Thursday, September 28, 2006
August 19, 2006 Saturday
When we got into Patty's car, we found that she had left us a guide to the city and our new mascot (Brutis Buckeye and also 50 buckeye nuts to share with new friends). We drove downtown, parked and walked around the city. We stopped to browse menus at several restaurants and decided to come back for dinner at Mallacro's (a Spanish/Portugese rest.) Mark had 2 stuffed lobster tails and I had lobster tails in champagne cream apple sauce. Way YUMMY!! Service at the rest. was 5*****.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
August 18, 2006 Cleveland, OH
Pulled anchor at 8:30am and headed for Cleveland and the Edgewater Yacht Club where we will stay for a couple days. Pulled into the harbor about 5pm and went to the gas dock, filled up with diesel and tried to pump out but they didn't have the proper connector. We moored across from the gas dock.
We met a truly outstanding lady named Patty Phillips at the bar. She was going on a sailboat race over the weekend and decided that we could use her car while she was gone to see Cleveland. HOW GREAT IS THAT???
Aug. 16 - 17, 2006 Meet Mike & Kylie on "Meggie"
Wednesday morning we met Mike and Kylie from "Meggie" a 1965 30' wooden Choey Lee. Mike is a carpenter by trade and refurbished most of the boat. Very nice job, what a beautiful boat! We found out that they are also headed for the East Coast and going through the Erie canal like us. Very Cool...This is the couple that heard about us from James and Michelle when they were up in Tobermory. We spend the day together (ate lunch, went to Mike's to swim in his pool and then ate dinner).
Thursday morning when leaving the dock, "Meggie" broke her spreader loose. It was horrible, but Mike said it could be fixed. We helped them locate some Douglas Fir for Mike to use to fix it and left them at the dock to complete their repairs. We will see them later down the lake hopefully.
We headed down the river to Lake Erie and headed south to Bass Island and Put-In-Bay to anchor for the night. It was a little bumpy in the anchorage due to all the traffic but it calmed down over night.
Thursday morning when leaving the dock, "Meggie" broke her spreader loose. It was horrible, but Mike said it could be fixed. We helped them locate some Douglas Fir for Mike to use to fix it and left them at the dock to complete their repairs. We will see them later down the lake hopefully.
We headed down the river to Lake Erie and headed south to Bass Island and Put-In-Bay to anchor for the night. It was a little bumpy in the anchorage due to all the traffic but it calmed down over night.
August 6 - 15, 2006 Home in Detoit
We took Jenel (our daughter) and her boyfriend Robert with us up to the cabin for a long weekend (Thurs - Sun) to check things out and spend time with Jenel. We had a very nice visit with her.
Time spent on the dock was very relaxing. Friends and family came to visit, see the boat and catch up on old times with Mark and I. People who visited the boat were: Mike Carey, Dana Volpini, Emily and Erin Carey, Dan Bradshaw, Jim Wagel, Louis Rote (Dr. Lou), Frank Miseraca and Matt Rigotti.
We were also very blessed to have Father John come down on Tuesday and bless the boat for us. He brought us a St. Christopher medal which is now mounted in the campanionway and a statue. It was a very moving time for us. The blessing was great and the prayer heartfelt. Thanks Father John!!
Sunday, September 24, 2006
August 5, 2006 Saturday
Left Jefferson Beach Marina about 6am and headed for the Detroit river. It was WAY KEWL seeing the downtown area from the water! It was something that Mark had never done even thought he grew up around there. We made the Wyandotte Yacht Club about 2pm. We are scheduled to be here for the next 10 days so we can get to the cabin and check things out.
Dana came down with little Jack (our godson and nephew). Sooooo cute!!! Mike came down and brought up a bunch of fruits and veggies (so we won't get scurvy). Very nice of him. It's starting to feel like we're really doing it!
August 4, 2006 Friday Back in the US
Entered the St Clair River at about 10am. Made it to Jefferson Beach Marina on Lake St Clair and spent the night. Checked back in with US customs (not too bad).
We met Jim and Michelle on the river (the couple that we had dinner with in Killarney) and they told about another young couple that they met in Tobermory that are heading the same way as us. They gave them our information. Interesting to run into people we know.
