27-Jun-2021 Sunday Grafton Harbor, Grafton IL (IL WW mile 0) (0 nautical miles 0 statute miles)

38°58’04.8″N 90°26’19.6″W
38.968002, -90.438771
Elevation: 418 feet     Elevation change: 0 feet debatable
States (1): Illinois

Locks (0):

Along the Way

I bet everyone up river is thankful for their dikes. The water keeps rising. The water level in the marina is noticeably higher than it was yesterday morning. Nineteen feet in the past two days. It’s apparent in the height of the dock poles and the angle of the floating dock ramps.

We watched a continuous onslaught of trees making their way down the river ALL DAY.

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The locks and dams must be a mess with all this junk. Locks close down if water is too high. Grafton Harbor Marina has temporarily stopped renting their rental boats. They don’t want them damaged in all the debris.

We also watch the Grafton IL/St. Charles MO Ferry fight the current in and out.

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Weather altered between extreme hot and muggy and rumbling, heavy thunderstorms through out the day.

Changing Colors. During a break in the weather we mounted our just delivered, Platinum Loop burgee. The Platinum burgee my only be flown by Loopers who have completed the Loop 2 or more times.

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Per Kimberly Russo, Director of America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association (AGALC)
“This is an unusual year due to COVID.  Not many boats began the Loop last year, so we’ve had very few completions reported this year.  In most years, about 500 boats show that they’re in progress in our database.  In the last “normal” year (2019), we had 162 new Gold Loopers and 14 new Platinum.  Total Gold through 2020 is 1817.  Total platinum through 2020 is just under 100.”

There are more people that climb Mount Everest each year than complete the Loop. Approximately 800 people attempt to climb Mount Everest annually.

The sun stayed out so we wandered out

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Vince the Pirate had to leave to go back to Seneca 🙁 But of course it had to start raining AGAIN as we headed out to use the marina courtesy car.

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It quit by the time we got to the Alton Amtrak station.

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We already miss you. But I must say it is a whole lot quieter without your “Tweety Bird” phone chirping all the time.

It’s raining again. Alot. Maybe it’s a good thing we live on a boat.

We are currently under a river flood warning here in Grafton until Wednesday afternoon. The water is expected to crest near 25 feet. Rainfall heavier than forecast could cause river levels to rise even higher than predicted.

More thunderstorms are forecasted for all day tomorrow. The weather outlook for the week is not promising. We are going to sit tight here in Grafton until the water and weather settle down. Most-likely I will not create another blog entry until we are on the move again.

I am washed out.