Boot Key Harbor
"Marathon- the Heart of the Florida Keys"

An On-Line Cruising Guide for the Florida Keys & Cuba
Best viewed at 1024x768 or higher

PEORIA ILLINOIS - On the Illinois River
We had to find a slip here for a month while I traveled and worked. Sept-Oct 2001
Sept 21-Oct 20, 2001

"Anticipation" was a 50+ foot Wooden Chris Craft docked beside us at National Seaway Marina in Peoria. This was a "mom and pop" plain marina, but had really nice people there, including several live-aboards. I'd go back here any day in a flash.

Capt Chris on the Anticipation wants to someday bring his boat to the Florida Keys. While we were there though, he ran aground while going to Peoria for dinner one night after dark. He "limped" back in on one prop and docked. We then left for a month. When we returned we learned that his boat sank at the dock. He subsequently refloated it and is having it repaired and cleaned.

Below - This is THE TIGHTEST Slip I've ever been in! The Gunwales of the boat were actually wider than the slip itself! - Plus the space in the canal behind us was not as long as our boat to even allow a complete turn. We managed to "slip" this boat into this slip. It was as secure as we'll ever get since there was no room to move. We stayed here for a month while I took off and worked. I did manage to start work on the handrails here to sand them down and start refinishing.

We got a slip rate of $200 for the entire month there - with Elec & water. Nice people too.

Jessica lost her FIRST TOOTH! - When we came back to Peoria to pick up the boat. She's holding it up here, and you can see the "blank" in her lower set of teeth!

CLICK HERE for the next photos in series of the Great Circle Trip . . .