We met Jim and Michelle on the river (the couple that we had dinner with in Killarney) and they told about another young couple that they met in Tobermory that are heading the same way as us. They gave them our information. Interesting to run into people we know.
North Channel part 2- July 31 - August 3, 2006
July 31, Monday
Pulled anchor and headed for Killarney in grey, hazy skies. Weather said it was supposed to clear up and be nice but we ended up with fog first and then rain/thunderstorms all at the same time (That's not supposed to happen right?) We ended up having to queue the foghorn at Killarney to help us locate the entrance channel. We stayed at the Sportman's Inn Marina for the night. (Very expensive at $81.69) They reallypacked them in there (2 and sometimes 3 boats on each side of the dock). We met Joe and Jadzia from "Solo Passage"and Jim & Michelle from a powerboat (I can't remember the name) on our dock and we all had dinner together at the Sportsman's Inn. Very nice time...
August 1, 2006 Tuesday
Woke up to sunny skies and decided to take advantage of the good weather to head for Tobermory. Winds were out of the W at 15 - 25 knots and we put up the main and genoa. The winds picked up more and the waves started to build so we reefed the main. No sooner had we done that, the winds died down to 10 - 15 and changed direction from the SW (right where we were heading of course). We shook the reef out of the main and continued on our way. We started to get ugly skies towards evening and discussed the possibility of just keeping on going towards Port Elgin but decided to anchor in Big Tub Harbor in Tobermory. There were 2 other sailboats anchored in there and we met Rick from "Sweet Dreams" and had him over for dinner. His wife Irene had gone back home and he was waiting for crew to come to hlep him move his boat back to the Detroit area. Very nice man and we enjoyed his company.
August 2, 2006 Wednesday
During the night (about 2:30am) a severe thunderstorm past overhead. Winds were about 30 knots and lots of lightning and thunder came with the rain. We put on our rain gear and just in case the anchor gave, Mark started the engine to help keep us headed into the winds. Rick gave us weather updates over the VHF from his radar and we watched the storm on ours as well. We made it back to bed around 4am. Later in the morning when we got up, the forecast was for more rain and thunderstorms all day. We talked with Rick and planned dinner with him again for that evening (weather permitting). Mark baked bread onboard and it was great! We dinghyed into town for a few supplies and came right back as we were worried about the weather. Our dinner with Rick went well and we had an opportunity to tal with Charlie from Big Marina (very nice and knowledgeable man).
August 3, 2006 Thursday
We pulled anchor at 9:30am and went over to the marina for fuel and pump out. Left and headed for the long haul down the lake (Huron) to Port Huron and to check back into the United States with US customs. We motored some but were able to put out the spinaker. We came across a dinghy half filled with water. We did a search for other debri and persons in the water and thankfully found none. Continued on into the night...
Pulled anchor and headed for Killarney in grey, hazy skies. Weather said it was supposed to clear up and be nice but we ended up with fog first and then rain/thunderstorms all at the same time (That's not supposed to happen right?) We ended up having to queue the foghorn at Killarney to help us locate the entrance channel. We stayed at the Sportman's Inn Marina for the night. (Very expensive at $81.69) They reallypacked them in there (2 and sometimes 3 boats on each side of the dock). We met Joe and Jadzia from "Solo Passage"and Jim & Michelle from a powerboat (I can't remember the name) on our dock and we all had dinner together at the Sportsman's Inn. Very nice time...
August 1, 2006 Tuesday
Woke up to sunny skies and decided to take advantage of the good weather to head for Tobermory. Winds were out of the W at 15 - 25 knots and we put up the main and genoa. The winds picked up more and the waves started to build so we reefed the main. No sooner had we done that, the winds died down to 10 - 15 and changed direction from the SW (right where we were heading of course). We shook the reef out of the main and continued on our way. We started to get ugly skies towards evening and discussed the possibility of just keeping on going towards Port Elgin but decided to anchor in Big Tub Harbor in Tobermory. There were 2 other sailboats anchored in there and we met Rick from "Sweet Dreams" and had him over for dinner. His wife Irene had gone back home and he was waiting for crew to come to hlep him move his boat back to the Detroit area. Very nice man and we enjoyed his company.
