Kerm here. We expected to get out of Manistee today but severe thunderstorms are on the way so we're hunkered down for the blow. I was up at 3 this morning in anticipation of our trek, dang. If I would have known this was going to happen I would have chosen a finger slip Vs a facing dock. So all the bumpers are out and the spring lines are set. We're facing SW so at least the worst of the storm should push us away from the dock. I also expect that we will have a bit of protection as the marina is on the leeward shore for predicted winds.
Changed oil yesterday and of course there was a glitch. The pipe nipple screwed out of the casting and it was pretty munged up so I had to file the threads the best I could and put it back together. It doesn't leak but I'll bet that it will screw out when I change the filter next time. I may ask Greg to check at the shop for a new one. 3/4 16tpi is the size and I'm sure there is one as it is the same as a Chevy or many Brit cars.
The engine is starting to run warmer again. Not much but it's a change from where it's been. A couple of needle widths. I'm going to buy a new thermostat today and keep it in the spares just in case. I don't think it's the sea water pump or obstructions in the intake. Greg would say cover the gauge and stop obsessing.
It's interesting. We're running about a hundred rpm's lower the last few days and the oil consumption went from about half a quart per day down to almost nothing. Note to self, run at 1650 Vs 1750.
With the exception of our toilet adventures everything else is pretty much normal. Normal doesn't necessarily mean perfect i.e. the depth meter in the cabin goes out only when needed, etc. But, as we have over 3000 miles on the boat, about a hundred locks and 6 months of living aboard we're seeing some wear and tear. When we get done with our adventure I guess we'll have our work cut out for us.
We're talking again about heading north up the Mississippi when we get to the junction. And this begs the question. Will we stay for the winter or head back down in the fall? My thinking right now is that we stay and get off the boat for awhile. It would be nice to spend a bit of time with the family, friends and get the boat back up to standards. We'll see. After all, we have about 1400 miles to think about it.
Kerm
Monday, July 11, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
July 5 -July 10
Monday, July 4
The Captain worked on the toilet installation today...Kerm, you are my hero! Installation went okay and then came the time to test operation...no joy in Mudville. The pipe to the holding tank must be clogged. Tried to unclog with wimpy a snake borrowed from the marina...still no go. Spirits low but we enjoyed the great fireworks display, noisy and bright. I'm a sucker for fireworks.Tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday, July 5
Kerm went to the local hardware store first thing this morning and bought a heavy duty snake. Mike Rowe would be in his element...this was truly a dirty job. Long story short...Kerm was triumphant.
We are heading for Beaver Island in the morning and we will be happy to say goodbye to Mackinaw City, the home of the toilet saga.
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| Marina at sunset |
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| Ferry to Mackinac Island- we didn't go since we've both been there before |
Wednesday, July 6
Cloudy weather at 6:17am when we departed Mackinaw City.
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| Mackinaw City Marina entrance/exit |
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| Mackinac Bridge |
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| Artsy shot of the bridge |
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| That line on the screen is how the Mackinac Bridge looks on radar |
We cleared the Bridge by 6:32am and headed out into northern Lake Michigan. By 9:12 we had cleared White Shoal Light and the waves kicked up to 3-4 feet off our aft quarter. Not a comfy cruise!!
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| White Shoal Light |
Heading through Grey's Reef Passage we were in 4-6 waves on our beam...not comfy at all. I put all loose items in the bath tub so they wouldn't roll all over the placed. By 11:00am we were passing Hog's Island Reef and the seas died down. We reached Beaver Island Municipal Marina at 12:15.
Very quaint peaceful spot. We walked around town and toured the local museum. Learned all about the Mormon sect who moved here and took over the Island. The leader proclaimed himself King and some disgruntled followers assassinated him. Then the sect was ousted from the island and the Irish took over. What is it about islands that makes people crazy, I wonder.
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| Beaver Island Harbor |
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| Smooth water on the harbor this evening...a nice change from our roly-poly day on the Lake |
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| The Beaver Islander, ferry that goes to the mainland |
Thursday, July 7
Woke up to a sunny, calm day and departed Beaver Island at 7:01 I liked Beaver Island. At 8:45 we had cleared the southern tip of the Island. which is the largest in Lake Michigan. The water was smooth as glass, such a difference from yesterday. Lake Michigan must be respected and we are being conservative.
Cleared the Grand Traverse Light at 11:53 and docked successfully at Leland Township Harbor at 2:18pm. Today we traveled 46.7 nautical miles. Kerm worked out that our cumulative mileage so far is 3052.6 statute miles, 2652.7 nautical miles.
