Thursday August 30, 2012

Can you say Gale force winds!!!  Today began as a very lovely day with little to no wind and calm seas at Saulte St Marie.  As we departed the marina a freighter was driving by and we soon followed him down the river.  He was moving very slow so we had to problem keeping up with him, and at one point I was tempted to pass him.  At the Neebish channel he was going only about 2 knots because the channel was very narrow, less than a quarter mile across.  We tried to put up the jib and assist our power with it but the winds became unmanageable.  The winds increased to 25 to 30 knots with gusts.  The wind was out of the south of course because that is the way we were going.  The stress of the ride was such that we decided to stay in Detour after 6 hours of sailing.  We only saw two freighters on the river and one sailboat.   

Tuesday, Wednesday August 28 and 29, 2012

The last two days we have spent sightseeing at Sault St Marie.  Believe it or not there is enough to do for two days here at the Soo.  Yesterday we did a tour of some historic homes and listened to a short concert in one of these homes.  The performers were two former teachers who now write and perform songs about the area and history of the area.  The main character of these performances is John Johnston and his wife Susan who is a Native American and he is an Irishman.  He started a fur trading business here in the late 1700s.  Liesl became enthralled with him and his wife after listening to the  cd  we bought.   We also toured the Valley Camp which is a freighter restored as a museum.  It was loaded with great lakes artifacts from several freighters and included history of the great lakes and the freighters which pass through the region.  Our next stop was the Tower of history which gives us a wonderful overlook of the locks and the city.  The river of history museum was also on our agenda and we found that to be a very well thought out and presented museum of the area.  We walked through the park along the Soo locks and enjoyed the garden and fountain in that park.   We have eaten at several good restaurants in the area including Franks where we had the buffet and also bought frozen pasties for later consumption.  We also ate two meals at the captain’s lounge in the Ramada Ojibway hotel.  This evening we took a ghost walk through Sault St Marie which included local history and a few ghost stories along the way.  We set sail tomorrow for Mackinaw. 

Friday August 24, 2012

Today was a wonderful day.  The weather was cooperating so we were able to play a little.  We took a dinghy ride just after breakfast to explore all the crevasses in the rock and get a closer look at the rock formations.  Then we went ashore for our well deserved excursion.  We hike into the wilderness to see the chapel falls which were about 1.5 miles in so it was a 3 mile hike (at least)  No one wore their pedometer so we can't say for sure.  It was the longest 3 miles I have ever done.  The trail was quite busy with hikers coming in from a nearby (3 mile) parking lot. We did some picture taking both there and chapel rock.  The flys were awful so we were glad to get back on the boat and take off. Barb did some kayaking along the shore and was quite far before Bob and I caught up with her after pulling the anchor and lunch. Today was the first day we actually got to sail.  Bob hoisted the spinnaker and the 13 knot winds soon turned to 25 and we were cruising at about 8.5 knots.  Barb's kayak which we towed for about 80 miles was loving jumping the waves doing tricks and turning upside down.  Of course the attempts at righting it and eventually bringing it on board are better told by the excited participants giving their exciting renditions of it.  Wish we had a video for funniest home videos.  Of course we were too busy to worry about that.  We decided  it was probably better to put a smaller sail up after some scary heeling (35 degrees).  We arrived in Grand Marais at about 6 and pulled up to the dock with need for gas, diesel, water and a pump out.  Barb and I left the parking lot to come home about 8:30 and arrived home 3:30AM.  Bob sailed on on Sunday and Monday, going first to Whitefish Point and then the Soo.  I will be meeting him there, Tuesday.

Thursday August 23, 2012
Today we spent the morning riding our bikes to Miner's Castle, about 22 miles total.  The ride was hilly and challenging at times but well worth the ride.  It was nice to stretch our legs and see the scenery from land.  In a short while we will be casting off and going back to Grand portal point and anchor off near the beach.  We will try some kayaking and Bob will attempt to go fishing again.  Maybe we will have fish tonight.  I have no pictures yet as we did not take a camera with us.  Last night we listened to a local group of musicians who were jamming in the local book store.  I will write more as we do more today.  We may even have pictures. We arrived at Chapel Beach late in the afternoon.  We would love to have played on our kayaks and such but the rain came down fast and furious.  Also... our engine was screeching at us the entire drive back to Chapel Beach,  something to do with the alternator but it was charging just fine according to Bob.  I think he has yanked the wiring.

