River Trip Begins


It’s 3:50 pm and I’m sitting on the back of Last Mango typing away. Karen sits on the front deck reading her Kindle and we motor down the Cal Sag channel. It’s very straight and there’s very little traffic so George (Our Garmin Autopilot) steers the boat. The trip through Chicago on the Calumet river we needed to keep close watch on the waterway as well as an ear to the radio. There was a partially submerged vessel being salvaged and many, many barges and tows. It was all and all a great day. We transited our first locks and I’m now starting to feel like a cruiser. The Texans Maury and Sandy are traveling somewhere behind us. Hard to believe Last Mango is faster than them or anyone. 


Intersection of Cal Sag and Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal
The weather looks as though it’s going to get a little stormy and we’re attempting to get through the fish barrier and Lockport lock before dark. We’ll see.

It’s now 8:45 (we made it) and we’re tied up to the Joliet free town docks. Free is great. Free power if needed and internet also. We weathered the storm and the Lockport Lock. There was so much garbage floating in the river and lock after the rain it was incredible. The debris included a dead calf. We left the lock and Last Mango didn’t sound right, we sucked debris into the water intake for cooling the exhaust. Karen took the helm and I went below to remove the grass and other crap that clogged things up. We were back in business. We had 3 more miles to go in the dark. Something Karen and I vowed not to do. But there we were.
We’ll spend another day here in Joliet and visit with my sister and explore the city. 


One thing that we’ve learned is how wonderful people are. There has been no end to the kindness of other boaters and people in general.

View from the lock before we drop 40 feet
Viewing back of lock.
Lock door starts to open.
Viewing back from deck of Last Mango
Lock Mate "Assisted Living" from Alabama.
View up the wall and Bollard.
View up the wall after dropping 40 feet.

Karen Happy it stopped raining for a bit.





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