That beautiful sunny day the crossing I had been dreading took about 5 hours as the Chicago skyline materialized through the fog. Compared to previous mornings when conditions abruptly deteriorated, the calm waters stayed just that way for much of the trip. It wasn’t until we rounded Navy Pier that the traffic and swells picked up and we bounced up and down into Monroe Harbor in search of our mooring.
Hooking up to a mooring ball is normally my favorite way to secure the boat. No fenders are required and I don’t have to worry about lassoing a cleat. And, the manual labor involved in anchoring is alleviated. These particular moorings, however; well they were going to require a tactical maneuver as they had no lines or pendants attached to pull aboard. Duane did his best to saddle up next to the can bouncing up and down in the water as I stretched as far as I could to latch the boat hook to the shackle and pull with all my might. For a brief moment I was torn between the idea of being pulled over the railing into the cold water or letting go of the hook all together as I was having a tug of war and the inanimate object was winning. Thankfully, before I had to choose between a bad option and a terrible one, the clip activated releasing the hook and I pulled the line up.
Breathing a sigh of relief that we conquered Lake Michigan with minimal scars, we were now in a waiting game until the locks being renovated down the river were reopened.
Shoreline Traveler and a bunch of other Loopers were idling in Chicago the last few days as the staging point to move South. We took the tender to shore and walked around the touristy sights…Navy Pier, the Bean, Magnificent Mile and Duane’s favorite Happy Hour – McCormick and Schmick’s. Pierre and Renee joined us and we caught up over cocktails sharing our trials and tribulations of what we have accomplish so far.
That night started off calm enough, but we were rudely awakened at 1am being thrown about like a toy in a bathtub. Unbeknownst to us at the time, the harbor is not truly protected and we were still at the mercy of Lake Michigan stewing right beyond the breakwater.
The next day was rainy and windy as we decided to escape the confines of the boat and the incessant rocking to explore the Chicago Bridge Museum. We scaled the steps of the historic bridgehouse learning over the five stories about the historic movable bridges spanning the Chicago River as well as the purification of the sewage system that developed throughout the history of the city. Not my cup of tea, but every now and then I throw the Captain a bone as he was fascinated by the the cribs built on Lake Michigan as far back as the 1800s to protect the water intake valves transporting clean water to Chicago.
That night we had a delicious dinner on Shoreline Traveler as we waited for an announcement about the locks. Renee is an amazing cook and the company was even better. It was another relatively sleepless night as the water played percussion on the hull and the effects of Lake Michigan violently rocked us as a not so subtle reminder she was still in control.
The weekend had arrived and, though the sun was shining, it was bitterly cold. We radioed for the tender to go into the city and view the bridge openings for the sailboats migrating down the river to be hauled out for winter storage. Chicago has the most movable bridges of any city in North America with 18 operating in the downtown area alone. To see the scheduled opening in action, added to the unique character of the city as each bridge parted way for the sailboat parade down the river. Two other Looper boats had joined us …Janet and Don (Nautoncall) and Bill and Marilyn (Knot Diggin). As we overlooked the river, we joked about making the clearance under the lowest bridge which was 17 feet at pool level and about our desire to escape the torment of the washing machine , which was the harbor, as soon as possible. Duane measured us at 16′ 10″ and was confident we could make the downtown passage as he had spent about 5 hours calculating the current pool conditions and water levels. I trusted him and his mathematical prowess, but I was still a little weary we may lose at the least the radar off the top of the arch if the levels were higher than were being predicted. Exchanging cards, we decided to keep in touch throughout the day as someone heard that the locks were opening and the first group should be going through in the afternoon. In the end, we all made the decision to begin the journey the following morning as it would take a day to arrive at to the most dreaded lock on the entire Loop. With that, Group 1.5 was born ♥️ ♥️
Jim and Wendy were docked at the marina next to us so we made plans to go out that afternoon. Hanging out at the rooftop bar on Navy Pier, we took in the scenery, had a few drinks and many laughs. Duane may even have saved a life or, at least a boat, when he called 911 after witnessing a sailboat get thrown onto the rocks of the breakwater in the extremely rough conditions. If we’ve learned anything on this trip, besides the fact that the engines make delicious paninis, these waters were not to be underestimated. The coast guard was quick to action and, after three attempts, was able to secure a line to the boat and pull the boat and it’s captain to safety.
The day stretched into night and we found our little group heading to Elephant and Castle to enjoy a delicious meal. After one last cocktail, we bid good-bye for now to Jim and Wendy as we have done many times before and set off back to the boat to make final preparations to depart on the morning.
As we made it closer to the harbor, the water looked very unruly as it crashed against the seawall. Carefully boarding the tender, we picked up Don and Marilyn on the way back to their boat and firmed up plans for the morning. It was to our delight that Catherine and Chris on Two Loons, who we had met back in Charlevoix, had decided to round out Group 1.5 and head out with us. We were leaving none too soon as it took the tender 5 attempts to idle up close enough to Bella Donna for me to get off safely. The waters had churned up terribly over the last few hours and the ensuing winds were only making the conditions worse. The river system will be a much welcomed reprieve.
In the morning we remembered today was the Chicago Marathon. A fire boat was out on the water just after sunrise letting out spray as a water salute to the runners signaling the race had begun. After our four boats locked through the Chicago Lock at the entrance to the river, we entered the labyrinth of bridges snaking through the city. Runners trampled across the bridges overhead as people cheered them on. It was a marvel to be here at this specific moment to witness their milestone as we were accomplishing a milestone of our own. The buildings seemed more impressive as they towered over the water as did the sounds echoing all around us. The magnificent stature of the landscape was undeniable and only rivaled by the skyline of New York City.
We were soon starring down the feared DuSable Bridge at Michigan Avenue right in our path. Hoping the Captain’s calculations were correct, I stood on the bow and watched NautonCall pass under the structure to judge the clearance. Satisfied, Captain Duane pushed forward and I held my breath as we glided under with 6 inches to spare. It was going to be smooth sailing, or boating I should say, after this.
The rest of the afternoon was pleasant as the sun glistened off the water which barely moved as we cut through. A few hours into the trip the city was barely visible and we traversed through a completely industrial area soon encountering the Electric Fish Barrier installed to control the Asian Carp population and kept them off the Great Lakes. Duane hurried down into the cabin and shut down all the electrical systems and even placed our phones and laptops in the microwave to protect against any surge that could possibly destroy them. We have heard horror stories from boaters who had ignored the warning and regretted it in the end. I guess this was one instance we were better safe than sorry…except for the fact that the Captain kept my phone out to take pictures. Of course anything that went amiss with the phone over the next few days would understandably be his fault.
In total, we traveled under approximately 50 bridges by the time we reached the junction of the Chicago Sanitary Canal and the Calumet Sag Canal. Boats who were too tall to travel through downtown Chicago were forced to take the southern route on the Cal Sag. This is where we met up with Outta of the Loop and Paul and Jacqui joined Group 1.5 as we made our way toward the Illinois River. Another first on the trip was encountering a barge being pushed by a tow with an extremely wide and long load. I felt like I could reach out and touch the cargo as it motored by the narrow stretch on the river.
By 5pm and one lock later, our five boats were safely tied to the Joliet Wall alongside Tom on Careb who had departed Chicago the day before during the sailboat migration. Having docktails on the shore recounting the day, we eventually walked over to Harrah’s Casino for a bite to eat. Tomorrow was going to be an early start and our date with the dreaded Marseilles Lock. There was nothing we could do but hope and pray for the best…which, as we have heard, was very unlikely.
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