August 2, 2006 Wednesday
During the night (about 2:30am) a severe thunderstorm past overhead. Winds were about 30 knots and lots of lightning and thunder came with the rain. We put on our rain gear and just in case the anchor gave, Mark started the engine to help keep us headed into the winds. Rick gave us weather updates over the VHF from his radar and we watched the storm on ours as well. We made it back to bed around 4am. Later in the morning when we got up, the forecast was for more rain and thunderstorms all day. We talked with Rick and planned dinner with him again for that evening (weather permitting). Mark baked bread onboard and it was great! We dinghyed into town for a few supplies and came right back as we were worried about the weather. Our dinner with Rick went well and we had an opportunity to tal with Charlie from Big Marina (very nice and knowledgeable man).
August 3, 2006 Thursday
We pulled anchor at 9:30am and went over to the marina for fuel and pump out. Left and headed for the long haul down the lake (Huron) to Port Huron and to check back into the United States with US customs. We motored some but were able to put out the spinaker. We came across a dinghy half filled with water. We did a search for other debri and persons in the water and thankfully found none. Continued on into the night...
Noth Channel part 1- July 21 - July 30th
July 21, 2006 Friday
We didn’t drag (yeah) and are headed to Thessalon to clear customs into Canada. We have our Canadian flag up and the quarantine flag up for the first time (this shows that we haven’t cleared customs yet). Pretty exciting…no wind, had to motor.
We made Thessalon, Canada by about 1PM, successfully cleared customs and got ride from a very nice man named Eugene to go and get our Canadian fishing licenses. We headed out to anchor at East Grant Island. The winds picked up nicely and we sailed another 20 miles and anchored right at dark at Clara Island. It was nerve racking anchoring at dark but we did it.
July 22, 2006 Saturday
We thought we would stay a Clara Is. for a day, but when day broke we decided to move to John Bay near John’s Island about 8 miles farther east.
We arrived at John’s Bay, anchored, cooked bacon and eggs with coffee. We were in the cockpit eating when Bob and Laurie came by the boat in Headonism. They were anchored just across the bay. What a small world.
Got the dinghy out and went to shore, has a swim at the beach and discovered lots of blueberries on the shore. Went fishing, caught two nice small mouth bass and cleaned them for dinner. Fresh Fish was good! It started to rain so we napped the rest of the day. (Vicki fixed our sheet cover so it would not pull out when we slept.
July 23, 2006 Sunday
Broke out the fly rods and went back to the bass hole. I had a couple on but couldn’t land them to the boat. Vicki managed to catch two. Practiced catch and release today. Went back to the boat and got the spinning rods. We caught bass all afternoon. What fun!
As we were trolling and scouting the exit from the bay, we were invited onto Neil and Judy’s boat. Had a drink and got invited to Voila (Howard and Iliane Packman’s Boat) for social hour at 7:30 pm. While sitting on Neil and Judy’s boat it looked like another sailboat had gone aground at the harbor entrance. Vicki and I set off in the dinghy to investigate. We arrived to find “Miss Bee Haven” hard on the rocks. We used the main halyard to heel her over and managed to get her off the rocks. Our good deed done for the day.
I forgot the first thing in the morning, I awoke to a leaking wash-down pump. Had to reconfigure it as the pressure switch sensing line broke off the ball check valve. Removed the valve and pressure switch from the system. Should work for what we use it for. May re-install all the other stuff if we get extra funds.
July 24, 2006 Monday
Woke up to rain this morning so we decided to stay put for the day. Went through the parts locker and better organized it. Chester and Carol stopped by from Miss Bee haven and thanked us again for helping them off the rocks. We opened up the liquor cabinet and gin and scotch flowed freely along with a splash of wine .
Went to Voila to talk to Howard and Ilaine about were to go in the North Channel. Ilaine set us an itinerary. It has been a good couple of days in John Harbor.
July 25, 2006 Tuesday
Moved over to Beardrop Harbor this morning. When we arrived we were one of two boats in the harbor, by evening there were 13 other boats besides us in the harbor.
When we arrived we discovered an oar missing from the dinghy (evidently lost while pulling Miss Be Haven off of the reef). We had a long dinghy ride to look for it and did find it near shore all the way back where we started over in John Harbour.
