Nulstil søgning
Americas Great Loop
Nuværende rejser
  • 45North

Americas Great Loop

The Great Loop from Florida follows the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, the Hudson River, the New York Canals, the Great Lakes, then south on the Inland Rivers to the Gulf Coast and back to FL to complete the Loop. Læs mere
FølgOversigtOversigtKalenderKalenderDelDelTræskoliste
Ældst først
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    1
    Crispy bacon and cinnamon scrolls for breakfast1The parallel US-70 highway and CSX (ex-L&N) railroad bridges cross the top end of Kentucky LakeA loaded barge tow follows us beneath the bridgeUS-70 highway bridge, connects Nashville and MemphisA quiescent Tennessee River sceneThe quietude is interrupted by a downbound barge towI called this award-winning composition "Two trees by the river"I then called this (on the opposite bank) "Two more trees by the river"He who has the highest house wins...A favourite fishing campLaid up for winter. Ersatz tourist stern-wheeler has diesel engines and is powered by propellors.These riverside blocks cost $20-30,000. Another $4-7,000 for the RV shade house. That's it!But some folks actually build a vacation home (flood-free, of course)Approaching the entrance to the Clifton Marina. A tight squeeze.Rosie talks to the marina lady as I try to sneak past the frightening Halloween decorationsThe marina is ready for HalloweenIt's raining outside, but the Marina Bar & Grill is cosy and dry

    Day 24: Pebble Isle to Clifton, TN

    26. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We're still in Tennessee. Preston crisps the bacon in the convection oven while we have coffee and wait for Billy, the marina owner to arrive with the free cinnamon scrolls he always delivers to his guests each morning. Cinnamon scrolls and bacon... a new experience. The scrolls arrive, half-cooked and doughy, but get eaten anyway.

    We're eventually under way... no rush today, just a 58-mile run up the Tennessee River (we leave the lake behind). We pass the OxyChem Plant at New Johnsonville ("We unlock potential by reaching for the impossible and achieving it. At Oxy, we provide society with reliable energy and essential products while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making the world a better place to live." But of course!). We also pass the gigantic 1,200 MW Johnsonville Combustion Turbine Plant with its 20 units. The plant also creates steam needed for the production of titanium dioxide (TiO2) at the adjacent chemical plant.

    The forecast rain arrives. The boat could use a wash anyway. We motor up-river through heavy and light rain. The showers abate just as we need to get outside to berth at the Clifton Marina, but later in the evening heavy rain sets in. Doesn't trouble us though. Rosie and I have a drink and dinner in the marina bar & grill and get talking to some Loopers from Texas who own a deer ranch! He's retired from oil & gas.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    1
    Departing the Green Turtle Marina, Grand Rivers, KYWe're through the connecting canal and onto Kentucky Lake, clear to the horizonYou can never have too many bridges. US-68 flies across the lake.And just to prove the point, so does US-791Here we are on Kentucky Lake, not far laterally from Barkley Lake and the Cumberland RiverHome on Kentucky LakeAnother home on Kentucky LakeThe Danville Ferry on Kentucky Lake. Because there are never enough bridges...1Semi-demolished bridge on the old Louisville & Nashville Railroad1Old Danville river cargo transfer station... grain, peanuts, cottonA calm day for residents on Kentucky Lake1Fuelling is done, now the pump-outA nice evening at the Pebble Isle MarinaEntering the Trace Creek inlet for the Pebble Isle MarinaThe marina fuel dock and houseboat slips

    Day 23: Grand Rivers to Pebble Isle

    25.–26. okt., Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Today we travel about 70 miles up most of the extruded length of Kentucky Lake, crossing into the great state of Tennessee and beneath Highways 68 and 79 in the process.

    It's an 0730 departure under an overcast sky and in calm conditions, about 10C. We exit Barkley Lake via a short canal that connects with Kentucky Lake (same water level) and set course with Otto for a long traverse up to Pebble Isle, near New Johnsonville, for the night and our first fuel uptake since leaving Traverse City, MI. At that point, we'll be around 64 miles as the crow flies from Nashville, TN.

    We pull into the sheltered inlet and marina at Pebble Isle and wait for another vessel to clear the fuel dock. Once beside the pumps, we take on 1,105 gal of diesel and take the opportunity to pump out the black water. I take the opportunity to restock my beer supplies (it's been many weeks since I purchased any!)

    We go to our slip and moor, and crack a beverage. There's a blooper on the dock--trapped here because he lost his prop just as he came in for fuel--(how lucky can you be that it didn't happen in the Mississippi?). He's retrieved it with the help of a local diver, but now has to wait for the spanner guys to arrive. He's Dave, a retired airline pilot, and he's looping alone, since his wife gets seasick. We have him aboard for nibbles and a drink, and the swapping of some great stories.

    Rosie has cooked rissoles for dinner. I love rissoles...😋    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    1To Grand Rivers via the Cumberland River instead of the Tennessee River
    Rosie captures a still and misty morn at Paducah...The quiet Cumberland River (a moment without a barge tow to pass or overtake)A lot of aggregate quarying and loading along the lower Cumberland RiverOne way to load aggregateAnother way to load aggregateA heavy tow-load of rockHow are the barges that comprise a 'tow' lashed together?Geo strata along the Cumberland RiverbankEverybody in, and grab a floating bollardFloating bollard in Barkley LockPreston loops a line over the floating bollardAfter that, you tie off to a cleat and go and have breakfast (with a quick check every now and then)This 30-ft chamber filled rapidly (see video)Gate closing!1A view on the chart of us in Barkley Lock. "Toes In The Water" ahead of us. "Esmeralda" not showing.1Cap'n Preston does some housekeeping at Green Turtle Marina, Grand RiversLater, Rosie and I go to Patti's for dinner, thanks to the local free shuttle and driver Sam

    Day 22: Paducah to Grand Rivers

    24.–25. okt., Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    We leave early, in company with "Toes In The Water" and "Esmeralda", with some fog around that soon burns off. Instead of turning directly up the Tennessee River (previously explained), we have to journey further up the Ohio to get into the Cumberland River by which we loop back to Barkley Lake via the Lock & Dam, and into the Green Turtle Marina at Grand Rivers... a short day, despite the hour's delay at Barkley Lock waiting for a northbound tow to exit the chamber.

