Well, We are here
26-Jun-2021 Saturday Buckhorn Island, Montezuma Township, IL to Grafton Harbor, Grafton IL (IL WW mile 0) (42.6 nautical miles 49.0 statute miles)
38°58’04.8″N 90°26’19.6″W
38.968002, -90.438771
Elevation: 418 feet Elevation change: -6 feet
States (1): Illinois
Locks (0):
Along the Way
We anchored last night in 7 feet of water, but pulled anchor this morning at over 9 feet of water. The river rose 2 feet overnight. Over four inches of rain fell yesterday. One inch fell within 20 minutes.
The anchor rode needed to be cleared. It had collected an eagle’s nest worth of logs and branches. It was not an easy job.
Vinnie the Pirate and Dale clearing the anchor rode.
As we sipped our morning coffee we noticed a pontoon floating down river that was tied to another pontoon, that was floating down river.
We issued a sécurité on channel 16, pulled anchor and went over to investigate. By this time the pontoons were in the middle of the channel. One pontoon was flipped over. No one was on board the second pontoon and the motor was tilted up (not in use). There was too much current and too much debris for us to do anything to salvage the good pontoon or get them both out of the middle of the channel.
A northbound barge was about 2 miles away heard the sécurité and thanked us for the heads up.
We are a blood thirsty lot. We stayed around long enough to see if the barge would hit the pontoons as it came up the channel. We are pirates.
Here it comes! 
missed
The tow captain reported the pontoons to the Coast Guard. Take a look at this! The tow’s name is Paul Tobin. It’s from the great state of West Virginia.
We continued down river. It felt like we were playing ‘Frogger’ on the river as we dodged logs.
The river was filled with debris and floating rafts 
At times I thought I could walk across the river
Grafton!
Grafton 
Mississippi River between the islands 
Vinnie the Pirate masthead 
Mississippi River traffic between the islands 
Grafton Marina!
To “cross our wake” means that we have officially finished the Great Loop. Today we crossed our wake for the second time. We are now Platinum Loopers!
Off to check in at the Grafton Marina 
on sale at the marina store 
on sale at the bar upstairs 
Congratulatory beverages 
Kitchen help
Too early for supper we headed back to yes dear….
back just in time 
these guys weren’t 
the rain blew through quickly
The Grafton IL/St. Charles MO Ferry was having a nasty time trying to dock/undock. The current was extreme fast and strong.
Partying with the Pirate. It was time to explore Grafton.
As we walked past the first place we heard the band announce ” I don’t play no Miley Cyrus. No Taylor Swift either.” They went on break so we continued on.
3rd Chute
We had to stop at the wood store. It’s too interesting to pass by.
legally harvested $6,500 17 ft x 6ft redwood plank 
What size is that Vince?
One stop shop.
Grafton City Hall, fire department and police department. 
local hotel
Our destination was the Bloody Bucket Saloon.
Two years ago we were here with Vince the Pirate when he was the first patron to autograph the newly sided men’s room walls.
Vince the Pirate’s name is still here with a whole lot more names 
Vince the Pirate added today’s date 
8-24-19 and 6-26-21
Yes, I was in the men’s room watching him do it.
Vince the Pirate called for another celebratory drink. Rumple Minze. It tastes like Christmas and warms your cockles of the heart.
A couple of of the many eclectic things in the Bloody Bucket Saloon.
It had rained like crazy again while we were in the bar. When the rain was over we headed back to yes dear …
water in the parking lot 
There were a few pictures from today I wasn’t sure I should share in the blog or keep them for blackmail.
Incorrigibles
This wasn’t the end of the night. I just quit taking pictures. What happens in Grafton stays in Grafton ….
Floccinaucinihilipilification
We ‘crossed our wake’ stats:
Trip start: 9-OCT-20 St Paul MN to Grafton IL
Nights in a marina: 1
Nights on the hook: 9
Loop started: 19-OCT-20 Grafton IL
Loop ended: 26-JUN-21 Grafton IL
Total Days on Loop: 251
Nights in a marina: 176
Nights on free docks: 24
Nights on the hook: 51
Total Days on Trip: 261
Disambiguation
in·cor·ri·gi·ble
adjective
(of a person or their tendencies) not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed.
Warm the cock·les of of my heart
idiom
To gratify; to make someone feel good. This term comes from the Latin for the heart’s ventricles, cochleas cordis, and has been used figuratively since the late seventeenth century. “This contrivance of his did inwardly rejoice the cockles of his heart,” wrote John Eachard (Observations upon the Answer to Contempt of Clergy, 1671).
Ponder This
“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
~ Mark Twain