Beardstown, IL to Grafton, IL
August 11-13, 2017
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| Leaving Logston Tug Service bright and early |
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| Waiting under bridge for 4 barges to pass |
We are up bright and early
at 3:30 am in order to get to the La Grange Lock before it is closed for lock
repair and wicket raising. If we do not get there in time we will only be able
to go through at night. Dave checks and
sees there are 4 tows coming and since our mast is still down (so no radar), we
decide to wait a bit. Sunrise is still
more than an hour away. The buoys are
not lit and only have reflector tape. We
leave the dock at 4:45 am and hang under the bridge until the tows pass with
their barges, but they are taking forever to get by us. We finally head downriver at 5:17 am and hope
that we will be able to make the 8-mile run before they close the lock. It is a bit scary, as we have to pick out the
buoys using our searchlight. I stand on
the bow with a hand held light and try to help.
The reflector tape is not the best, but with Dave’s excellent navigational
skills, we reach the lock at 6:00 am.
Thankfully, we are granted permission to pass through and once again we
go right over the dam without having to lock through. There are no other locks for the rest of the
88.4-mile journey.
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La Grange Lock
Getting ready to lift the wickets |
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| La Grange Lock & Dam |
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| Getting ready to close the lock: 6:00 a.m. |
The trip is uneventful
with good weather. Along the way we see
car ferries that regularly cross the width of the river. We arrive at Grafton Harbor, a marina with a
pool, restaurant, convenience store, and most importantly, a laundry. We are planning to stay for three
nights. We dock and then, relax for the
evening. In the morning, I head to the
laundry and then back to the boat to do some chores. Dave steps the mast by himself, smart man
that he is. He uses a pulley system that
he has engineered so “At Last” is again standing tall and proud and our radar
and other communication devices are working at full capacity. The rest of our stay in Grafton is spent
polishing the boat, relaxing by the pool, putting the boat in order and
visiting the town which has wine bars, restaurants and many gift shops. Our one complaint with this stop is their Wi-Fi
service is poor to non-existent, even our hotspot doesn’t work and sometimes I
cannot even text or make phone calls.
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| Dave and Gail in Grafton |
Alton, IL
August 14-20, 2017
We leave Grafton Harbor and
take the short 18-mile ride to Alton, IL.
We are now on the mighty Mississippi River. At this point, there is definitely a
noticeable change in scenery. The Great
River Road, a national scenic byway is on our port side and high bluffs become
more dramatic and prevalent as we continue south. Alton Marina is located just before the Clark
Bridge, which is a gleaming suspension bridge linking Alton, IL to Missouri.
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| Limestone bluffs along the Mississippi |
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| A definite change in scenery |
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Clark Bridge
Alton, IL |
In Alton we plan to rent a car in order to do
a substantial grocery run as well as visit the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. We make arrangements with Enterprise to pick
us up and once the paperwork is done, we head to Schnuck’s, an area grocery
store. After shopping, we return to the
marina where we are joining Wayne, a fellow “looper” from Gypsy III for
dinner. It is a Monday and many
restaurants are closed in Alton, but we decide to go to Shogun, a sushi
restaurant and hibachi grill. We have an
enjoyable dinner with two other families and are thoroughly entertained by our
“chef”. One young lady at our table is
celebrating her birthday so at the end of the meal a “dragon” accompanied by a
beating drum come to the table to sing “Happy Birthday” (in Japanese, of
course).
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| Hibachi grill at Shogun |
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| A Happy Birthday tribute from the dragon at Shogun |
On Tuesday we drive into St.
