Racine and beyond.

 July 26, 2023

        When we left you last we were finishing our visit in Milwaukee preparing to move south to Racine.  The Racine marina at Reef Point proved to be more than we bargained for.  They had 921 slips and the marina was so huge they couldn’t get out to your slip in time to help tie up.  Luckily the restrooms and showers were halfway down the central dock, so closer than most had been so far.

        We needed to stop here to pick up parts that we had ordered and had delivered to the marina.  My head(toilet) had a vacuum leak that needed repairing for it to work properly.  The parts were waiting for us.  Thank goodness.  Bob obviously had his work cut out for himself.  After retrieving our parcels we went to the marina saloon and had a well deserved maneuver schlook.  

       We needed to stretch our legs so we got our bikes off the boat and took a little ride to familiarize ourselves with the area.  Racine is a large city of 77,000.  We wanted to see what their Lake Michigan Pathway was like.  We had plans to ride to the Wind Point Lighthouse the next day.

        On July 13 we outfitted our bikes with panniers, baskets, and buckets and left for Wind Point Lighthouse.  We planned to view the lighthouse then continue on to Aldi to provision then back to the boat.  The weather was perfect- about 77 degrees and only a mild breeze.

          It took about 25 min. to ride the 6.5 miles to the light.  Very pretty ride along the lake most of the way.

Quite a history

          Next stop is Aldi’s.  Another 3.4 miles over to the grocery.  It was a good Aldi’s, very busy and lots of choices.  We go through fruit and vegetables pretty quickly.  A weekly trip to a grocery is almost mandatory.  With our bike laden and very unstable, we started back to the boat.

         The next day, Friday, was our wedding anniversary.  After Bob worked on the head, we decided to go into town to a local pub for linner.  It was advertised as an Irish Pub but was called Ivanhoe.  We decided to give it a try and we were not disappointed.  The food could have been terrible (it wasn’t) but the Smithwicks beer made up for any shortcomings. We had a very enjoyable linner then headed back to Carolina for a late afternoon snooze.   We would be leaving early tomorrow crossing Lake Michigan to South Haven, MI.   This is a trip of about 60 miles in open water.  We have gained a healthy respect of the Great Lakes  and are very careful when choosing weather windows.  This one looked like a good one.  

The 60 nm would take us about 8 hrs.  We have lots of daylight to play with but the marina offices tend to close early so chances are we’ll get there after closing.  We have an assigned slip and charts to get us there.  We were on the water by 8:45 but we would lose an hour crossing the time zone.  We found out as we were leaving that the Hook Race was taking place that day.  There were sailboats everywhere waiting for their start time.  We threaded our way through them and set our course on the autopilot.

     Within a minute we were heading 180degrees opposite of our intended course.  Bob reset the autopilot and once again it corrected itself by 180degrees.  I guess Carolina didn’t want to leave Racine.  I took over the helm, hand steering, while Bob went to trouble shoot this new issue.  All he could find was that the magnetic compass used by “Otto” our autopilot was surrounded by boxes of wine.  Had “Otto” been drinking?  He uncluttered the compasses space and we tried again.  That seemed to help so we were on our way to South Haven.    We arrived in the marina after hours.  When we found our slip it was already occupied.  The people in our slip said we could take the slip 3 down from ours.  It was a different side tie so I had to move all the fenders and spring lines across to the port.   What a royal pain.  The woman on the offending boat said, “we’ve all had to move fenders!”  Turns out they’re a problem to the marina.  They come in and take what ever slip suits their fancy then makes someone else move.  We made sure the next day that our slip was not rented for the next 3 days so we wouldn’t be left with no place to stay.  That’s a real crappy thing to do, by the way.  Taken a slip you are not assigned to creates a multitude of issues for everyone except the offender. 

      We enjoyed our stay in South Haven.  We ate lunch one day at Captain Lou’s.  We found some good bike trails to ride and some cute shops to look in.  We stayed through some very unsettled weather( high winds and huge swells).  

