Hoppie's

Friday, September 28, 2012



Hoppie's Marina



The area around the marina is silting in due to a wingdam.
As a result, Hoppie's has already lost some of its dockage.



Hoppie's Marina, 158.5 RDB, is probably the most popular stop on the Great Loop. The marina is run by Charles and Fern Hopkins and their daughter assisting. Everyone stops here! It is simply a series of barges connected together. What make this place so special are two things, the family and the fuel. This will be our last place to fuel up for the next 250 miles! We have spent many hours strategizing over this leg of our journey. Our boat hold 280 gallons of gasoline and we average 1 mile per gallon. That would be 280 miles.... So what is the big concern? The unknown. How will the river current effect our mileage. We are traveling downstream on the Mississippi but on the Ohio we will be heading upstream. In addition, we will be anchoring out the next 3-4 nights.

Before Fern spoke, Mike, Anita and I walked into the nearby town of Kimmswick., MO. (Fern gave Don a ride on her golf cart.) It reminded me of Blanchard, a small town near home. We ate at the Blue Owl and it was delicious! A home style cooking venue with a flair. We even had pie! Many cute shops were in town but we didn't want to miss Fern's talk so we headed back.

Kimmswick foot bridge

The Blue Owl restaurant, great dinner and pies!

Charles is a man of few words but he was very helpful as we were hooking up our electrical. Fern is an icon on the river. Once all the boats on the dock were secured Fern gave her 'talk'. She updated us of the latest conditions on the river for the next 250 miles. Everyone sat in a circle, pen and paper or charts and IPads in hand. Fern listed the best anchorages, latest hazards, lock conditions, even hints on passing tows. It lasted about an hour and we were grateful for her knowledge.

Fern (at head of table) begins the talk

"Men, if the tow captains don't answer you, have your wife call them."

 

Everyone listens intently to her pearls of wisdom
(Limelight, Catmandu, Seaquil, Irish Attitude and Our Bubble)



A lifetime of river knowledge



If Hoppie's Marina was not here, it would end the loop for many of us with smaller fuel tanks. We filled 4, 5 gallon gas containers and hoped it would be the insurance we would need to make it the 250 miles to Green Turtle Bay. With fingers crossed and loaded with new found knowledge we cast off the next morning.

The Mighty Mississippi

September 28, 2012

Today we leave the Illinois River and head down the Mighty Mississippi. The current picked up but that is not bad as this will increase our speed without increasing fuel consumption. Not the speed of light but maybe10 - 12 mph! If we were on land.... scooters would be passing us! It's all relative I guess. We enter the Mississippi at mile 218. We will travel along it until Cario (Kay-ro), IL where it meets the Ohio River.

There are pluses to the Mississippi. (I am already tired of spelling this out!) Faster current and the river is wider. Negatives; more wingdams*, fewer marinas or even anchorages and even more tow barges. It appears the people in IL and Missouri prefer to remain apart. This part of the river has few bridges other than railroad bridges, one car ferry. Crazy!

*Wingdams are stone walls created to deflect the river current towards the middle of the river there by eliminating the need to dredge. The river is very low this year and the wingdams are often easily spotted. Good thing, because they could do some major damage! Most of our charts and even the Garmin GPS show their location.

Wingdams are usually run perpendicular to the river

This is a 'chevron', more V or U shaped





This wingdam is becoming silted in. The force
of the river is pushing the sand to the edges.



 We leave Grafton, IL today for Hoppie's Marina. Interesting bluff are on our port.

Grafton

The City of Peoria

 

 

This rock has some patriotic graffiti



Bridge at Alton, IL

Locking in at Mel Price Lock
The wickets are just starting to show as it closes



New bridge under construction north of St. Louis.

St. Louis, MO!!!

It's hard to believe that there is no place to tie up to and go ashore to visit this city! All this waterfront and not even a temporary dock or barge. So much to see but it is not accessible if you are boating.... what a disappointment! After a few pictures, we moved on downstream.