Louis. We want to see the Gateway Arch,
St. Louis’ most popular attraction. The
arch is a riverfront memorial to the vision of Thomas Jefferson, who dreamed of
a continental United States. It is an easy drive into the city and we quickly
find a parking lot a short distance from the Arch. The Arch is part of the National Parks
Service. The Arch is 630-ft tall, is made of stainless steel and is built in
the form of an inverted, weighted catenary arch. It is the world’s tallest arch. Visitors can take a tram to the top of the
Arch. Upon exiting the tram, there is an
arched deck, which is over 65 feet long and 7 feet wide. There are sixteen windows per side and the
views from this observation area stretch up to thirty miles. The tram ride is quite interesting, but if
you are claustrophobic, you might want to sit this one out. The cars swing like ferris-wheel cars as they
ascend and descend the arch. The trip to
the top takes four minutes, and the trip down takes three. It is an interesting experience. Maneuvering around the observation area can be
a bit tricky as nothing is flat. We
spend about 20 minutes at the top, and then take the ride down to the Visitor’s
Center where we watch a very interesting documentary on the building of the
Gateway Arch. A visit to the museum
store to buy a National Parks Pass also results in finding Eclipse glasses for
the history-making event on the 21st.
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Gateway Arch
St. Louis, MO |
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| Observation area of Arch |
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| Gail at the Arch's Observation Deck |
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| Tow and Barges as viewed from the Observation Deck of the Arch |
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| Inside the Visitor's Center |
Although there are other attractions in St.
Louis, we opt for returning to the marina.
We have a few more errands to run and we need to return the car by 3:00 pm. It’s leftovers for dinner and a quiet
relaxing night aboard “At Last”.
On Wednesday we decide to
spend another day at the marina. We
learn that they have an excellent offer, buy 3 nights, and get 3 nights
free. What a deal! Later in the morning,
while Dave is working on the boat, we meet Rich and Jane, from Santiago, another
couple who is “looping”. They began
their journey in Dubuque, Iowa and are planning to end their first leg in Cape
Coral, FL where they will stay for the winter.
We also meet their labra-doodle, Mabel.
What a great “boat” dog! After
lunch, I head to the pool and Dave joins me later. On our way back to our boat, Adrienne and
Joe, also “loopers” arrive in their catamaran.
They are docked next to Wayne. Dave decides this is the perfect
opportunity to have our first “docktails” since leaving Michigan. By 5:00 pm, all the “loopers” are gathered on
H-dock, sharing their stories and experiences, when the skies darken, the wind
picks up, and torrential rain begins to fall.
We are all forced back to our boats, a bit soaked, but happy that we
have made new friends. We’ll try it
again tomorrow night, and hopefully, the weather will be better.
Thursday morning dawns
bright and sunny. We definitely need a little exercise so we walk the docks and
finger piers. We discover that 2 + times
around is about 4.5 miles. On our walk
we meet Henry, the captain of HMS Destiny.
His ship is 85-ft long. After
chatting with Henry, he invites us aboard and gives us a mini-tour. The salon is huge and the dining room,
disguised as a game room, has a full-sized pool table and a dartboard on the
wall. Henry tells us about the Blessing
of the Fleet on Saturday and invites us to be guests on his boat, which is also
the boat hosting the judges for the event.
Although we were planning to leave on Saturday, we accept his invitation
and invite him and his first mate, Mary, to join us for “docktails” later in
the evening.
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| We encounter this parrot on D-dock while taking our morning walk |
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| HMS Destiny |
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| Pool table on HMS Destiny |
Around 5:00 pm, we all
gather for drinks and conversation. Wayne,
Jane and Rich have left, but Henry, Mary, Joe, Adrienne, Dave and I share our
various adventures. A good time is had
by all and by 7:00, we are all back in our boats doing whatever it is that has
to be done.
Friday is a workday for Dave
and me. I scrub the new decks, the bugs
are relentless, and Dave continues to wax the boat. We are asked to move to another dock for the
next two nights, which we do after pumping out.
Dave takes this opportunity to dock the boat on its port side so he can
now wax that side. After a swim in the
pool, we have dinner at the small restaurant at the marina, and then it’s back
to the boat for another quiet evening.
Ah, the boating life!