    Rosie and I take the marina's vehicle into the village for a recce and later, a local shuttle golfcart picks us up at the marina to take us back to Patti's for dinner and return us to the marina afterwards. Cost... a $10 tip for Sam, the driver.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    One of Paducah's major attractions. We went in but not as far as the museum
    This was hanging on the reception area wall. I think it's some sort of quilt.Broadway St, the main street of the old town. Still very active.Market House Square. A bakery and quirky shopping.ICRR 2-8-2 No. 1518, stuffed and mounted in PaducahTo make sense of our progress south from PaducahA cigar and bourbon bar in PaducahThe Paducah Transient Boat Dock. "45 North" at far end.Driftwood 'tide line' indicates the level of the last flood on the Ohio RiverInside the River Discovery Centre (Museum)A graphic showing our route from Lake Michigan to the GulfInside the River Discovery Centre (Museum). Superb models and history.Inside the River Discovery Centre (Museum)The Museum director wanted a photo of her Aussie friend 😄A portion of the Paduch flood wall wallSome interesting local river history

    Day 21: At Paducah

    23.–25. okt., Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Rosie and I Uber out of town to the closest supermarket to do some grocery shopping (and to replace the fly swatter I broke when I hit an exceptionally tough fly). By the time we've taxied back to the boat and stored the groceries and provisions, it's time to go back into the old part of town--happily close to the dock--and visit the River Discovery Centre and Museum. This is compact but very well set up, includes a simulator of sorts that you can use to test your ability to drive various types of vessels--including a towboat--on the Ohio River. I was totally successful at not destroying the highway bridge. The staff were intrigued to have Australian visitors and insisted on taking a photo with us.

    After that, Rosie went off to explore Main Street for boutiques and antiques while I checked out the local railroad museum. Of most interest in there were the many historical photographs. In the steam era, the Illinois Central Gulf (later the Illinois Central) Railroad had a huge workshop and locomotive manufacturing plant in Paducah. This still operates as a manufacturing plant for National Railway Equipment, but like so many 'once-were-railway-towns', the rail industry is nowadays a bit-player in Paducah.

    Rosie and I had dinner at a great Cajun restaurant in the old town. An early start is planned for tomorrow, as we want to stay with a group of bloopers who are leaving at 0630 to get a good chance of a lock-through at the the Barkley Lock on the Cumberland River.

    Normally, we'd have headed directly up the Tennessee River from Paducah but the Kentucky Lock is currently closed for maintenance. Therefore we (and all the barge tows heading south) motor up the Ohio for 13 miles and turn instead into the Cumberland River which will take us first to Barkley Lake and then, via a short canal, into Kentucky Lake from where we can continue south. So what should have been a 24-mile journey to Kentucky Lake becomes a 50-mile one, with an extra stop added (see tomorrow's Nebo map).    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    Olmsted Lock
    1Departing the Lock up the Oh-Hi-OhPassing a tugboat base with a barge in dry dock

    Day 20: Olmstead, IL, to Paducah, KY

    22.–24. okt., Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Preston radios the Lockmaster to see what the shipping situation is. We've been at anchor for the night just below the dam with two blooper boats. A third arrives in the morning as we wait. Some shipping passes through the Lock and we get a call from the Lockmaster... "If you-all get up here now, I'll get you through."

    We are raised about 15 feet and emerge onto a broad Ohio River lake as we settle down for the run upriver to Paducah, where we'll dock at the town's Transient Boat Dock for two nights.

    Our Nebo software has had another 'fritz', so there's no map record of our run today.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    1
    A tug pushes past us in the early morning with a barge tow at Kaskaskia Lock & DamDeparting the Kaskaskia Lock wall. Two Bloopers have already gone.Only bridge engineers need apply. Building a cable-stayed bridge over the Mississippi River.A visual indication of the Mississippi River current. See next image.1Speed Over the Ground - 15.2 mph. Speed Through the Water - 10.46 mph1A train and a barge tow pass , moving upstreamA general view of the Mississippi, briefly sans shipping, as we see it on this downstream voyage1A Union Pacific Railroad freight train crosses the Thebes five-span cantilever truss bridge1We've turned left past Fort Defiance Point and are in the Ohio River1If we moored here around midnight, we'd see the real City of New Orleans crossing this bridgeTugboat base and barge dry dock on the Ohio RiverBNSF coal train (with hind-end DP out of sight) heads upriverPreston manoeuvers and drops the anchor at Olmsted Lock & DamMaking sure the anchor is gripping the river bed...

    Day 19: Kaskaskia River to Olmsted Lock

    21. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    Our final day on Ol' Muddy. We'll run down to Cairo [KAY-ro] and turn up into the Ohio River to anchor for the night below the Olmsted Lock & Dam. In doing so, we'll leave behind the advantage of the river current as we motor upstream.

    The day starts out windless and the river's calmness is a pleasant contrast after yesterday's sandblasting breeze. This soon turns, as the forecast wind gets up... this time from the opposite direction... which really has our ensign confused.

    Nonetheless, the weather is otherwise fine and Rosie and I enjoy our Mississippi views. She watches for bald eagles and I watch for BNSF trains (and unlike yesterday, I do see a few, including with DP power on the hind end.

    One interlude comes for us as we motor past the city of Cape Girardeau, the largest burg between St. Louis and New Orleans. The city is known as the economic centre of southeastern Missouri and the home of Southeast Missouri State University.

    We catch up again (we did yesterday, and he's passed us as we slept) with the barge tow being shoved downstream by the City of New Orleans. This gives me a second chance to harass Rosie with my excrutiatingly funny joke... "Rosie, what are the guys on that tug doing?" "I don't know, what?" "Riding on the City Of New Orleans (🤣🤣🤣😅😁)".

    Eventually, by 1500, we're into the broad, double S-curves that will see us to the confluence with the Ohio River. We reach there at ....... and make our turn into the Ohio current. This tip of land we're turning at is known as the 'lowest part of the state of Illinois, with an elevation of approximately 279 ft (85 m). This location is also known as Fort Defiance Point. As we turn, we enter the state of Kentucky. 300 miles to go to the Cumberland River and southbound again.

    10 miles upstream we go to the new Olmsted Lock & Dam, where we drop the anchor. There are two other blooper boats nearby. I cook the rice and Rosie does a stirfry.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    1Early morning departure from AltonJust departed Alton, and we bob around and wait for our turn in the Lock.Tied to a floating bollard (note rope beneath sausage fender) and descended 15 feetOut of the Lock'Company traffic'... a Fleming 55 tied on the opposite wallThe gates openPassing "Ned Merrick", a barge tow laden with coal in the Chain of Rocks canalVideo of passing the coal tow in the canal. "Perfect Seas" is behind us.Lock & Dam 27 at the end of the Chain of Rocks Canal1Free at last and passing St. Louis1"45 North" is captured by the Gateway Arch webcam as we pass through St LouisCape Girardeau is the largest city between St Louis and New OrleansWhat a barge tow on the Mississippi looks like when viewed by Google EarthDredging outside the LockThis lineup of equipment is the US Army Corps of Engineers dredge activityAway from Lock & Dam 27Another cable-stayed bridgeOld barge gas-axe graveyardDitto...I suppose you'd call this 'dredging'...We passed this apparition pushing upstream

    Day 18: Alton to Kaskaskia River

    21. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    A long day. We depart Alton Marina at 0700 along with 10 Bloopers and run about 2 miles down to the Melvin Price Lock & Dam, where we cool our heels for a couple of hours as a barge tow comes past and enters the Lock ahead of us. When we finally get the green light to enter, 11 vessels scurry to attach to floating bollards on both walls. In negotiating this Lock we pass off the opportunity to visit the adjacent National Great Rivers Museum, which might have contained some great history on the explorers Lewis and Clark, among many other things. Oh well... next time, maybe. I could easily spend a fortnight in a visit to St. Louis.

