God Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise

Dave Ten Brink, one of the football tailgating group, uses this expression whenever we part and say see ya. I never really had an appreciation for that expression until now.

This picture was taken when the water was still rising. It got as high as the white building near the cars in the top right of the picture.

This flooding is a new experience for a couple of Great Lake’s Sailors. We have put many miles under our keel in the Lakes. Almost all of Lake Huron, a trip to Cedar Point, the length of Lake Michigan, and a trip across Superior (paying our respects to the Edmund Fitzgerald as we passed 500 feet overhead), this has been our sailing experience. Give us 70 miles of the Illinois River and we really have something to talk about. We have been holed up for 5 days, with more to come.

It is now Thursday afternoon and there is no news as to when we will be able to move on. The river crested at a record on Monday morning. It raises a lot faster than it goes down. The locks along the river will not be opened for traffic for 5-7 days after the river crested. The priority for travel through the locks is commercial first with pleasure craft being allowed through as space becomes available. It really does not make a lot of difference at this point as both the lower part of the Illinois River and part of the Mississippi are closed to pleasure craft anyway!

When we entered the marina on Saturday night our depth sounder read 11 feet. At the height of the flooding it read 23 feet. Normal depth in this marina is about 6 feet.

The management here had been tremendous. There is no clubhouse but there is a “party barge” that we (15 stranded souls) can all gather. When we first got here the fridge was stocked with beer. Oops, free beer. Happy hour begins about 4 and we all spread the rumors that we have heard. Some of those are pleasure boats being stuck in locks and not being allowed to leave, a 30 foot power boat that broke free and then broke up. It must be true because we saw pieces of it floating by. The marina did a BBQ chicken dinner for us today at lunch. At the lunch some boaters from up the river came by for showers as they have no running water or electric. Our Marina invited them to get cleaned up.

As of now we have no idea of when we will get out of here. At least one of the boats is thinking of flying home for a bit to take care of some business. Hmm, wonder where we can fly to?? Grand Isle? No, they still have no power. Bruce Mines, no, there is no house there any more. Oh well, stay with the boat and make the best of a bad situation.

The group that we are hung up with is a pretty good group of people. Some of them are “bailing out” tomorrow and renting a car and heading back to Ohio for a few days. We will hang in here for the duration. The biggest question that all of us have is what will we be charged while we are here. I guess we will find out that info when we check out.

I am working on posting all of our pictures on the Web. Hopefully you will be able to see some of the things that we have seen so far.

On an earlier post I mentioned bad boat names. There are some great positive names out there too. We are staying with a boat named Marbles. I asked them where the name came from. For those of you with a “Bucket List”, this is something to consider. The name comes from a philosophy that from the time one turns 55 till the time turns 75 there are 1040 weeks left in your active life. Any more weeks than that are blessings. Each week of you life being a Marble, use your Marbles wisely. One must be very careful with those Marbles and not waste any of them, each are important. So as we sit here in the harbor it feels like we are wasting a marble or two here in rather than not being out in the river continuing our journey. On the other hand if we were to leave right away, our Marbles may sink with a tree taking out Danny’s Fault.

Here is another reason to count your blessings. I received an email from our friend Andy in Grand Isle. They do not expect to have power up and running for another 3 weeks. Sue is up in New Orleans living in the house with their daughter and Andy is on the Island living in the Exxon bunkhouse. Sounds like a thrill to me!! And Jude and I are bitching about being where we are. If that is not enough to make you count your blessings, check out the following link to see what Ike did to the Galveston area.

http://jakeabby.com/cb/

Take every day of your life and live it how you see fit. You will never know how many you have left.

Love you all, or at least most of you;

Rob

Sailors and Fools

Sailors and Fools

I have heard said that God watches out for sailors and fools. The crew of Danny’s Fault definitely falls into at least one of those two categories!

Last week we stopped in Chicago to see our friends Bud and Shirley Zalon off the sailboat EZ Baby. They treated us like royalty, picking us up from Belmont Harbor, taking us to their home for showers and a bed where our feet did not get tangled together and where we could enter the bed from the side as opposed to the head of the V berth. Not only were the showers and sheets clean, they treated us to a wonderful dinner at a rib place and then to breakfast at a pancake house. We had enough leftovers for an additional dinner and breakfast. Thanks so much Bud and Shirley.

