Settling Into Alton + Lessons on Running Sunny Tug Solo

Wednesday, August 21 2019
Days 9-11 on the Loop – Alton, IL (O miles)


I've settled into Alton Marina, which is a very nice place!  There is a bathroom/shower building three berths away and I am on E-dock, which is nice and quiet.   A very nice couple, Rick and Keyon live on the end of this dock, and they have a lovely dog (Marley).  The staff are very friendly and helpful.

Alton Marina at Sunset.  The bridge in the background spans the Mississippi, but we don't get any traffic noise from it.  My slip in covered, which is nice during the frequent rainstorms.

I had two days of lessons with Terry Kruse, a local Training Captain.   On the first morning it was pouring rain and there was an impressive thunderstorm, but that gave us the chance to focus on learning more about the boat's systems.  Terry identified a couple of issues that I need to look into, such as low coolant level (hopefully just a top off of the anti-freeze) and also a leak in a raw water pump.   I will have the mechanic that is coming out to replace the six batteries also have a look at those two issues.

We did a number of practice runs in Alton Marina.   Backing the boat is challenging, and single engine boats are known for having that challenge.   I am in a fairly narrow slip and backing into that (especially with a swim platform sticking out four feet behind the boat) is a challenge.    The swim platform is not visible from my steering station, so I have to estimate.  A couple of dockings were done by braille.  :(

For dinner on Wednesday evening I walked into town.  There is a pedestrian bridge over the railway lines and you can see gates that they close when the area floods, to protect the railroad tracks.

Pedestrian bridge that leads from the marina over the railroad tracks, and into Alton.  The gates on the tracks are closed when flooding occurs.


Fun mural on a business as you walk into Alton


Comments

Post a Comment

Please feel free to leave your comments.

Popular posts from this blog

Sunny Tug Returns to Shore, Upgrades and Repairs, and Shipping to Chicago

Image
Friday, August 2, 2019 This is an update on the crazy last couple of days since we returned Sunny Tug to Winter Island Yacht Yard on Tuesday, July 30. I had a list of 18 items that needed to be looked at based on our shakedown cruise.  The two  biggies were the electrical system problems and the AIS (Automatic Identification System) not working. Here is a good write up on the West Marine website of how AIS works . The original plan was that Sunny Tug would be picked up Thursday, August 1 to start the transport to Chicago.   She actually left on Saturday morning, but Roland Hanes, the trucker, thinks he can still get to Chicago on Monday. Roland unloading a new Ranger Tug in preparation for loading Sunny Tug It was a long, and at times crazy, couple of days.   It was good getting to help out with some of the work at the yard, so I could learn a bit more about my boat but it was also tiring.  Thankfully, the heat that we first had when I arrived in Salem had eased a bit, th
Read more

A nice run down the Tennessee to a secure anchorage.

Image
Wednesday, October 9, 2019 Days 54 on the Loop – Pebble Isle Marina - Tennessee River to Double Island Anchorage (46.54 Miles). Pebble Island Marina was nice.    It was nice having shore power (electricity) to turn on the heat in the morning, since it was quite chilly.   I am supposed to have a diesel powered heater on board, but that has never worked and I have not been able to find anywhere to fix it. Vicki returning to the boat at Pebble Isle Marina On the dock at Pebble Island Marina In the morning many Loopers went to the office to pick up cinnamon rolls that the marina provides to guests.  :)  We skipped on that, but other said they liked them. Before leaving the marina I spent some time on the phone making calls to ask for quotes for having Sunny Tug trucked from Iuka MS (Aqua Yacht Harbor) to Orange Beach, AL (Saunders Yacht Services).  Lady Finger Promontory on the Tennessee River The ride up the Tennessee River was very pleasant, with
Read more

Paducah to Green Turtle Bay Marina (Grand Rivers, KY)

Image
Sunday, September 22, 2019 Day 37 on the Loop – Paducah to Grand Rivers, KY (Green Turtle Bay Marina) (38.6 miles) It was nice to get a more relaxed start to the day since we only had about 45 miles to go today, and one lock to go through.   Our berth last night was on the shore side of the floating dock at Paducah, which was nice since it protected us from the wakes of passing tows. We had thought about joining other Loopers going to brunch in Paducah, but decided that with a lock to go through (which always is a roll of the dice for time) we would start earlier. After a short time on the Ohio River we transitioned to the Cumberland.   Whereas the Ohio had been very wide, the Cumberland was much smaller, and a bit more scenic.  It was also interspersed some large gravel pits and the occasional tow. Gravel plant along the Cumberland River In one instance the tow called us on the radio to discuss a passing situation, but in most cases it was us calling them to ask which
Read more