Leland is known for its historic "Fishtown", a collection of old, original commercial fishing buildings located right next door to the marina. I bought some smoked fish, lake trout and whitefish. The town has a good collection of restaurants and arty stores as well as the usual souvenir shops.
While Kerm and I were sitting enjoying the sun on the back deck we looked up to see Makalani powering in. Turns out they were assigned the slip next to us by pure coincidence. We shared some adult beverages and smoked fish while catching up on each others' adventures since our last meeting in Drummond Island.
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| Our friends, Vince and Mary Jo. Owners of Makalani |
Friday, July 8
Makalani and Southern Belle both departed Leland Harbor at about 10:00 am, heading for Frankfort. Weather is sunny and wonderful for cruising. We began to see the large sand dunes that characterize the western coast of Michigan
The next point of interest is Point Betsie Lighthouse
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| Point Betsie Light |
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| This is one of the most photographed lighthouses in Lake Michigan. |
We cleared Point Betsie at 3:15 and passed the breakwater leading to Frankfort at 3:39.
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| Frankfort's breakwater |
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| An upscale marina complex in Frankfort |
We traveled 35.7 nautical miles today and the cruising was wonderful. Seas calm and skies blue!! We docked next to Makalani and had a good night.
Saturday, July 9
Said our good byes to Makalani since they are heading for Manistee and we plan to make Ludington today, which is further down the coast. Left Frankfort at 9:03am in sunny weather and pretty calm seas. At 11am Vince and Mary Jo drove Makalani by us, even though we left first....show offs!! By 1:15, the waves were kicking up 2-3 feet from the south and building in intensity. We decided to cut the day short and head into Manistee rather than fighting waves driven by the south wind which can get big fast on Lake Michigan.
We were sure we'd run into Vince and Mary Jo again but they seemed to disappear. We docked at the Manistee Municipal Marina at 1:40 after going 27.7 nautical miles.
Kerm and I walked the "Riverwalk" all the way from town to the sandy shore...it was very pretty and I got to see a nice turtle sunning himself on a rock. Also got good shots of the Captain and Manistee Light.
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| This is how Norwegians smile! |
Sunday, July 10
The night at the Municipal marina was good but we decided to move from the City dock to Seng's Marina (still in Manistee) because the cost of fuel at Seng's is 20 cents cheaper per gallon. Total nautical miles traveled today...a whopping 1.4. We are staying in port today due to bad weather predictions.
I did wash and shopping, using a car lent to me from a wonderful couple we met in the marina. Mike and Sonya have a beautiful 40 foot cruiser and they hope to do the Loop in the future. It was so kind of them to let me borrow their vehicle...it gets old schlepping groceries miles and miles by foot.
We hope to get good weather tomorrow and will try to put some miles on if we can.
I'll post some pictures of Seng's Marina next time.
Until then...
Take care and our love to all
Christie
Monday, July 4, 2011
Update - June 18 to July 4
Hello, friends and family-
I am connected to the internet here at Mackinaw City so I'm going to catch up. Here goes....
Saturday, June 18
Sunny and breezy today. After a nice layover at South Bay Cove Marina we departed at 9:45am. The scenery was beautiful and the navigation challenging. Mary and Cecil were helpful in locating up-coming buoys. We tried anchoring in Indian Bay, a very pretty little cove, but the area was too cramped and the bottom was not conducive to a good anchor set. We decided to push on. We landed at Henry's, famous for fish dinners, people come from all over, even flying in...we were not overly impressed with the food but the slip was good for an overnight.
Traveled 27.6 nautical miles today.
Sunday, June 19
Another sunny day as we departed Henry's at 10:26am. We only have to get to Parry Sound today so we took it easy this morning. Mary and Cecil are leaving us at Parry Sound and heading home by way of Buffalo, after a peek at Niagara Falls.
Made it to Parry Sound in 3 hours and docked at Big Sound Marina.
Monday, June 20
Said our good byes to Mary and Cecil this morning, after a great visit!
Big Sound Marina has the dubious distinction of having the worst showers ever. Not dirty but you have to keep pushing a button on the wall for more water. Also, permanently situated shower heads spray all over the place, especially on your towel and dry clothes.
We realized that Kerm was almost out of his RX so we went into town to get a refill...easy??? Nay, nay, I say. Canada doesn't refill American prescriptions and our American pharmacy would not send meds into Canada. Scramble, arrange and finagle...and finally we figured it out with help from brother Greg, FedEx and Parry Sound Chamber Of Commerce (for a legit delivery address). The process took a little while so we were delayed in port for three days.
