Great Loop Itinerary
AGLCA Trip
First section itinerary September 20, 2015 thru January 2016
One whistle go right, two whistles go left.
Illinois and Mississippi Rivers are downstream.
Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers are upstream.
Call ahead to get lock waiting times.
9/20 – depart Waukegan for Joliet. Enter Chicago River at Calumet
Call first bridge in Joliet and go thru to the Jefferson Street Bridge. Tell the bridge tender we are only going to Jefferson Street. Tie up on the north side by the bridge. Bow to current – east. Pilings with chains. Power is available.
9/21 – travel to Starved Rock Marina – Stay on fuel dock in deeper water – 4.5 ft.
9/22 – Henry IL. MM 196 – Fuel at Hamm’s Holiday Harbor. Dock overnight at Henry Marina
9/23 – Peoria City Dock
9/24 – Hardin Municipal dock MM30
9/25 – Grafton – 90 miles – dock and fuel up at Grafton Marina
9/26 – Enter Mississippi River at MM 220 and go to Hoppies at MM 158. Dock and fuel up.
Dockage – turn around and head upstream and crab into the dock. DANGER wing dams south of Hoppies close in. The Ohio River locks 52 and 53 are very rough.
9/27 – Go up the Ohio River to the Cumberland River and dock and fuel at Green Turtle Bay.
Shorter option – Cascasky on Little River Diversion MM 52 – anchor out. Pull up close to RR bridge.
9/28 – Take land between the lakes cut over to the Tennessee River. Get an early start. Dock and fuel up at Paris LandingState Park at MM 66. We can spend up to 10 days cruising Kentucky Lake and the Tennessee River.
9/29 – Pebble Island Marina – MM 96
9/30 – Mermaid Marina MM – MM 140
10/1 – Pipwick Lock – Dock at Pipwick Landing State Park
10/2 – Go past Tom Bigbee Canal to Wilson and Joe Wheeler Lock
We have a reservation at Joe Wheeler State Park on October 13 – 18 for the AGLCA rendezvous. Rogersville, Alabama. We could do an eight day excursion after the rendezvous.
10/18 – Go back to Tom Bigbee Canal and stay at the Grand Harbor Marina MM 446 – nice place to spend extra days. We have eight days before moving down the Tom Bigbee towards Mobile
10/26 – South on the Tom Bigbee to Midway Marina MM394.
10/27 – Columbus Marina – MM 335
10/28 – Marina Cove is an option for Columbus Bay Marina – MM307 or short trip.
10/29 – Demopolis – MM 216
10/30 – Bobbies Fish Camp
10/31 – Mobile Bay – east side – Dauphine – Point Clear Marriot. For mechanical issues go to the Dog Run River Marina on the west side of Mobile Bay. Fairhope is also a good stopover on the east side of Mobile Bay.
11/1 – Destin
11/2 – Panama City
11/3 – Apalachicola
11/4 – Clearwater/Tampa – 160 miles cut across – do not run the Florida shore.
Simons have plane tickets from Tampa to Chicago 11/15 – 11/ 20.
11/21 – Head south on the Florida Gulf coast eventually arriving at Marco Island. It is 123 NM from Tampa to Marco Island. We could make the trip in one day or many days. We have three weeks to spend between Tampa and Marco Island. The Simons may fly out of Ft Myers to Boston on December 7 – 12. Bruce Astbury lives in Naples in the winter. Stay at the Naples city dock.
12/14 – Marco Island to Key West – 80 miles. Consider docking at the Marco River Marina
12/15 – 1/14 – Galleon Marina in Key West. Arnolds have plane tickets to Chicago 12/17 – 12/27.
1/14 – Dry Tortugas for two days
1/16 – Return to Key West – perhaps Stock Island
1/17 – Figure out the rest of the trip– eventually go the Exumas in the Bahamas or Cuba. Consider heading to the Bahamas from Key Largo.
3/ 1 – head up the east coast of Florida and visit the Carlson’s in Stuart
Other – Chesapeake Bay to C & D Canal to the Deleware River., Take the Cape May Canal and then go outside Cape May to Manasquan to NYC. Stay at the Liberty Marina.
Going up the Hudson River stay at Tarrytown, Kingston and Troy.