We met Jerry and Mary of Whisper. They had been down the east coast and we picked their brains for a while. They are here with another boat – Leonard and his wife (can’t remember name at moment). We went there for drinks after fishing and blueberry picking. We picked about a pint and a half of blue berries. Good Big ones. Vicki caught a nice 4 lb. bass while fishing (and one small one). I got skunked.
July 26, 2006 Wednesday
We left Beardrop Harbour in a downpour at about 10 am for Oak Bay. The wind was not right for sailing and the batteries needed charging so we motored most of the way. We put the jib out for about the last two miles to help us along. Visibility was limited at times. It made going through Little Detroit (a pass with enough room for one boat) a little scary. We made it through OK and safely into Oak Harbour where we anchored. (with 11 other boats in the cove we selected. All the anchorages seem to be crowded here. (North Channel) A beautiful place but lots of boats. We hope to be here tomorrow to explore, fish and pick blueberries.
The wind blew most of the night. It seems to blow better here at night then it does during the day.
July 27, 2006 Thursday
We awoke to sunshine and blue sky, and a milder wind. We went fishing but didn’t catch anything worth keeping. Mark caught a little bass that was smaller than his lure. We did find big blue berries though and we now have about 12 cups in the freezer section of the fridge. We went swimming and I took a sun shower up; on the front deck.
July 28, 2006 Friday
We pulled anchor at 6 am and headed for Heywood Island. We went through Little Current on the way and stopped at the town dock to see the sights, get a few groceries, and call family. Mark met and talked with Mike and Janet on the 27’ Cape Dory next door while he filled the water tank and I stored our purchases. We moved over to Wall’s to pump out and wait for the swing bridge to open. (It opens hourly for 15 minutes). It was very hot and muggy in town and I couldn’t wait to get back out on the water. We sailed once we left Little Current on our way to Heywood (genoa only) but upon nearing Heywood we saw approximately 10 boats in the small harbor. We decided to head over to Strawberry Island and the little harbor made with Beaver Island. No one was there! Amazing!! We anchored, had an extremely nice evening and dinner after swimming and watched the stars while listening to the radio (CD’s)
July 29, 2006 Saturday
We woke up to grey skies. NOAA said the weather should be nice. We drank coffee and decided to go fishing. No Sooner were we out in the dinghy than we started to hear thunder. Quick storm passed through. We tried fishing and fishing to no avail, couldn’t catch anything.
Another sailboat shared the harbor last night. Went for an evening fishing trip, still nothing. Came back and went for a late night swim, then off to bed.
July 30, 2006 Sunday
Awoke to grey sky today, hazy and misty. It is supposed to clear off by this afternoon. We decided to stay put today and catch up on some computer work (such as entering all of our ships log electronically so we can share be email). Made copies of other important paper work and some personal cards with the boat name and Vicki and my names on them so we can share with other cruisers. We are headed to Killarney tomorrow for an evening in the town and at the dock. A special treat as dockage in Canada is somewhat expensive compared to Michigan.
We didn’t drag (yeah) and are headed to Thessalon to clear customs into Canada. We have our Canadian flag up and the quarantine flag up for the first time (this shows that we haven’t cleared customs yet). Pretty exciting…no wind, had to motor.
We made Thessalon, Canada by about 1PM, successfully cleared customs and got ride from a very nice man named Eugene to go and get our Canadian fishing licenses. We headed out to anchor at East Grant Island. The winds picked up nicely and we sailed another 20 miles and anchored right at dark at Clara Island. It was nerve racking anchoring at dark but we did it.
July 22, 2006 Saturday
We thought we would stay a Clara Is. for a day, but when day broke we decided to move to John Bay near John’s Island about 8 miles farther east.
We arrived at John’s Bay, anchored, cooked bacon and eggs with coffee. We were in the cockpit eating when Bob and Laurie came by the boat in Headonism. They were anchored just across the bay. What a small world.
Got the dinghy out and went to shore, has a swim at the beach and discovered lots of blueberries on the shore. Went fishing, caught two nice small mouth bass and cleaned them for dinner. Fresh Fish was good! It started to rain so we napped the rest of the day. (Vicki fixed our sheet cover so it would not pull out when we slept.
July 23, 2006 Sunday
Broke out the fly rods and went back to the bass hole. I had a couple on but couldn’t land them to the boat. Vicki managed to catch two. Practiced catch and release today. Went back to the boat and got the spinning rods. We caught bass all afternoon. What fun!
