Three Days on the Mississippi

We left Grafton, IL just after 6 a.m. on Tuesday, August 19.

A slightly misty Grafton at 6 a.m.

There were several reasons for the early departure. Our original schedule called for us to stop at a marina about 42 miles and one lock upriver, but when we tried to call the marina on Monday all we got was a "disconnected number" message. Plan B then became a marina in Rockport, IL, which was another 25 miles and one more lock further on. Not knowing what kind of cruising speed we were going to be able to maintain, or what we'd encounter with the locks, made it imperative that we give ourselves as much daylight for cruising as possible.

It turned out to be a smart move. We pulled into Two Rivers Marina after an exhausting 12 1/2 hour day.

Lon with CARIB II at Two Rivers Marina in
Lockport, IL

It took us two hours to get through the first lock, delayed in part by barge traffic in the lock and in part by a thunderstorm that came upon us just prior to the lock.  Thankfully, there was an out-of-business resort in the vicinity with a floating dock that we were able to tie up to while the storm passed. It took another two hours to get through the second lock of the day, due entirely to barge traffic. There was a LOT of barge traffic on the river on Tuesday. There was also a lot of debris floating down the river, so it required a great deal of concentration to avoid hitting wood that had the potential to damage our prop.

The cruising was much less strenuous Wednesday (Aug. 20) and today.  The distances were shorter, we got through all locks (two each day) with no waiting, and we weren't dodging debris.

Passing a dredging operation in progress

This US Coast Guard vessel was
 checking buoy placement

Barges waiting outside Lock 19 for a "lock down".  Thankfully,
we had just left the lock (coming up) and didn't have to wait for them.

Evidence of the impact of river flooding is everywhere. We continue to see dwellings on stilts, although here it seems as though the buildings are not merely summer cabins, but are actual houses. We know that "home" can be an emotional thing, but we wonder how much sense it makes to live this way.

Stilt houses on the Mississippi

Even stilts can't guarantee a dwelling
 will escape flood damage

Sandbagging the building at the lock

We spent last night at a marina in Quincy, Illinois, and tonight we are at the Keokuk Yacht Club in Keokuk, Iowa. Neither marina is within walking distance of the related downtown. After only three cruising days it's apparent that the Mississippi River segment of our trip is going to be less about sightseeing on land and more about time on the river. We're moving at a relatively slow 7 mph, which naturally increases the length of the cruising day; the time to get through locks is unpredictable; and it is now too hot and humid to contemplate taking the bikes down for a spin. As well, it is difficult to find marinas that can accommodate a boat our size (not huge by Florida standards, but bigger than the small runabouts and pontoons most often seen here), which can lead to more miles per day than we might normally wish to do. We also have to admit that we are starting to get a bit of "get home-itis" as St. Paul draws closer. It will probably be easier for us to make stops in the Mississippi river towns next fall when we're cruising down river on our way back to Florida--at least that's what we're telling ourselves.