Since we were held up, we used the time for sleep, re-provisioning, laundry and boat maintenance.
The weather was chilly and rainy for most of the time. We could have taken a look at the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame but it seemed to be closed every time we went by. We also planned the next stage of our trip. The North Channel is famous for some of the best fresh water cruising in the world with wilderness anchorages, crystal clear water and thousands of rock islands.
Thursday, June 23
We took off from Parry Sound's Big Sound Marina at 6:45am in overcast weather. Our destination is Killarney which is across Georgian Bay, a big stretch of open water.
By 9am we were in fog and navigating by radar. We are swarmed with gross little flies that got every where, even in your mouth if you kept it open for too long. It was disgusting. A very long crossing with fog, bugs and a couple of missing buoys making for difficult conditions.
By 6:28pm we were glad to be safely docked at Killarney Mountain Lodge Marina. 79.3 grueling nautical miles from Parry Sound.
Friday, June 24
Layover day due to fog and rainy weather. We walked into town, found a good spot for breakfast and then looked around. Bought more charts for safer navigation.
Saturday, June 25
We departed Killarney Mountain Lodge Marina at 8:45am. Killarney Channel was fun to motor through, you get a good look at the town.
The trip to Covered Portage Cove was only 3 miles across Killarney Bay.
By 9:52am we were safely anchored in the cove...a short hop but well worth it. We dropped anchor in 7 feet of water and it held first try. There were a few other boats anchored in this delightful spot with white granite rocks and towering pines.
Kerm broke out the dinghy for some exploration. We clambered up the cliffs and got some great views.
We had a great day and enjoyed the Cove. Slept well...I did at least. Kerm slept in the upper cabin so he could monitor the anchor alarm.
Sunday, June 26
Pulled up anchor at 8:27am and headed up the Lansdown Channel to Baie Fine (pronounced bay fin) which is a 10 mile long fjord that leads into a tight little spot called The Pool.
Entered Baie Fine at 12:00
Entered the channel to 'The Pool' at 1:39 which is very tricky due to shallow spots and rocks.
By 2:52 we were safely anchored and very glad to have made it all the way back to The Pool. Then, after about an hour, the two other boats in the area left...leaving us with The Pool all to ourselves for the night.
Monday, June 27
Beautiful calm morning!! Pulled up anchor and left The Pool at 6:38am.
Here are some videos I took upon on leaving ...
We left Baie Fine behind us and headed for Little Current, the biggest settlement on Manitoulin Island.
Big being a relative term in these remote areas.
By the way, Canada Post was on strike while we were in Canada, but I guess the labor dispute has been resolved now. There was supposed to be internet at the municipal dock but it didn't work while we were there.
We docked at 10:18am and traveled 21 nautical miles. After tying up, we noticed that Makalani, with fellow loopers Vince and Mary Jo aboard, was also in port. The last time we had seen them was in Oswego, NY before crossing Lake Ontario. They are nice people hailing from Stuart, FL and it was fun to compare notes. They had traveled the Trent-Severn waterway also and were heading out into the anchorages of the North Channel just like us.
I went shopping for supplies and Kerm worked on the toilet, which has been giving us problems for the last few days. Boy, I lucked out on division of labor in this instance!! When I got back Kerm had no good news and was not the most happy camper on the wharf. Glad to say that the showers here in Little Current are top-notch.
Word on the weather is that there might be some storms heading our way in a couple of days so Makalani and Southern Belle plan to head to the Benjamin Islands tomorrow. The Benjamins are said to have beautiful pink granite and cute, little hideaway anchorages.
Tuesday, June 28
After a great breakfast at 'The Pantry' in town, we departed the Little Current City Dock at 9:38 under an overcast sky. By 10am we had light rain and white caps were beginning to form. Soon we had 2-3 ft chop. We decided to duck into an anchorage by Clapperton Island rather than pressing ahead to Croker Island in the Benjamins since the weather was turning bad on us. At 11:50 am we dropped anchor in Logan Bay, 13.3 nautical miles from Little Current.
The weather at Clapperton Island stayed pretty choppy and we were able to visit with Makalani only via radio. It quieted down somewhat at dusk but during the night we had some very high winds (in excess of 40 mph), sloppy waves and heavy rain. The anchor held but Kerm was on high alert.
