Mike and Patty's Great Loop Adventure 2018-2019

Grafton Harbor in Grafton, IL

Day #77: Happy Birthday Ollie Boynton! Up at 6:30 A.M. for coffee, grapefruit and gingersnaps/maple cookies. Bruce came over at 8 A.M. to help Mike with a few heavy boat jobs (can't thank Bruce enough for the all of the help). Last evening I did an on-line reservation for Alton Marina starting on Tuesday, September 25th through Monday, October 1st. Alton has a buy three get three free for Loopers. Jeremy at Heritage Harbor suggested that we go through St. Louis on a Saturday or Sunday due to very heavy tow traffic. The plan now is to leave Alton on September 30th which is a Sunday heading for Hoppies Marina in Kimmswick, MO. At Hoppies you tie up to a barge for the evening but we are hearing that one of the barges has sank so space is limited, I called Hoppies today to make a reservation for Sunday, September 30th. I got to talk to Fern Hoppie she took a reservation for both "Parrot Bay" and "Baytripper". Fern does a captain's talk starting at Hoppies to Mobile, Alabama. From other Loopers we are hearing that she is training her daughter on giving the captain's talk to the Loopers as she is getting up in age. Fern has a tendency to smoke a cigarette while out on the gas dock she will tell you "ain't blown up yet." We are going to take our time between Grafton and Alton as we are hearing that the remnants of Florence will eventually end up in the Ohio River. We are still dealing with flooding in the Mississippi from rains that occurred a couple of weeks ago. The current is very strong there was a boat that normally travels 8 knots was seeing 13 knots with the current push. Also, although the debris is decreasing we are still seeing at times trees floating down river. The hot weather is continuing here in Illinois it is going to be in the 90's hot and humid again today. Mike and I walked up to the new Graton Market it just opened it is small but at least there is an option for a few groceries when needed versus taking the courtesy van. Kevin and Sandy from "Kostal Karma" came over in their dinghy from St. Charles, MO as they have been up on the hard for about 1 1/2 weeks after losing their transmission. We spent time with them, Bruce and Bev in the pool. We headed up to the Oyster Bar for lunch. While we were having lunch a boat named "Odyssey Chicago River" tried to get into the gas dock here at Grafton Harbor after about 30 minutes and exiting the harbor twice as he was trying to come in one more time the boat took out one of the docks. The Grafton police, Conservation Officers and divers surveyed the damage. Kevin and Sandy got in their dinghy heading back to St. Charles as he was concerned for their dinghy after watching the boat take out the dock. Bruce, Bev, Mike and I headed back the pool playing two games of euchre Bruce and Bev won both games. Then it was more pool time." Antonia" Mark and Lezlie came to the pool as they just arrived in Graton. Lezlie, Bev and I enjoyed wine slushies. At 5:30 P.M. Mike and I headed back to the boat for hot ham and cheese sandwiches. Time for reading and blogging now.