Another day, another brownie.

So...  it turns out if you bring cookies or brownies the lockmasters (who are forbidden from taking gratuities) will take your 'waste' from the boat and dispose of it properly.  

You see, they CAN accept "garbage" from a traveling boat, even the edible kind....  and it just might let you get through the locks more quickly or influence their desire to be flexible on how you arrange boats, etc.  

And getting through quickly makes you smile....

Today we left the Joliet wall and migrated through the three locks that have been closed all summer and now are very congested.  16 or 17 boats in a lock - and dealt with a bit more wind than we did yesterday.   Our third lock the wind was howling and pushing boats across the lock making it hard to tie up....  but we managed.  

Of course the geek on board couldn't be satisfied driving and sitting .. I had to multitask.  Apparently there is no texting and driving law for boats.n.   And technically I wasn't texting.  I was running at least three different computers, a cell phone, two radios and a tablet.   One tablet showing where I am and the boats around me, as well as their heading.   Shading the channel depth to show instructions is nice...  that's the important one.  Then channel 16 must be monitored (the Marine safety/hailing channel the law requires be monitored).  Then channel 72 or 71 or 68 depending on where we are - for communication between flotilla people and occasionally coordinating with a marina or other facility.  

And then, to be different, I had to work on my autopilot.   A marine autopilot typically keeps a boat heading where it's supposed to be going and corrects when wind etc steers you off course.   I installed one of those (which requires four different devices) this summer.  

But I want more.   I don't want to just keep a heading.   I want to be able to say go here, then there, then there - and have the boat turn at each marker...  without me having to hit a button confirming 'we are at waypoint X'.  And I didn't want to spend $10k for a new chartplotter, then chart subscriptions and a radar.  I have other things to spend money on (like a dinghy and motor).  

So.... Open source software to the rescue.  And a plugin for that software written by a dutch guy in Holland for his sailboat...  and some integration with my new autopilot and LOTS of debugging and configuration.   

You see, every boat turns at its own pace.  And then needs to be autocorrected back to keep from going too far.   Plus wind, currents etc mess with things.     After two hours of my autopilot steering like a drunk sailor and trying to run me off the river.... I finally got it tuned.   And when it was tuned it was a Tesla-esque beautiful thing.  For the last few hours (except when getting into position in a lock) I put my feet up (not literally), hands off the wheel and let the boat drive.   I used the restroom (while Katie stood guard), I started the generator, got some beverages and snacks, brought up some chargers (to keep the amazing stuff amazingly working) and did various errands all while making sure we didn't run anyone over.   This is awesome. 

I now have an autopilot that can literally map me from point A to B, take into account all of the river bends and decisions and keep the boat right in the deep water... All I have to do is keep watch and make sure nothing goes awry.   (The biggest obstacle now isn't other boats - it's floating wood in the river.   Props don't like wood.).  

Another day in the books and safety at Heritage Harbor Ottawa IL. ....  and in a town that is five degrees warmer most days than where we started the day. (It was today anyway).  

Tomorrow we head on a LONG trip... To Peoria - and the Illinois Valley Yacht Club where I bought this boat in May.   (I didn't pick it up there, but that is where we toured it and decided to buy it).  

More tomorrow.... Now to go to dinner and hear a lecture on all of the things to know downriver from an expert....


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Youngs Point ON to Fenelon Falls ON

Image
We left Youngs Point lock wall this morning about 8am with two hours of cruising to get to our first lock.   What a beautiful day.   We had two lakes to cross.  Clear Lake (which is clear)...   And Stoney Lake which is.... Granite.  The beaches are done and the navigation is critical.  It's a common thing to have solid granite just a few inches below the surface on both sides of the boat just 10-20 feet away.  As long as we are in the designated channel it's fine....   But prop repair and replacement is a big business here... Still... Driving past this kind of scenery all day would never get old... (Until it froze).  Eventually we journeyed through four locks today... And up to a fifth.    Lock 28, 30, 31, 32... And sitting just under lock 33.   Yes we are aware 29 is missing.  28 and 29 used to be a set of two (a flight lock) but in the 1960s they automated it (hydraulic controls rathe...
Read more

Hastings ON to Peterborough ON

Image
Well today was the same.... And really different.   We left Hastings and traveled up Rice Lake for miles and miles.   What a gorgeous area.  Reminds me of the North Channel.  After many miles of cruising up the lake we hit something new.  WEEDS.  So thick they convinced the depth finder we were in 2ft of water..    We were literally mowing them.   And they eventually covered the water so thick you couldn't see the water and birds were standing on it... But that passed.  We just took it slow and ground our way through.  Eventually it turned into river again with fast moving water and less weeds.   It really doesn't suck here.   Such a beautiful area.  Twisty river, beautiful homes and cottages.   After four hours we reached our first lock of the day.  That was a long stretch of moving water.   We would run 10-11mph on the boat and get 6.2 on the water/over t...
Read more

Adventure awaits.

Image
Dan and Katie will be leaving for the Great Loop the first week of October.  We'll be living on the boat from mid-September until at least the end of June 2024.    Our plans are to travel 6000+ miles down the river systems of the midwest, around florida, up the east coast to New York, up the Hudson River, across the Erie and Oswego Canals, Lake Ontario, the Trent Severn Waterway (across the province of Ontario), Georgian Bay, The North Channel, Lake Huron, and then back down Lake Michigan to Grand Haven.   Katie has officially "retired" from NorthPointe Christian Schools.   Dan is taking a semi-leave of absence so that we can take this journey.   We're sure we'll miss our family immensely while we are gone but we do intend to make visits home and take a couple of breaks during our trip to "catch up".   How are we going to accomplish this?    On our newest BOAT, of course.   The Motor Vessel Sea-Ya became our trav...
Read more