September 28 – Today we rent a car to visit St. Louis, Missouri capital of the blues and Show-Me State. The signature attraction of St. Louis, the 630 feet stainless steel Gateway Arch stands as a riverfront memorial to the vision of Thomas Jefferson, who dreamed of a continental United States (see picture).

Did you know? When French fur traders came upriver from New Orleans and founded a city named for Louis IX, much of the territory was occupied by the Spanish. But the French wanted it for trade access with the American Indians and their fur-rich lands to the west. The French regained the area in 1800, but before even taking possession, Napoleon sold it for $15 millions to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. That transaction immediately doubled the size of the United States. And at that time St. Louis was home to about 1,000 people, but it became the “Gateway to the West”. The first steamboat arrived in 1817, bringing travelers, explorers and trade.

Tonight we eat at Frank’s, a local diner with all-you-can eat ribs for $6.99 served with home-made potatoes and veggies. We are starting to taste the South.

September 29 – We are staying at the marina one more day due to the weather, windy. Hey, and with the hot tub beckoning, who’s complaining? Happy Birthday today to Charlaine!

September 25 – Today we didn’t do much mileage, only 21.3 miles because there was only one place to anchor with sufficient depth called Bar Island at mile 85.4. We left under the rain, but the afternoon is splendid and warm. We take the time to clean the boat and wash some clothes by hand and start quilting. The captain also disassembles the aft toilet to fix the jam in the electric flush…messy.

We have experienced very low water depth since we left Lake Michigan, but the height of “the pool” (as the mean water level of the waterways between the dams is called) can vary widely as witness the construction of houses on stilts (see picture). It would be “interesting” to see the scenery with “the pool” 20 feet above current conditions!

This evening, we witness an amazing show in the sky as thousands upon thousands of white pelicans are flying in V formations over the boat (see pictures on our companion Flickr site). A magnificent sunset concludes the day.

September 26 – Temp. mid-sixties. We leave at 8:00 am under foggy and rainy weather. It is a bit cooler today, we can feel a real difference. We go through our eight and final lock on the Illinois River called LaGrange. As we are the only boat in the lock, the lockmaster lets us float in the lock. We go through Meredosia, Moore’s Island, Wilson Island, Wing Island, Fisher Island, Willow Island, Hurricane Island, Diamond Island to arrive in Hardin at mile 21.1. Tomorrow will be the final day on the Illinois River. Tonight we dine with our new friends at the Illinois Riverside Restaurant where they let us dock for the night for a $25 fee. We had our first exposure to southern food with 2” thick pork chops, boiled sweet potatoes, fried bread, blackened steak, all together quite good.

September 27 – The Mighty Mississippi River! Today the Illinois River merged with the Mississippi marking the conclusion of the first leg of our trip. Tomorrow St. Louis and its famous Arch, but for tonight we are splurging in a full-service marina with hot tub, pool, laundry and even a casino close by. And the internet!!!! Bliss…

23 septembre – Nous quittons à 8 h 30 sous un temps voilé, mais doux. Hennepin est un petit village de quelques maisons, inutile de vous dire que le problème d’internet n’est toujours pas réglé. Cela fait une semaine que nous avons quitté le Canada et on se sent déjà déconnectés de la réalité. Nous naviguons toujours sur la rivière Illinois vers le sud-ouest et traversons les villes de Henry et de Lacon (je les vois sur la carte routière). La nature est abondante et variée, on voit beaucoup d’oiseaux, notamment des pelicans, des hérons et à un endroit on voit une vingtaine d’aigles perchés sur un toit, aux ailes déployées, se chauffant au soleil. Impressionnant! Nous nous arrêtons à Chillicothe (mille 180.5) où on peut s’ancrer pour la nuit et aller au village où l’on trouvera des services, mais encore une fois, hélas, l’eau n’est pas assez profonde. On continue notre route jusqu’à la marina Hamm’s qui promet douches, lavoir, etc. et on arrive dans cet endroit bizarre où d’immenses bateaux désaffectés sont stockés : bateaux de casino, bateaux à aubes, etc. Il n’y a finalement aucun service concret, même pas de douches qui fonctionnent, l’endroit est en train de mourir. On paie 42 $ US et on s’installe pour la nuit, car c’est le seul endroit où il y a assez d’eau pour s’amarrer. On décide de régler notre problème d’internet et on marche deux milles vers le centre-ville à un café internet. On arrive finalement à afficher le blog. Demain matin, on devra partir très tôt.

September 24 – We just left this weird marina which we named the casino boats cemetery (see picture) - ever wondered where floating casinos go when they die? We just found out. Departure under rainy conditions at 7:30 am. The waterway here is wider and we continue seeing pelicans.

Following the trail of explorers Louis Joliet and Father Marquette, we arrive at Peoria Lake. A bit of history is called for. American Indian tribes, such as the Illini, were in Peoria when the French fur trader Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette claimed it as a French territory in 1673. LaSalle, too, explored the area, and it was from Peoria that Jean Baptiste du Sable left in 1784, moving upriver to settle Chicago.