    We drop about 15 feet and depart the chamber for the 6-mile run down the river to the Chain of Rocks Bypass Canal, then the 7-mile run down the canal to Lock & Dam 27... our last for a while, from which we are released into the river around midday, another 15 feet lower.

    At this point we have a solid 30-knot blustery wind right on our nose, so although we're now going to benefit from the river current, we'll probably lose about 1 mph due to this wind. We cruise past St. Louis and I 'tune' into the webcam atop the arch to get a distant shot of "45 North" passing by, about 640 ft below.

    Leaving St. Louis behind, we have miles to go before we sleep, so Preston bumps our engine speed up to 1600 rpm. With the favourable current, and the unfavourable wind, we're making up to 15 mph and using 9 gal/hr. But we cover the 'ground', as we must, in order to enter the narrow Kaskaskia River entrance before dark and get our mooring beside the Lock before the crowd arrives.

    Our voyage south reveals this part of the Mississippi River... a railroad visible on the right-hand bank, many industrial plants of one sort or another--power generation and limestone quarries--in among the riverside foliage, all with barge moorings for material supply or product loadout. The thick foliage, and our river-surface situation (which is, unsurprisingly, below the level of the surrounding terrain, means we're blithely unaware of the broad irrigated river flats on our left-hand side and the many towns and built-up locations over on our right. We encounter an upbound barge tow, it seems, about every 4 or 5 miles and numerous downbound tows need to be passed. Each tug captain is called on the radio to get his instruction on which side to pass... the captains will see us on the 'One whistle' or 'Two whistle' (port or starboard) - a wonderful lingual hangover from the pre-radio steamboat days.

    We make it into the Kaskaskia River entrance in the late afternoon and are number two to tie up next to the Lock. I cook sausages on the grill. 'Brats', Preston says they are... the word 'sausage' has a different meaning in the US. Rosie gets some veges ready. We run the generator until 10 pm.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    1The old St Louis Courthouse building
    Lining up for the ride...Five seats in a Gateway Arch carVisitors gaze down through the small windowsPhoto looking east across the Mississippi from one of the windows1Photo looking west across the city111Looking directly east11A model of how the cars are attached for movement through the arch1Drove my Chevvy to the levee...1A video pan looking towards the eastCrazy 'City Museum' and crazy gardenHow many crazy things can you see?A view of the Gateway Arch from the trolley tourThe Trolley1King Louis of France, who was saintedA major research hospital in St. Louis1A view of a tiny portion of Forest ParkThe houses of the rich and (no doubt, in some cases) infamousArt Gallery in Forest ParkA house of worshipThe perils of point-and-shoot through those bus windows!

    Day 17: Gateway Arch and Trolley Tour

    19. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    The enormous St. Louis Gateway Arch is absolutely iconic. If you were to come to this city and not got 'up' the arch, you'd be mad! Rosie and I, therefore, remain sane...

    Each leg of the arch has a 'train' of 8 cars inside it that each seat 5 people. The cars are a bit like cramped ferris wheel cars. They're suspended beneath a monorail, but you're really quite unaware of this. You buy your ticket, you get allocated to a car (between 1 and 8) in either the North or South train, you receive a group briefing and watch a short history video, and you're made ready to board when your train comes down and its passengers have alighted.

    You take a 4-min ride up to near the apex, alight, and walk a few steps to the viewing gallery, 630 ft above the ground. On the other side of the tape divider you can see the people from the train that came up in the other leg. The viewing gallery has a series of tiny windows through which you get both eastwards and westwards views. Your group gets 10 minutes and then you have to reboard your train and descend for a 3 min return ride down.

    Rosie and I then took a 75-min 'trolley' ride around the city with a commentary from the driver. It wasn't a hop-on/hop-off bus (which they do have in St Louis), so you couldn't get decent photos, but being fully enclosed we did not have to cope with any weather that might have occurred.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    General Electric U25B with the hood structure removed. Technical training aid.
    1Wabash 2-6-0 Mogul-type Class F5, No. 573See following photoSee previous photo1Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 Kanawha-type No. 27271New York, Chicago & St. Louis 4-6-4 No. 17011Union Pacific No. 900081 Rotary Snowplow trailed by a DDA40X double-engined locomotiveA closer lookTrailing end perspectiveNote window wipers fitted to cabside windowsCoupling pipe for steam heat from the locomotive on streamliner passenger car1St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (The Frisco) 2-10-0 Decapod No. 16211Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR No. 9908 ‘Silver Charger’1Chicago & Illinois Midland RR 2-8-2 No. 551Caboose and boxcarTwo different caboosesModels of streetcars and interurban transport of a past era1The famous 4-4-0 locomotive, the "General"4-4-0 locomotive “Yonah” participated in the Great Locomotive Chase of the American Civil War

    National Museum of Transportation - 3

    18. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Yet more at random [some captions yet to complete]

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    A view of part of the Transportation Museum park
    Part of the kiddos fairy garden in the Museum park1Western & Atlantic Railroad No. 49 "Texas"A nod to the vehicle manufacturing industry of St. Louis, MO1A "Carriage Auto" built by the St. Louis Motor Carriage Co.1The origin of Enterprise Car Rentals1Solar vehicle from the great raceA bevy of Chevvys ('57s)11923 Stanley Steamer11929 Illinois Terminal Railroad No. 1595 Electric Traction Locomotive Class C1Philadelphia SEPTA PCC car No. 2740,11946 St. Louis Public Service Co. No. 174314-6-0 freight locomotive footplate1Norfolk & Western Y6a No. 2156 2-8-8-2 Y6a "Mallet" (see next)1Norfolk & Western Class-Y6a No. 2156, 2-8-8-2 Mallet-type1Missouri Pacific RR No. 4502 RS-3 diesel-electric freight locomotive1NYCRR 'Mohawk' No. 2933NYC 29331Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe RR No. 50111DL & W No. 952 4-4-0 American Camelback (see next image)Delaware, Lackawanna & Western No. 952 4-4-01CB & Q dining car No. 192, 'Silver Spoon'Missouri Pacific RR Parlor-Observation lounge car No. 750 'Eagle Parlor'

    National Museum of Transportation - 2

    18. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    More at random...

