WHITECAP's

SAILING

EXCURSION

Spring Brook Marina, IL to Grand Rivers, Ky

November 16th, 1999 to Nov 27th, 1999

1. Day 58 - Nov 16, 99 - Tuesday - Departed Spring Brook Marina around 08:30 this morning in sunny but cool weather; traveled approximately 30 miles for the day and put into Spring Valley Boat Club; members here are very friendly - borrowed a car to go do some shopping.
2. Day 59 - Nov 17, 99 - Wednesday - Departed Spring Valley Boat Club in the morning and made good time arriving in Peoria in the afternoon.
3. Day 60 - Nov 18, 99 - Thursday - Cold with high winds, so WHITECAP has opted to rest for the day at Peoria.
4. Day 61 - Nov 19, 99 - Friday - Couldn't get away early as WHITECAP is now traveling with an Irwin 37 sailboat that has just undergone an engine change and they couldn't clear port until 13:00. Made fairly good time and pulled into an old abandoned lock at Copperas Creek, IL. WHITECAP will spend the night here with her traveling companion. Tomorrow we'll set out for La Grange, IL.
5. Day 62 - Nov 20, 99 - Saturday - Just so you all know Mary hasn't been sitting idly by since Dick started his excursion, here's proof of her expertise with hammer and nails or at least evidence as to her supervisory abilities. Although it's not finished yet, these are some of the renovations being done on the home front while the skipper is away. Note that the solarium has given way to a larger living room and a completely new roof line on the house.
6. Day 63 - Nov 21, 99 - Sunday - In consort with the Irwin 37, WHITECAP made her way to Grafton, IL today (about 6 miles from the mighty Mississippi) where we will spend the night and then head out for St Louis tomorrow, weather permitting.
7. Day 64 - Nov 22, 99 - Monday - Whitecap is now on the Mississippi River at mile 218; entered from the Illinois River at 10:00hrs today and are presently at Alton IL., 17 miles down, for the night. The weather is tee shirt at 21:00 hrs, hatches open for ventilation, first night with no heat required since home.
8. Day 65 - Nov 23, 99 - Tuesday - Everything working great, this AM put in 4th qt of oil in 2200 miles, not bad eh! Good old Mercedes. Will leave here at 06:00, and expect to enter the Ohio River in 2 1/2 - 3 days.
9. Day 66 - Nov 24, 99 - Wednesday - Running along side "KETCH MY DRIFT" in Illinois River.
10. Day 67 - Nov 25, 99 - Thursday - WHITECAP is in the Ohio River and has made it to Cairo, IL., which is about halfway between St. Louis and Memphis. Still traveling with the Irwin 37 and heading for the Tennessee River. Weather a little cooler again.
11. Day 68 - Nov 26, 99 - Friday - WHITECAP finished the Ohio River, entered the Tennessee River, now in Kentucky Lake. WHITECAP is in Lighthouse Landing Marina, Grand Rivers, Ky, yesterday's temperature was 75F and today it was 67F (Kentucky calls itself the "Commonwealth of Kentucky") on Kentucky Lake. Steve and Shelly Johnson, with the help of their power boat helped Dick go back out and pull the Irwin 37 off a sandbar at the harbour entrance.
12. Day 69 - Nov 27, 99 - Saturday - We awoke at Lighthouse Landing Marina, and have now developed a transmission problem, things always happen on a weekend, so today I disconnected the engine to move it back into the cabin, the new transmission should be here Tuesday, and we will be mobile again about 3 hours after. I can now disconnect the engine in 1.5 hours and only require someone to pass me tools.