Charlevoix MI, Hilton Beach ON, Mackinac Island, Charlevoix, Eastern Shore Lake Michigan, Chicago, Inland Rivers, Grafton IL, Mississippi River, St. Charles MO
(970 miles)
(970 miles)
 | We returned to TOSCA II in late June 2016 via New York, where Rowland attended a conference on Law of the Sea at the United Nations and we indulged ourselves taking in the sights. Here we are enjoying a late-night cocktail in a lounge overlooking Times Square. |
| We also took in a couple of shows on Broadway - Chicago and The Book of Mormon. Broadway has the best musical theatre in the world. |  |  |
 | We celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary with an indulgent dinner. |
From New York, we flew to Detroit and then drove to Charlevoix MI.
The folks at Irish Boat Shop had everything ready and we launched on July 1. TOSCA looked fabulous - hard to believe she had been in storage for nearly a full year!
 We were anxious to head out, but first we had to move aboard, take on provisions and water and stow the necessities of life - like the Sam Adams! |  |
 Our ship's mascot welcomed us back and soon we were ready to head out. Once again, we were going north to Canada, so we could reenter the U.S. and start the clock anew on our Cruising Licence, which is only good for a year. |  |
Our destination was Hilton Beach, on Saint Joseph Island, Ontario. It's a beautiful spot, where we stayed a few days before heading back into the U.S. through Drummond Island. Customs and Border Protection Services were extremely helpful in expediting our Cruising Licence. One of their agents drove down to Drummond Island from the regional CBPS office in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and hand delivered it, saving us a few days.
This was our third time through these waters. We particularly enjoyed revisiting Mackinac Island. Wonder if they have a distracted driver law here - this cabbie is on his cellphone!
And of course the magnificent Mackinac bridge is always a sight to behold. Here we're headed west through the Straits of Mackinac, leaving the bridge behind us in the early morning sun on our way back to Charlevoix.
 After a few days back at Irish, we motored out into Lake Michigan, headed for Chicago. We opted to follow the eastern shore of the Lake, which turned out to be a wonderful experience. |  |
 |  Our introduction to the delights of Lake Michigan was the fishing village of Leland, where we enjoyed the first of many spectacular sunsets across the lake and the first of many fine meals. |
 | Much of Lake Michigan's eastern shore is a continuous, high sand dune, dotted occasionally with light houses - and dune buggies. We could hear the roar from several miles offshore! |  |
Every few miles, there are "harbors of refuge" where man-made cuts lead into beautiful lakes that are fully protected from the furious westerly storms that kick up on the Lake from time to time.
Fortunately, the only storm that blew through while we were on the lake hit when we were safely tied up in the marina at Frankfort. We say 'safely' because the ferocious squall that came on very suddenly was severe enough to rip out the cleat and part of the dock we were tied to. We were onboard at the time and able to deal with the situation, so no harm done, but it was a reminder of the fury that nature can unleash with little warning.
Our other stops down the Lake were Pentwater, White Lake, Muskegon, Grand Haven, Saugatuck, South Haven and New Buffalo. All were interesting and very different. Saugatuk was a favorite, a few miles off the Lake up a beautiful river.
 |  The marina at Saugatuck, however, was in quite shallow water and Alex had to be on her toes. Here she relishes the moment after successfully backing us into the slip between the piles, with only inches to spare on either side! |
Talk about location, location, location. This property is located at the entrance of the canal into Saugatuk. It appeared to be vacant!
 Other delights included the nightly light show at Grand Haven... ...and South Haven, with its restored village and the best onion rings ever! |  |  |
 Last stop on Lake Michigan was New Buffalo, where we enjoyed another fine meal, at the Stray Dog. |  |
But, while we were on the move most days, there was still time for the occasional nap!
And then it was on to Chicago. What a sight as the skyline appeared on the horizon!
 We stayed several days at Burnham Harbor marina, with a spectacular view of the city by day, and by night. |  |
 |  Chicago is one of our favorite cities and it was a wonderful experience to spend time there on our own boat. |
 Our son Stewart joined us and we took a couple of days to explore the local sights, including the Field Museum that houses the tyrranosaurus rex skeleton named Sue - the most complete T. rex skeleton ever found, at over 90 per cent. |  |
In addition to finding the best hot dog in Chicago, Stew also sought out the best deep dish pizza, which we found at Pequods Pizza.