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    '28 or '29 Ford Model A
    1Virgin Hyperloop experimental vehicle. Preston has declined to travel in it.Part of the aerospace displayElectric traction awaiting its turn in the workshop1Boston & Albany No. 39, "Marmora". Note flangeless leading driving wheel.Early-generation tamper with electric tamper spades1No. 1743 St Louis Public Service PCC / SFO MUNI No. 1164No. 1743 St Louis Public Service PCC / SFO MUNI No. 1164Twin single-cylinder Westinghouse air compressors connected in seriesConrail GP7, 5677, former Central of New Jersey 1521.Worthington feedwater pump on N&W Y6a articulated steam locomotive1Boston & Providence "Daniel Nason" 4-4-01Inside running gear and motion on the "Daniel Nason"1EMD (General Motors) E8 unitEMD (General Motors) E8 unitPullman Sleeper interior through a dirty windowPrivate car dining area through a dirty window1Gulf, Mobile & Ohio No. 5998, the "Abraham Lincoln" Parlor-Observation car1A look inside the empty tender of an Alco "Big Boy" locomotive1Lake Street Elevated 0-4-4T locomotive No. 9 "Charles H"Lake Street Elevated 0-4-4T locomotive No. 9 (see previous)Riveted tank car, heated for viscous fluids1Standard Brands tank car No.1634.US Mail railway Post Office car, including mail-bag transfer gear

    National Museum of Transportation - 1

    18. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    [Bear with me; explanatory captions to come. They take a while to write or transfer from some other source... and I have a big river to view]
    A selection of images from our day at a very exceptional transport museum. I'll show a few motor vehicles but will refrain from the aviation collection, which is compact but very good. Even the rail display in its utter entirety we did not get to see due to the rain slowing us down in our tour of the museum and closing time closing in on us.

    Let me say at the outset, that any museum curated by John H. White, Jr.,
    Curator Emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution has got my attention. I've got a couple of his books on the subject of American steam locomotive history and archaeology, and they're exceptional works, always with a compelling and insightful narrative.

    I do not apologise for the predominance of 'front-quarter' views of locomotives; a photographer of my miserable ability with but a smartphone camera can achieve no more.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    Another view of the engineering in the US-67 Clark Bridge across the Mississippi River
    Tried to photograph that caboose, but the damn car got in the way...Entrance to kiddo's fairy garden at the transportation museum11929 Model A Ford Huckster, known as the "Termite Taxi"1This early railroad car's parentage should be obviousSelection of railroad dining car crockery2A vomitacious livery. Read the comment...Ah yes... much better!The Clarke Bridge over the Mississippi above our marina, in torrential rain

    Day 16: Alton, Il and St. Louis, MO

    18. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    We're at the Alton Marina because St. Louis has no facilities for boaters to tie up to. Alton is in Illinois, St Loo is across the river in Missouri. We head for Forest Park (which they tell us is larger than Central Park in NYC) and the Visitor Centre, where I pick up some maps. Then, still in Forest Park, we drop Rosie at the Zoo. Preston and I then head across town to the National Museum of Transportation.

    What satrted out as an overcast day with thunderstorms forecast turned into exactly that. Heaviest rain we've experienced since leaving Michigan. Torrential for several hours. Rosie got wet at the zoo (despite her dainty wee brolly) and so did Preston and I (despite my robust, manly version). We left the museum at its closing time, picked Rosie up at her closing time, and drove back to the marina... a 1½-hr drive on freeways in double-wiper-speed conditions.

    I'll have to recuperate and regain some energy before I can complete this Footprint. I'll place most of the museum images in separate folders to save my faithful non-technical followers the anguish of having to peruse them should they not be desirous.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    1Flour Power and 45 North squeeze through between the channel markers and an upbound tow with 16 onSliding under the highway bridge at HardinSome bloopers tied up at Hardin. Can you see the Fleming?We spent most of the day 5 miles away from the MississippiInteresting shoreline foliageAs we overtake a barge tow, the Illinois River and Grafton on the right; ol' muddy on the leftLimestone cliff sculpture along the Mississippi. Highway 100 belowLimestone bluffs and fall colour along the Mississippi RiverLimestone bluffs and fall colour along the Mississippi River1Limestone bluffs and fall colour along the Mississippi RiverSomebody has great views of the Mississippi River, and probably the Missouri River as well1'Riverboat' casino at Alton. Permanently moored and legal because it's not on land.Structural detail of the cable-stayed Clarke Bridge, carrying US-67 at Alton, Il.

    Day 15: Willow Island to Alton

    17.–20. okt., Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Today, we''ll meet Ol' Muddy! We haul anchor at Willow Island, pirouette on the engines, and are away downstream sometime after 0800, for a short day.

    The sky is clear but the breeze is a bit chilly. A 15-27C day today, with the 27 not coming until we're well down the river. Basically, we have an unremarkable journey. We have to fold the radio antennae for the highway bridge at Hardin, wave to a coterie of bloopers moored there, and steer around numerous large barge tows coming up the river and going down.

    Eventually we arrive at the confluence with the Mississippi... and seminal moment in our voyage. The delay yesterday at the La Grange Lock has meant that we'll bypass Grafton and go straight to Alton. We arrive at the Alton Marina in plenty of time for Rosie to put on her lippie anf join me as we wait for an Uber to take us across town to the Enterprise Car Rental agency. We pick up the car and go shopping at Schnucks Supermarket for a re-provision. No time to explore historic Alton... maybe tomorrow, although the National Museum of Transportation in St Louis beckons (hush now... I know, I know!).    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    We motor past the Caterpillar plant VISITOR CENTRE in the early morning sunThe tow delaying us at Peoria Lock pushes out of the chamberIn we goIndigo and Flour Power (a Fleming 55) about to follow us into Peoria LockThe Lockmaster has handed me the bow line, which I pay out as as we drop (all of 10 ft)A look across at the dam... just a 10-ft drop hereHere's what a barge tow looks like as we pass. He's got 15 ahead and one 'on the hip'.Departing Peoria Lock beneath the Chicago & North Western Railroad bridgeAn old, abandoned Lock, now used as a harbour by rec boatersCanada geese take a breather on their way southAn old (VERY old) barge ruin lies on the bank. One of many to be seen along the river.Rosie at the wheel...Another old Lock on the Illinois RiverThe Beardstown railroad bridge lowers for a train as we depart the area"Flour Power" follows us into the anchorage at BeardstownPreston deploys the anchor (by remote control)

    Day 13: Peoria to Beardstown (at anchor)

    15. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Away from Peoria town we go, and into another calm morning. We have Peoria Lock & Dam a few miles downriver, and we need to be ready for whatever drama rears its head there. But first we have a railroad lift bridge to get through. As we approach, wouldn'tcha know it... the bridge tender is on the radio warning all traffic that he's about to lower. Since we've recently re-erected our mast, we need it to be 'up'. Preston throttles up and we scoot through just in time.

