Charlevoix to Port Sanilac
August 28, 2010
We did it; we left Charlevoix. The forecast said small craft warning and 15 to 20 mile an hour winds gusts to 25 from the south. The waves were to be 4 to 6 feet. At least we knew what to expect. We were prepared with our little storm sail. Can’t always believe what you hear.
There are several large lighthouses during this passage which mark shoals. We stay in or near the shipping lanes to keep from hitting these rocky shoals. It is always fun to see lake freighters going through Grey’s Reef passage with us.
The last 3 hours of the sail we turned east into the Straights of Mackinac, we had a gorgeous sail. It was nice to have the engine off. The wind was blowing between 13 to 17 knots, we just used the foresail and we were going faster than having the engine running.
Our destination was St. Ignace. It is a quiet little town but has our favorite fish store. The only bad part was riding our bikes up a really steep hill with a strong wind blowing in our face. We were both like the big bad wolf – just a huffing and puffing when we reached the store. The store has fresh smoked fish which is smoked on the premises and fresh salmon, lake trout, and whitefish. They also have cajun fish sausage. Mm mm good. Going back is the best part of the ride – all down hill.
We went for a walk in the evening through town which was mostly closed up. St Ignace has Saturday night fireworks in the summer, so we we sat on the boat and enjoyed the show.
August 29, 2010
It is a beautiful day. It is not too cold, the sun is out and the wind is perfect for sailing. Today is another beginning as we turn our back on the Mackinac Bridge and head to Lake Huron. We passed Round Island lighthouse which is near the finish line for the Mac Race. It reminded us about all of the Mac Races we did and our sailing comrades. We laughed and smiled and even shed a couple of tears as we reminisced.
Today is one of those rare days when everything is aligned. The wind is steady, the waves small and the boat is gliding through the water. All we can hear is the lapping of the water. Best of all, there are no more leaks. The shore is lined with lush greenery and few homes. We couldn’t ask for a nicer day.
As the day progressed, the wind lightened and we had to use the motor to make any progress. Our destination is the north bay of Presque Isle. When we arrived and dropped the anchor, Francie gestured for me to come up. Although the anchor was is 18 feet of water, I could see it lying on its side in crystal clear water.
We noticed on the chart that there was a buoy about a quarter mile from the boat that marks a sunken ship. We dropped the dingy in the water and went exploring. The ship was in about 20 feet of water.
It was a perfect day except one flaw – the biting flies. There were dozens of them down in the boat. Last year Mike discovered the electric flyswatter. The only things Mike really wanted last Christmas were more flyswatters. We now have a plethora of flyswatters; there is one on each side of the boat in the salon and our sleeping quarters.
While Francie makes dinner, Mike’s job is to kill the flies by electrocuting them. There is no mess. All that can be seen when the swatter makes contact with the fly is a little spark and a tiny burnt smell. This sounds gross, but those damn flies hurt when they bite.
We do have a new nuisance. It is the flying ant. They land on the boat and shed their wings. We are over two miles off shore and they find a way to land on the boat. It is the first time we have ever seen them. Mike is really concerned. Ants are looking to make a home – where the fly just wants to bite us.
After dinner we dropped the dingy and went exploring the wreck. Since the water was so clear and there was no wind, we could see the remains of the ship clearly. It was over a hundred feet long. Since we were able to get internet we looked up the area. There were a multitude of ship wrecks in the area. We will attach a link telling you about the area if you are interested.
We sat in the cockpit before going to bed. No flies, but a beautiful sky and the sound of the waves lulling us to sleep.
August 30, 2010
Where did this month go? We headed out about 7:30 knowing it was going to be a long day. We will be travelling for close to 12 hours. We want to make sure that we are in Port Huron on Wednesday. The weather is good and we need to take advantage of the situation to make a little time.
Tonight we are anchoring off Port Austin in Lake Huron. Light breeze overnight from the south, very nice!
We are switching off driving. Have I told you about driving? We have an autopilot that does the steering. Francie will chart where we want to go on the chart plotter, a GPS with marine charts. We get out to the course and set the pilot. The “designated driver” reads a book, checks on the course and watches for boats. Ships show up on the chart as a triangle and by taking the cursor and clicking on the triangle, the driver know the name of the ship, its course, and speed. We each do actually take the helm for an hour each day when we are sailing, rather than motoring.
August 31, 2010
Great sailing this morning and then two hours of motoring into a head wind of 15-20 knots to reach Port Sanilac. Next stop Port Huron where we will layover for a couple of days and visit with Mike’s parents who are driving up to see us. We are at a marina and attempted a few phone calls which were lost or dropped, good internet though! Mike is hunting fly’s and making a list for West Marine for Port Huron. Whoever said we would be bored in retirement!
