Connie's Comments on The Chicago Rivers

With temperatures in the 90's, we are grateful to have an ice machine and lots of water.  We also enjoy nice river breezes as we travel.  Today the river water was green as we started.  I was very tempted to jump overboard and take a quick dip.  Then I read, "Skipper Bob's Waterway Guide For Cruising From Chicago to Mobile."  He explains that the Cal-Sag Channel takes the sanitary waste of Chicago south through the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers to the Gulf.  All bets for a quick dip are off.  The further we traveled the dirtier the water got.  However, the massive bridges and historical buildings were beautiful as we traveled through the hub of working Chicago.  People everywhere are so nice.  One tug boat captain included us every time he called for a bridge lift. 

Boat travel is far different than I ever imagined.  I have very little time to sit and read or knit.  I watch the charts and river guides constantly, letting Marv know what to anticipate.  There are bridges with specific heights, locks with specific instructions and locations for tying lines, known river obstacles and more.  Once in a while Marv and I have enough time to take turns at a quick bathroom break or grab lunch from the frig. 

The locks are sometimes more difficult than I expected.  Good thing I brought a couple pairs of leather gloves or I wouldn't have palms left.  In some locks you hook your breast (mid-boat) line to a floating bollard where you hold secure while the waters raise or lower.  These are the easiest.  In others they throw you a fore and aft line to hold while the waters raise or lower.  In one lock I was on my back holding the rope so we could remain as close to the wall as possible.  This takes a lot more energy than I imagined and offers a bit of healthy exercise as we go.

...and then there is Sadie.  She enjoys laying on the deck and watching the water float by.  She loves all the other boaters and enjoys pulling into the marinas where she gets a lot of attention.  We suckered in for the purchase of the doggy "pee pad."  Well, Sadie is far above going on a box with fake grass on it.  We'll see where this goes after a year.  She would rather wait all day for the ride to shore.