8/26 and 8/27 - Holland, Michigan

The most important accomplishment of these two days was the final installation of the NEW ICEMAKER. The sound of ice cubes being made and dropped into the bin was like music to the captain's ears! In addition, we also did a MAJOR food shopping trip to stock up the boat for the next few weeks, washed the outside and cleaned the inside, did laundry, and all the usual mechanical trip preparations.

Now we have another development! We have learned that a major problem has developed for "Loopers" like us who will be traversing the Calumet River and the Sanitary and Ship Canal beyond Chicago. Because Asian Carp have been discovered within 10 miles of the electrical water barrier built to keep these fish out of the Great Lakes, the Army Corps of Engineers has decided to "up" the current load from 1 to 2 volts of current per inch.

While they are in this testing and protocol phase, only large diesel-powered vessels with metal hulls are allowed to cross this area. Despite the fact that the usual 30 day notice for an action like this was not given to mariners in advance, and no decision date for when future crossings has been given, the Coast Guard is holding fast on keeping this area closed. Needless to say, this has caused a HUGE problem for all recreational boaters in the Chicago area, and especially for those of us doing the "Great Loop"!

There are literally close to 100 boats in our group alone waiting in marinas all over Michigan, who are being prohibited from heading south because of this barrier voltage change. Marinas are getting filled up because boats are stacking up in areas close to Chicago. We have been deemed by the press as the "Carp Captives", and are lobbying our congressmen and other government entities to get a plan and a schedule together so that we may proceed down the Illinois River. This is a financial as well as a calendar burden for many people who have plans for guests, boat haul-outs, jobs to get back to, etc.

Our friends, Charlie and Helen Dambroski, have purchased airline tickets in order to meet us on 8/31 in Chicago, plan to spend 10 days with us aboard, and will then fly back to Newark on 9/10 from St. Louis. We certainly don't want to alter that plan. Right now there is a lot of scuttlebutt on the internet about a possible solution to this situation, and, if it turns out to be a possibility, we will make a decision tomorrow about what we might do.