Maintenance Day Underway (Inland Transit Day 3)

Oct 27

Written By World Ocean School

Illinois River

Hardin, IL

Log Entry by Program Manager Tatiana Dalton

Thursday, October 27, 2022

20:46

Today was a big day here on the Illinois River. Here are some highlights:

It was shower day. (Compulsory 2-minute hot showers for everyone!)
We saw a river otter. It looked very slippery! It popped out of the water five or six times and then climbed up on the riverbank.
Maintenance began in earnest. Brianna led the crew in scraping and sanding old varnish and paint from the spars we’re storing on deck. They also worked on the boat’s wooden pins, scuffing them to make them porous and then soaking them in linseed oil to protect against rot.
We shared a lock with a long-distance kayaker who has paddled all the way from Halifax, Nova Scotia to the Illinois River!
We polished off the last of the Jake’s Anzac biscuits. Just one of many recipes in Jake’s eclectic repertoire, Anzac biscuits were invented by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps to be a long-lasting snack made with simple ingredients. Jake’s didn’t last long at all.

On a more personal note…

Last night I enjoyed a special moment when we passed through Peoria, Illinois. My youngest brother Alex graduated from college in June and moved to Peoria, where he is a journalist.

Yesterday, around 2300 hours, Alex stood on a bridge over the Illinois River and waved down to me while I passed below him, standing with Andrew, who was on forward lookout. We flashed our spotlight up and he waved back. When he called down to us, I was surprised that I could hear him so clearly. The boat crossed quickly under the bridge. After a moment, he appeared on the other side and waved to us as we continued downriver.

Alex’s move to Peoria marked the first time he is living somewhere I’ve never even been. One minute, I was hearing updates about his college classes, and the next he had suddenly become an adult with an apartment, a cat, and a job in his chosen field. Seeing him waving from that bridge made me realize the gift that it is to reconnect with the people you love, however briefly.