On Saturday morning, we are
up bright and early walking the docks. Today we make three complete passes of
the docks and finger piers for a total of six miles according to the S-Health
app on our phones. We are due on Destiny
at 11:00 am, so we shower and get ready for the Blessing of the Fleet. Since I really don’t have much aboard to
bring to the party, I order pizzas from the marina restaurant, which they bake
and slice in squares for me. Around
11:00 we walk over to Destiny and board the ship. By the time we leave the dock, there are
about 26 people aboard, including Captain Henry and Mary, Andrea, the
bartender, Captain Glenn, who will pilot the ship, and Jack, the ship’s
apprentice. It is an eclectic group and
we enjoy meeting and talking with everyone.
Henry is a gracious host and there is plenty of food and drink for all.
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| Captain Glenn |
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| Bartender Andrea & Captain Henry |
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| Apprentice Jack |
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Safety Briefing
Notice the size of the salon |
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| View from Destiny's bow |
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| "At Last" viewed from Destiny |
After Henry’s safety briefing, Destiny leaves
the dock and heads to Portage des Sioux where the judging will take place. This is the 60th Blessing of the
Fleet. Several boats will parade in
front of the judges, some will be decorated, others will not. This year the theme has been left up to the
boat owners. They can choose from any
theme that has been used in the past. We
arrive, dock and at about 1:30 pm, the parade of boats begins. We see powerboats, jet skis, and
sailboats. When the parade is over,
everyone gathers at the patio in Portage to await the announcement of the
winning boats. By 7:00 pm, we all return
to Destiny for a group photo and then make the return trip to Alton.
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| 60th Blessing of the Fleet judge |
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| Viewing the parade of boats |
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| Andrea and Mary watching the boat parade |
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| An ultra-light flies over the boat parade |
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Awaiting the judge's results on the patio in Portage des Sioux
The boat I'm leaning on is the bar. |
Some of the Winners
What a great boating day this has been!
Tomorrow we will leave for Hoppie’s Marine in Kimmswick, MO. We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Alton
Marina. It is conveniently located, the
facility is well maintained and the staff is friendly and helpful. We highly recommend Alton Marina to those
traveling on the Mississippi.
August 20-21, 2017
On Sunday morning we are up
early. We would like to lock through the
Mel Price Lock, which is about a quarter mile from the marina, before the tows
and barge traffic get heavy. In researching this lock, we learn that Alton is a
major port with grain elevators and fleeting areas and that thirty percent of
the world’s grain passes through the Mel Price Lock and Dam. At around 6:00 am, Dave calls the lock and is
told that if we can get to the lock in five minutes, he will wait for us. When we are almost there, I hear an alarm and
Dave immediately shuts down the engine.
He opens the engine hatch and steam quickly fills the cabin. Dave calls the locks man to tell him we are
having problems and not to hold the lock for us. Dave lets us drift out of the channel and
puts out the anchor. Although I am
worried about the tows and barges entering and exiting the lock, Dave assures
me we are safe and totally out of the path of any barge. Upon further examination, Dave discovers the
belt has broken. He has to let the
engine cool down before he can make the repairs. After locating the spare belt, replacing it,
and also replacing a hose that has split, we are ready to get underway.
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Sunrise at Mel Price Lock
Barge passing us to enter the lock |
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Front of the barge
Thankfully, we are safely anchored out of the channel. |
The tow/barge traffic has increased in both
directions and the locks man tells us that we will have to wait about an hour
to lock through. About 10:15 am, we are
directed into the lock and told we do not have to tie up to the bollard. We just need to float in the middle. When the doors open, there is a barge waiting
to enter the lock, so we carefully exit.
