Fran, along with her husband David, untie our lines and away we go.
We pass by the nearby river town of Chillicothe.
We pass by Holiday Harbor, where many old casino boats, paddlewheels, and tows spend their “holiday”, removed from the relentless drudgery of river travel. Perhaps, for some, it is just a short reprieve before the final sunset cruise to a scrap yard, but, for others, it will be an opportunity to refresh, renew, and recharge before reentering the maritime workforce.
At this point, the Illinois River widens and becomes the Upper Peoria Lake which then flows into the Lower Peoria Lake.
Two interesting events occurred during our travels today. One being that we again crossed paths with the barge Miss Jackie Brown. Employing the nicest barge crew we have yet encountered, they snapped an action picture of Prime 11 and sent it to us!😀
The other happening is not quite as delightful. While in “action”, we began smelling something burning. This is very concerning as any type of boat fire can quickly turn deadly. Once again, as happened in the Gulf of Mexico, our trim tabs blew a fuse and started burning. The fuse switch was immediately turned off, windows opened, and the emergency was over. However, the trim tabs are now out of commision, requiring a repeat repair in our future. Prime 11, until the trim tabs are replaced, will have a starboard list. There always is a part to be purchased, a fix to be made, or a tank to fill. Such is boating life!
We arrive to Eastport Marina and enter the channel to the marina. The marina employees warn us of the shallow water in the channel, and we are glad they did! Thankfully the bottom was muddy, not rocky, thus avoiding what would have been an additional very costly repair!
Eastport Marina is a very nice marina run by the state of Illinois. The price is $2.00 a foot but, as loopers, we are given the perk of free access to the pool, which is a members only pool ($500 per family a season). The largest perks, not just to us, however, are free ice and free laundry. With the washer and dryer located in the men’s restroom, the laundry was both free and freeing for me!! 😁
The marina also has a bar/restaurant on site called Storm Shelter, perfect for appetizers and cold beers. For a more gourmet experience, Oyster Bar is within walking distance. We visited this restaurant more than once as we loved their fresh seafood options.
Our Fourth of July stay at Eastport Marina was definitely unique. The Asian Carp are very prevalent in the marina, often jumping and splashing. I tried, in vain, to get a video to share but had no such luck. Finally, one of them was more than cooperative!
Flying fish are not the only things flying this weekend. We wake up and find our boat looking like this.
These are the culprits.
Tom spends his day doing what else…ridding the boat of these invaders.
Once the boat is relatively mayfly free, we take off for a relaxing dinner at the Oyster Bar. We leave the restaurant around dusk and encounter this:
Our walk back to Prime 11 was not an enjoyable one!
Luckily, this hatching did not occur the previous night, Fourth of July, when Peoria’s hosts a spectacular fireworks display. We enjoyed the show from our bow, mayfly free thankfully.
We had a nice three days at Eastport Marina. However, between the rain and the mayfly invasion, we never did take advantage of our “looper perk” of free pool access.
Next stop: a tie up to a tugboat in Beardstown, IL.
I’ve experienced mayflies in Cleveland but nothing like that invasion!! Wow!