Great Loop Overall Statistics to date:
Statute Miles: 3842.2
Average Miles/Day: 47.4
Total Hours Underway: 517.2
Average speed (mph): 7.5
States Transited: 14
Total Days: 175
Travel Days: 81
Locks: 51
Fuel Purchased: 1102.5
Miles / Gallon: 3.5
Nights at Extra Days
Marinas: 48 88
Anchor: 22 6
City dock: 3 0
Free Wall: 9 4
Mooring: 0 0
Travel Day 75 -- Leaving Ottawa
We left with a group of boats in order to catch the lock downstream. Still more boats caught up while we were making our way down and we locked through with 11 boats tied to the wall. The rest of the day was smooth and uneventful. Our destination was the “Lower” anchorage at Henry Island. When we got there, we saw three boats already anchored and not much more room. Instead we anchored at the other end of the island, the “Upper” anchorage and we were there all by ourselves. The moderate current kept us pointed in the same direction all night.
Travel Day 76 - Leaving Henry
There was a noticeable drop in the “pool level” after the lock yesterday. Variations in depths are evident along the shoreline. Some additional debris with the low water to watch out for. Light traffic. Our target for tying up to the city dock in Peoria was dashed when a boat was there taking up more dock space than needed and left not enough room for us. Instead, we pressed on to a known anchorage at Havana. High winds on the wide, open part of Peoria Lake made for two foot chop with white caps. We found a tree stump right in the middle of the anchorage due to low pool level of the river. Again, the current at anchor was enough to keep us pointed the same way overnight.
Travel Day 77 – Leaving Havana
Up at 6AM. Pool level back up a foot or so overnight. A wide barge ahead of us running at 5.5 knots compared to our 7.6 knots of boat speed made for some interesting math and calculations as to when we could pass and how long it would take, given the winding curves of the river. VHF radio conversation was essential with the tow captain. We now had 8.1 knots boat speed after LaGrange lock due to increased river flow. Calm winds and some barge and dredge traffic. Lots more debris in the water - likely flowing from the upper portion through the lock.
Travel Day 78 – Leaving Buckhorn Island
Waited until full daylight to leave today due to the need to keep a close watch for debris. Mist on the water for a second day. Extra engine room checks early after a small “bump” in the debris yesterday. More uneventful travel and tied up in Grafton just after noon.
Day 79 – Leaving Grafton
Short trip over to Alton as they had very good prices on fuel and it is right near to the lock we would need to transit next. We were not low on fuel, but wanted to have full tanks when we started down the river system – just in case. Just two hours now on the Mississippi River with a couple knots of favorable current. Stopped at fuel dock on the way into the marina and they limited our fuel to 200 gallons in order to have some available to other boaters coming through. It turns out 200 gallons put us right on the full mark anyway, so it was not a problem. Changed the oil in both engines while here also.
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Great Loop Travel Days (GLTD):
075: Henry IL from Ottawa IL
076: Havana IL from Henry IL
077: Buckhorn Island IL from Havana IL
078: Grafton IL from Buckhorn Island IL
079: Alton IL from Grafton IL
Map of our Overall Great Loop travel:
GLTD075 Henry IL (from Ottawa IL): We made a coordinated departure at 6:45 am, with other boats in the marina, to try to get coordinated passage through the only lock for us today.
⏱Lock Delay: ~1 hr 25 min, including awaiting the exit of an upbound commercial tow, and the arrival of an 8th “PC” (pleasure craft, as tow captains and lock operators refer to us), 1/2 mile away.
From the lock I could see this beautiful cliff, Eagle Cliff Overlook at Starved Rock.
Soon after the lock, we passed Buffalo Rock.
The riverboat Peoria Princess passed us.
⚓Anchored. By early afternoon, we dropped anchor at Upper Henry Island anchorage, and soon thereafter, Ray had his “all secure” beverage on the “back porch” before making a delicious dinner of steak and veggies!
This section of the Illinois River was a birder’s paradise – especially Eagles!
NOTE: Only mature bald eagles have white heads.
Ray captured photos of this eagle enjoying his catch.