Wednesday, June 29
Cool temps this morning but no rain. Happy to leave Logan Bay after a crumby night. The Belle is going to search out a supposed great anchorage on Croker Island and report back to Makalani. Vince and Mary Jo are more interested in moving further along but I want to see about this anchorage on Croker Island.... So Kerm and I hoisted anchor at 7:49 am.
It's a short run up to Croker Island. Although it's pretty, it's too early to stop and I also want to move along through Little Detroit Cut to the Whalesback Channel before we stop for the day.
We cleared The Sow and Pigs at 9:40 and by 11:00 we were approaching Little Detroit Cut, which is a very skinny channel between two islands that lead to Whalesback Channel. The Cut was narrow but, after negotiating similar spots in Georgian Bay, it didn't present any problems. We hooked up with Makalani again before the Cut. Together we decided on Beardrop Harbour for our overnight anchorage.
At 1:40 we were safely anchored in Beardrop Harbour, a nice protected bay. We let out all of our chain (100feet) and the holding was good. Traveled 31.3 nautical miles today in sunny, crisp weather.
Kerm continued to fight with our toilet but it seems to be winning the battle, poor Kerm.
Thursday, June 30
Hoisted anchor at 6:03 and snuck out of Beardrop quietly to avoid waking Vince and Mary Jo...they go faster than us and they sleep later.
We are anxious to be back in the USA...been gone for almost a month and want to be back for the 4th of July. We are headed for Drummond Island for Customs Check-in.
We made a pleasant passage across the open water to Drummond Island, although we were again plagued by swarms of insects. This time small gnats. Kerm's comment "Oh great, bug du jour!!
We made good time and arrived at Drummond Island at 1:28pm. The last bit getting in was a little hairy with confusing buoys and twisting channels. We cleared Customs by 2:26. Traveled 52.8 nautical miles today.
Friday, July 1
After a good night's sleep and a wonderful shower I did a load of laundry. When I came back Kerm said he had broken a non-replaceable part on the toilet. Bummer... but now we know we just need a new one. Bring on civilization so we can order one, get it delivered and install it.
We packed up our toys and left Drummond at 12:15. Headed through Detour Passage with a final destination of Mackinaw City in mind.
Holy, moly the weather on Lake Huron turned on us and before we even got to Detour Reef Lighthouse we had to abort our passage. We were getting knocked about by waves in the 6-8 range and it was ugly!!
We ducked into Detour Village Marina and were happy to overnight behind a breakwater on a good solid dock.
Saturday, July 2
Okay...let's try this again. Left Detour Village at 7:30am. Weather looking much better. Overcast but visibility more than 1 mile. By 7:58 we cleared the Lighthouse. What a difference a day can make!
Our seas were 2 foot rollers left over from the day before but we were making 7.2 to 7.6 knots at 1700rpm. Good headway! Cleared Martin Reef Light at 9:28
We docked at Mackinaw City Municipal Marina at 1:40. We ordered a new toilet and the people next door are going to pick it up in Petosky for us. They have to go home for a day or two and they go right past the marina store on their way back here. So nice of them to help us out. We are settled in for a couple of days doing the tourist thing and relaxing. On the 4th we should be able to see fireworks from Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island and St. Ignace... all seated comfortably on our fly bridge.
Have a wonderful holiday where ever you may be.
Take care
Christie
I am connected to the internet here at Mackinaw City so I'm going to catch up. Here goes....
Saturday, June 18
Sunny and breezy today. After a nice layover at South Bay Cove Marina we departed at 9:45am. The scenery was beautiful and the navigation challenging. Mary and Cecil were helpful in locating up-coming buoys. We tried anchoring in Indian Bay, a very pretty little cove, but the area was too cramped and the bottom was not conducive to a good anchor set. We decided to push on. We landed at Henry's, famous for fish dinners, people come from all over, even flying in...we were not overly impressed with the food but the slip was good for an overnight.
Traveled 27.6 nautical miles today.
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| Henry's...Over priced fish and chips but the view was great |
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| Mary and Cecil (Warren also!) |
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| Captain (doesn't like to pose for photos) |
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| We posted this going up to the flybridge to prevent brain damage |
Sunday, June 19
Another sunny day as we departed Henry's at 10:26am. We only have to get to Parry Sound today so we took it easy this morning. Mary and Cecil are leaving us at Parry Sound and heading home by way of Buffalo, after a peek at Niagara Falls.
Made it to Parry Sound in 3 hours and docked at Big Sound Marina.
