Well, sunday morning brought more cold, but much quieter water. Winds at 12-15 mph. Showered, fed, and rested, we continued the journey (and the marina had pity on us and didnt charge for the extra night). We made our way to the Starve Rock lock and dam, where we encountered some barge traffic that required us to tie up and wait. While securely tied, our unproven vessel gave us a real shock. The cabin filled with smoke and steam and further investigation revealed a failed cooling water fitting above the exhaust manifold. Had this happened at any other time, it would have been a disaster, but being safely tied off with plenty of time, we were able to evaluate the situation and take temporary remedial action (thank you, LORD). We proceeded through the lock and, low and behold, there was a beautiful new marina just below it !
Heritage Harbor marina turned out to be a real God send. The harbor master, upon hearing of our dilemna, made a phone call and there was someone working on the problem a half hour later (keep in mind this is sunday afternoon). He removed the worn out part, and returned in the morning with the replacement, but reinstallation proved extremely difficult. After five hours of groaning, grunting, and sweat, the job was complete. While i was relieved to have the fix, i was relly worried about the cost ! He told me i owed him $180, and i could have kissed him. I handed him $200 and we both had a scotch and water to celebrated the accomplishment. It was a bitter-sweet day, as my little brother had to leave, so monday morning was to be my first solo run. More later.