Our little parade leaving Joliet Tuesday morning
Two of our group of 5 rafted up in the Brandon Road Lock
We made good time until about 11:00 AM when we came to our second lock of the day. This was the Dresden Lock and there was a large tow moving barges through the lock. The lock master told us that it would be 2-3 hours before we could go through. Luckily there was space for all 5 of us to get off to the side and throw out anchors.
Anchored before entering the Dresden Island Lock
The lock got us in after about 2 hours and we continued on. By just before 4:00 PM we all were in a narrow spot when a tow pushing barges 3 across came around the bend. Talk about where do we go. He said he wanted us on the outside of the channel markers for him to pass (easy for him to say). We edged out of the channel into 7 feet of water (Southern Style draws 5.3 feet full of fuel which we were). As the tow went by he sucked the water towards him and we were essentially sitting with our butt in the mud.
Here he comes, where do we go? Notice we are on the wrong side of the red markers just like the boat in front of us.
View from in the pilot house
Thank goodness everyone was able to get back in the channel and continue on. The last lock of the day (Marseilles Lock) was just in front of us and we got there around 4:15 PM. Another tow and barges was there, and this time the wait was about 1 1/2 hours. The area was to narrow to anchor but the lock master told us we could tie to two cells off to the side of the lock. Cells are large round concrete things with usually two bollards on top for lines. Not the easiest things to secure a pleasure boat to, but better than jockeying around in the channel for an extended period. Since there was only two bollards and a total of 5 boats we had to raft off to each other. The picture will probably help explain.
Southern Style with two additional boats rafted up to her
Here is the top of the cell with bollard that we were tied to.
When the lock began filling it pulled water towards it and Southern Style and the two boats rafted to her started rotating around the cell. We got her secured tighter and all was well. By 5:45 PM we were all called into the lock, and once again had to raft to each other because of the lock configuration. I am getting my exercise moving lines and fenders back and forth and tying up and rafting off repeatedly each day multiple times a day. It was cloudy in the afternoon and by the time we were out of the lock around 6:30 PM it was getting dusk. The marina was only 2 miles ahead so we made it before dark however it was pretty dim. Southern Style was the first into the marina and as we were pulling through their entrance canal, we hit bottom good and hard. Both Keith and I were befuddled. No one told us there was only 5 feet coming in. Crap, crap, crap. Well there was nothing we could do about it at that point but get tied up at the dock and try to figure out how to get back out of this marina when we leave again.
The Heritage Harbor Marina is very nice. They have a good restaurant, loaner cars (we love loaner cars), a pool and close to town.
Heritage Harbor Marina
Red Dog Cafe at the marina
Because of the long day Tuesday and having a car available at the marina, Captain Keith and I decided to stay at the dock Wednesday and get some things done. Wednesday morning we took the loaner car and went to a nearby Caterpillar parts place for engine coolant and extra oil filters. We provisioned at Super Walmart and Keith got a hair cut. In the afternoon I put things away, did laundry and Keith changed the coolant on both engines. I made a second trip to the Caterpillar place for more coolant about 3:00 PM (it took more than we anticipated). The Caterpillar manual says that the engines hold 12 gallons which is what be bought. However, we filled three (3) 5-gallon buckets with coolant when Keith drained the system. You do the math. (Maybe you can get 10 pounds of potatoes into a 5 pound sack.) We got all our chores done by about 6:30 PM and walked back to the Red Dog Cafe for dinner. That was a busy day, but well worth getting some of those things done.
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