After being delivered back to Danny’s Fault we proceeded to remove sails and lower the mast. All went well. The mast was strapped down/lashed to the mast cradle and deck preparing for the 4 mile trip to the Chicago River.

Up until this point the trip has been going better than planned. That was about to change. When we got out into Lake Michigan on Thursday morning the Lake was showing us some of what she is capable of. We had 3-6 foot waves on the port bow. This caused Danny’s Fault to both pitch and roll, pitch being fore and aft and roll being side to side. After about 15 minutes into the now 1 hour trip (due to the conditions) the mast began to move. The entire framework shifted forward and down. The down motion then caused the lashings to become loose. As I sat there for the next 45 minutes all I could see was the front end on the mast moving around and Jude looking up from the companionway where she was hanging on. All that Jude could see was me, the concentration on my face and the aft end of the mast. Fortunately her view of the mast was not as disconcerning as mine. The end that she could see had not moved after the initial shift.

We made it safely into the harbor in Chicago and locked into the river. The water was calm, the sun was shining, and the city was all around us. We took the time and circled in the river tightening the mast lashings and picking up the pieces down below. We were now ready for our trip through the city. All that we had gone through to get this far was worth it. It was fun to catch the sights of a city that we have seen from street level from a different perspective. We were about 25 feet lower than those walking the streets above us. Some waved; some asked where we were headed. All was at peace again on Danny’s Fault.

After the first hour in the river the scenery turned to industry. The air had an aroma that we are now glad to be out of. As we proceeded down river there was more and more barge traffic. The river is so narrow there is barely enough room for the barges to pass those tied on piers along the sides of the river. We had to keep a constant vigil to make sure that we were not coming down on a moving barge. All went well.

We made it to Joliet that evening and tied off to the city pier. It was a free dock with power. We then ran into two other sailboats tied up there from Sandusky, OH. The guys came on board and helped me reset Danny’s Fault’s mast.

The next morning we headed out in the rain (this becomes important) to catch up with Pat and Lynn Lortie, of Midland, ON. They are doing the Loop (down the rivers, around Florida, to the Bahamas, then back north up the east coast). We found them at the appointed spot, tied up along side (they were anchored) in the rain. We had happy hour on their boat, Adamant I, and it rained. Lynn made a wonderful dinner for us. We ate on their boat, and it rained. We all slept peacefully, and it rained. The next morning we were debating whether to leave as it rained. There was a sucker hole in the rain and they had been sitting there for a couple of days waiting for us so we left. This was shortly after a 6 foot log, 6 inches in diameter passed between the boats.

As we proceeded down the river it rained. When we got to the next lock we had to wait for a tow to lock through. We waited 2 hours and it misted. When we finally got our chance to get into the lock it started to pour. Three miles down the river we passed Heritage Marine. We were headed to Ottawa, IL, where there were some free city docks. Another 3 miles we were at the city docks but there was only room for one boat as a large rental houseboat had taken their half in the middle. We then checked our cruising guide and it showed us that there was an anchorage another 3 miles down river. Both boats motored downstream. By the way, did I mention that it was still raining? Or did I mention that the wind had now increased? Upon arriving at the anchorage we decided it was not suitable under the current conditions. Jude got the guide out and called the two marinas down stream. The first could not accommodate our depth and the second had nothing more than an answering machine. We decided to turn around and head back to the city dock where DF would tie up along the section of dock and Adamant I would tie off on us.

We slugged our way back against the current in the Illinois River. After a bit of work we got both boats tied up at the city dock in Ottawa. We went below on Adamant for drinks at about 6:30 PM. At 8:30, of course after dark by now, the owner of the houseboat came by, knocked on our boat and said that he was moving his boat because of the flooding that would be taking place. Pat and I went out to help him. Pat then moved his boat fwd on the dock and we tied off both boats in a manner that we could cast off from the deck of the boats without having to get off of the boats. While Pat and I were tying off boats the ladies were listening to the flood warnings on the radio; the river was to rise 8 feet overnight. It had gone up a foot since we had tied off the first time and the water was less than a foot below the dock.

