Wed Oct 11: Montrose Marina to Hammond IN Marina, via the Big City!

Rick had known that Wed would be the only good day for boating the whole week, and we woke well rested knowing that no dithering would happen for 24 whole hours!

With a glorious day stretching out in front of us we left the marina and went through the Chicago Harbor Lock into the Big City!! In a normal year we would leave Lake Michigan via the Big City, but now that the locks are open a downtown railway bridge is broken..  Of course it is.  It's too low for most boats to get under unless it lifts, so we will be going south via the barge channel.  Which is fine now that we have today!

I'll let the pix do the talking...

Leaving the marina.  Isn't it a sparkly day?!

Marketing shot for American Great Loop Cruise Association!

Little Boat in the Big City.  Aren't you kind of curious how I got these two shots?!... I made Rick get close enough to that white path that I could jump off the boat and run up on the bridge.  Trust me, he thought it was a bad idea also.

It's hard to see, but this lock in and out of downtown Chicago equalizes by leaving a gap in the door.

Then it was an easy 1.5 hour cruise to Hammond, IN where we will wait for our turn to head up the Cal Sag Canal.  It's the last day to safely travel until next Tues, so everyone was out on the water getting as far as they could.  We came into Hammond behind 6 other boats - fortunately there is now plenty of space.  Earlier in the month it was impossible to get a slip. 

By the time we got to Hammond Rick has magically become the head of Flotilla 11.  The original leader dropped out due to his wife's back problems, and the backup person is stuck too far up the lake to get here.  Good thing he needs something else to worry about!

He does like to organize and socialize - and as soon as we docked he was out and about trying to meet the 15 other boats now in his care...

I know we have weather/wind/wave worries in the future - but for now we can relax and get ready to enjoy the evening rain that is on the way. It's hard to pull my mind back from Boulder - but a gentle rain will help...

Goodnight.