car's rearview mirror.  The photo's caption reads "I'm Outta here".    Seeing Chicago through Nellie's backup camera reminded me of the Pentagon picture but certainly didn't illicit the same joy of parting. 

Chicago, IL to Hammond, IN

It was 15 bumpy miles to Hammond, Indiana, which ups the trip total to 911 miles.   The weather is iffy for tomorrow morning but improves as the day goes on.  Nellie's safely tired to the dock in a very windy Hammond Marina.  DBH

Day 16: Chicago Lay Day

Reflections of Downtown

The New River Walk

Buckingham Fountain

Seagulls!  How is it possible to be in one of the nicest cities in the world and yet I'm writing about seagulls?  Simple, they're impossible to ignore.  Thousands are roosting on the breakwater 100 feet from us.  They're feisty, incredibly noisy, and  continually bombing our decks with poop. 

No miles on Nellie today but lots of miles on our feet.   We're holding at 896 miles for the trip.  DBH

Day 15: Chicago!

Early Morning On Joliet's Free Wall

More Barge Flower Pots

Can You Spot the Skipper Goofing Off?

This may be the land of Lincoln, but it's also the land of 17' bridges.  To get under them we've lowered our mast and antennas.  Nellie's rearview camera is now an aft deck camera.   Shortly after getting underway this morning the camera catches the skipper luxuriating with a cup of coffee--while the crew slaves in the wheelhouse.

Lockport Lock at MM291

Where Did the Illinois River Go?

The Carp Electric Fence

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to the Left and the Calumet Canal to the Right

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

Chicago Ho

Bring on the Big Buildings

Chicago's Version of the Grand Canal

The Last Lock Opens onto Lake Michigan

Joliet to Chicago

It's 42 miles from Joliet to Chicago.   They are some of the most challenging miles we've faced.  The waterway is narrow and heavily congested with barge traffic.  The total mileage for the trip thus far, from Lake City, MN to Chicago, IL is 896.  In the next leg we'll harbor hop up the east side of Lake Michigan towards Canada.  DBH

Day 14: Joliet, IL

Early Morning in Ottawa

Repurposed Barge is now a Large Flower Pot

When we're asked over the radio by a lock master, bridge tender, or commercial tug captain "What are you?", there are several acceptable answers.  Rec boat and pleasure boat top the list.  But Bicki, who does all our radio work, and does it very well, keeps getting tripped up by this simple question.  I've got to give her credit for ingenuity though.  On several tongue-tied occasions she's called us a passenger boat and a rec ship.  Strictly speaking we don't carry passengers for hire and Nellie's 37 feet don't measure up to 'ship' status.  My favorite answer, and one I'm sure caused a moment of pause on the receiving end, was pleasure vessel.  Hmm, so many ways to take that one,  but it's hard to argue with ;-)

A Sprig of Green in the Marseilles Lock's Sea of Concrete and Steel

"Honey, Let's Take the Caboose to the Campground this Weekend."

The Free Wall in Joliet

It's a day off contrasts.  As we get closer to Joliet the number of rec boats goes up asymptotically.  Then, almost without warning, they disappear completely as heavy industry takes over.  In Joliet the natural and wild river is subdued with concrete and fencing.

Ottawa to Joliet

It's 48 miles from Ottawa to Joliet; where Nellie is now safely tired to the free wall (with electric).  Our trip total in now 854 miles.  Tomorrow, Chicago or bust!  DBH

Day 13: Ottawa, IL

Looking NW at Peoria's McCluggage bridge

The Commodore of the Peoria Boat Club is Michael--nice guy and a retired Air Force Chief Master Sargeant.  He bought Deputy Dawg, his 44', twin gas engine, cabin cruiser in Michigan.  He told us, with a grimace, that it cost $7,000 in fuel to deliver her to Peoria.

Seems Reasonable to Me...

I asked Michael what brought him to Peoria (he's from Utah and there are no Air Force bases nearby).  "Real estate," he said.  He now owns rental units and caters to young professionals.  He's about to buy a building with 48 apartments.  The prospect, he said, is both exciting and daunting.

