Joliet, IL to Ottawa, IL

On the wall in Joliet

Track from my navigation program that shows our progress on Thursday, 10/1

After spending two days on the wall in Joliet, IL, we were ready to travel again.  I can't say that I will miss the racket made - about 18 hours a day - by the crews sandblasting and painting the Jefferson street bridge! I went on a few bike rides and took advantage of the public library to use the wi-fi signal and make a couple of postings here.

Our trip downstream 46 miles (9 hours with waiting time and locking through Brandon Road, Dresden and Marseilles) was very pleasant and we got to know a few of our fellow Loopers including B-Line (nice you couple from Ontario heading for the Bahamas), two boats travelling together from Port Washington, WI and Bayou Gypsy a working couple heading home to New Orleans.

The scenery as we get farther still retains some of the expected industrial nature but the sites are fewer and farther between.  While we have met or passed a few tows - including a 10 barge today - but there are generally few on the rivers that have been an issue this week.

We've been through 5 locks so far with 4 very pleasant experiences and one not so much thank you.

On these last 3 (Brandon Rd., 34', Dresden, 20' and Marseilles, 26') the procedure has varied but were all smooth and unventful.  In cone case, we rafted up to Serendipity (Port Washington, WI) who was on the wall; in the other two we tied to the floating bollard ourselves.

Chuck tending the midship line around a floating bollard in one of the locks.

Here is how the lock works.  You puil in and secure your craft to a floating bollard at the midship cleat (middle of your boat).

You loop around this vertical bollard - which is actually mounted on a floating box - and it drops as the water is let out to lower you.

After you secure and all vessels are ready, the lockmaster closes the doors behind you and the water level drops by whatever is needed for that lock.  These last 3 were not as extreme as the 40 at Lockport.

When the new level is reached, the lockmaster opens the forward doors and you continue your journey.  Unfortunately, these locks don't always have enough bollards to safely accomodate multiple boats so it is often desirable for one boat to secure to the bollard and another boat or two to raft up to them and travel down (or up).