Scott here

LONG travel day for October 9, 29023! We spent the night at a free dock. A restaurant called Kuchie’s on the Water. No services, but the stay was free and that is the right price in my book!! Today we traveled from the Peoria area, the restaurant is actually located in Creve Coeur, IL to Beardstown.

Plan v Actual
Date: 10/09/23
Route name in Aqua Maps: TD: 10/09/23 (Peoria to Beardstown)
Nebo Link: Click here
Crew: Captain Scott, 1st Mate Rita, & K9 Jazzy
Start at: 6:30 am Actual 6:50 am
End at: 5:30 pm Actual 6:30 am
Total Time: 10:43 hours (9:13 travel time, plus 1 lock) Actual 11:39 hours
Distance: 73.8 miles Actual 80.6
Fuel Plan: 41 Actual – didn’t fill up yet
Mid stop: Snicarte Island at TM 52.5 or MM 106
Preferred stop: Bar Island Anchorage at TM 73.8 or MM 85.7
Long stop: La Grange Lock and Dam (below the dam) MM 80.1

Why was I so far off?? Well, we didn’t need our mid stop and according to Jermey at Heritage Harbor Marina that anchorage would not have the depth we need. Our preferred stop was Bar Island anchorage. That anchorage is just 1 mile above the final lock on the IL River. A number of other boats were going to lock through and stay in the pool just past the dam, so we decided to join them. That would mean no locks the next day and that really interested us!

Which means we went 80 miles in just over 11 1/2 hours. It took so long due to a long wait for a barge at the Peoria lock. We made it through!

Here are my gratuitous photos!