Day 9 - September 21, 2012: Peoria to Havana, Ill

We awoke to sunshine and readied for an early start. A northwest tail wind would give us a helpful push.

Illinois Valley Yacht Club (Ivy)

Peoria is the largest city on the river between Chicago and St. Louis. It is home to Caterpillar and Maui Jim (formerly in Hawaii). We didn't stop here as you really need a car to get around. 

Peoria, Ill

The river is an important mode of transportation, and we encountered a number of barges today. They refer to them as "tows"; however, the barges are not really being towed but pushed by tugs. The more barges you can push with a single tug, the more money you can make on a single run. We encountered this one with 15 barges. They are so long and wide that when rounding a curve, they may touch both banks simultaneously. The rule is you must call the tug captain and ask which side he wants you to pass on so you won't get squished like a bug. It is also wise to stay out of the tug wake as the 12,000 HP engines and large props can push a lot of swirling water.

Don't argue with this!

We all know about the threat of the Asian Carp to the Great Lakes. They have come up the Mississippi and are working their way up the Illinois River and have been spotted as close as 40 miles from Chicago. We began to see them in significant numbers today. They seem to like to jump in the agitated wake water behind the boat, and one jumped into a fellow boater's dinghy. When we got to our destination which was Tall Timbers Marina in Havana, Ill, one jumped up on the dock while we were standing there. Here is our first close up look.

Silver Asian Carp

Later we grilled salmon and settled in to listen to the Michigan vs Notre Dame football game. If you are a UofM fan, you already know the result.

Tall Timbers Marina, Havana, Ill