Day 5 - Boy is it Hot!

Boy is it hot!

Randy grew up in ths area so he should know – it gets hot in the summer.  Today was our second day of 95+ degree heat.  The heat really takes it out of you.  After cleaning the boat early, all we could do is go to the pool, do a wine tasting and then go back to the pool.

An update on Grandad and Me – they took the boat to Port St. Charles on one engine to a mechanic who they hope can figure out why they are losing oil.  The mechanic thinks it is a hose and is looking for a replacement.  As of now, we don’t know if they were able to find one.  We met some other boaters/loopers today – most of them also in the pool.  There is a couple from Indiana that are taking their pontoon boat down the river.  They told Randy that 6 Asian carp jumped into their boat!

A paddlewheel boat, the Spirit of Peoria, is here for a few days and we have watched it on the river. 

 

Two loopers came into Grafton Harbor today:  Help Me Rhonda from Alabama and Mooring Dove (we thought it said “Dave”) from Delaware.  Help Me Rhonda is almost home from their loop adventure.  They got caught up in the Erie Canal for a month in June due to spring flooding!  This was not at all what they had planned.  They don’t plan further than the next day now and laughed when we told them we have a detailed calendar and itinerary.  Hmmm…..  They met Mooring Dave somewhere along the way and now the 2 boats are inseparable.  Mooring Dave had its own experience with Asian carp.  A fish jumped through their salon porthole (screen and all) and landed on the bed!  The fish then flopped to the floor and died.

We did our wine tasting at the Grafton Winery.  They import the grape juice from California and Oregon and then ferment it in stainless steel vats here in Grafton.  We have never had Illinois wine before, but found a few we liked.  We bought some and had it “private labeled” under Kristin Says Wines.

 

We did not feel like walking much for dinner, so had a homemade pizza from the harbor restaurant and called it a day.  Tomorrow we head to Alton, a short run of 17 miles.