Above, five Loopers are seen on AIS waiting for their turn to lock through the Wheeler Lock.

Radian Journey

Bucket List

Wine & Roses

The Wright Choice

Flying Colors

Below, three Tugs await their turn along with their barges… this commercial traffic takes a lot longer to lock through, AND they have priority over PC-s, pleasure craft.

Crown Jewel

Sandy Point

Addi Belle (actually in the lock)

Below, the venue for the Fall Rendezvous can be seen on the right with dozens of us having already arrived. The lock and tugs are in the middle, and the five Loopers are on the left.

These screen shots are taken from our iPad Pro using the AquaMap app, connected to our Em-Trak B924 AIS transponder via its WiFi connector.

ADDENDUM

About 4 hours later, the PC-s are let out of the Wheeler Lock! Radian Journey leads the way.

Next the whole crowd comes out!

Tug Sandy Point waits on the right wall with her barges, to go into the chamber for the ride down.

Above… minutes later, the Looper “PC-s” arrive at Joe Wheeler State Park for the AGLCA Fall Rendezvous conference! ((Monday night I learned that the two tan colored Loopers that do not have boat names showing on AIS were Side Piece and Remedy. I had not toggled them ‘on’ as “friends” earlier in the day inside my app, because they were not yet waiting with the other five. Evidently, the boat names only appear for “friends” in the AquaMap app.))

At the dock, after they secured, Ray & Diane of Radian Journey tell us that the prior Wilson Lock passage was a “breeze” for them.

So, the reputedly troublesome Wilson Lock was the easier (faster) of the two, for this flock… at least for them, at least for today.

In the end, it is just another day on The Great Loop!