    We ride past the enormous area occupied by the Caterpillar plant (11 or 12 separate HUGE buildings), and head for the Lock. Here we wait for an hour and a half as a tow coming upriver pushes its load (three abreast and 4 in line, i.e. they're pushing 12 barges lashed together) through in two tranches because the chamber, again, is too short for more than 3 barges in line, and these tows have 4 in line.

    The Lockmaster finally calls us in and we complete our second-last Lock-through for this Illinois River. 77 miles to go to the final Lock at La Grange, which we'll see tomorrow.

    We have a long day on a peaceful and glassy Illinois River, passing and overtaking plenty of barge traffic. One exciting moment appears and then disappears almost within 15 seconds... I see some wildlife on the bank. I run to grab my camera and yell at poor Rosie, who is at the helm, NOT TO LOOK! (I don't want her to swing on the wheel and put us into the bank). She doesn't look, we don't run into the bank, and the bluddy wildlife moves just as I point and shoot. Bugger! It was a fox family with two cubs.

    We arrive at the Beardstown railroad lift bridge as a light tug comes through toward us. We hear its captain alert the bridge tender that there are three 'pleasure' craft coming toward him. Preston says, "I need the bridge up"... the bridge tender says, "Come on through, I've got a train in 40 minutes." We make it through and within a few miles we three boats arrive at our chosen anchor location... partly behind a small island that will help to 'shelter' us from the wash of barge tows passing in the night.

    Rosie has thawed a bag of meatballs. We will not starve tonight.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    Good morning and goodbye to Ottawa's Heritage Harbor MarinaHeading outFall colours on the riverAn interesting river view1The tow that hit the end of the chamber and held us up, finally comes outWe see the last of that pesky tow. That's "Indigo" sliding past him, around that market on his 'One'1Overtaking a downbound tow 'on the One' (i.e. his port side)A nice river/lake viewWe pass a 12-barge tow with not a lot of the channel to spareOver on the left is an old, abandoned Lock, now used by rec boaters to tie upPassing a tug looking for another tow (running 'light engine', Preston and I call it)1Rosie thinks this is carp damage caused to these cottonwoodsApproaching Peoria and the US-50 bridges... the new one, unfinished, on the far sidePassing the Komatsu factory in Peoria. Red sky at night... (etc)Fast alongside for the night in Peoria. The I-74 highway bridge.

    Day 12: Ottawa to Peoria

    14. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    [In progress]
    Finally completed yesterday's Blog.
    Peoria is the historical home of Caterpillar, with its first tractor manufacturing plant established in the area in 1910. I've spent more than a few hours of my youth operating my dad's Caterpillar crawler tractor, and I've been very aware of the manufacturer's name painted on it... at a place called Peoria, Illinois. Now, I'll get to see it.

    We depart the Heritage Harbor Marina at 0830 and sail past Ottawa - the mist just burning off, the sky clear, the river flat calm and 'reflective'. By 0900 we're at the Starved Rock Lock & Dam and sure enough, the line-up of shipping we can see on our electronic chart is playing out and the delay Preston has cautioned us about (another 'pause for the cause') is confirmed by the Lockmaster. We can cool our heels for a couple of hours, and we do.

    Worse was to come. The 'tow' that was pushing upstream overshot and rammed the closed end of the chamber... the 'bullnose', breaking a coupling between two of its barge-loads. More time was expended while they fixed that problem and finally pushed out of the chamber, enabling us and another boat with whom we've made friends, to enter.

    We continue down-river, without further drama, manoeuvering around some upbound barge tows and one downbound we first encountered yesterday, happy to have a 1-mph current in our favour. The river's course is rimmed by foliage and every so often a riverside town slips past, as do numerous residences and obvious fishing spots. Another feature of this portion of the river is the large lake areas that have been created by the dams and that extend away to one side or the other of the waterway. There are numerous duck-shooting blinds built away from the shore on some of these.

    The delay at Starved Rock has put us behind, but we finally arrive into Peoria at dusk, and tie up downtown at the 'free dock' (without shore power) located at the Peoria Fire Rescue Marine Station 1, where we are the lone occupants.

    We crank up the grill on the flybridge and cook inch-thick steaks (½-inch in Rosie's case) bought in Traverse City, while Rosie does a spud and sweet potato medly in the air-fryer. We introduce Preston to a good Wolf Blass Cab Sav that I also purchased in TC. It turns out that 'Wolfie' was a friend of Rosie and Bert's some years back. Sadly, Wolfie has passed, but his wines are still being blended somewhere by someone.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    An overnight tug shoves past us on the wall in Joliet and heads upstreamRed sky in the morning... we did get a few spits a bit later onTwo bloopers follow us off the wall at JolietHow we get from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi RiverOur first for the day, a 40-ft drop, and out we go!Brandon Rd Lock & Dam, Joliet, IlDresden Island Lock & DamA tug and barge (known as a 'tow') departs the Marseilles Lock as we wait

    Day 11: Joliet to Ottawa, Il

    13.–14. okt., Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Another 0700 start in order to get through a drawbridge in Joliet before the city's morning rush hour could mature, and be set up to enter our first Lock for the day. Preston confirms with the bridge tender and we ensure two blooper boats that are with us on the wall are aware of this early opportunity.

    We set off, and passage through the Brandon Rd Lock & Dam is straightforward, as is that at the Dresden Island Lock & Dam (where we pause briefly to allow an upbound tug-and-barge to exit and pass). At this latter point, we have just passed the confluence of the Kankakee River, so we're now in a waterway officially called the Illinois River, which will take us to the Mississippi at Grafton, Il. By this means, we'll have voyaged across the entire breadth of the state of Illinois.

    At the Marseilles Dam ('Mar-sails') we enter the short Marseilles Canal that leads us to the Lock. Here we encounter some barge traffic; one coming up and soon to enter the Lock, and one downbound which will enter when the upbound exits. We three non-commercial vessels sneak over and lurk near the stern of the stationary downbound tug and barge to allow the upbound to exit the Lock and pass. The 3-wide barge groups fit width-wise into the Lock like a hand into a glove. We are fully expectant of a 3-hr delay here (a 'pause for the cause', as Preston puts it), and so it turns out. The upbound tow exits and the downbound ahead of us then manoeuvres away from its holding point and enters the Lock. This chamber is too short for the tug and its grouping of barges, so the tug pushes its load into the chamber and withdraws. We watch as the barges drop out of sight while the tugs waits with us. But how will they get those barges out of the chamber without the tug being attached?