We enter our seventh lock called Peoria Lock & Dam at 10:15 am. This is a wicket dam which means that during low water (which is our case) the wickets are raised to dam the river and provide sufficient depths for navigation. We go down 8 feet.

We pass Peoria (see picture) and Peoria industrial area (stinky!), Turkey Island, Duck Island, Quiver Island, Pekin, Havana (near Cuba village!) – the channel is relatively narrow for a couple of miles.

We finally anchor at Grand Island (mile 106.7). We did 73.8 miles today and deserve a rest, but no, the anchor line gets caught in the rudder post and Superman has to dive in the brownish and gooey water to free the line. No wonder he is all fuzzy and needs a real bath, but a shower will do fine. After that we are invited for cocktails on a trawler with Californians and Europeans we have just met: Izzy and Jeff and their dog Ben. Ben, by the way, has a blog. We have a date to meet them in two days at a famous restaurant down river.

departure

I take my new pen and journal on this Friday September 18, 2009 to tell you that we have left St. Joseph, Michigan at 9:45 am on a clear day. The dream that started 35 years ago is now a reality. Before I commence, we have debated if we should write our blog in French or in English and decided to alternate to give all of you a chance. One of our English speaking friends, Bonnie, used an automatic translator on the internet to translate our e-mail which we had sent and the result was hilarious. So I continue our voyage, The owner of the marina, Bob and Jeff greeted us farewell and helped us get on our way and previous to that, Ralph, the handyman from Second World War over 80 “strong as an oax but with bad knees”, said his farewells with a ‘buona fortuna’.

To go back a little, our departure on Wednesday, September 16 went very well. Nadia (Lise’s daughter) drove us to the airport. We had a 9:00 am flight with Porter Airlines to Chicago Midwest via Toronto. We then took the subway from the airport to Union Station where we took the 5:20 pm only departure train to arrive in St. Joseph, MI at 8:00 pm. We had a 15-minute walk to Harbor Isle Marina with our luggage where BON VENT had been waiting patiently. The next day, September 17, the folks at the marina were kind enough to lend us a car to do our groceries. We did what we had to do to get the boat ready and had a nice dinner at Clementine’s eating Lake Perch.

FIRST POEM INSPIRED BY CAL
Lise, ci-devant
Maîtresse céans,
Reine des vents,
Vogue vers l’océan

September 18 – Today, we motored on Lake Michigan for 8 hours with the mast installed vertically on the deck. It was a good day to leave as the winds were weak and the lake calm. We reacquainted ourselves with the Michigan flesh biting flies and arrived at Hammond Marina, Illinois around 4:30 pm. The marina was closed and a security guard gave us a spot at the courtesy deck. This marina of 550 permanent slips is the last stop on Lake Michigan for boaters planning to cruise down the river system, as the entrance to the Calumet River is only two miles away. The marina also has a casino boat called Horseshoe and is huge and looks like a temple of Mammon (the pun is intended). I’ve never seen such a large casino with so many games: Wheel of Fortune, Star Wars, EBay, etc. etc. and the clientele is very representative of Chicago… We went in out of curiosity with no money in our pockets as we were docked close by.

September 19 – 76 F -Waking up, I find the time is one hour earlier which makes a longer wait for the marina office to open. Everything went well, except for the revellers exiting the casino at 3:00 am, the trains, the highway close by. Time to leave, but before so, we had to check if they had internet capability which they did not, but we were able to call in and obtain a U.S. telephone number for our cell. CA has dark rings under his eyes. We leave Hammond at 10:00 am, refuel and are on our way. At 11:30 am we enter the junction of Lake Michigan and the Calumet River called Mile 333.5 (the river system is numbered north to south so mile 333.5 is the northernost part of the Illinois River System). Going down the industrial waterway, we pass numerous bridges and see white and blue herons and ducks. The canal is somewhat quiet except for some speed boats. We go through our first lock called J. O’Brien Lock and Dam at mile 326.5. At mile 303.4, we reach the junction Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal and Calumet Sag Canal at 4:00 pm. Soon after entering the junction a coast guard vessel approached us to inform us that we needed permission to cross a restricted section of the canal, electrified, to prevent Asian carps from migrating from the canal system to the Great Lakes. After obtaining permission, we were informed not to touch any metal on our boat and that if someone fell off the boat, we should let them drift down passed the dangerous section in the hope, of course, that they do not drown or fry during the process. We went through without any further incident. Today we did 43 statute miles (as opposed to nautical miles) and we are tied up for the night at mile 291.0 at the Lockport Lock and Dam, the second lock which we will transit tomorrow morning.