Wednesday August 22, 2012

Today was an extraordinary day in terms of scenery.  The wind was dead on the nose again so we motored all day.  The first half of the day was a little rough and we had about 1- 2 footers with and occasional 3 footer.   The first thing we passed was the grand sable dunes, which we had seen yesterday from shore.  At 10:30 we passed the Au Sable lighthouse which is 150 feet high..  We turned at  the point and soon were following the 12 mile beach for 12 miles obviously.  Approaching the grand portal point the waves relented a little bit and we decided to have lunch at spray falls near the point.  We had the leftovers from last night’s dinner It was very lovely to view the scenery and falls while having our lunch.  Soon we came upon a lovely beach and rock formation which warrant a closer look.  We would like to go back and anchor off the beach and do some kayaking and swimming near the beach.  The river also runs down to the lake at this beach.  Tomorrow we hope to get back there and do some exploring.  The rock formations from here on are amazing and we took many pictures.  Near Mosquito Beach we saw a gaggle of kayakers who were exploring the very same cliffs and formations we want to explore.  Our next sight to find was Bridal Veil Falls but it was nonexistent because of the lack of water recently.  Then of course we saw Miner’s beach and Miners Castle.  Docking at Munising was smooth but alarms went off on our motor and it turns out that our battery is dry.  Bob will put some water in and hopefully that will take care of the problem.

Tuesday August 21, 2012

Today was a very relaxing day in port.  We started the day with breakfast at the Sportsman Bar.  Then Barb and I did a bit of browsing through the sporting good and hardware stores.  This afternoon we went to Sable Falls and did a short hike to view the falls from several levels and eventually came down to the beach where we looked for some stones.  Barb and I went to the beach to look for stones while Bob worked on his motor.  We also went to an overlook of the dunes and the Au sable lighthouse.  It was a magnificent view and we should be passing that all in the sailboat tomorrow.   Later we relaxed with Bob fishing and me reading and Barb sleeping.  Now we are getting ready to go to dinner at the Lake Superior Brewing company. 

Monday August 20, 2012

Today was a grueling grind across the lake.  We had a west wind and we were going west so we had little opportunity to sail with the wind dead on.  We started about 8:30 and of course our GPS was out again.  That is definitely going back to the manufacturer.  Sometime later in the day it began working again.  Fortunately we had the electronic charts on our other computer.  I think I like paper myself or a combination of all three.  About an hour after our departure I saw a freighter in the distance in the freighter channel.  We passed Crisp point about 11AM.  Crisp Point is an old abandoned lighthouse and lifesaving station.  Recently the historical society in the area has been working on it and offer volunteer light keeper programs.  Bob became ill shortly after this and needed to lay down for quite some time.  He was sicker than I have ever seen him in the last ten years.  It was very difficult for me to take pictures today because of the waves, they were at least 2-4 footers.  Surprisingly I did not get sick.  At times it seemed we were climbing mountains with the boat.   About noon we passed Little Lake harbor which would have been a stop except the entrance was too shallow again.  It was beautiful to see all the sand beaches and all the sand cliffs.    The entire shoreline is beach.  We arrived in Grand Marais at 4:30 PM but we were both tired like it was much later.

I just spoke with onother sailor in front of us who has been circumnavigating Lake Superior for some 20 years.  They just recently came back from Copper harbor since they like us got a late start on the lake due to health issues.  She was quite informative about the lake and where to take harbor and how to manage the locks. 

Sunday August 19, 2012

Today was an exciting day beginning with the trip through the locks.  It was relatively simple.  There were cables hanging down the walls of the lock and we merely tied to around the cables so the boat could rise or fall freely.  The entire process took about 15 minutes.  Then we were in Lake Superior.  It was a bit anti climatic after all the worrying I have been doing about the entire process.  We saw several freighters near the locks but then nothing when we passed the mouth of the river.  Once we got into Whitefish bay it got a little cooler and I went in the cabin to read while Bob stayed in the cockpit reading and being lookout.  Once we got near the harbor we were informed that it was not fully functional and that it was merely a harbor of refuge which would be ok but it also had not been dredged and the depth was 3 -4 ft to get into the harbor.  So guess what, we got stuck and it took us a good 20 minutes to get out.  Bob then attempted to take the dinghy in to check the depths in various spots and the motor on the dinghy wouldn’t work.  As he drifted off out In the lake I had to retrieve him.  Finally we just decided that we would just rather anchor off outside the harbor and here we sit comfortably and the weather is not supposed to get bad. 

Saturday August 18, 2012

Today was an awesome day.  The weather was almost perfect and the trip up river was interesting and calm.  We saw several freighters going downbound and at least one upbound. We also saw other sailboats and power boats with fishermen.   We left this morning about 10:30 and arrived at Sault St Marie at 5:30.  We had a few minutes of rain during the trip and noticed that below us on the river there were some rain clouds.  Good thing we were on the move.  We ate dinner at Frank’s restaurant and ordered a Pastie to go for lunch tomorrow on the lake. 

