Day 90: October 16: Not quite as windy today. We borrowed Gary's car and rode into town. John and David were looking forward to going to a boat "toy" store as Gary put it. A great place to find all kinds of goodies a boater might want or need. David was looking specifically for a cleat to replace one that was destroyed while we were on Mackinac Island riding out what felt like a hurricane.
We all piled into the car and made our way, only to find the store was closed on Mondays. I asked John to stop at the grocery store to pick up a few items I needed to make a beef stew. Have to make sure he does'nt go hungry. 😉😉😉 We also took a ride around Silver Beach to check on the conditions; the lake was much calmer than yesterday. We can only hope the trend continues and we are able to leave St. Joseph tomorrow.
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| Silver Beach Art Work |
During the day we had a couple of visitors. Gary stopped by to chat in the morning and later in the afternoon. He was curious if we knew any of his family members as John had told him there were quite a few Sissons in our area. While we didn't notice any familiar names, it was interesting to find out his family had some roots, going back to the 1600's, in Dartmouth and what someone described as Westport, RI. One never knows who is related to whom.
Chris also stopped by to give me a couple of books. Soon David and Sandra also joined and we talked for quite awhile until Chris had to leave to feed her dog Lucy!
Gary had recommended Silver Beach Pizza. We have all been craving a really good pizza so Silver Beach it was. What a place! Drive in on the left, past a young lady in a booth asking if you are eating in or taking out. Depending on the answer, you are directed to a specific area; park and go in or wait for your pizza to be delivered to your car. Most importantly, the pizza was fantastic!
When we returned from pizza we gave Gary back his car keys and thanked him once again, assuming we are leaving in the morning! Also, the people who own the slip David is in visited stopped by Zendeavor. They are very interested in doing the loop in a year or 2 and had tons of questions. It was fun sharing information and experiences with folks who are super interested!
Day 91: October 17: It's a go! Hammond here we come! We threw off the dock lines at about 7:00 am and made our way downriver, following our breadcrumbs on the chart-plotter. John and I both monitored the depths; some areas showed less than 5', even down to 4'. We draw 4' 2" so had to be extremely careful, especially along a ramp right around the Pier 1000 Marina on our starboard. We actually dragged in a couple of spots before arriving at the Bicentennial Bridge.
John called the bridge tender on 12; She was very accommodating and said "ready when you are". We slowly made our way through, then past the Blossomland Bridge and railroad bridge, out the harbor entrance and onto the lake.
When we got out onto the lake we made the decision to cut straight across to Hammond Marina in Indiana based on pretty calm conditions, relatively speaking. Hammond, located just 12 NM from Chicago, is the main place where the Looper flotillas are congregating before making their way onto the Calumet River to the Cal-Sag Channel to the Chicago Sanitary Canal, with a destination of Joliet, Illinois. Flotillas will tie to the free wall in Joliet the day before they leave on their assigned day to go through 3 locks that have been closed for repairs; they opened Oct 1. Loopers have had to wait out the closures before being able to continue on the Illinois waterway. Because of the lock closures, the AGLCA has worked tirelessly with the Army Corps of Engineers to facilitate safe and efficient passage for the Loopers, resulting in the formation of groups of about 16 or so vessels have been organized into flotillas and given passage dates. Our passage date is October 21.
Throughout the voyage across the lake, the wind changed directions and velocity; 2kn SSE, picking up to 5 kn S, to 6 kn SW. At about 9:30 it shifted again, blowing from the W at about 7 to 8 kn. By the time we arrived at Hammond Marina in Indiana, we had traveled 54 NM in 7.25 hours. What a pleasure it was to arrive, having left temperatures in the 40's for a balmy 57 degrees. One highlight along the way was seeing the Chicago skyline in the distance.
We wanted to fuel up before we docked but so did everyone else! The fuel dock was quite busy so we idled outside the breakwater for some time, waiting our turn. We took on 205 gallons at $4.16 per and got a pump out for $5.00. We will be here for 3 nights at $50.00 per night.
The marina is extremely large, boasting 918 deep water slips. It has been designated as the first "Clean Marina" in Indiana for its efforts to protect water quality and promote responsible boating while reducing potential damage to the environment. It's so large that a trip to the office is, as one boater put it, a 2 drink walk. 😛😛😛
Our friends Mona and Frank on their 42 GB Summer Fling were already in Hammond. They met us at the dock then joined David, Sandra and us for a cocktail and conversation. It was fun to catch up since we saw them last in Leland. Looking forward to our next phase of the adventure!
Enjoying your pictures. Wishing you calm waters.
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