7:00 AM we pulled out of Port Washington (Low 50’s) and head down Lake Michigan, it was Sunday and the Lord was certainly shining on us!  Dead calm and glass for over half the way, then only 1 ½ foot seas were all that met us.  We Monday

pulled into Chicago at 3 some 111.4 miles with an arrival  temp of 83 degrees. Wow what a sight!  We stayed a DuSauble Marina, Downtown next to the lock and the Chicago River. Cocktails under the Sky Scrapers and then walked to town for dinner.  A couple of us may have been over served?  Yours truly nodded off in the helm chair under the city lights of Chicago!  Go figure!

Tuesday: 

Up early a big day ahead, cast off at 6 AM. We locked thru the Chicago lock and into the Chicago River and right through downtown Chicago.  What a trip!! 55 bridges through Chicago and over 75 for the day.  We were only held up at the Amtrak Bridge for 25 minutes.  Now we had four Lock and dams to go, with a drop of 42’, 35’,35, and 25’!  We faced stiff head wins all day, around 20 -25 mph. At two locks we when through the lock with a tow boat and a barge!!! New boat with a lot of sail area, wind and in the lock with a barge, are you kidding me!!!!  All is well.  We got tied up at Heritage Harbor, Ottwa, IL at 8 PM. Just ahead of a Thunderstorm! Dinner at ten and am just now posting.  Some technical difficulties so pictures should follow soon!  So 90.2 miles in 13 hours and 45 minutes!  Long ass day but all good!  Can’t thank Bill and Brigitte enough for their expert crewing!  And putting up with a cranky Capt’n of a new boat!,

Cheers.