Grafton, IL

We departed at  810AM for our 88 mile run to Grafton, IL the confluence point of the Mississippi and IL Rivers.  WE arrived at 300PM, traversing one lock.  Light winds and warm today, with sprinkles as we were docking in Grafton.  The IL river was very calm in the morning.

Only a 9 foot drop in the lock so the lockmaster said it was OK to drift in the lock without tying up, easier on the mate, harder on the Captain. 

 The river is home to numerous power plants and chemical plants not dissimilar to the Ohio River.  The Illinois River is much smaller than the Ohio so one must exercise caution in passing tow boats as you can see here,

 Had to slow down for the ferry crossing our path.

 Many summer homes line the banks but most are built up to avoid the flood waters. There were two major floods this year, one a near record.  I suspect the drift seen here was the result of these floods.  River is normal now, lucky for us.

As we leave the IL River and enter the mighty Mississippi, we find Grafton, IL and the Grafton Marina.  WE walked around town after I changed the oil in the diesels.  It must have been 150 degrees in the engine room but the oil must be hot when changing it.  I tipped the dockhand to take the oil to the dump pit, I was exhausted.  We cleaned up and went into a quaint town for dinner.