We did it; we left Charlevoix. The forecast said small craft warning and 15 to 20 mile an hour winds gusts to 25 from the south. The waves were to be 4 to 6 feet. At least we knew what to expect. We were prepared with our little storm sail. Can’t always believe what you hear.
There are several large lighthouses during this passage which mark shoals. We stay in or near the shipping lanes to keep from hitting these rocky shoals. It is always fun to see lake freighters going through Grey’s Reef passage with us.
The last 3 hours of the sail we turned east into the Straights of Mackinac, we had a gorgeous sail. It was nice to have the engine off. The wind was blowing between 13 to 17 knots, we just used the foresail and we were going faster than having the engine running.
Our destination was St. Ignace. It is a quiet little town but has our favorite fish store. The only bad part was riding our bikes up a really steep hill with a strong wind blowing in our face. We were both like the big bad wolf – just a huffing and puffing when we reached the store. The store has fresh smoked fish which is smoked on the premises and fresh salmon, lake trout, and whitefish. They also have cajun fish sausage. Mm mm good. Going back is the best part of the ride – all down hill.
We went for a walk in the evening through town which was mostly closed up. St Ignace has Saturday night fireworks in the summer, so we we sat on the boat and enjoyed the show.
August 29, 2010
It is a beautiful day. It is not too cold, the sun is out and the wind is perfect for sailing. Today is another beginning as we turn our back on the Mackinac Bridge and head to Lake Huron. We passed Round Island lighthouse which is near the finish line for the Mac Race. It reminded us about all of the Mac Races we did and our sailing comrades. We laughed and smiled and even shed a couple of tears as we reminisced.
Today is one of those rare days when everything is aligned. The wind is steady, the waves small and the boat is gliding through the water. All we can hear is the lapping of the water. Best of all, there are no more leaks. The shore is lined with lush greenery and few homes. We couldn’t ask for a nicer day.
As the day progressed, the wind lightened and we had to use the motor to make any progress. Our destination is the north bay of Presque Isle. When we arrived and dropped the anchor, Francie gestured for me to come up. Although the anchor was is 18 feet of water, I could see it lying on its side in crystal clear water.
We noticed on the chart that there was a buoy about a quarter mile from the boat that marks a sunken ship. We dropped the dingy in the water and went exploring. The ship was in about 20 feet of water.
It was a perfect day except one flaw – the biting flies. There were dozens of them down in the boat. Last year Mike discovered the electric flyswatter. The only things Mike really wanted last Christmas were more flyswatters. We now have a plethora of flyswatters; there is one on each side of the boat in the salon and our sleeping quarters.
While Francie makes dinner, Mike’s job is to kill the flies by electrocuting them. There is no mess. All that can be seen when the swatter makes contact with the fly is a little spark and a tiny burnt smell. This sounds gross, but those damn flies hurt when they bite.
We do have a new nuisance. It is the flying ant. They land on the boat and shed their wings. We are over two miles off shore and they find a way to land on the boat. It is the first time we have ever seen them. Mike is really concerned. Ants are looking to make a home – where the fly just wants to bite us.
After dinner we dropped the dingy and went exploring the wreck. Since the water was so clear and there was no wind, we could see the remains of the ship clearly. It was over a hundred feet long. Since we were able to get internet we looked up the area. There were a multitude of ship wrecks in the area. We will attach a link telling you about the area if you are interested.
We sat in the cockpit before going to bed. No flies, but a beautiful sky and the sound of the waves lulling us to sleep.
August 30, 2010
Where did this month go? We headed out about 7:30 knowing it was going to be a long day. We will be travelling for close to 12 hours. We want to make sure that we are in Port Huron on Wednesday. The weather is good and we need to take advantage of the situation to make a little time.
Tonight we are anchoring off Port Austin in Lake Huron. Light breeze overnight from the south, very nice!
We are switching off driving. Have I told you about driving? We have an autopilot that does the steering. Francie will chart where we want to go on the chart plotter, a GPS with marine charts. We get out to the course and set the pilot. The “designated driver” reads a book, checks on the course and watches for boats. Ships show up on the chart as a triangle and by taking the cursor and clicking on the triangle, the driver know the name of the ship, its course, and speed. We each do actually take the helm for an hour each day when we are sailing, rather than motoring.
August 31, 2010
Great sailing this morning and then two hours of motoring into a head wind of 15-20 knots to reach Port Sanilac. Next stop Port Huron where we will layover for a couple of days and visit with Mike’s parents who are driving up to see us. We are at a marina and attempted a few phone calls which were lost or dropped, good internet though! Mike is hunting fly’s and making a list for West Marine for Port Huron. Whoever said we would be bored in retirement!