You would think that being on a boat tied up to a docking spot in downtown Joliet with tugs and barges passing within thirty feet of us all evening and with two nearby bridges opening and closing (complete with a siren each time) that I would have not been able to sleep a wink…however, this was totally not the case. I slept like a log and did not hear anything all evening and Mark also slept well, but not as deeply as I guess I did. 
I awoke early and enjoyed the sunrise over the Joliet levy. About 8a I called the Brandon Road lockmaster to determine the status of the lock through. He told us to come on down so I rounded up Knot Home’s crew and we both headed the mile down river to the lock about 8:45a. It seems that the lock was not operating as quickly as anticipated so it was necessary for us to tie up and wait about an hour before we were able to lock through. We arrived at Dresden Island lock which is a short distance south from where the Kankakee River meets the Illinois River. We had to wait and tie up again for just about an hour before it was our turn to lock through. We were placed at the very front of the lock and before we started to be lowered, I was able to see over the lock docks to the river below. It was a spectacular view and it is just magic to me the way these locks work. This was also the first lock that has allowed us to use the floating boillard to secure the boat while descending.
Usually, we are given lines to hold but I really liked this method – it certainly was easier on my hands. After exiting the lock, I took over the helm for the rest of the day. It was really funny to watch Mark flit around the boat while I was driving. He claimed that he was not nervous or concerned about my driving but he could not sit still, so I sent him outside to sit on the bow. I think I did a very good job of driving, thank you very much.
We were scheduled to spend the night at Spring Brook Marina in Seneca, Illinois and as we approached the marina I gave the helm back to Mark. It is always windy at Spring Brook and there is a small whirlpool at the entrance of one of their harbors so I did not think that this was the best time for me to practice docking the boat… This is the marina from which we purchased the previous Lolligag and it was a bit like coming home.
Hours on the water: 8
Nautical miles traveled: 37
Number of locks: 2
Time spent waiting at locks: 2.5 hours
Tomorrow's Destination: Starved Rock Marina
Lesson for the day: It is okay to go to sleep before 8:00p
Obligatory knitting report: Finished charity mitten and started a mitten for the Wunder Kids
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