Looking North in Upper Peoria Lake

The 12 mile long by 2 mile wide Upper Peoria Lake is reminiscent of the Mississippi's Lake Pepin.  There are even some hills, like Pepin's bluffs, breaking up what would otherwise be a flat landscape.

Nellie Catches Her First Asian Carp,  it's About a Size 12-Narrow

I was beginning to think the Asian carp  weren't as big a problem as some claimed.  That is until a small paddle wheeler went by us today.  The carp were going nuts behind him; jumping everywhere and high into the air.   As the picture above shows they're not small fish--or very smart, apparently.  Bicki, remembering the night watch in the middle of the Pacific when she was smacked in the face by a flying fish, has vowed to stay in the wheelhouse until we're through these troubled waters.

Peoria to Ottawa

We'd hoped to get farther today but a delay at the Starved Rock Lock and Dam kiboshed those dreams.  Our backup plan was Ottawa's free dock; and here we are.  Ottawa fun facts: (1) William T. Boyce, an Ottawa native, founded the Boys Scouts in 1910; (2) the first Lincoln-Douglas debate took place here on 21 August 1858; and, (3) it's 76.8 river miles from Peoria to Ottawa.

We're at river mile 240.  Chicago is now 90 miles and five locks away.  By any measure that's two boat days for Nellie.  The trip total  thus far is 806 miles.  Safely in Ottawa, IL.  DBH

Day 12: Peoria Redux

Looking Down the Illinois Towards Downtown Peoria

Visit the cat museum we were told over and over.  We like cats, so, what the heck, it was the first thing we did this morning.

A Boy Can Dream...

We were thinking kitty cats not Caterpillar heavy equipment!  What a we'll done tribute to their employees and customers.  Very cool seeing the extensive engineering that goes into the machines.

Peoria Flowers

Our land legs need exercise so we walked to the zoo and the arboretum; not easy as it was uphill, both ways.

Nellie's Trip thus Far

The picture above shows our 729 mile journey to Peoria.  Still at the Peoria Boat Club.  Tomorrow we press on to Chicago.  Zero miles today and 729 miles to date.  DBH

Day#11: Peoria

Early Morning on the Illinois

  After setting the hook last night the steady current kept Nellie pretty much in one place.  I know the current was less than 2 mph because at 2 mph Nellie's prop starts windmilling.  Except for the occasional thump of flotsam against the hull it was a nice, quiet night.

ADM Barge Terminal at Beardstown

There are many industrial sites along the Illinois.  In fact, they easily outnumber the private homes.  Coal and grain predominates.

Pekin RR Bridge Circa 1912

Ok, this doesn't happen everyday.  The Pekin RR Bridge tender called us to chat.  Bob is 46 and has worked for Union Pacific for 27 years.  In that time he's operated bridges in California, Iowa and Illinois but his 7 years on the Pekin have been his favorite.  The Pekin RR bridge was built in 1912.  The bridge's lifting mechanism was originally stream operated but it now runs on electricity.  Bridges are supposed to give priority to boats (including pleasure boats) over trains, except when the train is carrying passengers or U.S. mail.  Bob said it has been a year since a passenger train crossed his bridge and 55 years since a mail train did.  Since the river's level is always changing, bridge tenders lower a ball, attached to a metered string, to determine the clear height.  Union Pacific does not allow bridge tenders to use their personal cell phones on company time.  This is strictly enforced and is one-strike policy.  Bob's on his second marriage, the first one having ended in divorce.  He and his current wife met in high school.   Bob hopes to go cruising when he retries. 

The Height of this Tug's Wheelhouse is Adjustable so it can get Under Chicago's Low, Fixed Bridges

ADM Barge Terminal at Peoria

Beardstown to Peoria

It's 78 miles from Beardstown to Peoria.  The total for the trip is now 729 miles.  Nellie's back to her profligate ways, staying in a marina.  Tonight she's at the Peoria Boat Club, mile marker 164.  All is well.  DBH