Day 87 – Wednesday, September 8, 2010

089°33.435’ W
40°44.950’ N
Peoria Heights, Illinois (IVY Club)

Leaving SRYC

Entering the Illinois River

Let the next sequence of this adventure begin! Typically - the day we wanted to get underway was very windy and not a good day to depart. Today is perfect to begin the next phase of this adventure and we departed the harbor at 8am. We took a nice slow cruise down the river enjoying the scenery and sunshine, arriving before 3pm.

Entering the Starved Rock lock

Let me take a minute to set the stage with what is taking place. Barb and John Flint who we have traveled with on and off for the past eleven months have caught up with us at the entrance to the Starved Rock Yacht Club which Barb and I are members, and where our boat was kept for the past week! Chris and Bruce Bade and their boat BADE BOOMER are beginning their start of the Great Loop which the Flints and us have been doing the past couple of years. I don’t expect that the three boats will be together much as the Flints have a family wedding in October and the Bades will have personal things to take care of.

At present I am not sure who will be cruising with whom but as a looper no one is alone for long. With all that said the three boats arrived at the IVY Club this afternoon and we had a few drinks with the Bades and Flints and our special friends Liz and Mark Gibson that we have traveled with in the past!