Limelight in front of the arch





American Queen

 

 

Grafton

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Grafton Harbor is at mile 0.7 LDB, and our last stop on the Illinois River! This marina was new in 2006 and features many covered slips for seasonal boaters. The whole facility is on floating docks including the store, bathrooms and pool/hot tub! Flood protection. Many loopers stop here. The staff is very accommodating plus they have a courtesy vehicle for grocery runs! Mike spotted a Catamaran named Catmandu..... We know a boat with this name from a marina back home. It must be different one, but wait.....their home port is Midland, MI. Small world, uh! We were pleased to meet Bill and Chris as we have always admired their boat. Of course her sail had been removed for the trip down river. Limelight joined us the on Wednesday after having their head repaired. We borrowed the courtesy van and went into Jerseyville to get provisions. It may be awhile before this opportunity presents itself again.

Approaching Grafton Harbor Marina

Street View

We ate lunch at Docksider
restaurant. One of the regulars
offered me a ride on her bike.

Mike and I are pointing at

the flood levels from

1993 and 2008!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

 

Anita, Don, Mike and I rented a car and went to Alton visit the Mel Price Lock and Dam because it has a museum attached. It was interesting to see the lock from this vantage point. This lock has a smaller chamber used for pleasure crafts and a larger one for commercial crafts, i.e. tows). There was an antimated feature were you could 'drive' a tow pushing barges. Don crashed (on purpose), I took too long to manuivour under a bridge but did not hit anything! Anita was the most successful. It gives you an appreciation of tows from their perspective.

 

Mel Price Lock and Dam

Upper Mississippi Locks



In the morning, we move on once again.



 









Anchoring Out On the Illinois River

Monday, September 23, 2012

Anchoring out... Not every night will be spent in a marina, due to choice or necessity. Some days the miles between marinas will require us to anchor out. This will be another first for us. Sure, we have anchored out for the day at a beach or in a lake while the kids swam. Never overnight. After some dock discussions, Limelight and Great Laker agreed it would be a good idea to make this a group effort. We decided on Bar Island at mm 85.7 LDB. Limelight motored ahead and scoped out the area behind and end chose the larger island, Grape Towhead. We pulled in with Great Laker and opted to stay behind Bar Island, the next island down river. Later in the day another boat, Sea Biscuit pulled in with us. The evening was peaceful and we all enjoyed the sun as it was setting.

Tuesday, September 24, 2012

Then next morning there was intermittent fog. The four boats pulled out cautiously, monitoring each other and other river traffic. LaGrange Lock & Dam was about 5 miles down stream, only a 10 foot drop at this site. As we approached, two sailboats overheard our radio transmissions and feared we would not see them in the fog as they waited for the lock. By the time we locked through, the fog had lifted.

Fog Delay?



LaGrange Lock


We motored on, enjoying the scenery and the homes on stilts along the Illinois.

 

We went as far as the Illinois Riverdock Restaurant (Mel's) at 20.9 RDB. The 250 ft. floating dock was large enough for the 4 power boats plus the 2 sailboats we saw earlier that morning. Mel's is famous for their brisket. It was tender and plentiful enough for another meal! When we returned to the dock the sailboaters had arrived and invited us aboard. It turns out they were the ones ahead of us that rainy night on the wall in Joliet. Mark and Jo aboard Truant  (from Onterio) and Donna and Jeff on Whish (Menominee, MI). It was a night of comic relief!

Mel's Riverdock

Two more "H"s

Friday, September 21, 2012

Today we head to Henry Harbor Marina, mm 196.1 RDB on the Illinois River. The scenery is changing now. Less urban and more rural.

We have seen only birds. No other wildlife. Our friend, Janie, has always pointed out the Blue Heron's along the Saginaw River, so now every day when we see one we say, "There's Janie!" She has followed us throughout our trip so far. (Wishing the real Janie (and yes, even Bud!) was with us!)

Near Starved Rock, flocks of Wood Storks were gathering along the river. What graceful birds. They follow each other in flight but it looks more like a crowd doing the 'wave' at a football game. Up and down but synchronized, unlike Canadian Geese that fly with military precision.  My stills do not convey the true beauty that we witnessed. The gray skies did not help.



Take off in 'wave' formation

 

Close up of a Wood Stork
(photography-on-the.net)

At Henry Harbor, transients tie up on an old lock wall from 1870's. It's not much to look at but we have electricity! Thank goodness for our mooring balls. We ate on site with Anita and Don from Limelight.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Today is mail day! Our mail has been forwarded to Peoria (162.5) and we stopped just long enough to retrieve it. Docking at the town dock was not easy as the large slips were filled due to an Oktoberfest celebration. Mike stayed with the boat and I walked the few blocks to the post office. To bad we could not stay and explore but we wanted to get a few more miles in today. (Considering it takes us 1 hr. to go 8 miles!)