After some discussion with some local boaters we were convinced this was not the place to be. With some phone calls at 9 PM we were casting off lines and headed back up river the last 3 miles back to Heritage Marina. The rain had stopped and it was a fairly clear sky. We could see lightning off in the distance. We ran the two boats side by side up the river. We figured it would be easier to spot debris and buoys with two spotlights, each hitting only one half of the river. My big light crapped out. I was stuck using my small 6 volt light. All and all, the trip up the river in the dark ended up being one of the most peaceful part of the day. When we arrived at the marina, the staff was there with lights on and hands on deck to help both boats tie off.

Our "dock" the next morning, just past the light post

We slept very comfortably at the marina on the floating docks. When we got up in the morning to go take showers the docks had risen so high that the ramps leading to shore were leading into the water. We waded to shore. I got wet up to the lower part of my bathing suit. I had to hold up my foul weather jacket to keep it from getting wet. Jude did not fare as well, she tripped on the cement step that was under water and she went down on all fours. Not completely soaked, but water on the front of her t-shirt and inside the sleeves of her foul weather. Oh, did I mention that it was still raining. I showered then had to wade back through the water to get back to the boat. Not sure how clean I felt after that.

At about 2 PM, Sunday, we borrowed the courtesy van and went into town to check out where we had been docked the night before. The four foot posts that we had been tied to were under water, no where to be seen. The river reminded me of the rivers in Alaska. There were trees (30 feet long, 18 inches in diameter) racing down stream at a good 5-6 miles per hour. Besides the trees there were all kinds of other unidentifiable objects floating out there. Oh, did I mention that it was still raining?

Jude, Lynn, and Pat with our "dock" in the background. Note the floating dock over Pat's shoulder.

Today is now Monday and it has stopped raining, well almost. We just had a short little shower. It looks like we will be here for a while. When we came into the marina the water was 11 feet deep. The last time I looked, it was 22 feet. The top of the posts that hold the floating docks in place were above our heads when we came in here Friday night. The tallest ones are now about knee high. We had to get the dingy off the deck to get to shore. The dock has not moved but the shoreline is now about 100 feet away, due to the flooding. The river is closed to any traffic. The water is only about 3 feet below record flood level. The water is flowing over the locks making them unusable. The water is to crest today. They will not open the locks for 5 to 7 days after the river crests. We have 7 boats here that are doing the loop, 3 power and 4 sail. We are working on a group dockage rate given the time we are here.

To add insult to injury while we were out in the dingy we had our first run-in with an Asian Carp. As we motored along this 4-5 lbs fish was jumping along out of the water behind the dingy acting like he wanted to attack us. A local tell us that one hit a 4 year old in a boat a while ago and killed her. I cannot get on line now to confirm that but I seem to remember something about that.

Lessons learned:
The mast—jack lines when out on the big water—I know this but I need to follow my own rules. Just because it was a short trip should not make any difference. With the jack lines I could have clipped on and gone fwd to secure the loose mast.

The flooding—Never having done any river boating neither us nor Adamant I were aware of the significance of the flood warnings. We were lucky to have some “local knowledge” to guide us out of danger. It was safer to move in the dark, up stream against a building current, than it was to stay put.

As was said, sailors and fools.


Rob
Monday, September 15, 2008

Two weeks into the trip

Thursday 4 September

Under the Mackinac Bridge

Danny’s Fault is now over 360 nautical miles from Bruce Mines and sitting in Milwaukee harbor. We are currently, September 4, sitting in the rain, leftovers from Gustav. Today is the first day that we have just sat still. Tomorrow we will do a little of visiting of the city and maybe leave in the afternoon or maybe just wait till the next AM. Most of the trip has been rather uneventful. I say uneventful but we had the second best sail of our lives as we crossed Lake Michigan. The sailors following this blog will understand what that means.

After spending Saturday afternoon watching the Michigan game with Gary Harris, a friend that I taught with we left Frankfort, MI, headed the 50 some miles across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin. Within the first ½ hour the wind filled in from the South at 12-15 knots. We set our sails and never touched them again until we reached Wisconsin. Otto, the Autohelm, steered the entire way. We sailed at hull speed, 5.5 to 6.5 knots, all the way. For the non-sailors reading this, that is as good as it gets!!

