Things got interesting when we went through one section of the river that was very congested with tugs & barges. There were several barges tied to the canal wall, making the channel even narrower. Then a tug pushing several barges together, making the whole unit 800 ft. long, was coming the other way. He told us to proceed forward then tuck against the wall between other barges so he could pass. There was just enough room for him to squeeze by, then we had to be careful that we didn't get blasted into the wall by his prop wash. The tug operator was very considerate when he passed, so it was no problem.
Our next concern was the electric fish barrier. We traveled through that barrier without difficulty.
Next up was the Lockport Lock. That was a 40 ft. drop. The lock master said they had a faulty valve so it took twice as long as usual to work the lock.
We stopped at the free wall in Joliet for the night. There was another looper boat, Blue Moon, tied up here & we also met the Joliet Harbor Hosts. Later another looper boat, Lollygagger, pulled in. Docktails were scheduled for 5 P.M.
Tomorrow we plan to head to Ottawa, Illinois.
Sunrise in Chicago
Heading to the Chicago Harbor Lock
Southeast Guide Wall Light
Summerland
Lots of low bridges
We went past Chinatown
The river in it's natural setting
Looks beautiful, but it's a sewer discharge
Hooper standing watch
Divers were in the water here
Traffic on the river
This is one half of a tow
And this is the other half
Prop wash. Brings up logs & debris from the bottom, and could push us out of control if we get too close
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