Weather was a little foggy after a day of rain, but good enough for our start down the Chicago River to the Illinois River. It was an early morning start to avoid the downtown river traffic and it was going to be a long day to Joliet. Chicago city lock is our first lock this season, and was only a 5 foot drop and very easy. Chicago is where we encounter the lowest fix bridge at 17 feet. With our Radar removed we are 16'3" and squeezed under easily. The Illinois River is a migratory route for the Bald Eagle, and we are seeing Egrets, Pelicans and Herons as well. We are also encountering our first of many Tows, which is a tug and barge combination. These can be anywhere from a single barge to up to 3 wide by 5 long. We give them plenty of room on the river. We also have to transit the river section that is electrified to prevent the Asian Carp from entering the Great Lakes. Our stop for the night was the Joliet free wall after the last lock of the day. The locks are very easy with bollards to tie to.
No comments:
Post a Comment