Great Loop Day 044 Oct 11, 2016. Ottawa Free Dock to Henry Harbor Landing
Ottawa Free Dock to Henry Harbor Landing
And there's a girl in this harbor town
And she works layin' whiskey down
They say, Brandy, fetch another round
She serves them whiskey and wine
The sailors say, "Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)
"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)
"Yeah, your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea"
She hears him say, "Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)
"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)
"But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea"
- Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) Songwriter Elliot Lurie, Recorded by Looking Glass
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Day 44 Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016. I wish every day would be like today! 43.6 miles on less than 3 gallons of gas. The throttle was set at less than half and going with the current at a trawler speed of 7 to 7.5 mph. The river was like a mirror early this morning. Locked through Starved Rock Lock with just a half an hour wait for a lone tug to get through. I used the floating bollard and was able to use my free hand to take snapshots on my phone camera. Light tow traffic and rounded many bends. The Illinois River starts to widen after leaving the lock and following the numerous navigation buoys was effortless.
The standard marine navigation mnemonic to remember is Red Right Returning. On the Great Lakes going from East to West, it is considered returning. All the red-marked navigation aids should be on your right. Inland water rules are similar but going upstream or upriver is considered returning. I'm heading downriver so all red navigational aids will be on my port or left side.
Shapes play an important part also. Red buoys are cone-shaped also known as nuns, green ones are cylinder in shape known simply as cans. There were many times the color couldn't be seen, early morning and dusk and in low light as in storms but the shape was easy to identify.
My auto tiller is the Raymarine ST1000 and it has 6 buttons. Auto and standby, +10, +1 colored red for port and +10, +1 in green for turns to starboard. The auto tiller uses an internal electronic compass. The +10 and +1 are degrees. When I want to turn 10 degrees to port I hit the red +10 button once. Twice for 20 degrees 3 times for 30 degrees. Going downriver the button color corresponds to the color of the navigation aids.
Push the button and the tiller responds. Some low bridges like we had in the Chicago River would seriously affect the auto tiller's magnetic compass and start to move the tiller way over to one side or the other causing the boat to oversteer. Pressing the standby button locks the unit. Today the auto tiller veered to port unexpectedly going under some high-tension electrical wires. They must have been running some high current enough to confuse my auto tiller's compass. Otherwise, to use that old worn cliche, it was smooth sailing.
The guidebook I'm using noted sandstone bluffs behind Sheehan Island. Something to see in contrast to all this green vegetation. It was a short diversion and I plotted my course to round the island. Glad I did.
One of the small towns on the Illinois River. Blink and you’ll miss it.
A local bar just outside Peru.
Had to be close to Peoria as I round the bend the Riverboat ‘Spirit of Peoria’ was rounding the same bend going downriver.
Not only were the bluffs as beautiful as I imagined they would be but I saw for the first time white pelicans. These magnificent birds are indigenous to the Midwest, cousins of the grey pelicans seen on the coasts. They have been known to fly into western Ohio but rarely in Cuyahoga County.
Ran into some rough water near Hennepin, winds kicked up waves about a foot high and they hit the bow sending the spray back to me sitting in the cockpit. Placed my camera in a plastic bag and my phone in a ziplock baggie. Lasted for less than an hour till I turned around the next bend in the river. Sun was out most of the day and I found a way to set up the bimini so only half was up giving me shade and still providing me access to the top of the cabin for the lock passage.
At one point I heard a loud thump on the hull. Thought I hit a log but didn't see anything floating aft. Asian carp I thought. I'm in their territory and I believe they are making their presence known.
Passed the 200-mile marker. It's now 200 miles to the Mississippi River. Should be there by the weekend.
The weather is going to be my nemesis for the next two days or so. A cold front is moving in bringing rain and thunderstorm activity. The forecast calls for most of these storms to hit after 1 pm tomorrow. If I can drag my butt out of bed early I can be in Peoria by then. Plan to be at marinas that have shore power so I can enjoy the warmth of the new ceramic heater I bought in Michigan on these chilly mornings. I know, I'm a wuss. The moon was out a few minutes ago and now the clouds are coming in and it’s starting to rain. Well, tomorrow morning is a good time to test my rain gear. Goodbye summer weather, hope to see you come back by the weekend.
Henry Harbor Marina doesn't have an office. It has the appearance of a typical restaurant/tavern, that is until you look up at the rafters then you know it's quite unmistakably unique.
Behind the bar we find Ashley. She is a beautiful young woman in her early 20s, and she remarked there were more up in the rafters but the owner recently removed many so there would be room for more. Four large beams hung overhead and were completely covered from one end to the other in a colorful display of bras. Yes, ladies brassieres. Large ones, small ones, pink, black, and white ones.
"Can I ask you a personal question?"
Sure" she said.
"Are any of them yours?" She smiled as she blushed and said no.
Ashley was working alone this afternoon and the place was deserted. Her long dark hair framed her face perfectly. She said she lived with her mother and has a one-year-old daughter to take care of.
"What do you do for fun around here?" I ask and without hesitation, she said, "Well, we mostly get together and drink".
"What, no movies, no bowling alleys, no rollerskating rinks?", I said.
"No, just sit around and get drunk". I believe she was very honest about that.
I remembered I had a half-gallon of Long Island Iced Tea and Margarita on board. But that was for another special occasion down the road.
At this point, I was hungry for something hot. "I would like the largest hamburger you got and oh yeah, a small one for Mickey, my cat, He would like that."
The burgers were delicious and I am sure Mickey would love his burger as well. Several local people were coming in and I knew Ashley would be busy. I paid the bill and said my farewells.
Yep, look up!
Thought I take a quick shower here and was directed to a part of the building on the outside. It was next to the restaurant separated by an old wooden deck. On opening the door to the Men's restroom/shower and switching on a dim lightbulb I was taken aback. It was small, dark, damp, and... very moldy, from the floor up halfway on the walls. No way was I going to even set foot in there. The shower will definitely wait... for a cleaner marina.
Later that evening I met the occupants of two large cruisers docked here for the night. One is traveling to Georgia to deliver this boat. Scott and Bruce will meet the new owners here before moving on. The other couple Connie and her husband on their cruiser are traveling to Fort Myers, Florida for the winter. How sweet is that!
Mickey fell off the dock this afternoon. I had him on the leash so finding him was easy. But he did scratch my arm getting him up and out. With a quick rub of a blanket and he's sitting in the sun drying himself as best he could. Mickey didn’t get as terrified as he did when he jumped in back on the Detroit River. He seems most satisfied to have saved one of his 9 nine lives.
So for now... Fair winds and gentle seas.
Comments from 2016:
Scott Stanley Sikorski. SAFE TRAVELS.
Diane Lamoreaux. Great pics!!! Enjoy your blogs.
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