Departing OCTOBER 2 --- or are we?

We have been told there is one thing you should expect when doing the loop -- and that's adapting.   Changing.   Going with the flow.   Making changes like it doesn't matter if they change.    And it appears that's exactly how we're starting out.  

Since JUNE we have been working toward a departure date of October 2.    You see the locks in Chicago have been closed from June 1 until September 30.   Or so we thought...     This week, however, the US Army Corp of Engineers (who is overseeing lock upgrades) said that one of the locks is unlikely to go live on October 1 as expected and that all boaters should expect delays.   



Considering this, and that COMMERCIAL traffic has priority.....   They hae advised that it's unlikely that any pleasure boats get through Chicago's locks during the first few days of October.   There are 300+ boats waiting to use the locks and they are all backed up each day the locks are delayed.    The AGLCA (the organization who coordinates loopers) has agreed to ask all of it's members to delay their passage through the closed locks five days.   

This left us with two options.    1)  Leave like we planned and spend an extra five days in Chicago (or just outside Chicago).    or 2) Leave later.      We've chosen OPTION 2.    You see our slip is already paid for -- and the ones in Chicago are not cheap.    Plus we can visit Chicago any time we want in just a few hours drive from home -- and have spent LOTS of time there during our lifetimes already.    We can always boat back to Chicago anytime we feel in the future in just a 90 mile journey...  

So we are tentatively delaying our departure until Friday October 6 -- or maybe even Saturday October 7.  This lets us do a bit more preparation and enjoy a few more days with friends or family before our departure.   We have plenty of time to get down the rivers to the gulf of mexico before December...  Our only worry is really the conditions on Lake Michigan.  September has been spectacular for boat travel.   October might not be.    We shall see.   

This leaves me little to blog on other than "we are leaving later".   Many people have asked to see pictures of the boat we will be taking on this journey.   I've attached below some pictures of Sea-Ya, our new-to-us Carver 444.    Our boat spent it's first 20 years in Illinois (exactly where we will be going next week).   My friend Norm (Norm from Norm's Ice Cream- not Norm from Cheers) and I brought the boat back from Illinois to Michigan Memorial Day weekend this year -- just before the locks closed. 

Anyway...  Here are some pics of our new-to-us boat...    Sea-Ya is a 47ft long, 15ft wide two story boat with two queen bedrooms, two full baths, a generous living space, an indoor covered deck and an aft uncovered cockpit for full-sunshine.   We've got a 15hp powered dinghy aboard to get to shore when dockage is not available.    Refrigerators are located on the upper cockpit (an arms reach from the helm) and in the main salon.     She's basically an over-sized motorhome for the water...  












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