GLTD076 Havana IL (from Henry IL): We left the anchorage early, since our original destination, Peoria City Docks, is 1st come,1st serve. Eagle sightings started as early as sunrise, with these eagles in the tree.
We saw countless eagles throughout the day, though it was tough to get photos -- with low light initially, then with near-20-mph wind and even higher gusts. We photographed another eagle with his seafood.
We saw a tremendous number of pelicans migrating (we think).
By mid-morning, we had 18 mph wind on the nose with 2-foot whitecap waves, and we were taking a little spray over the bow. A strange sight for a “river”.
The terrain began to change as we progressed south. There were now occasional hillsides along the river.
By 10:30 we arrived in Peoria, ready to dock at the free wall, but were forced to initiate “Plan B”.
Long story (not short): There is only space for about two 35-to-50-foot boats (like SCOUT). A large boat was already there, so we tried to dock behind it. We needed 6 more inches (of the 2 feet of dock that the 1st boat left unusable at their stern).
After failing to connect with the captain by horn or on VHF, and after failing to get an answer at a few marinas nearby, we decided to continue our southbound travel.
Disappointment: Both Ray & I were looking forward to visiting Obed & Isaac's Microbrewery and Eatery, housed in a c.1889 church. 🙁
⏱Bridge Delay: - 15 min– We confirmed the next lock (just down the river) was clear, but then we had to wait for a train to cross the bridge before we could get an opening.
⏱Lock Delay: 25 min. No waiting. Arrived 11:45, out by 12:10.
We passed – and overtook -- a few large tows with 3 x 5 barges. We've been told these 3x5s are tiny compared to what we will see on the Mississippi River 😮😦 The tow barge captains on the Mississippi River reportedly call these “cute”.
⚓Anchored. After a longer-than-planned day and 1 failed anchor set, we were finally anchored at Quiver Island by 5:00 pm. One other boat was there when we arrived, and 3 more boats arrived and anchored later.
GLTD077 Buckhorn Island IL (from Havana IL): We were the first of 5 boats to leave the anchorage – before sunrise. We were welcomed to the cool misty day by a gorgeous orange sky forward and a cloudy moonlit blue sky aft. It seemed like a Florida Gator morning. 😊
NOTE: The tow in the center of the blue photo was heading the direction we would go, so we hoped to be able to overtake him early. Loaded tows typically run about half of SCOUT's speed. 🤔
Ray reviewed the lock queue status for LaGrange Lock to ensure the tow we were now following was not already queued up (before we requested to pass him).
🔷 Boater Tip: Corps of Engineers "River at a Glance" website is one of your best tools on Inland Rivers: https://corpslocks.usace.army.mil/lpwb/f?p=121:1
Choose "Lock Queue Report" (button), then select a river and either 1 lock or a range of locks & press "Go".
This screenshot shows a sample report for the LaGrange Lock on the Illinois River.
Lock Queue reports are updated every 1/2 hour.
🟠 Life Afloat: I did a little more prescription refill location planning, given our current position & tentative schedule. Then I boiled eggs, washed dishes, and did a little banking/budgeting.
⏱Lock Delay: ~15 min. We went straight through La Grange lock, 10-ft down lock, with no waiting.
When I wasn’t “working”, I was chasing eagles again; there were SO many!
We passed a significant dredge operation. They swung the long boom out of the way for us to pass.
Early afternoon, Ray took the autopilot remote and enjoyed sitting on the bow in the sun for a while.
📞 Future stay marina planning: I made reservations for a couple of nights at both Grafton IL (to relax at "Key West of the Mid-west") and Alton IL (to hopefully get prescriptions filled, oil changed, and groceries provisioned).
⏱Traffic Delay: ~30-45 min Mid-afternoon, we slowed to 5.5 kts behind a tow, since there were no straight "passing zones" before we needed to turn off into our anchorage.
Bumpy Ride: A little later, we heard and felt a MAJOR SCRAPE under the boat! 😮 Ray immediately throttled back to idle. We regrouped to assess if anything was amiss. We donned our two-way headsets for Ray to check engines and transmissions while I changed gears, individually, per his instruction. All seemed OK. Whew!
