Joliet to Ottowa IL

 

Bruce likes his chair

Sitting at lock wall

Group of loopers running together

Woke up at 0530, learned from the lead looper boat that we had to wait 2 hours to get under the bridge and off to the first of 3 locks today. At 0830 we were off with a group of 6 boats. At Brandon Road lock and dam we drafted to TXAU. Very smooth. Next lock was Dresden Island, and we waited almost 2 hours for them to lock us through.  Pleasure boats are the last boats to go through,and they wait for tugs and barges to clear first.  We simply held on to ropes that they threw to us. Walls are muddy and slimy, and did I mention  that  it was raining off and on all day?  We will be descending about 80 total feet today.  The Marseilles lock went easier. They put us in with a tug and 5 of us loopers. This time we went through so they could bring a barge upstream after us. We held ropes again , only took about 1/2 hour.  A wet soaked crew we came in to Heritage Harbor at about 530. We met loopers from Punta Gorda FL and they invited us to their Dinner  table. Very good food. We stayed here 4 nights. The Harbor master gave a boaters talk (very helpful hints) on where to go on the river from here to Hoppies  Marina, the end of the Upper Mississippi  for us.