As we were trolling and scouting the exit from the bay, we were invited onto Neil and Judy’s boat. Had a drink and got invited to Voila (Howard and Iliane Packman’s Boat) for social hour at 7:30 pm. While sitting on Neil and Judy’s boat it looked like another sailboat had gone aground at the harbor entrance. Vicki and I set off in the dinghy to investigate. We arrived to find “Miss Bee Haven” hard on the rocks. We used the main halyard to heel her over and managed to get her off the rocks. Our good deed done for the day.
I forgot the first thing in the morning, I awoke to a leaking wash-down pump. Had to reconfigure it as the pressure switch sensing line broke off the ball check valve. Removed the valve and pressure switch from the system. Should work for what we use it for. May re-install all the other stuff if we get extra funds.
July 24, 2006 Monday
Woke up to rain this morning so we decided to stay put for the day. Went through the parts locker and better organized it. Chester and Carol stopped by from Miss Bee haven and thanked us again for helping them off the rocks. We opened up the liquor cabinet and gin and scotch flowed freely along with a splash of wine .
Went to Voila to talk to Howard and Ilaine about were to go in the North Channel. Ilaine set us an itinerary. It has been a good couple of days in John Harbor.
July 25, 2006 Tuesday
Moved over to Beardrop Harbor this morning. When we arrived we were one of two boats in the harbor, by evening there were 13 other boats besides us in the harbor.
When we arrived we discovered an oar missing from the dinghy (evidently lost while pulling Miss Be Haven off of the reef). We had a long dinghy ride to look for it and did find it near shore all the way back where we started over in John Harbour.
We met Jerry and Mary of Whisper. They had been down the east coast and we picked their brains for a while. They are here with another boat – Leonard and his wife (can’t remember name at moment). We went there for drinks after fishing and blueberry picking. We picked about a pint and a half of blue berries. Good Big ones. Vicki caught a nice 4 lb. bass while fishing (and one small one). I got skunked.
July 26, 2006 Wednesday
We left Beardrop Harbour in a downpour at about 10 am for Oak Bay. The wind was not right for sailing and the batteries needed charging so we motored most of the way. We put the jib out for about the last two miles to help us along. Visibility was limited at times. It made going through Little Detroit (a pass with enough room for one boat) a little scary. We made it through OK and safely into Oak Harbour where we anchored. (with 11 other boats in the cove we selected. All the anchorages seem to be crowded here. (North Channel) A beautiful place but lots of boats. We hope to be here tomorrow to explore, fish and pick blueberries.
The wind blew most of the night. It seems to blow better here at night then it does during the day.
July 27, 2006 Thursday
We awoke to sunshine and blue sky, and a milder wind. We went fishing but didn’t catch anything worth keeping. Mark caught a little bass that was smaller than his lure. We did find big blue berries though and we now have about 12 cups in the freezer section of the fridge. We went swimming and I took a sun shower up; on the front deck.
July 28, 2006 Friday
We pulled anchor at 6 am and headed for Heywood Island. We went through Little Current on the way and stopped at the town dock to see the sights, get a few groceries, and call family. Mark met and talked with Mike and Janet on the 27’ Cape Dory next door while he filled the water tank and I stored our purchases. We moved over to Wall’s to pump out and wait for the swing bridge to open. (It opens hourly for 15 minutes). It was very hot and muggy in town and I couldn’t wait to get back out on the water. We sailed once we left Little Current on our way to Heywood (genoa only) but upon nearing Heywood we saw approximately 10 boats in the small harbor. We decided to head over to Strawberry Island and the little harbor made with Beaver Island. No one was there! Amazing!! We anchored, had an extremely nice evening and dinner after swimming and watched the stars while listening to the radio (CD’s)
July 29, 2006 Saturday
We woke up to grey skies. NOAA said the weather should be nice. We drank coffee and decided to go fishing. No Sooner were we out in the dinghy than we started to hear thunder. Quick storm passed through. We tried fishing and fishing to no avail, couldn’t catch anything.
Another sailboat shared the harbor last night. Went for an evening fishing trip, still nothing. Came back and went for a late night swim, then off to bed.
