Daydream's Great Loop Blog!

jennykatz":1mh45q9l said:
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY 50 YEARS WOW
Have fun and take care hopefully see you guys in Florida in Oct?
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Thanks, Jim! I will more than likely be November before we are back in Florida.
 
Your mention of the Hancock Tower brought back memories. Went up it back in the mid 70's. Don't remember a lot about the tower except at the top - looking down on the roof of the Playboy building. They had a bunny shaped swimming pool on the roof. Didn't see any "bunnies" but being a young lad of 20 - I had to look !!

Regards, Rob
 
Today's blog post is about Day Four in Chicago and our new friends Evan and Jeanne Chiligiris!
 
Robert H. Wilkinson":3n1zyprc said:
Your mention of the Hancock Tower brought back memories. Went up it back in the mid 70's. Don't remember a lot about the tower except at the top - looking down on the roof of the Playboy building. They had a bunny shaped swimming pool on the roof. Didn't see any "bunnies" but being a young lad of 20 - I had to look !!

Regards, Rob
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One of the streets we biked by was Hugh Hefner Avenue!
 
Robert H. Wilkinson":1sbzv209 said:
Your mention of the Hancock Tower brought back memories. Went up it back in the mid 70's. Don't remember a lot about the tower except at the top - looking down on the roof of the Playboy building. They had a bunny shaped swimming pool on the roof. Didn't see any "bunnies" but being a young lad of 20 - I had to look !!

Regards, Rob
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NOT being a fan of heights, It was a really big deal for me to get up both the Hancock and the Sears towers. I don't remember which but one of them had small holes in the observation deck windows, just big enough to reach through with a camera. Don't remember how I did it, but I did get close enough to the edge to reach through there with my camera and get a picture shooting down toward the street. Back then, it was film so it took a while to get the slides back and get prints. That photo took my breath away every time I looked at it. I had forgotten all about that.

Hope you are enjoying cool temps and soft breezes. We are not back here in PNW.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

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We did the Chicago River a month ago, and while the bollards are a bit high for a small boat, they seem to move quite freely with the water level. Not sure about cleating off, as we simply wrapped our lines around the top of the bollard, then held on to the line's free ends (with bare hands). Used a bow and stern line. We didn't seem to experience the turbulence you mention. However, I believe we were always on the third bollard in, so pretty close to the middle of the lock, or just forward of the middle. Actually, thinking about it now, the last lock on the way back he did have us take it all the way up to the last bollard, close to the gate, but I don't remember it being any more turbulent than the other position. So maybe the trick is to stay in the front half of the lock? I had also heard that Joliet wall can be busy, however the night we stayed on it, I was a little surprised that we were the only ones so had the whole wall to ourselves. Which allowed us to tie our lines farther away from the boat giving a little more leeway in vertical strain on the lines and less chaffing. Good luck with your next lock. That is the one we seemed to have to wait on both directions. 1 1/2 hour upbound, 2 1/2 hours downbound. When you get to the Mississippi, at least with locks 8-13, you'll grab lines like you did in the Chicago Lock. However, more than likely, you'll have a lock tender standing above throwing the line down to you. And the lockage seems to go a lot quicker.
 
colbysmith":38cg229o said:
We did the Chicago River a month ago, and while the bollards are a bit high for a small boat, they seem to move quite freely with the water level. Not sure about cleating off, as we simply wrapped our lines around the top of the bollard, then held on to the line's free ends (with bare hands). Used a bow and stern line. We didn't seem to experience the turbulence you mention. However, I believe we were always on the third bollard in, so pretty close to the middle of the lock, or just forward of the middle. Actually, thinking about it now, the last lock on the way back he did have us take it all the way up to the last bollard, close to the gate, but I don't remember it being any more turbulent than the other position. So maybe the trick is to stay in the front half of the lock? I had also heard that Joliet wall can be busy, however the night we stayed on it, I was a little surprised that we were the only ones so had the whole wall to ourselves. Which allowed us to tie our lines farther away from the boat giving a little more leeway in vertical strain on the lines and less chaffing. Good luck with your next lock. That is the one we seemed to have to wait on both directions. 1 1/2 hour upbound, 2 1/2 hours downbound. When you get to the Mississippi, at least with locks 8-13, you'll grab lines like you did in the Chicago Lock. However, more than likely, you'll have a lock tender standing above throwing the line down to you. And the lockage seems to go a lot quicker.
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Lockport was the only lock in which we had any difficulty, and there is no way anybody would have been able to hold the free end in their hand, as the turbulence from the drop gate was forcing the boat away from the wall, and the whole weight of the boat was on that line. We have now transited Brandon Road, Dresden Island, and Marseilles, and had no issues with locking through any of them, only the delay at Dresden Island. One more lock today at Starved Rock. Destination for today is Hennepin, and unless there is a long delay at Starved Rock, we will get there. We need to buy some more fenders. The fenderboards are working great, but I have to switch the fenders from side to side, and we really need to have both sides fendered, since we never know as we go in to a lock which they will tell us to go to. There is a marine store in Hennepin, so we hope to get the fenders there.
 
Glad you got thru all those other locks without hassle. Hope the rest of your trip goes well!
 
Today's blog post is about Peoria and the free docks, a little computer magic! Lots of photos!
 
Pat, Glad to hear you are liking the AIS and using it. AS mentioned in your blog, I use the boat name, for direct VHF calls and the ships respond. AND the best part is that CPA and TCPA info, by all means. (Closest point of approach and Time to CPA). Both very useful info.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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hardee":2jy9i01b said:
Pat, Glad to hear you are liking the AIS and using it. AS mentioned in your blog, I use the boat name, for direct VHF calls and the ships respond. AND the best part is that CPA and TCPA info, by all means. (Closest point of approach and Time to CPA). Both very useful info.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

JC_Lately_SleepyC_Flat_Blue_070.thumb.jpg
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I cannot tell you just how cool being able to use Coastal Explorer connected to the AIS receiver with the display on the iPad on the RAM mount really is! The iPad on the RAM mount definitely has a permanent home on Daydream. The USB monitor was a disaster, next to useless really, but the iPad display is bright and clear. My one regret is that I only bought a receiver instead of a transponder, and I may remedy that in the future!
 
Hi Pat. With all the Irma news, do you have anyone in Florida to look in on your truck and trailer?
 
JamesTXSD":3vpt9ihm said:
Hi Pat. With all the Irma news, do you have anyone in Florida to look in on your truck and trailer?
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We just received a general update from River Forest Yacht Center in LaBelle where the truck and trailer are parked, and they report no boats or buildings were damaged, so we are reasonably confident our truck and trailer are OK, so we are hopeful!
 
Catching up! Too many days without internet! Here is the blog entry for September 9 about our anchorage behind La Grange Lock!
 
And now caught up to yesterday, September 11! Here is the blog post about Alton Marina!
 
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