2
CHICAGO FINALLY BROKE THROUGH THE HAZE IN FRONT OF US BRACKETED BY A HUQE
RAINBOW. A GOOD SIGN WE FIGURED AND AFTER 500 MILES OF GREAT LAKES, WE LOOKED
FORWARD TO GETTING OUT OF THEM.
AS SOON AS YOU ENTER CHICAGO HARBOR YOU GO INTO A LOCK DESIGNED TO KEEP
THE CHICAGO SANITARY AND SHIP CANAL FROM FLOWING INTO LAKE MICHIGAN. AS YOU
LEAVE THE LOCK YOU ARE RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF CHICAGO.
TALL BUILDINGS ON EVERY SIDE AND DOZENS OF BRIDGES WITH THE PEDESTRIANS AND
TRAFFIC OF A BUSY FRIDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 26. NOT HAVING BEEN IN CHICAGO
IN A LONG TIME, IT WAS HARD TO WATCH THE WATER AS DOZENS OF GLASS—WALLED,
MODERNISTIC BUILDINGS SEEMED TO LOOK DOWN ON OUR TINY, LITTLE BOAT. IT WAS
A REAL THRILL. BEFORE LONG, HOWEVER, THE SEARS TOWER, MERCHANDISE MART AND
OTHER WELL KNOWN LANDMARKS GAVE WAY TO RAILROAD YARDS AND DESERTED, DILAPIDATED
COMMERCIAL SITES AND THE SCUM AND DEBRIS ON THE WATER THAT ACCOMPANIES THEM.
ALSO OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH LONG STRINGS OF BARGES PUSHED BY HUGE TUGS.
THESE WERE TO ACCCMPANY US AND COMPLICATE NAVIGATION AND LOCKING ALL THE WAY
TO MOBILE ON THE GULF.
IT WAS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, A LITTLE AFTER NOON, THAT THE SKY SUDDENLY
TURNED TO MASSIVE, ROLLING GRAY CLOUDS. WE KNEW WE WERE IN FOR SOME KIND OF
STORM, BUT WERE NOT PREPARED FOR WHAT HIT US. THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORM
EITHER OF US HAD EVER SEEN. It LASTED ABOUT TWO HOURS. DARK, ALMOST AS NIGHT,
WITH RAIN BEATING SO HARD YOU COULDN’T SEE THE BOW OF THE BOAT AND LIGHTNING
FLASHING IN EVERY DIRECTION WITH CONTINUOUS THUNDER. THE WORST PART WAS THAT
WE WERE IN AN UNKNOWN, NARROW CANAL WITH ROCKY SIDES AND BARGES THAT WERE
ACTIVE BEFORE THE STORM CLOSED US DOWN. I CUT THE THROTTLE TO MERE STEERAGE-WAY,
OPENED PART OF THE CONVERTIBLE TOP FLAP SO I COULD LOOK OVER THE WINDSHIELD
AND PRAY THAT WE WOULDN'T HIT EITHER BANK OR AN ONCOMING BARGE. THIS WAS ONE
OF THE THREE TIMES WE WERE REALLY SCARED ON THIS TRIP.
CHICAGO, AND ALL OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS, WAS FLOODED AS OVER 3 AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN
FELL IN THAT SHORT TIME ON TOP OF DAYS AND WEEKS OF RAIN PRECEEDING IT. THE
CANAL AND ILLINOIS RIVER WERE SWOLLEN WITH LOGS, FLOATING STEEL DRUMS AND
DEBRIS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A FAST BOAT WE HAD TO PROCEED
VERY SLOWLY, AN EXASPERATING CONDITION THAT WOULD WORSEN WHEN WE GOT TO THE
MISSISSIPPI.
OUR FIRST NIGHT ON THE ILLINOIS RIVER WAS SPENT TIED TO A CONCRETE WALL
IN JOLIET WHERE THE CURRENT, DEBRIS HITTING THE BOAT AND CONSTANT BOUNCING
AGAINST THE WALL IN THE WASH OF PASSING BARGES WAS ONE OF THE WORST NIGHTS OF
THE TRIP. WE TRIED TO AVOID SIMILAR SITUATIONS.
THE ILLINOIS WATERWAY STRETCHES FOR A DISTANCE OF 326 MILES BETWEEN CHICAGO
AND GRAFTON, ILLINOIS WHERE IT FLOWS INTO THE MISSISSIPPI. IT IS A PLEASANT,
OFTEN PICTURESQUE RIVER SOUTHWEST OF JOLIET. IT CUTS THROUGH RURAL FARMLAND,
SMALL TOWNS AND FAIR SIZED CITIES LIKE PEORIA. ACCOMMODATIONS ARE FAIRLY GOOD
AND OUTSIDE OF ONE NIGHT ANCHORED IN A STREAM OFF THE RIVER WE WERE ABLE TO
FIND MARINAS WITH WATER, ELECTRICITY AND FUEL. THE MOST DIFFICULT THING TO
GET USED TO WAS LOCKING WITH BARGES AND TOWS. THEY ARE CALLED TOWS BUT HUGE
TUGS PUSH BARGES, SOMETIMES 15 OR MORE TO A TUG. SINCE COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC HAS
THE RIGHT—OF—WAY OVER PLEASURE CRAFT IN THE LOCKS, YOU SOMETIMES HAVE THE
CHOICE OF LOCKING THROUGH WITH BARGES OR WAITING A FEW HOURS. THERE ARE SEVEN
LOCKS IN THE ILLINOIS RIVER AND WE RECEIVED OUR FIRST TASTE OF LOCKING IN A
TRAFFIC JAM. VERONICA AND I HAD BEEN THROUGH A COUPLE HUNDRED LOCKS IN OUR
YEARS OF BOATING BUT NONE EXACTLY LIKE THIS.