We have been to the following anchorages/ports so far:
Government Bay, in the Les Cheneaux Islands, just NW of Mackinac (anchor)
St Helena Island, 6 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge (anchor)
Lake Charlevoix, south arm in front of Chris/Dick Sobak’s new house (anchor)
Leland, MI, (anchored in the harbor—tight)
Frankfort, MI, (dock--$30)
Kewaunee, WI (dock—first of the big $ dockage--$45)
Manitowoc, WI (dock--$45)
Port Washington, WI (dock--$45)
Milwaukee, WI (dock--$50)
Paying for the docks reminds me another reason why I like the North Channel. When we get to Chicago the charge is $1.95 per foot plus $10 for electricity. Ouch. Can’t wait to get back to where we can anchor again.

We called the marina in Chicago that will take our mast down so that we can begin our river trip. We have an appointment next Wednesday at 2PM to get that done. We will then leave on Thursday morning and head into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal for our first day on the rivers. We will have to get to Joliet that first day in order to get a place to anchor.

Our next destination is near Waukegan, IL, at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Being retired military we can stay there for $.70 per foot. Too bad there are not more locations like that along the way. Before that, we may bail out at Racine or Kenosha, just to see what is there.

While at Great Lakes, our sailing friends off of EZ Baby, who live in Chicago, will be getting together with us. We will have ground transportation again for a while. Sounds like grocery time.

Back in Charlevoix we bought a new chart plotter for Danny’s Fault. It is a Garmin 440s, which is similar to what you may have in your car but it costs twice as much (it’s for a boat!) It was finally time to upgrade. My old GPS was a hand held model with a fixed mount. I was required to enter the latitude and longitude all of the waypoints. This could lead to many errors. Now, I am poorer, but at least I know where I am at.

On a different note, recent US news has had quite a bearing on Jude and I. We have installed Sirius radio on the boat and this allows us to listen to CNN every morning. Last Monday there were two stories, Gustav coming ashore in Grand Isle, LA, (our destination) and Gov. Palin of Wasilla, Alaska (where we will be buying our new home.) How many people do you know that have ties to both of these stories?

Our friends Andy and Sue Galliano, who live on Grand Isle, took our 5th wheel down that way 10 days before we left Bruce Mines. I have not talked to them as of yet. The last I heard was that our RV was in Raceland, LA. This was right in the path of Gustav. I did receive an email after the storm that our “portable home”, as Andy put it, was safe and sound in Greenville, MS, some 350 miles away from the coast. We are obviously happy about that, but we have heard absolutely nothing else from them. We have left messages on their cell phones but we must just sit and wait. I am sure their families are okay, but we know nothing of their property, their family’s property, and more important their boat!! After having made many friends down on GI, we are at a loss for words as to our feelings for them. Things were just getting finished being brought up to standards after Katrina.

Over the years we have had a list of bad boat names; Wet Dreams, Crusty Seaman, Brain Dead, Salmonella, Foul Movement, Sunny Beach, Climax, Master Baiter, My Buckin Float, Bull Ship, and Butt Hole. Puking Dog had always been on the top of the list of bad ones until we saw this one here in Milwaukee. Yes, the graphic shows big turds being thrown both port and starboard. With that I will sign off for now.





Rob


Wrote the above on a rainy day. Today is Sunday, 7 September and we are just north of Chicago at the Great Lakes Naval Station. We are tied up along a wall/pier that is completely open to the South east. All of Lake Michigan can come at us at any time. The wind is not predicted SE but our alternate plan is to head out behind the outer pier if the wind shifts. Thankfully no SE winds are predicted. When we arrived yesterday afternoon there was a pig on a spit. What a great bit of luck, pig roast for dinner. This is a very friendly harbor. Only about 1/2 of the customers that we have met are prior military. I was surprised how many were not.


We will stay here until Tuesday AM when we will head down to Chicago. We have reservations at Belmont Harbor for a slip for Tues and Wed. We will also have them take down the mast on Wednesday. This sets us up for a trip into the Chicago River on Thursday morning. We are definitely looking forward to this part of our trip. We will be glad to get out of the Lake and all of its potential for bad weather.

BTW, our RV is making about as many miles as we are. It made it through Gustav by traveling north to Greenville, MS. It is currently there waiting to see what Ike has to say.