July 30, 2006 Sunday
Awoke to grey sky today, hazy and misty. It is supposed to clear off by this afternoon. We decided to stay put today and catch up on some computer work (such as entering all of our ships log electronically so we can share be email). Made copies of other important paper work and some personal cards with the boat name and Vicki and my names on them so we can share with other cruisers. We are headed to Killarney tomorrow for an evening in the town and at the dock. A special treat as dockage in Canada is somewhat expensive compared to Michigan.
July 12th - July 20th
July 12, 2006 Wednesday
We left Isle Royale fairly early (6:30 AM). There was a little wind when we started but it soon died off. Started up the motor (diesel) and motored for Copper Harbor. Since there was no wind, we looked for things to do. Mark sanded teak and then we washed the decks down since they were dirty. We arrived at Copper Harbor without incident. The marina is excellent, although expensive ($40.00 a night) for two nights. The wind blew all night. Tomorrow is supposed to be hot.
July 13, 2006 Thursday
Got up and went to breakfast, did laundry and grocery shopping. We are currently at the Harbor Haus Restaurant doing emails and bills. We will probably be on our way to Sault Ste. Marie tomorrow.
July 14, 2006 Friday and July 15, 2006 Saturday
We left Copper Harbor at around 9AM. NOAA said clear skies with SW winds. Once out on the lake though and too late to turn back, they changed to severe weather alert – thunderstorm warning with 35 MPH gusts. We put on our storm gear, double reefed the main and pulled in the genoa. We actually saw gusts on our meter to 31 MPH coming from behind and we were traveling at 6 knots. We survived the storm and the lightning stayed about 8 miles away. Thank God!
We headed for the Sault going overnight. After the storm calmed, we had a Southly wind with the main and genoa out. Then came the FOG…at about 6:30 or 7PM I saw a ship on radar and woke Mark up to help me. It was very scary because it was hard to tell where he was going- all we kept hearing was his fog horn. We answered with outs and changed course to due South to avoid him. He past within ½ mile of us (or less) and we never saw him! God saved us again! Mark had an uneventful watch other than loosing the great wind that had us going at 7.2 knots. We made Whitefish Point of Refuge at 5:30 or 6PM followed by two more sailboats. Met Chris and Michelle from Northern Harrier, Thunder Bay, Canada who also know Rob and Laurie from Hedonism. Had a nice visit with them early in the evening in our cockpit. They were on their way to do the Chicago to Mackinaw race. Bed at 11PM.
P.S. I still feel like I’m on vacation after a month of no work.
July 16, 2006 Sunday
We visited the Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point. We had a storm earlier in the morning and the power was out so we only saw part of the museum. The good news is that it was free. Spent the rest of the day relaxing in the harbor.
July 17, 2006 Monday
Left Whitefish refuge for the Soo. Winds were out of the SE but soon shifter to the SW. Excellent as we needed to go SE. Winds were strong and waves were high but we made the Canadian lock by about 1:30 having left the refuge at 6:00 AM. Spent the rest of the day at George Kemp Downtown Marina in the Soo, arrived just in time as a storm was coming in. Windy conditions in the marina caused us to scrape our bow pulpit on some railing while trying to dock. Everyone came running out to help so it was a way of getting to meet people in the marina.
We met Mike and Karen, two experienced cruisers who had taken their young daughters on a year and half cruise to the Bahamas. We picked their brains for clues about cruising. They were there with another couple taking the summer off.
We also met John who had built his own boat out of steel with a junk rig. Very nice fella and had a nice golden lab too!
Went to Antler’s for dinner and then went for beers with the group to Maloney’s, good conversation and information. Went to bed.
July 18, 2006 Tuesday
We spent the day provisioning for the adventures in the North Channel of Canada. We also spent time and money trying to figure out how to get through US customs upon our return. We already have passports; however needed I-68 forms ($32.00) three passport photos of each of us ($40.00) and a customs sticker for the boat because we are over 30 foot in length ($25.00). What a pain!!! Finished all that and went to bed.
July 19, 2006 Wednesday
Left George Kemp Downtown Marina at about 11:30 and headed down the St. Mary’s. Strong winds out of the South made sailing impossible. Heard about strong thunderstorms on NOAA and decided to anchor in a little harbor just south of West Neebish Channel Cut on the down bound side. Nice relaxing day as we only spent 3 – 4 hours traveling. We went swimming (water was quite cool). We spent the rest of the day relaxing and doing little projects on the boat. We plan to head for Harbor Island tomorrow.