Friday August 17, 2012

Well today has been an interesting day so far.  We headed up the river this morning about 7:30 but were back in port by 8:30.  The weather was very ominous this morning.  The wind is howling and the black clouds were all around us.  It was a slow go up the river going full power.  As I looked at the clouds all around I asked that we return and do something else today.  The weather is poor for just about any activity.  If it gets nice we will go to Drummond Island on the bikes or walk.  The ferry is just a block away and I’m sure we can explore whatever form of transportation we decide on.  Not so interested in bucking 20 mile an hour winds on the bike though.  There is quite a lot of activity the short time we were sailing up the river.  Several freighters passed us and we even saw a freighter which had been pulled to shore to be made into a bed and breakfast.    Coming back into port was relatively easy.  Following us in was a couple from Lapeer who are on a 40 footer.  They seem to be seasoned sailors.  The previous night they were anchored off near a friend’s house just up river.  They said it was very rough out there during the rain and storm.  I can believe it because we were heeled and bounced around at the dock in port.  I don’t know now what the day has in store but I am sure I can find something to do. 
So far I have been doing a lot of playing with my computer and learning the differant functions.  The sun is shining but the wind is still howling.  I think it is time to go for a hike or bike. 
We did manage to go for a bike ride on Drummond Island.  We wen over on the ferry and had dinner on the island and then back again.  We did abour 25 miles.

Thursday August 16, 2012

Today was a dismal day here in Detour Village.  I rained on and off today from about noon on and it rained hard.  The thunderstorms we were promised never came but it still would have been an unpleasant day out on the lake.  There were a few people who attempted to go out on the lake and came back in very early this morning.  We went to breakfast this morning at the Mainsail restaurant for our second meal out this trip.  It was nice to have someone bring us the coffee and cook for us (me).  Then it was bacon lettuce and tomato sandwiches for lunch and spaghetti for dinner.  The internet connection here at Detour harbor is quite poor so I have not done much online.  Last night was a little better and I was able to watch some Netflix.  Today however it has been nothing but frustrating.  The wifi in the restaurant was superb.  We managed to get our laundry done and shower this morning.  One job down. I have been missing the kids and    grandkids.  I have been trying to do face time or tango with them every day or so.  It is really nice to be able to see who you are talking to.  How star trek is that. 

The chimes have been playing at the church every hour here.  It is so quaint. 

Wednesday August 15, 2012

Today we left Presque Isle about 9:00AM bound for Detour.  We will arrive Detour at 4:30.  The trip was good in that there were few waves and it was a casual day.  The waves were a little rolly at first with 1 to 2 foot waves, calming down to near nothing the last half of the trip.  We were passed by a freighter somewhere near the Straits which was probably bound for Lake Superior also.  We had some difficulty docking since the wind was blowing us off our dock and the deck hands were not as experienced as we would have liked.  We plan to stay here another night as they are calling for thunderstorms. 

Tuesday August 15, 2012

Today was a leisurely day spent off the boat.  We woke up late at about 9:00AM.  We went for a 32 mile bike ride about 11:30.  It was wonderful to ride around Grand Lake up here at Preque Isle.  We also went to see the old range light which was built in 1870.  There is a cemetery nearby which had only one grave in it presumably one of the light keepers.  We also had dinner out at the local resturaunt for the first time this trip.  It was a treat to have someone else cook.  I had to make a couple trips to the store for supplies.  We were running low on bread and cereal.  The last couple days we have been having eggs and steak for breakfast to use up our steaks which won't keep long thawed. 

Monday August 13, 2012

Today is a calm day.  We left Harrisville at 8:30 this morning and expect to be in Presque Isle at 4:30.  I did some yoga on the foredeck this morning.  That yoga which I could remember and was physically possible on the bow of a moving sailboat.  The stretching felt good since I have been having problems with my hip.  I then managed to swab the deck which was a feat in itself.  Fortunately for a very long handle on the mop I could use lake water and some soap to clean most everything.  The deck was particularly dirty from our stop at Harbour Beach.  We tied up to a wall and Bob had to get out to tie up and it was muddy there.  I plan to do some more cleaning but I will take a break for a while.  It will have to be one of those half hour days where I work half hour and rest or play the other half hour.  It is better than the sitting I have been doing the last couple of days because of the rollers.  I also managed to do a little laundry and am planning lunch soon. 

We arrive at Presque Isle at about 4:00PM.  It is just as beautiful as I remember it.  Looking forward to a day off and riding a bit tomorrow.  We are sitting here now having our spaghetti and drinking wine.  The trip was uneventful today  Calm and smooth sailing all day.

stormy again

Sunday August 12, 2012

Today was an unusual day in that it started out quite rolly on the lake and I decided to take some Dramamine for the first time.  I did not get sick but was very drowsy for half the trip.  Once we passed Saginaw Bay it became calm for the last four hours of our trip to Harrisville.  I had hoped to be well beyond this point by today but the weather gods have determined our course and destinations.  We left Harbour Beach at 7AM and arrived here at Harrisville at 5PM.  It was slow going across Saginaw Bay but sped up considerably once getting near shore past the bay.  Since I was able to cook dinner before arriving at Harrisville, we now have the entire evening free to enjoy.