GL: Cosmic C on the Loop

[Patrick Fowles]

After two great days in Chicago, the weather changed again and we woke up to
20+K winds and pouring rain on the third day when we had planned to depart.
Being the wimps that we are we decided to stay put, but I felt we couldn't
leave the boat because the inner harbor around the Columbia Yacht Club where
we were staying was surprisingly rough, and indeed we had to move the boat
twice to avoid being beaten up against the dock. So we spent the day on the
boat, catching up with work (Mary) and reading (Patrick).

The last three days we have been meandering down the Illinois river. We seem
to have run out of luck at the locks, always seeming to arrive just as a big
tow is going in and having to wait two or three hours. On a couple of
occasions another pleasure craft has arrived just as the tow was leaving and
not having to wait at all, irritating us all the more. Today we arrived at
the La Grange lock and inquired about timing. Their transmission was very
garbled, but we picked out what we thought was "4 to 5." Since the gates
were opening we thought they had said 4 to 5 minutes, but the light remained
red for about 20 minutes. Then we looked behind us and there was a big
15-barge tow coming on in. We had passed it and another one moored at the
bank a mile earlier. And, you guessed it, the second tow was coming on in
behind, and we realized that what the lockkeeper had actually said 4 to 5
HOURS. So we went back a half mile and found a little channel from the main
river into a small lake (actually called Little Lake), one of those that
only shallow draft boats like C-Dories can get into, and here we are at
anchor in Little Lake having margeritas before supper. Great!!

Patrick and Mary Fowles
25 ft C-Dory Cosmic C
Currently at anchor in Little Lake, IL
www-the-fowles.com