July 20, 2006 Thursday
Headed for Harbor Island – we were able to get the jib out in light winds for awhile while we were in the channel. When first heading by Harbor Island, the winds were coming from the SW and we went to anchor between the Rogg Islands. The wind switched to the NW (where NOAA said it should be from) and we went back to anchor in Harbor Island in the outer bay with another small sailboat. Short day on the water so we had time to swim and clean the back and side of the boat. It looks nice now. Two more sailboats came into the harbor and rafted together over by the little sailboat. Towards sunset, a large (55 – 60’) power boat came in and anchored right behind us. Hope we don’t drag!
July 4th - July 11th, 2006
July 4, 2006 Tuesday
We finally left the dock at 07:45 CDST and left barker’s Island behind us and headed off to the Apostles Islands. We left the dock without incident. The wind was good but died about 10:00a.m. so we started the diesel and did the calibration of the auto pilot. About noon the wind picked up to about 5-10 mph out of the southwest. We decided to try our new spinnaker. It worked well and was easy to get up and down. Sailed most of the way to the Apostle Islands and anchored southeast of Raspberry Island.
July 5, 2006 Wednesday
We moved from Raspberry Island to Rocky in anticipation of going to Isle Royale. We sailed almost the entire way which was great! As soon as we anchored though the winds switched to the South/southwest and we moved across to South Twin Island for the night. During the night the winds switched between Northwest , west and southwest which made our night rather long due to getting up to check the anchor.
July 6, 2006 Thursday
Left for Isle Royale-made a night crossing-used the spinnaker a good bit of the way-made great time with it, 5.5 to 6.5 knots out on the lake – saw 4 – 5 big freighters out there going out of the lake or back to the twin ports of Duluth/Superior. The sunset was gorgeous as well as the sunrise! Mark didn’t sleep hardly… he let me sleep from about 10:45-5:30 (just before sunrise) Very sweet of him. Made Windago, checked in and registered to spend 5 nights on Isle Royale.
July 7, 2006 Friday
Anchored out most of the day behind Beaver Island near Windigo. Took a nap and tried out our wet suits (top half) and went for a swim. After the Wenonah III left the dock at 4 pm (EDST) we moved over and moored for the evening. Offered a beer to Scott Thum and he immediately quit fishing. Slept good this night.
July 8, 2006 Saturday
Left Windigo Harbor for Hay Bay. The weather was not too good. We took a few waves over the bow. We had wind gusts on our meter at 35 mph. Ranger Steve Martin helped us leave the dock. Very nice man. We need to send him a note when we reach the Atlantic. I think he has a similar dream.
We motored and used the jib sail. We were traveling about 7 to 8 knots most of the way. Anchored at Hay Bay with 2 anchors due to high winds.
July 9, 2006 Sunday
Woke up at 2 am and 6 am to check on how the anchors were holding. Sunrise was just beautiful! No sooner did we oooh and ahh about that, the winds changed directions and we could see the front moving in form the NE. We decided not to stay. Mark found out the anchors had gotten tangled during the night. He had to work hard to get them apart and stowed so we could leave. He had to do this in the rain of course- thank goodness for our new rain gear! We motored over to Chippewa Harbor as the winds were out of the East and to charge the batteries. Anchored in the second basin and took the dinghy around to explore after taking a nap and watching a movie. Dinner was relaxing and we went to bed early because we were a little tired. (before 11 as most nights sunset is after 10) Talked to Ranger boat (Ranger Pete) about the weather and lake conditions. (Ranger Cliff only said Hi and ran the boat).
July 10, 2006 Monday
Anchored at Chippewa Harbor Second Basin still. Hiked to Lake Richie and went swimming and fished a little after lunch. Caught and released about 6 Northerns of various sizes. Mark caught the only one big enough to keep. One the way back we picked about two cups of blueberries, yum! We plan to have them in muffins or pancakes for breakfast. Three powerboats came into the second basin and one sailboat wanted to also but there was no room for them. Cool night but warm day. Swam off the back of the boat- VERY COLD!! refreshing though when you got out.