Monday, June 20
Said our good byes to Mary and Cecil this morning, after a great visit!
Big Sound Marina has the dubious distinction of having the worst showers ever. Not dirty but you have to keep pushing a button on the wall for more water. Also, permanently situated shower heads spray all over the place, especially on your towel and dry clothes.
We realized that Kerm was almost out of his RX so we went into town to get a refill...easy??? Nay, nay, I say. Canada doesn't refill American prescriptions and our American pharmacy would not send meds into Canada. Scramble, arrange and finagle...and finally we figured it out with help from brother Greg, FedEx and Parry Sound Chamber Of Commerce (for a legit delivery address). The process took a little while so we were delayed in port for three days.
Since we were held up, we used the time for sleep, re-provisioning, laundry and boat maintenance.
The weather was chilly and rainy for most of the time. We could have taken a look at the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame but it seemed to be closed every time we went by. We also planned the next stage of our trip. The North Channel is famous for some of the best fresh water cruising in the world with wilderness anchorages, crystal clear water and thousands of rock islands.
Thursday, June 23
We took off from Parry Sound's Big Sound Marina at 6:45am in overcast weather. Our destination is Killarney which is across Georgian Bay, a big stretch of open water.
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| Leaving Parry Sound behind |
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| Kilbear Point Light |
By 9am we were in fog and navigating by radar. We are swarmed with gross little flies that got every where, even in your mouth if you kept it open for too long. It was disgusting. A very long crossing with fog, bugs and a couple of missing buoys making for difficult conditions.
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| Killarney Channel looking eastward, whence we came |
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| Looking west |
By 6:28pm we were glad to be safely docked at Killarney Mountain Lodge Marina. 79.3 grueling nautical miles from Parry Sound.
Friday, June 24
Layover day due to fog and rainy weather. We walked into town, found a good spot for breakfast and then looked around. Bought more charts for safer navigation.
 |
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| Killarney Church |
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| The Sportsman Inn, nice accommodations and a marina too |
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| Look at the name on the boat |
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| Rocky landscape |
Saturday, June 25
We departed Killarney Mountain Lodge Marina at 8:45am. Killarney Channel was fun to motor through, you get a good look at the town.
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| Pittfield General Store access by land or by water |
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| Our Warren was so excited to see this!! |
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| LCBO = Liquor Control Board of Ontario = a liquor store. No beer here...have to go 'The Beer Store' for that |
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| Sportsman Inn from the water |
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| Fishing Boat with minimal openings to protect against the weather |
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| Goodbye Killarney |
The trip to Covered Portage Cove was only 3 miles across Killarney Bay.
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| Entrance to Covered Portage Cove |
By 9:52am we were safely anchored in the cove...a short hop but well worth it. We dropped anchor in 7 feet of water and it held first try. There were a few other boats anchored in this delightful spot with white granite rocks and towering pines.
Kerm broke out the dinghy for some exploration. We clambered up the cliffs and got some great views.
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| The Belle looking good |
We had a great day and enjoyed the Cove. Slept well...I did at least. Kerm slept in the upper cabin so he could monitor the anchor alarm.
Sunday, June 26
Pulled up anchor at 8:27am and headed up the Lansdown Channel to Baie Fine (pronounced bay fin) which is a 10 mile long fjord that leads into a tight little spot called The Pool.
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| Along Lansdown Channel |
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| Entrance to Baie Fine |
Entered Baie Fine at 12:00
 |
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| Shows how tight the channels can be |
Entered the channel to 'The Pool' at 1:39 which is very tricky due to shallow spots and rocks.
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| Little entrance to negotiate getting to 'The Pool' |
By 2:52 we were safely anchored and very glad to have made it all the way back to The Pool. Then, after about an hour, the two other boats in the area left...leaving us with The Pool all to ourselves for the night.
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| Multi-colored Rocks |
Monday, June 27
Beautiful calm morning!! Pulled up anchor and left The Pool at 6:38am.
Here are some videos I took upon on leaving ...
We left Baie Fine behind us and headed for Little Current, the biggest settlement on Manitoulin Island.
Big being a relative term in these remote areas.
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| Goodbye, Baie Fine |
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| Lighthouse on the tip of Strawberry Island |
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| Little Current Swing Bridge-opens on the hour only |
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| Coming into the Port of Little Current |
By the way, Canada Post was on strike while we were in Canada, but I guess the labor dispute has been resolved now. There was supposed to be internet at the municipal dock but it didn't work while we were there.