 Then, on a spectacular Saturday morning, we headed for the Chicago Lock, where we would leave the Great Lakes and head into the rivers for the start of our journey to the Gulf of Mexico. |  |
 And there we were, in the heart of one of the world's greatest cities, on our own boat. What an experience - no doubt a highlight of the whole Great Loop adventure! Whatever one might think of Donald Trump and his politics, the man sure knows about real estate - this is Trump Tower and it's hard to imagine a more impressive setting. |  |
We were excited about transiting the canal through the very heart of this great city, but also a little apprehensive as the bridge clearances are tight. This tour boat is passing under the bridge at Michigan Avenue, site of Chicago's world famous "Magnificent Mile."
There is one fixed bridge that has a rated clearance of only 17'6", which of course varies up or down with the level of the river, particularly after a heavy rainfall. We had measured TOSCA's 'air draft' at 16'8" - not a lot of room for error!
 So, we approached the bridge in question very cautiously, stationing Stew on the bow with a boat hook set at our clearance height. If the boat hook didn't clear, we were going to have to stop in a hurry and back up. The closer we got, the more nervous we became, as it looked for all the world like we wouldn't make it! |  |
 Then, we could see the other side and we were clear... ...but with not much to spare! |  |
Very soon, you leave the city behind...
 ...and start into a whole new world of rivers, tugs and 'tows'. (They're called 'tows' although in fact the barges are pushed by the tugs.) All of a sudden, we're confronted by a tow coming straight at us, where there's nothing to do but tuck in between the barges that are tied up. This is where the "rule of tonnage" really applies. Forget about down-bound traffic having the right-of-way: the rule is get out of the way! |  |
Words can't describe, nor pictures really capture, the immensity of these giants. The skill of the captains in manoeuvering them in and out of the locks must be seen to be believed. Here the captain of the tow has agreed to let us share the lock, which he's not obliged to do - the tows have priority in all the locks.
Some idea of the size can be seen from the crew member on the forward deck of the barge.
 There's an ethereal beauty to these monsters, as they glide by in almost total silence, continuing with the traditions of bygone days before electronic navigation devices - you must meet or pass them "on the one" or "on the two", referring to the whistle signals that were at one time their only means of communication. |  |
 | There are many power plants along the rivers (much of what the barges carry is coal), but there are also long stretches of quiet beauty. |  |
Marina facilities along the Illinois River are scarce. Here we are tied up for the night at a barge terminal, where we had to clamber over the tugs, the barges and their cables to get ashore.
But there were other great stopovers, such as Harborside Marina, just south of Joliet, where we had a fabulous meal at the Big Fish Grille.
And Heritage Harbor Marina in Ottawa, Illinois, where Stewart left us.
 We will remember two hidden gems in particular. The South Shore Boat Club (SSBC) in Peru IL was pretty basic as yacht clubs go but we were welcomed as though we were long lost members and Rowland was immediately inducted as a member of the SSBC Drinking Team. |  |
We were the biggest boat at the dock that night!
And then at Peoria Heights, the Illinois Valley Yacht (the 'IVY Club'), where we also were welcomed as members. We stayed three nights.
As we moved down the Illinois River, we became increasingly aware that these waters are not always as peaceful as they were during our run. Indeed, the rivers in these parts can rise 20 or more feet during their annual flood phases, as is made clear from this river front cottage built on stilts. Hard to imagine the water rising that high, but it does, regularly, and the locals simply build to accommodate the changes and live with them.
As we moved down the Illinois River, we became increasingly aware that these waters are not always as peaceful as they were during our run. Indeed, the rivers in these parts can rise 20 or more feet during their annual flood phases, as is made clear from this river front cottage built on stilts. Hard to imagine the water rising that high, but it does, regularly, and the locals simply build to accommodate the changes and live with them.
 At Grafton, we discovered another solution to the challenge: the whole marina facility - docks, covered slips, restaurant and even the swimming pool (not visible) - floats up the piles as much as 20' as the river rises. This Oyster Bar is actually floating on pontoons. |  |
 And at last, we were on the mighty Mississippi, headed for Port Charles Harbor where TOSCA is getting her bottom redone while we are back in Calgary, ready for her return to salt water in the Gulf of Mexico. This whole marina facility (including the covered slips) is also built on pontoons and rises as much as 20' with the river! |  |
And on our last night in St. Charles, a fine BBQ meal at Sugarfire Smokehouse to see us on our way!
From St. Charles, we drove to Chicago and then flew home to Calgary.
In Leg 10, we travelled roughly 970 miles, bringing our total distance to approximately 4800 miles since we started our Great Loop adventure in Florida in September 2012.
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