July 11, 2006 Tuesday
Made a picnic lunch and hiked to Mason Lake today. No fish and it was not as nice as Richie Lake. Picked some more blueberries. Came back and cooked a pork roast on the BBQ. UM-UM good!! We leave tomorrow for Copper Harbor. We hope for clear skies and fair winds. Our stay here at Chippewa Harbor, Isle Royale has been a good one. We’re alone in the harbor at the moment. One canoe snuck by earlier.
We finally left the dock at 07:45 CDST and left barker’s Island behind us and headed off to the Apostles Islands. We left the dock without incident. The wind was good but died about 10:00a.m. so we started the diesel and did the calibration of the auto pilot. About noon the wind picked up to about 5-10 mph out of the southwest. We decided to try our new spinnaker. It worked well and was easy to get up and down. Sailed most of the way to the Apostle Islands and anchored southeast of Raspberry Island.
July 5, 2006 Wednesday
We moved from Raspberry Island to Rocky in anticipation of going to Isle Royale. We sailed almost the entire way which was great! As soon as we anchored though the winds switched to the South/southwest and we moved across to South Twin Island for the night. During the night the winds switched between Northwest , west and southwest which made our night rather long due to getting up to check the anchor.
July 6, 2006 Thursday
Left for Isle Royale-made a night crossing-used the spinnaker a good bit of the way-made great time with it, 5.5 to 6.5 knots out on the lake – saw 4 – 5 big freighters out there going out of the lake or back to the twin ports of Duluth/Superior. The sunset was gorgeous as well as the sunrise! Mark didn’t sleep hardly… he let me sleep from about 10:45-5:30 (just before sunrise) Very sweet of him. Made Windago, checked in and registered to spend 5 nights on Isle Royale.
July 7, 2006 Friday
Anchored out most of the day behind Beaver Island near Windigo. Took a nap and tried out our wet suits (top half) and went for a swim. After the Wenonah III left the dock at 4 pm (EDST) we moved over and moored for the evening. Offered a beer to Scott Thum and he immediately quit fishing. Slept good this night.
July 8, 2006 Saturday
Left Windigo Harbor for Hay Bay. The weather was not too good. We took a few waves over the bow. We had wind gusts on our meter at 35 mph. Ranger Steve Martin helped us leave the dock. Very nice man. We need to send him a note when we reach the Atlantic. I think he has a similar dream.
We motored and used the jib sail. We were traveling about 7 to 8 knots most of the way. Anchored at Hay Bay with 2 anchors due to high winds.
July 9, 2006 Sunday
Woke up at 2 am and 6 am to check on how the anchors were holding. Sunrise was just beautiful! No sooner did we oooh and ahh about that, the winds changed directions and we could see the front moving in form the NE. We decided not to stay. Mark found out the anchors had gotten tangled during the night. He had to work hard to get them apart and stowed so we could leave. He had to do this in the rain of course- thank goodness for our new rain gear! We motored over to Chippewa Harbor as the winds were out of the East and to charge the batteries. Anchored in the second basin and took the dinghy around to explore after taking a nap and watching a movie. Dinner was relaxing and we went to bed early because we were a little tired. (before 11 as most nights sunset is after 10) Talked to Ranger boat (Ranger Pete) about the weather and lake conditions. (Ranger Cliff only said Hi and ran the boat).
July 10, 2006 Monday
Anchored at Chippewa Harbor Second Basin still. Hiked to Lake Richie and went swimming and fished a little after lunch. Caught and released about 6 Northerns of various sizes. Mark caught the only one big enough to keep. One the way back we picked about two cups of blueberries, yum! We plan to have them in muffins or pancakes for breakfast. Three powerboats came into the second basin and one sailboat wanted to also but there was no room for them. Cool night but warm day. Swam off the back of the boat- VERY COLD!! refreshing though when you got out.
July 11, 2006 Tuesday
Made a picnic lunch and hiked to Mason Lake today. No fish and it was not as nice as Richie Lake. Picked some more blueberries. Came back and cooked a pork roast on the BBQ. UM-UM good!! We leave tomorrow for Copper Harbor. We hope for clear skies and fair winds. Our stay here at Chippewa Harbor, Isle Royale has been a good one. We’re alone in the harbor at the moment. One canoe snuck by earlier.
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