Illinois river

[phillybo1]

Just bought a new pontoon boat that I can trust. Would like to boat the Illinois river next summer. Havana is the nearest launch site. Anyone have any info about the river from Havana to Peoria. Would love to go to Peoria via the river, have dinner and spend the night.
Thanks,
Phil

 

[Locke]

Re: Illinois river

Phillybo1
Welcome to the site. My Illinois River info is a little outdated since I moved to Arizona in 1980 but when I grew up in Peoria my dad took the family up and down the Ill and Mississippi many times. Between Havana and Peoria you will have to transit the Peoria Lock which if I remember correctly is located around Pekin. Barges have priority when locking through so sometimes you have to wait a few cycles for your turn. Back in the day the lockmaster would allow pleasure craft to accompany bages in the lock depending on the barge cargo but things sometimes change. One thing you really need is a VHF Marine radio to communicate with the lock. Make sure you get a good river map, too.

I'm not sure what restaurants are available along the river anymore but I recommend you check out the IVY Club on the west side of upper Peoria Lake. My dad kept our boat at the club and when I went back to my 30th high school reunion (RHS) a few years ago we had a cocktail party there, still nice.

One nice place we used to stay at when we went south was Pierre Marquette State Park, it's located between you and the Mississippi River.

Good luck and watch out for those barges.

Locke

 

[phillybo1]

Re: Illinois river

Hey thanks for the reply! Your family really traveled the river it sounds like. We took the car down to Pierre Marquette this weekend on a scouting trip. They have just built a new marina at Grafton. Can't wait for next summer. Sounds like you have a lot of nice memories of the river.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Illinois river

Locke gives good info. And you need to thank him twice for alerting me to this thread.
Lots to do and see in Peoria. Overnight slips available at East Port, Detweiler, Wharf Harbor, just depends on what side of the river you want to be on, and where you want to eat.
Restaurants easily accessible fromthe Peoria city docks are Joe's Crab Shack, Old Chicago, Riverstation, Tavern on the Water, Hooters.
Alexander's steak house is in the parking lot for Wharf Harbor Marina. The Burger Barge is just south of East Port (they have their own docks). The Par a Dice casino is 1 mile south of East Port, not accessible by water.
The river itself from Havana to Peoria is boring, but not especially difficult to navigate. Channel isn't too hard to see and is pretty well marked. The lock can delay you quite a bit. If you have the option, do the trip sometime when the water is up (yeah there's stuff floating in the water then, I know) and the dam will be down, you drive right over where it normally would be. If not, don't be in a hurry when you get to the dam, cause you could easlily wait 2 hours. Maybe more. VHF radio to communicate with the Lockmaster is a must in my opinion.
To wrap it up, lots to do in Peoria. Definately worth an overnight trip. I'd stay 2 days if I were you.
(BTW, Tall Timbers in Havana is an excellent little place to spend the night!)

 

[phillybo1]

Re: Illinois river

Thanks for the info TW. Do I need a vhs radio to go through a lock? We visited the new lock at Alton. They said something about just pulling a chain to get they're attention. Also what other uses for a vhs radio? Can It be used to talk with the barge operators? Thanks, Phil

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Illinois river

There is chain at Peoria too. But with as busy and as backed up as it can be, it sure is nice to talk to the lockmaster on the radio, that way you don't have to keep going over to the lock wall and yell back and forth.
Commercial tugs monitor Channel 16. If you hailed them and requested to go to another channel, they might talk to you.
I can't imagine not having a VHF radio. Yeah, most days it's not used at all. But it sure is nice to hail friends, the Coast Guard, and marinas with it. If you don't want to mount one to your boat, get a handheld. Especially if you are gonna take a 30+ mile cruise in unfamiliar waters!