Winthrop Hbr to St. Louis

[Registered]

Taking the boat home on the Illinois Waterway and have never been up past Starved Rock.

Coming down from Winthrop Hbr in April, is it better to take the Chicago Rvr or Calumet Rvr to the Des Plaines?

Total trip length => to Navy Pier, Chicago is obvious.

Anything else to consider?

Thanks!

 

[Daniel P Thomas]

Come down to Hammond
If weather is if'y
You can spend the day/evening

Fuel up there
Much less than Chicago
One lock not as crowded as downtown.

Both get you to the same place around Rt. 83 in Lemont.

Dan

 

[Registered]

Thanks, Dan.

Does the Cal have less barge traffic as well?

It's about 12 miles futher south to the entrance and about 7 miles further to get to the convergence at Lemont.

They both have one lock to get through as well?

 

[Daniel P Thomas]

Correct you have the Chicago Lock at Navy Pier
and the O'Brien Lock on the Cal

The Cal does have more barge traffic but lots of maneuvering room.
Most of the traffic is after the convergence anyway.

The next lock is the Lockport Lock 90 miles down stream.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Waterway

Dan

 

[320Bob]

Here's another suggestion. I am actually going to haul my boat from Wilmington, IL up to Winthrop Habor in the Spring for $600 from Skipper Bud's. If you haul yours to Wilmington) you will avoid 3 locks, the narrowest part of the river and a lot of barge traffic if you do this. If the same truck can handle your boat as mine, maybe you can work out a backhaul arrangement with Skipper Bud's and save some money. However if you don't mind the time going through all those locks and the 45 miles down Lake Michigan, go for it.:grin:

 

[Registered]

Thanks for the suggestion!
I think I would haul her west on 88 and drop her directly in the Mississppi.

But, where's the fun in that?

Junior is a Senior in college and we're looking for a little adventure and QT.

With all the locks, you think we can make Seneca in a day?

 

[320Bob]

I talked to 2 different fellows at my marina and they both said it takes around 8 hours to get to Lake Michigan from our marina through the locks and no wake zone limits. Add how many hours it will take to get from Winthrop Harbor to either Navy Pier or Burnham Harbor and you are talking about the potential of navigating a portion of the river at night to get all the way to Seneca which is about 1 1/2 hours from Wilmington with quick lockage. You would likely be better off taking Dan's suggestion and overnight in Hammond and then hit the river at day break and you could definitely make it to Seneca by night fall in one day.

 

[Daniel P Thomas]

Agree with Bob on that one. I would not try and leave Chicago with the intention of making it to Senaca unless I was feeling very lucky.

When I brought 'Dancing' up from Wilmington I had a 5 hour wait for the Lockport Lock due to down river barge traffic.

It took me 12+ hours to get to Hammond with a new to me, unfamiliar boat, darkness and a 20+ knot wind out of the north when I hit the Lake!

On the other hand I know guys that have made it in as little as 5-1/2 hours.

Dan

 

[Registered]

Sounds like a good idea.

Mid-April has about 13-1/2 hours of daylight and that extra 2+ hour buffer of Northpoint to Hammond could make or break the day.

We were running up the Mississippi to Dubuque last week and a rail bridge was closed for repairs for 3 hours.

Any day on the water is better than a day in the office.

All other things being equal, on a mid-April weekday early morning, would you take the Chicago, or Calumet?

Might just do Chicago to see the City from a different perspective.

 

[Daniel P Thomas]

Taking the Chicago route has it's good points and also seeing from a different perspective too.
But that said after about 3 miles (China Town) it just turns into the back end of factories and abandoned buildings.
Also no places to really stop at.

If time permits, take an overnight in DuSable or Burnham.
Do the river during the day.

Head down to Hammond on day 2.
Fuel up ( much less than Chicago).
Spend the evening, get a good meal at the casino and get an early start on day 3.

No weather problems as you are inside a break-wall until you get to the river.
One Lock and you have 90 miles of easy running down to Wilmington.

Dan