Back under way, each time we gained on the tow we were following, we idled back again to try to stay out of the barge turbulence, which was also churning up mud. (We had heard from several loopers reporting shallow waters and/or hitting debris.)
🔷 Boater Tip: On the rivers, keep a sharp lookout for logs & “deadheads”. Also, keep a little distance between you and any tows/barges ahead of you, so you will not be surprised by large debris kicked up by the barge’s huge propellers.
You can see, in some of the examples of debris below, it isn’t always obvious how much wood is submerged below the surface.
⚓Anchored. By late afternoon, we arrived at the Buckhorn Island anchorage.
By early evening, water was glassy smooth, and the setting sun illuminated the earth tones along the bank.
We enjoyed the quiet anchorage. We got waked by tows a few times during the night, but nothing significant.
This tow passed us by just before we called it a night.
GLTD078 Grafton IL (from Buckhorn Island IL): We waited until daylight to leave, given the need to keep a watchful eye for debris. It was another misty morning and beginning to feel like fall in the "upper midwest”.
We saw several other flocks of birds (or ducks?). One flock passed over this dimly lit bridge and tow/barge.
Extra Precaution: Ray checked engines more frequently after our run-in with ...something... under the surface of the water yesterday. All seemed just fine.
We had beautiful cruising weather, perfect for birdwatching in this birder’s paradise! I am learning to use the action setting on the camera which sets the shutter speed to fast and takes multiple frames per second. We call it “running man” (since that is the graphic on the camera setting).
With “running man”, as long as I hold down the button, consecutive photos are captured. What I’ve learned, so far, is that not all of the photos will be in focus – if I don’t carefully follow the moving object. And eagles fly fast. 😉
I enjoy capturing stories with “running man” photos. This small sequence shows an eagle chase.
The chaser.
The chaser (on right) and the chased squawking (on the left).
The chased (left) landed, still squawking at the chaser (right).
The chased now becomes the chaser. Look at those steaming mad eyes!
Later in the day, this eagle appeared to be squawking right at me!
We also saw blue herons on this travel leg.
Just before the marina, we saw a lot of snowy egrets.
Then, a flock of egrets! (I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many egrets together.)
Just after noon, we arrived and were docked at Grafton Harbor Marina -- at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. (SCOUT is near the center of this photo that was posted by loopers mv Inked Mermaid.)
Not to Miss: Food: We went straight to the harborside Grafton Oyster Bar for a late lunch. Thanks to our friendly server for this awesome photo!
Provisioning: While Ray went back to the boat to rest up from another allergy attack (ragweed now coming in with every front passage), I walked over to Hideaway Farms Market for some produce. They had a lot of goodies which tested my resistance. 😊
Live Music: We must be living right. A great local band, The Outlaw Opry (described as Honkey Tonk Country band), played an extra impromptu “summer” concert in the park to raise money for a local business owner. I felt at home – with songs from Tanya Tucker, Johnny Cash, Waylon & Willie, and “the boys.” 😊
We got back to SCOUT in time to see fireworks just down the shore. (Truth: this is a photo collage. 😊)
Not to Miss: Food & Fun: After sleeping in and relaxing a bit, we started our FULL day of exploration. We rode the Grafton SkyTour at Aerie's Resort to have lunch at The Winery at Aerie's Resort.
$1.24 per foot Marina slip.
$10 chair lift ride.
Listening to Bozz Scaggs with a local wine 300 feet above "normal pool", priceless. (‘What can I say?’ get it?)
On the walks around town, we found some interesting bars. Grafton is known as the “Key West of the Midwest”, and these hillside bars appear to live up to that slogan.
Looper Gathering: On our 2nd (final) night in Grafton, we met some new loopers among the 10 boats who joined us at Grafton Winery & Brewhaus:
Subject to Change, War Eagle, New Hope, Inked Mermaid, Near Miss, Jackpot, Cashelmara, Anna Mae, and Gemini (a fellow Great Harbour).
GLTD079 Alton IL (from Grafton IL): Expecting a short travel day, we did not depart Grafton until mid-morning. The limestone bluffs are beautiful.
Some of the loopers behind us may have gorgeous photo ops when the fall colors emerge.
