GL: Illinois River

[Bill and Birute]

Along with 5 other "loop" boats, we are tied on the wall at Joliet waiting
for the Illinois River to recede downstream from us.  The river currently
has a lot of debris including some large tree limbs floating in it.  The
wall here has been "dinged" by barges and is very rough and requires some
sort of chafe protection for your lines.  Chain was suggested to me and that
may be something to consider for rough walls.  We found our trip down from
Chicago to be exciting and the lockmaster at Lockport to be very helpful and
friendly.  The tugs/tows, we found, would not respond on either channel 13
or 16 unless they felt there was a good reason to respond.  In other words,
as you approached them you had to figure out which side pass on or to be
passed on.  If there was a problem with your decision, the tug might respond
to repeated VHF hails and say your decision was OK with them.  Some
tugs/tows never responded at all to any hail.  This is not quite what I had
read or been told about these tugs/tows and was somewhat frustrating.  And
no, I am not a chatterbox on the VHF.



As of today, some river traffic has resumed, but not much.  The number of
down bound tows is almost non existent and the up bound ones are having to
really struggle against the current.  A few pleasure craft are moving, but
not many.  Joliet is a pleasant place to hang out.



B & B

Joliet, Il