Saturday, May 8, 2010

Speakeasy Down the River

The Chicago River is famous for it's flow--both toward Lake Michigan and toward the Mississippi River. Wikipedia's entry includes:
"Though not especially long, the river is notable for the 19th century civil engineering feats that directed its flow south, away from Lake Michigan, into which it previously emptied, and towards the Mississippi River basin. " To keep the river from totally emptying into the Lake and to keep the River navigable, a lock is placed between the mouth of the River and the Lake. This lock raises and lowers boats going in and out of the Lake. It also locks out Asian Carp and then lets them into the Lake periodically--so far, just in theory.

We had a terrible cold and windy day that left us surrounding the hot chocolate pot below as often as we could. At one point, the wind aided by skyscrapers along South Wacker Drive continually blew our bow off course and into other boats. At another point, a DuFour 450 nearly dismasted by getting way too close to a closed bridge.