End of season sailboat trip from Belmont Harbor through the Chicago River to Canal Street Marina

The annual fall migration of sailboats down the Chicago River to winter storage. Every year like ducks flying south for the winter, all of the active sailboats make the pilgrimage off of Lake Michigan into their selected winter storage destinations. As winter was closing in around us we realized now was the time to put our sailboat away. On October 17th we took our boat from Belmont Harbor to our winter storage spot called Canal Street Marina near Chinatown on the Chicago River. We started our trip at 8 am on a very cold, sunny day the temperature was about 38 degrees with a wind chill in the 20's so we were dressed like we were planning the day to go snow skiing rather than sailing. We experienced an exhilarating sail with a robust wind from behind us and the sun rising to our East. We sailed south for 4 miles just past Navy Pier to the "Chicago Locks" that connect Lake Michigan to the Chicago River. The trip to the Marina is just 4 miles down the Chicago River, we passed through 23 bridges that all had to be opened letting our group of 16 sailboats go by. It was so amazing to see all of the pedestrians lining the riverfront cheering us on. Quite the opposite was true for the motorists stuck waiting in their cars as the bridges were opened blocking their path. It's truly amazing to see these huge bridges built-in the early 1900s have the ability to open and close to allow both pleasure and commercial crafts to pass through. This is an amazing adventure that should not be missed if the opportunity presents itself. It took us about an hour to sail down to the locks and another four hours to go down the river. An annual tradition that has been going on in Chicago for over 100 years. A great way to end the sailing season. If you are interested in chartering a Sailboat or Yacht please contact us at Chicago Sailboat and Yacht Charters or check out our website: ChicagoSailboatAndYachtCharters.com IF you are looking for winter storage check out Canal Street Marina CanalStreetMarina.com