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Bollard to which we usually tie
This time, however, we just float in the middle of the lock. |
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| Tow and barge waiting to enter as we exit the lock |
There is only one more lock on the Mississippi River. We continue south toward St. Louis and the
Chain of Rocks Lock and Dam, also known as Lock 27. As we near the end of the canal, Dave asks
permission to pass a southbound tow. The
captain replies “Sure, but don’t know where you’re going to go.” Uh, oh…there must be a backup of barges
waiting to lock through. We could be
here for hours. Luckily, another tow
captain informs us that the smaller chamber at Lock 27 is open. After confirming this with the locks man,
Dave expertly passes several tows (in both directions) and we enter the small
chamber of the lock. It is a quick
process and we are on our way again in less than half an hour. We are soon passing through St. Louis. The Gateway Arch is dominant on the city’s
skyline. Our passage through this area
is uneventful. We see one tour boat and
a few barges. The sky does look a bit threatening, but rain and bad weather doesn't develop.
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| Threatening Skies? |
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| Dredging the river |
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| The Arch...viewed from the Mississippi |
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| St. Louis Tour Boat |
We continue on our way
until we reach Hoppies Marine Services at mile marker 158.5. It is located in Kimmswick, MO. This is the
only place to get fuel for the next 107 miles and the only marina for the next
228 miles. Dockage is at three 100-foot
barges tied into a high stone cliff with cables. Fern and Charles Hopkins are the owners and
they live on site. The Hopkins men
worked on the river as lamplighters for years, long before powered lights were
installed. In fact, Charles “Hoppie” Hopkins worked this job with his father
and may be the last living Mississippi River lamplighter. Each day Fern conducts an informational
session for transients, especially loopers who are downbound. She includes all aspects of cruising
downriver, providing expert advice on this part of the Mississippi. She tells you how to deal with the tows you
will encounter and provides information on river currents, potential anchorages
and locks you will encounter on the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers as you enter Lake
Barkley on Kentucky Lake. We are looking
forward to our “tutorial” with Fern tomorrow. Based on our research, we believe
that Kimmswick is an excellent place to view tomorrow’s eclipse. The duration of totality is supposed to be
about two minutes thirty seconds. We are
sure glad we got our eclipse glasses.
Today, Monday, August 21,
2017 is Eclipse Day. We are hoping that
the sky remains clear so that we can see the eclipse at its best. We are up early and around 7:00 am we walk into
the town of Kimmswick. It is the second
oldest town in Missouri with a population of fewer than 200 residents. They are
very proud of the town’s history. In
2007, forty-four buildings, within the seven-block commercial district of this
town, were added to the National Register of Historic Places. However, the
proprietors of these businesses are not early risers and we cannot even find a
café to have a cup of coffee. We head
back to the boat to await the eclipse.
We meet another boater that we docked near while in Grafton as well as a
couple we met at the Alton Marina. They are here to see the eclipse. Later in the morning a catamaran, “Cat in
Heat” with Cawley & Tara aboard arrives
at the marina. They are also
“loopers” who are from Treasure
Island, FL and have been traveling since April.
Cawley bought his catamaran, an Endeavor, from the factory as a shell
and then finished it himself. It is a well
designed, nicely laid out boat. After a tour of Cawley’s boat we all head out
to watch the progress of the eclipse.
The moon begins to cover the sun around 11:48 am (CDT). Dave and I watch the progression from the
stern of “At Last”. It is amazing how
fast the moon moves over the sun. You
can see the daylight diminish and feel the temperature drop. The moon actually covers the sun for a little
over two and a half minutes and then it begins to move and expose more and more
of the sun again. It is truly an awesome
event and we are glad we had the opportunity to view it.
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Gail, Sherry, and Kim
In the shadow of the eclipse |
At 4:30 pm, Cawley, Tara,
Dave and I attend Fern’s briefing. Just
as the Waterway Guide stated, she is a wealth of knowledge and gives us
excellent information. After she
finishes, we visit with Tara and Cawley.
We are going to travel together with them tomorrow. Our goal is 110 miles downriver to Little
Diversion Channel at mile 48.8 where there is an anchorage. Remember there are no marinas once we leave
Hoppie’s for 228 miles. Tomorrow’s going
to be a very long day. Guess I should
head off to bed.
Hoppies Marine Services as seen from the drone of "Cat in Heat"