    Barges can be moved out of a Lock chamber without a tug by using a cable and hoist system known as a tow-haulage or tow-rail system at the Lock, to pull them through once the water levels have equalised. Elsewhere, the water flow itself can be used to propel unpowered barges through Locks. This is done by opening the Lock gates and allowing water to flow from the higher to the lower level, which propels the barge forward. At the Marseilles Lock, they have a tow-rail system.

    Eventually, the chamber was free and we were permitted to enter with the waiting tug and be Locked-through along with it. Once the gate opened for us, we just manoeuvred past the tug and the barge group outside, and continued on our way downstream. Within 2 miles we were at the entrance to Ottawa's Heritage Harbor Marina, our stop for the night. We ate Chicago pizza and watched the TV news of the release of the Israeli hostages. I fell asleep watching a history of King Henry VIII but awoke in time to go to bed 😀.

    Some notes about these Locks & Dams. The Rock Island District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains 314 miles of 9-ft navigation channel on the Mississippi River (including operation of 12 lock and dam sites) and 268 miles on the Illinois Waterway with operation of 6 lock and dam sites. On the Illinois these dams render the river as a series of lakes--most of them long and skinny--creating a a series of pools that enable navigation for commercial and recreational boats, but most importantly, commercial. At some of the dams, the opportunity is taken to generate modest amounts of hydro-electric energy.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    1
    1Entering off Lake MichiganThe first drawbridge opens for us. Many more to come.A draw, two lift bridges, and the I-90 Chicago Toll BridgeYou can never have too many...Put the camera down... no, wait! There's a train coming!The Chicago Toll BridgeWaiting to enter the T.J. O'Brien Lock1The T.J. O'Brien Lock. A good look at those magnificent 'sector gates'At a boatyard on the Calumet River, boats are wrapped and made ready for winter1A SEPA (Sidestream Elevated Pool Aeration) StationAnother SEPA installationSEPA again, provided as part of a nice park setting1SEPA (Sidestream Elevated Pool Aeration) Station 5Because you can never have too many bridges. The Cal-Sag Channel.What did I just tell you..?A lone pusher tug goes looking for its next barge-load1A lone heron on high...We exit the Cal-Sag at the confluence with the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal1Electric fish barrier on the Chicago Ship Canal. Personal watercraft (e.g. Jetskis) cannot pass.A tug pushes past with 4 barges of heavy aggregate. A blooper follows, keeping his distance.1Slipping cautiously beneath the single reason we've lowered our 'mast'Just fixed against the wall in Joliet, when... bugger... another train!

    Day 10: Hammond, IN, to Joliet, Il

    12. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Up, up (out of bed) and away by 0700, to BEAT THE BLOOPERS! Off we go from the marina into a very slight swell on the lake and a short transit up to the mouth of the Calumet [kal-oo-met] River. A Canadian (Algoma) freighter exits the river and heads out onto the lake. We enter, and proceed through several drawbridges, where we have to call the bridge tender each time and request opening. These first miles twist and turn and are extremely industrial. A lot of lake shipping, especially tug-and-barge, loads and unloads in here, but not today... it's Sunday.

    Our first holdup is at the first Lock, the T.J. O'Brien Lock & Dam, where we wait for a tug-and-barge to exit the chamber and a couple of rec boats to come down before we and a couple of other rec boats (fishers) can enter and be 'locked-up', as they might say. This is only a '5-foot' Lock. The lock and dam are 326 river miles (525 km) from the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. The lock—which has a maximum lift capability of 5 feet—contains a pair of 'sector gates'--which I've never seen before--at either end,. These are more conducive to operations in a waterway that can reverse direction. The lock and dam are used to maintain a 9-ft navigation channel and to control backflow into the lake—during heavy storms—from the polluting industries along the Grand Calumet and Little Calumet Rivers and the outfall of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant.

    After some miles of sinuous, industrial activity, the waterway ceases to be the Calumet River and we find ourselves in the Cal-Sag Channel (the name is short for 'Calumet-Saganashkee'). The Cal-Sag Channel was constructed between 1911 and 1922 with the primary purpose to reverse the flow of the Little Calumet River and drain untreated sewage and stormwater away from Lake Michigan and into the unfortunately-named Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal (hereafter to be referred to as the Ship Canal). The Sag-Cal served as the rowing venue for the 1959 Pan American Games, was subsequently widened to allow use by increasingly large barges and is also used by recreational boaters.

    SEPA (Sidestream Elevated Pool Aeration) Station 5, at the confluence of the Ship Canal and the Cal-Sag Channel, in Lemont, Illinois, is one of several such installations that use cascading falls to maintain dissolved oxygen levels in the waterway. The monument near SEPA Station 5, at the confluence of the two waterways, is a lighthouse that commemorates the engineering feat of the canal system; the general area being part of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor. This location features a scenic park environment with waterfalls which are part of the aeration process. In 1999, the entire Ship Canal system was named a "Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium" by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

    We continue downriver, past numerous barge-loading stations where heavy loads of aggregate and other bulk materials are loaded onto barge lash-ups to be pushed down the river or up to Chicago or Lake Michigan by powerful pusher tugboats.

    We arrive at Lockport Lock & Dam, wait for an 'upstream' rec fisher's boat to clear, and enter the chamber to tie up to a floating bollard. These make Locking easier, by not requiring whoever is holding the rope(s) to pay it out or ensure it slides down the pipe as the boat descends with the retreating water level. Departure from this Lock means the Ship Canal has ended and we're now in the Des Plaines River. When--after a further 20 miles--we reach the confluence with the Kankakee River near the Dresden Nuclear Power Plant, we'll be in the Illinois River which will take us to the Mississippi.

    The bridge tenders at several drawbridges in Joliet are called to open for us (and the Blooper following), and we finally edge over to the wall at the Joliet City Dock, beside The Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park. This is the closest thing to a marina in Joliet, but it's free and so is the power we plug into. Joliet, with a population of around 152,000, is the local county seat.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    BBQing dinner and looking across the marina to the giant floating casino
    The Soiuth Shore train arrives at East Chicago to take us into the cityThe Lock that controls (prevents) Lake Michigan from flowing into the Chicago RiverA fire tender in the Chicago River tests out its water cannon1One of the Chicago water supply inlet 'water cribs' a few miles offshore from ChicagoWandering around Navy PierWalking around the Navy Pier in ChicagoTaking Rosie along the Chicago RiverApartment building1Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower) in the centreKevin, our tour guide, hard at work and doing a great job!What Rosie saw...1The lower levels of one of 'The Corncob' apartment buildingsOne of my favourites. I call it 'the body building'.Hotel Intercontinental lobby door on Michigan AveApartment building and associated marinaThe old Post Office HQThe famed Market buildingFor great Chicago 'deep dish' pizzasRosie's 3 Cheeses and ChickenPreston tucks into a slice of my pepperoni

    Day 9: Hammond, IN

    11. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We've taken a rest day here so that I can take Rosie into Chicago and show her something of this amazing city. We Ubered across to the South Shore Railroad station and took the train into the city... the terminus being Millennium Station (originally called Randolph St Terminal, and before that Great Central Station for the Illinois Central Railroad). It was only three city blocks to the river and the river cruise docks. Although the city was absolutely buzzing with people (it was Chicago Marathon weekend... just our luck!) we managed to score three tickets on the Shoreline Cruises for an 'Architectural River Cruise".

