The only possible saving grace is the pressure that midwest farmers will put on Congress/Corp of Eng., as the river is how they ship their fall crops to market
. May even finish early.
We are flexible, but had planned to start next Oct 2019 from Columbus, MS and leave the boat in deep south Florida for the winter, and pick up in late Mar heading North in 2020. We are leaning toward taking our time, side trips, and leaving the boat up North over the winter, and picking up spring/summer 2021 and finishing up the Loop in the fall in Columbus. But if weather looks ok in Fall 2020 we might push on and finish in fall 2020 in the cool fall weather Never have a fixed schedule on a boat, or on a small plane
Wifey B:
It would be interesting to see if the loop group is aware and the reaction over there.
Wifey B: When you lock through with one, you don't keep separated, you tie to the side of the tow. Easiest ride through a lock you can have. However, always at the discretion of the Captain. We did it through one lock on the Illinois but through all of them is unlikely.
Another problem is the shortage of marinas and anchorages to wait things out if there's a major delay at a lock. Perhaps only the first lock where you'd have a delay that could be many days. Then I could see vessels locking through others much in the same order and timing. Can't be a huge group waiting at the 2nd and subsequent because the only ones there are the ones that have come through the first. However, I can picture one huge clusterf... at the Joliet Wall. I think I'd just wait it out in Chicago until given some indication you'd actually be able to lock. Illinois River locks are 110' x 600' so 1200' barges require two or three lockings. I would think the shippers are going to need to get together to do some amount of scheduling too. I can't see that they can afford to just get all stacked up at the first lock. I'd think the lockmaster is going to have to allocate spaces per day well in advance.
Someone mentioned them finishing early and I see that as possible for one or more locks but unless all of them finish early, it doesn't help you.
I think I'd fly home for a bit then back to the boat mid October and then just enjoy Chicago until the timing improved, likely into mid November.
Ftbinc, you say Burnham is open until Nov 15. Not what their website says. It says Oct 31. All Chicago Harbors now showing Oct 31. Perhaps with enough demand one would stay longer. I see one chance of that as 31st or Montrose as they're still hauling boats out for winter storage in November.
I'm sure by then, the ALGCA will have worked out something with some marina or marinas.
I'm thinking 2021 sounds like a very good year to loop right now.
Wifey B: When you lock through with one, you don't keep separated, you tie to the side of the tow. Easiest ride through a lock you can have. However, always at the discretion of the Captain. We did it through one lock on the Illinois but through all of them is unlikely.
Another problem is the shortage of marinas and anchorages to wait things out if there's a major delay at a lock. Perhaps only the first lock where you'd have a delay that could be many days. Then I could see vessels locking through others much in the same order and timing. Can't be a huge group waiting at the 2nd and subsequent because the only ones there are the ones that have come through the first. However, I can picture one huge clusterf... at the Joliet Wall. I think I'd just wait it out in Chicago until given some indication you'd actually be able to lock. Illinois River locks are 110' x 600' so 1200' barges require two or three lockings. I would think the shippers are going to need to get together to do some amount of scheduling too. I can't see that they can afford to just get all stacked up at the first lock. I'd think the lockmaster is going to have to allocate spaces per day well in advance.
Someone mentioned them finishing early and I see that as possible for one or more locks but unless all of them finish early, it doesn't help you.
I think I'd fly home for a bit then back to the boat mid October and then just enjoy Chicago until the timing improved, likely into mid November.
Ftbinc, you say Burnham is open until Nov 15. Not what their website says. It says Oct 31. All Chicago Harbors now showing Oct 31. Perhaps with enough demand one would stay longer. I see one chance of that as 31st or Montrose as they're still hauling boats out for winter storage in November.
I'm sure by then, the ALGCA will have worked out something with some marina or marinas.
I'm thinking 2021 sounds like a very good year to loop right now.