September 20 – After a good breakfast, we are cleared by the lockmaster to transit through our second lock (écluse) at mile 291.0 at 8:00 am. They supply lines and we tie up on the floating bollards which is cool! The lock drops 40 feet (impressive!)
Mile 290.0 (downstream to the lock) is the beginning of the Des Plaines River which continues for 17 statute miles and marks the end of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.
We notice along the way many towboats pushing large barges on the river system and as the canal is pretty narrow: one has to be watchful. When sighting a tow that we will meet or overtake, we have to call the tow, establish which side the tow captain desires us to pass. “One whistle” or “on the one” means that you will pass the tow on the portside. “Two whistles” or “on the two” means you will pass on your starboard side.
We arrive at Joliet, Illinois at 10:00 am (mile 288.0) and tie up on the free dock and CA takes the folding bike downtown to try to hook up on the internet while I stay on the boat and write. This is where we are met by Dennis, our first live abroad character, who tells us that he has been cruising the inland waterways for 25 years and gives us some tips to navigate on the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. CA returns and was unsuccessful with the internet. He couldn’t connect anywhere, being Sunday, the internet café is closed. We continue our voyage and arrive at the third lock at mile 286.0 called Brandon Road Lock and Dam where we wait half an hour before entering the lock. We tie up on the floating bollards and drop 35 feet. It is a little bit more difficult this time due to the strong current and wind.
At mile 283.2 we see a casino boat called Des Plaines River Entertainment Dock. Did you know that some states in the U.S. build their casinos on the water because regulations allow them to operate on boats but not on land? As you have the internet, check this info out and let me know the explanation. I haven’t figured out the rationale.
At 1:45 pm, it looks like we are going to have some rain.
Mile 273.0 is the junction of the Des Plaines and Kankakee Rivers forming the Illinois River.
At 2:15 pm we arrive at our fourth lock (mile 271.5) called Dresden Lock & Dam. No wait here. I throw the line to the attendant so hard he gets it in the face. He laughs and says “You would be a good pitcher” We have a good laugh and he asks if he can come with us to the Bahamas and we tell him to come aboard. More laughs. We drop 25 feet. We are getting used to this. It starts raining.
We continue our voyage in the rain and stop to anchor at mile 261.3 at Sugar Island. As the water level is low, we need to tie the stern to a tree with a line and all this is done in the pouring rain. I think that the captain has done well despite the fact that he has lost a dinghy plug in the process. And we are still wondering what happened to two blue fenders that have disappeared in the thin air. Mystère et boule de gomme!
We have done 30 statute miles today and crossed three locks. And at 6:00 pm it is still pouring rain. Time for a good dinner and some wine.
21 septembre – Après un bon petit déjeuner (œufs, pain et café) le capitaine décide de réparer la toilette automatique (mue par un moteur électrique) qui a cessé de fonctionner et de laver BON VENT. Pendant ce temps, je range, lave et écris. Nous quittons à 11 h par un temps doux, mais couvert. Nous naviguons sur la rivière Illinois et traversons Seneca (prenez une carte pour suivre le trajet). Lorsqu’on navigue on doit faire attention et surveiller les bouées – bouées rouges à babord (gauche) et bouées vertes à tribord (droite). Il y a plein d’obstacles à surveiller : barges, bateaux à moteur, détritus. Le capitaine traite parfois le mousse de rase-mottes (mousse rase trop les coins), mais le mousse est toujours d’accord et accepte les ordres du capitaine avec bonne humeur et gaieté.
Nous arrivons à la cinquième écluse à Marseilles, Illinois (mille 244,6) et descendons 25 pieds. Tout se passe bien. Après l’écluse on veut s’arrêter à une marina toute neuve qui a du wi-fi, mais malheureusement notre tirant d’eau excède la profondeur du chenal.
On continue donc et passe la ville d’Ottawa, Illinois (mille 239,6) où encore on pensait s’amarrer, mais la profondeur de l’eau s’est avérée insuffisante. On nous a expliqué que depuis un mois il n’y a pas eu assez de pluie et que le niveau de la rivière est très bas.
Finalement, on s’ancre à 16 h 30 à Sheehan Island (mille 234,9) et le paysage est merveilleux, mais ici il n’y a tout simplement pas de services. Le problème d’internet ne sera pas réglé aujourd’hui. Le temps s’est éclairci et il fait chaud. Nous avons fait 27 milles aujourd’hui.
22 septembre - Après un petit déjeuner frugal (céréales et café) nous quittons à 8 h avec l’intention de faire un bon bout de chemin et de régler notre problème d’internet (!!!). Nous arrivons à 8 h 30 à notre sixième écluse (mille 231.0) appelé Starved Rock Lock & Dam et hélas!!!! l’attente est de trois heures et demie. Nous ancrons et attendons sous la pluie. La pluie s’arrête au moment d’entrer dans l’écluse où nous croisons un remorqueur (towboat) qui pousse un train de 15 barges, - on n’en avait jamais vu d’aussi gros - , ce qui explique l’attente aussi longue puisque le passage du train de barges s’est effectué en deux cycles d’écluse. Lorsque c’est notre tour, nous descendons 18 pieds.
Nous continuons direction ouest-sud-ouest et passons les villages d’Utica, LaSalle, Peru et Spring Valley. Nous continuons à passer sous plusieurs ponts et les bouées nous indiquent bien le chemin à suivre. C’est même plaisant et bucolique : on voit des huards, des hérons et des canards. A 16 h nous ancrons à Hennepin (mille 207.5) pour nous approvisionner et passer la nuit. Nous avons quand même fait 27.4 milles aujourd’hui en dépit de tout, mais le voyage s’annonce long...