    We had to wait for 2 hrs, so walked around Navy Pier to fill in the time. Preston was not thrilled when we noticed 7 or 8 blooper boats tied up in the adjacent marina. Following that, we embarked on our river trip with an excellent commentator... part-tour guide, part-actor (he actually WAS an actor). After that, the evening was closing in on us and the wind was chilly, so we followed Preston to a city pizza parlour and purchased several Chicago 'pizza pies'... a unique Chicago delicacy whereby the pizza is about three times as thick (deep) as a normal pizza.

    We then summoned an Uber, and went back to the marina at Hammond--a $60 trip, and worth every expedited cent--where we heated and ate several 'slices' of pizza pie for dinner and placed the rest in the freezer. Yum-to-come.

    Off to bed...perchance to dream. A 7:00 am start tomorrow, as we attempt to beat the bloopers into the river.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    1The morning Amtrak passes, Chicago-bound, behind a Siemens ALC-42 “Charger” locomotiveThe train has passed and the bridge has swung open for river trafficOut past that shiny, stainless steel sculpture and onto the lakeHanging on in the pilothouse1Chicago from 20 miles out, but we're going this way...Safely in the Hammond Marina, and pumping out the black water tank

    Day 8: St Joseph, MI to Hammond, IN

    10. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Up and away (after the Amtrak came through, of course) as the sun rose on a chilly 8C morning. English muffs and bacon, out of the marina, onto the lake, and into a brisk sou-westerly that was pretty much on our nose... 1-2 m swells. The seas increased as we progressed so that for most of the journey we had 4-5 m swells in between 1-2 m intermediaries.

    There was nothing to do but stow everything that could move, hang on, and try not to move around any more than was necessary. Apart from that, no wurries, and all went well. Seas calmed down as we approached Hammond, and pretty soon we were sliding through the hidden entrance of the Hammond Marina in the lee of the huge Hammond Horseshoe Casino.

    Tomorrow, I'm hoping the casino attracts taxis so that Rosie and I can get across to the railway station and train-it into Chicago for a good look around.

    Tonight, we eat asparagus and cheese sausages from the BBQ, smashed spuds, and peas 'n carrots (with a nice glass of Durif).    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    A straightforward voyage...
    The moon is still full, but waning, as I venture out to sample the day on a glassy Grand RiverThe lake beckons, as we motor "No Wake" towards it1Grand River exit to Lake Michigan. The light-keeper's catwalk.1The olde lighthouse, with its winter ice deflector/protector1Why take a photo of a power plant? See fun fact in comments.1A quick look at the BÖNING screen, for the boaters among you...Obilgatory 'approach shot'. This time to the St Joseph River and the West Basin MarinaRailroad swingbridge with highway drawbridge beyond1Sculpture at entrance to St Joseph harbour. The little-known story in Comments.Folding the mast. Steady as she goes...Mast folded, and the dinghy will be re-mountedCloseup of railroad swingbridge from our marina dockAmtrak, Chicago to Grand Rapids, crosses the St Joseph River

    Day 7: Grand Haven to St Joseph

    9.–10. okt., Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    It's a calm morning on the Grand River as we have freshly-brewed coffee and English muffins with crispy bacon for breakfast. The gulls are wheeling, squawking, feeding, and preening as we make ready to back out of our dock for an unremarkable day on the lake.

    Today, the wind is off the land from the SE, so--to an extent--we'll be protected in the lee of that eastern shoreline. Still, Preston sets a course for Otto to follow that is basically a straight line to St Joe, so we'll run 65 miles today, about the same as yesterday, and the max distance we'll get out from the shore will be around 7 miles. The swell is soon up to 2 ft, but it's on our port bow, so the stabilisers cope well and our ride is pretty easy.

    Preston has regretted to inform me that we'll be mooring up close to the (old) Pere Marquette main line, and we'll have a bit of Amtrak traffic to contend with. I promised him that I'd do my best to cope. Turns out there's only two Amtrak movements through town, anyway... a morning one outbound from Grand Rapids to Chicago and an evening return that comes through around 9:30 pm. I got a video of that tonight and I'll be looking for the morning one before we leave the marina tomorrow.

    Preston and a young chap at the dock dropped the mast on 45 North this afternoon. That'll stay folded until we're well down the Illinois River. Rosie went for a walk and found herself in the St Joseph Yacht Club. The local manager was intrigued to have Aussie visitors and one (Rosie) who was a yacht club member in Australia (Sydney). So she and me took advantage of his invitation to dine there tonight, which we did.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    The S.S. Badger getting steam up for departureBye, bye, Badger... bye, byeAbeam the Silver Lake State Park sand dunesPassing across the entrance to Muskegon Lake and the town of MuskegonObligatory approach shot for Grand HavenThe Grand River (the same one that flows through Grand Rapids). Our marina is dead ahead.1Did I forget to tell you I'd be looking at a steam locomotive? Sorry...11Engine 1223 is one of two surviving steam engines of its type that were used in fast freight service1The retro-fitted MB Standard Stoker; not a patch on its original HT, Preston tells me.1Pere Marquette is the name of a Michigan railroad of old. An old French priest may be in the story.The coal tower back when the area was a working railyardRiverside sculpture near Grand Haven Municipal MarinaLate afternoon view down the Grand River towards Lake MichiganThis area used to be a railyard1

    Day 6: Ludington to Grand Haven

    8. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Cool this morning... 16 C, but very calm in the marina, as the S.S. Badger gets steam up for its 0900 departure. We are under way ahead of the ferry, at 0830, and it's just us and a few fishers out in their boats as we head out onto the lake and an easy 1-ft swell from the NW. Later, a smudge of coal smoke away behind us betrays the Badger's progress out onto the lake, and steaming away on its westerly crossing.

    The day was uneventful, passing abeam the Silver Lake dunes and the Little Sable Point lighthouse, then the inlet to Muskegon, from which I'd sailed on the fast Lake Ferry with my rental car back on 20 July, en-route to Chicago.