We pushed off and headed Tall Timbers Marina, 120.3 LDB, near (#3, Havana. Three consecutive stops beginning with H. My head is having a hard time handling it here....! )
Great Laker and Limelight guided us in the narrow channel and helped us tie up. We had dinner in town with Limelight. Anne and Larry stayed behind to listen to the U of M vs. Notre Dame game. (Mich. had no more luck then MSU did the week prior.) A raccoon stepped on our swim platform while we slept. His paw prints gave him away! His sensitive nose must have detected the Asian Carp the was in the dinghy. (FYI, Mike had already cleaned it up!) Havana is small but it had all we required; hardware, groceries, gas and a friendly marina.

 

  

 

 

Now the Adventure Really Begin

Monday, September 17, 2012

Irish Attitude pulled out of Chicago and headed 11 miles south on Lake Michigan to the Cal(umet)-Sac Channel.  Now things were going to get interesting.... We would no longer be catching a glimpse of our 'neighboring' cruisers 5 miles off in the distance. Ahead are river traffic, currents, locks... the unknown. Mike and I have been boating for 30 plus years, experiencing rivers, locks, etc. All thought the concept was not new.... this is where I became nervous. (Much to Mike's bewilderment.) We entered the Cal-Sac at mile marker 333.5. Yes, the river systems are like highways and mile markers are posted and referred to often. Along with RDB and LDB, short for right descending bank and left descending bank. A term used to communicate what side of the river you are referencing. Such as, the maria is at mile marker 326.0 LDB. This first part of the river is filled with industry. Local governments create eye-pleasing aerating 'waterfalls' to improve the water quality.

 

 



The first lock was the Thomas J. O'Brien at 326.5. The drop was only 4 in. not the expected 4 ft.  The lock master told us we did not need to tie up, just float through. Okay.... that one was a piece of cake. Lockport Lock was a 39 foot drop. Mike controls the boat and I handle the lines. I looped a line around the floating bollard and it lowers with the water level just as our boat does. This was different but I found it easy work with. Two locks down and about 145 to go.



Fancy Houseboats on the Des Plaines River

The sky looked threatening as we arrived in Joliet. Our first night on the river we tied up to the wall behind two sailboats. Joliet (mile marker 288.0) looked like a great town with restaurants and even a casino within walking distance but the rains came down hard. We enjoyed tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches aboard. Our stressful day was followed by a restful night.

Duck (or Goose) Blinds

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Today we conquered 2 more locks, Brandon - 34 ft. and Dresden Island - 22 ft. We spent the night in Spring Brook Marina (near Seneca) and saw our first Asian Carp. There had been much discussion about this predatory species affect on the Great Lakes. 



As Mike concentrated on docking the boat I was startled by fish jumping out of the water like they were popcorn. Mike was up in the bridge and I was on deck with the lines. They jumped to fast for me to get their picture.  Still no other loopers in site!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

We moved on the next morning but only down river about 10 miles to Heritage Harbor in Ottawa.  On the way we locked through Marseilles Lock, a 24 ft. drop.  At Heritage Harbor we finally sited some AGLCA burgees and we new we were not alone! We were reunited with Idle Time (we had met in South Haven) along with 2 new boats.  Anne and Larry from Spring Lake were aboard Great Laker, an American Tug. Mike and I had seen this boat while in Spring Lake a few weeks back. The people at Barrett's said she would be starting the loop soon. Another couple, Anita and Don on Limelight had started their adventure about a week ago from Wisconsin. We hit it off right away! Aaah, it is nice to have caught up with some other loopers! Mike and I borrowed the courtesy car to pick up a new house battery since our refrigerator did not seem to be running as we traveled. We spent an extra day at Heritage Harbor since the next lock was closed for repair.  We took the dinghy into Ottawa for lunch and supplies. We buzzed by Limelight on our return and spent the evening getting to know Anita and Don better. We decided to hang together through the 250 miles between Hoppie's and Grafton where there is no place to fuel up! (Hard to believe, isn't it?) This has been the concern of many loopers. By the end of the night, we had a plan.....