Chicago bridge lifts for sailboats

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Oct 9, 2013
72
Beneteau First 38 Belmont Harbor
Hi all,

On Wednesday we made the journey from Belmont Harbor to Canal Street Marina on the south branch of the Chicago River. We had to go through the lock at the head of the river and then be in position to pass through the 1st bridge at 9:30 AM. There were a total of ~ 15 sailboats on the trip. I lost track of how many bridges had to be lifted but guess that there were more than a dozen.

The city of Chicago organizes bridge lifts on Wednesday & Saturday mornings in the autumn to allow all of the sailboats – with masts in place – to head down the river to the marinas where the boats are lifted out of the water and stored on the hard over the Chicago winter. All of the harbors (which have maybe 4000+ slips) are closed from 1 Nov to 1 May each year and all boats – sail and power – have to be moved inland for storage.

I found two YouTube videos that were made of the runs a few years ago. Hope you find them interesting. Don’t know the videographers – but both did a good job.

Chicago Bridge Lift & Boat Run (autumn run in 2010 from Lake Michigan to marinas)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjt1lPe1NMc

Chicago Bridge Lift Spring 2012 (spring run in 2012 from Canal Street to Lake Michigan)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJhnaTKEPOU

Doug in Lakeview
1984 Beneteau First 38 – Hull #178
Belmont Harbor – Chicago
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Not everyone makes it in time.

 
Nov 19, 2011
1,489
MacGregor 26S Hampton, VA
That's one way to clean the growth off the bottom. Love the videos! Glad I don't have to mess with bridges although I bet it's somewhere between a party atmosphere and stress not to bang into other boats. It's too bad the boats that can normally go under the bridge are taking up real estate during the openings tho
 

rfrye1

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Jun 15, 2004
589
Hunter H376 San Diego
I find it interesting to watch the "patience" of the different skippers. Some pull over, stop and wait. Others can't stand still and have to motor around in circles
 
Oct 6, 2007
1,023
Hunter H30 1982 Chicago IL
Great videos, Doug. I was on the same Wednesday river run and we spoke at the yacht yard Saturday. It's a total of 24 bridges from the lock to Canal Street! We did it in just under four hours, which is about as good as it gets with 15 boats. It's a ritual unique to Chicago and we rather enjoy it.
 

Sailm8

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Feb 21, 2008
1,746
Hunter 29.5 Punta Gorda
I find it interesting to watch the "patience" of the different skippers. Some pull over, stop and wait. Others can't stand still and have to motor around in circles
I don't look at it as patience, but as survival. I keep moving in order to maintain steerage and avoid being a sitting duck. You never know the skill level of the boaters around you.
 
Oct 6, 2007
1,023
Hunter H30 1982 Chicago IL
My preference is to get off to the side and tie up as quickly as possible. As the videos show, there is a lot of faster moving commercial traffic on the river - tour boats, water taxis and the occasional barge with 50 tons of gravel. Best to stay out of their way. Add the fact that you are in an urban canyon with somewhat unpredictable wind tunnel effects if it happens to be a windy day and things can get tense.

Whether it's patience or survival, being off on the side is just a whole lot less stressful, IMHO. That said, there is not enough enough space between most of the downtown bridges for 15 sailboats to do that, let alone the larger (two dozen or more) Saturday groups. Some will raft-up off of others and some will choose to circle. Their choice. Nothing wrong with it as long as they are mindful of what is going on around them.

One of the things that is enjoyable about this event is the sense of camaraderie - rafting up along the side, towing someone with an engine problem (Also seen in one of the videos.), whatever it takes. It's all good. We're in it together and privileged to enjoy a unique view of this spectacular city.
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
These videos are really neat! I did not know about this. I'd love to be there to see it in person some day...

Brian
 
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