    We arrived at a very quiet Grand Haven, getting ready for winter. Rosie and I phoned the town bus for a pickup and went uptown for a grocery shop at Walmart and for Rosie to find something to help with the cold she's had hanging around since she arrived from Europe.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    A harvest moon over Frankfort for our post-dawn departureI almost missed him... Little Toot on the hard at Frankfort1The Caroline McKee, northboundWe cut to port to give the tug some room1The obligatory 'approach' shot. Ludington harbour entrance.1An apartment building beside Ludington's Harbor View MarinaPlayground sculpture at the marinaThe S.S. Badger--running two hrs late--is 'knocking on the door'...She's dropped her starboard anchor and is using it and her two engines to swing about1The captain has come to the stern wheelhouse to manoeuver into the berthJust caught the end of Crystal Gayle's song as Badger slotted into her berth

    Day 5: Frankfort to Ludington

    7.–8. okt., Forenede Stater ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Preston makes the coffee and cooks biscuits and sausage for breakfast. I think it's going to take the entire voyage for me to get Rosie to say 'biscuits' and not 'scones'. We're off the dock at 0830, by the light of a harvest moon.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml22cp4ojHg

    A little sailboat we passed yesterday is away ahead of us. We soon overtake them.

    We’re abeam the Big Sable Point light at 1235 and turn in short of our marker, to clear the way for a northbound tug-and-barge. We're only going to Ludington because we have to watch the "S.S. Badger" arrive from Manitowoc, and its famous 'drop-the-anchor' pirouette to berth stern-to. If there's time, I intend to check out the Maritime Museum too (as it turned out, the website said it was open, but when Rosie and I got there it was not).    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    A windy day at Leland. There are five US flags in this image... all standing straight.Looking down the Leland River toward the weir, old fishtown, and the marinaMotive power. The sheriff has 2 x 300V8 Mercs, the Park Ranger 2 x 250hp Hondas1A 35-ft Hinkley cruiser with Hamilton Jet power. Taken out for winter.The business end... reverse buckets"Mitch-Mate III" is an Amphicar 770 owned by the owner of The Cove restaurant in LelandThe Amphicar chucks a lap around the marina, past "45 North"Lakeside homes at LelandThe beach at Leland, looking back toward the marinaJust another sunset shot... North and South Manitou Islands on the horizonAn interesting view showing the drainage basin (watershed) of the Great LakesA closeup chart view of our first 4 days' route. Frankfort is off the lower edge of the map.Pilothouse indicator shows the stabilisers working hard todayApproaching the Frankfort North Pier lighthouseApproaching Frankfort on a gloomy afternoon in a gusty northerly

    Days 3 and 4: Leland to Frankfort

    6.–7. okt., Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Sunday was a fine day, except the forecast breeze got up and our plans to crank up the grill on the flybridge were stymied, so we cooked the salmon and had smashed spuds, peas, and miniature carrots. Rosie went ashore and chucked a lap around the shops... returning with... shopping.

    Monday dawned drizzly and a lot cooler, but the breeze was tolerable, so we cast off around 1100 and turned south for another short day to Frankfort and the beautifully sheltered Municipal Marina on the Betsie River, whereat we arrived at 1600. It was welcome relief after the lumpy 2-3 ft swells we'd chugged over for 4½ hrs.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    1Day 1 - an afternoon departure and an easy introduction for Rosie
    1Bellow Island, on the approach into NorthportSunset over the Northport Marina1Old railroad map of Northport1Day 2 - Another short, easy day1Did you know that the collective noun for a group of shags is a 'hangout'?We enter Leland Township HarborManoeuvring onto our berth1Leland's historic Old Fishtown HarborLooking down the Leland River towards its outflow into the marina1A Hupmobile parked outside our dinner venue near the Leland marinaThe Leland River weir and nearby motel from our dinner table at The Cove1Cahoe salmon leaping to climb the weir. A great shot by Rosie!

    Southbound - Days 1 and 2:

    3.–4. okt., Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Traverse City to Northport... we head north in order to head south! Our return adventure has begun! Rosie and I were on-board on Thursday and provisioned the boat, courtesy of Tom's Foodmarket and Meijers [pronounced 'Myers']. The only item we were unable to source was CUSTARD POWDER. In some parts of the USA they've never heard of it. Turns out it's called 'pudding' by some, and 'cornstarch' by others. We figured it out, and Rosie will make it for our stewed apples and our strudel 😀.

    I returned my rental car, after a 3,500-mile odessy around Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan, and we departed the Centre Point Marina at Greilickville, near Traverse City around 1430 for the (just under) 3-hr voyage up the length of Grand Traverse Bay to the Northport Harbor Marina. Fun Fact: Preston tells me that back in the day, before the super wealthy had private jets, they had private railroad cars, and many of them came to Northport (when there was a railroad here) for the summer. The railroad had a number of stub-end spur tracks that these cars would be shunted onto for the duration of their occupants' stay.

    Nina arrived at the marina, and Preston left us to our own devices while he went home to attend to some logistical arrangements. Nina will fly back to Florida and the springer spaniel, Leland Louise, will be driven home. Rosie whips up a risotto to clean up the roast chicken we had last night, and we binge a few episodes of the new series of Yellowstone while we wait for the Aurora Borealis to appear in the northern sky. It doesn't, so we retire... Borealisless.

    Preston returns in the morning and--having topped off our potable water--we are 'off-chocks' around 1100 to motor out of Grand Traverse Bay, around Lighthouse Point, and into Lake Michigan proper.

    A couple of hours heading south down the eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan in unseasonably mild 'Indian summer' weather brought us to Leland, where we may stay until Monday as high winds are forecast for the lake, starting tomorrow. The beach is busy... there are even kiddos in the water. The marina is pretty empty; people are taking yachts and cruisers out of the water before the winter ice arrives. Leland is Preston and Nina's northern summer home, and they're setting their residence up to be 'shut up' for the winter.

    Rosie and I investigate the village and go out for dinner.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopRejsende
    Main Street frontage, Suttons Bay
    A shop in Suttons Bay. The capital of kitsch?Store sign in Suttons BayLake Leelanau villageOrnamental grape vine helps the coming fall colourationLake Leelanau villageRosie's photo. She purchased eggs for us.We tasted, purchased, and had some artichoke dip. Should not look out of place on board.Rosie was impressed by this dwelling in Traverse City

    Oct 1: Traverse City with Rosie

    1. oktober, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Another fine day... another drive into the TC hinterland for lunch and to pick up some wine.

    Se oversættelse
  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Hjem
  • Om os
  • Gruppesporing
  • Presse
  • Betingelser
  • Privatliv & Cookies
  • Hjælpecenter
  • Aftryk