We docked at 10:18am and traveled 21 nautical miles. After tying up, we noticed that Makalani, with fellow loopers Vince and Mary Jo aboard, was also in port. The last time we had seen them was in Oswego, NY before crossing Lake Ontario. They are nice people hailing from Stuart, FL and it was fun to compare notes. They had traveled the Trent-Severn waterway also and were heading out into the anchorages of the North Channel just like us.
I went shopping for supplies and Kerm worked on the toilet, which has been giving us problems for the last few days. Boy, I lucked out on division of labor in this instance!! When I got back Kerm had no good news and was not the most happy camper on the wharf. Glad to say that the showers here in Little Current are top-notch.
Word on the weather is that there might be some storms heading our way in a couple of days so Makalani and Southern Belle plan to head to the Benjamin Islands tomorrow. The Benjamins are said to have beautiful pink granite and cute, little hideaway anchorages.
Tuesday, June 28
After a great breakfast at 'The Pantry' in town, we departed the Little Current City Dock at 9:38 under an overcast sky. By 10am we had light rain and white caps were beginning to form. Soon we had 2-3 ft chop. We decided to duck into an anchorage by Clapperton Island rather than pressing ahead to Croker Island in the Benjamins since the weather was turning bad on us. At 11:50 am we dropped anchor in Logan Bay, 13.3 nautical miles from Little Current.
 | |
| Makalani at anchor in Logan Bay |
Wednesday, June 29
Cool temps this morning but no rain. Happy to leave Logan Bay after a crumby night. The Belle is going to search out a supposed great anchorage on Croker Island and report back to Makalani. Vince and Mary Jo are more interested in moving further along but I want to see about this anchorage on Croker Island.... So Kerm and I hoisted anchor at 7:49 am.
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| The coast of Clapperton Island |
It's a short run up to Croker Island. Although it's pretty, it's too early to stop and I also want to move along through Little Detroit Cut to the Whalesback Channel before we stop for the day.
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| The Benjamins from a distance |
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| The Sow |
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| Little Detroit |
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| Rocky shores close by |
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| Makalani |
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| Sunset on Beardrop Harbour |
At 1:40 we were safely anchored in Beardrop Harbour, a nice protected bay. We let out all of our chain (100feet) and the holding was good. Traveled 31.3 nautical miles today in sunny, crisp weather.
Kerm continued to fight with our toilet but it seems to be winning the battle, poor Kerm.
Thursday, June 30
Hoisted anchor at 6:03 and snuck out of Beardrop quietly to avoid waking Vince and Mary Jo...they go faster than us and they sleep later.
We are anxious to be back in the USA...been gone for almost a month and want to be back for the 4th of July. We are headed for Drummond Island for Customs Check-in.
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| Warren adding some comic relief to a boring moment aboard |
We made good time and arrived at Drummond Island at 1:28pm. The last bit getting in was a little hairy with confusing buoys and twisting channels. We cleared Customs by 2:26. Traveled 52.8 nautical miles today.
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| Father and son out for spin in Drummond Marina |
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| Sunrise on Drummond Island |
After a good night's sleep and a wonderful shower I did a load of laundry. When I came back Kerm said he had broken a non-replaceable part on the toilet. Bummer... but now we know we just need a new one. Bring on civilization so we can order one, get it delivered and install it.
We packed up our toys and left Drummond at 12:15. Headed through Detour Passage with a final destination of Mackinaw City in mind.
Holy, moly the weather on Lake Huron turned on us and before we even got to Detour Reef Lighthouse we had to abort our passage. We were getting knocked about by waves in the 6-8 range and it was ugly!!
We ducked into Detour Village Marina and were happy to overnight behind a breakwater on a good solid dock.
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| Belle after a harassing day...poor thing |
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| Lots of Michigan marinas are state owned. We found the facilities good and prices very fair |
Okay...let's try this again. Left Detour Village at 7:30am. Weather looking much better. Overcast but visibility more than 1 mile. By 7:58 we cleared the Lighthouse. What a difference a day can make!
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| Detour Reef - the day before waves were bashing up against this looking very dangerous |
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| Martin Reef Light |
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| Mackinac Island |
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| Mackinac Island Light |
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| Round Island Light, right across from Mackinac Light...you thread the needle |
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| Big Lake Freighter that crossed our path heading for the Mackinac Bridge |
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| One of many ferries going back and forth to Mackinac Island from the mainland |
Have a wonderful holiday where ever you may be.
Take care
Christie
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