As we approached Alton, we could already tell … we were going to be doing some hill-climbing.
We arrived at The Alton Marina before noon and took the opportunity to fill our fuel tanks. (Ray had called before we left the last stop to confirm price and availability at Alton.)
It was a sweltering 93 degrees (with heat index 100+) as we filled the tanks, then got SCOUT docked and powered up for air conditioning! 🥵
After resting & hydrating for a bit, we mustered the energy to walk across the pedestrian bridge to downtown, where there was an “Earth Tones” music festival taking place. (I think it should be called uptown. 😊) We kept wondering how these chalk artists could stand sitting on the hot asphalt. 😮
We stopped in at the 1904 General Store. The castle-like building caught my attention. The store clerk informed us the intricate woodwork was black walnut from Germany.
Located inside the Palace of Varied Industries at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, the Quaker Shops exhibit was later dismantled and brought to Alton […].
The three-doorway facade on the building's front porch, the wooden triangular above the entrance, and the bottom floor interior is part of the original building.
The exterior stone blocks supporting the structure are not.
Not to Miss: Food: We had lunch at The Old Bakery Beer Company, which is in the old Colonial Bakery building. Part of the building started its life as a bakery in the late 1800's. Ref: https://www.oldbakerybeer.com/about
The taproom has the original tile walls, and old rolling pins now serve as tap handles.
One area of the building is dedicated to the display of bakery artifacts.
Provisioning: One day we walked uphill 1.2 miles (one-way) – mostly uphill -- with the wheeled cart and a cooler backpack for a few groceries from Schwegel's.
We finished provisioning with an Instacart order.
🟠 Life Afloat: Prescription Refills: Since my pharmacy options south of here were few and far between, and I am allowed to refill my prescriptions no more than 1 week ahead of time, we decided to stay in Alton until I could refill my prescriptions. We ended up staying 2 days longer than originally planned.
I was so thankful to Walgreens in Alton for successfully transferring & filling all 4 prescriptions, even though they all required new orders from 2 doctors! I gifted the pharmacy staff with a bag of goodies, and they were as thankful for the appreciation as I was for their help! The pharmacist said it’s been a long year, and they appreciated the gesture. 😊
Engine Maintenance: It was time to change the oil again. On SCOUT, we change the oil every 100-150 hours of engine use. Timing is usually at the nearest stop that has new oil to purchase and oil recycling for the old oil. It helps that we need only just over a gallon of oil for each of the two engines.
Uber: We took an Uber about 3 miles(one-way) to Walgreens, where I picked up my prescriptions. Ray had researched the closest auto parts store that accepted used oil to recycle, and it happened to be O’Reilly Auto Parts, right next door to the pharmacy.
R&R: We finally got some pool floating time – this is the first time since we left Jacksonville! It was HOT & HUMID for about 3 days after arriving in Alton, and the pool was very refreshing!
Looper Docktails: We met some new loopers and re-connected with others at Docktails with at least 22 boats: Many Moons, Slo Pace, Sabbatical, Windward, Papillon, Kittywake, Subject to Change, Inked Mermaid (newly-gold!), Free Spirit, My Dori III, Wine & Roses, Paradise Falls, Varlabania, Freedom, Near Miss, Scout, Nine Lives, Betty Gail, Eleanor Grace, Soulmate, Living The Dream, Royal Coachman.
Thanks to mv Many Moons for the photo, and mv Slo Pace for the list of boats.
Food: Looper friends mv Subject to Change invited us to join them for lunch at the legendary Fast Eddie's Bon Air. I was pleasantly surprised by the menu selection (which I thought was burgers, dogs, and fries), and my kabobs were excellent!
In 1921 Anheuser Busch decided to open a drinking establishment in […] Alton IL. A yellow brick building known as Bon Air was constructed […]. Approximately ten years later, Busch had to sell the tavern due to a change in the statutes, which prohibited breweries from owning drinking establishments
Not to Miss: Food: We enjoyed dinner at Bossanova Lounge so much, we went there a second time with mv Subject to Change. Bossanova had a good beer selection and great GF pizza.
What’s next? We will start our travel down the Mighty Mississippi.
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