Great spot on the river for lunch

The obligatory topsail cutter for sunset cruises

Pier light

Pier light from shore

Marinas foliage

     We hoped to stop in Grand Haven next but there were no slips available and anchorages were few and far between.   In the mean time, I developed a sore tooth.  I was concerned that it was an infection under my crown, so we opted for Holland, a bit bigger town.  We could also get a slip there.

     On July 17th we set our course for Holland, MI.  Holland is a city about the size of New Bern about 34,000.  We arrived in Lake Macatawa at the Eldean Shipyard.   This marina is barely off Lake Michigan and not very near the city of Holland at all but it was a great facility.  The dock master helped us find a taxi and could take us into town.   Bob started calling after we docked looking for a dentist who could see me.  I was in so much pain, I could barely talk.   Finally Dr. Rogers and Lakeside dentistry said he could fit me in at 4:30.   

     After numerous x-rays and much tapping and biting,it was determined that my upper left molar needed a root canal.  Dr. Rogers said they didn’t do the but could refer me. The pain was substantial and I was less then happy waiting another day for relief.  He gave me a referral and all kinds of phone numbers and a prescription for amoxicillin to keep infection down.   The next day we started calling at 8am.  They could all see me in AUGUST!  I called Dr. Rogers’ office back and his receptionist gave me another doctor to try.  He was local, which meant at least one more day in Holland, but we didn’t care.

       Dr. Hazelwood said he’d see me during his lunch hour.  Praise the Lord!  Of course, nothing is ever easy.  Our taxi was 20 minutes late, making me that late for an “I’ll squeeze you in” appointment.  The taxi driver refused to take money for the trip(he had driven us the day before too and knew about the painI was in).  The doctor was more than helpful.  At first they were just going to do a temporary fix but when he heard our summer/fall plans, he finished the job completely.   His next patient had to wait an extra 30minutes but they were taking care of her.  I know a root canal is not a wonderful experience usually, but this time it was.  The kindness and caring of these doctors was above and beyond.  

       Now we had weather moving in - I say that but it was basically big wind bumping up the lake.  If the waves get to two feet with a period less than 6 seconds we stay home.  That’s what was predicted so we decided to see Holland.   There was a great bike trail from our marina into town - about 6 miles.  We had already taxied into town and back twice for appointments at $40. a trip.  We knew the way by heart and had spied some of the things we wanted to go back and see. The day after my root canal we loaded up the bikes and headed toward Windmill Island Garden to see the authentic windmill.  It was a lovely ride, cool and along shaded paths right near Macatawa Lake.  

Authentic Dutch Village(gift shop)

Authentic bridge minus the counter weights

Bob on a grinding wheel

Archimedes’ Screw

Very scenic authentic windmill - carted over in pieces and reassembled by a Dutch artisan

Us at the windmill

     They actually grind wheat and oats here but their master grinder found other work during the pandemic closure and the new master has not yet arrived.  They were also doing some repair work on the sails.  It’s quite impressive to walk through.

     We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Holland even though it was an emergency stop but now it was time to move on.  We decided to anchor out for a few nights and enjoy the quiet. We chose a stop in White Lake for our anchorage.  On the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan most of the towns/inlets are formed by rivers or canals leaving an inland lake.  We cruised off Lake Michigan into a canal that connects White Lake to Lake Michigan.  At the far eastern end of White Lake is the town of Whitehall.   We had no desire to go to a town so we find a secluded anchorage near Birch Brook and put our hook down for the night.  It was lovely.  The next morning we encountered our first mussels.  We had about 150 ft. of anchor chain out and 100 ft. Of that was covered with little tiny mussels that had to be brushed off.  It took us about 20 minutes to get all the chain cleaned and back onboard.  Hope this never happens again!

        The following day we continued north up Lake Michigan to Ludington.   There we were hoping to catch-up with an old Texas sailing club friend.  Unfortunately she had a prior commitment and could not meet us for a dinner on the town.  Maybe next time we’re this way we’ll catch you Katie.  We did take some time to ride the bike trails and see the town.

      Next stop would be Manistee it was just a one night stop but it just so happened that it was the night a laker would pass through the narrow channel from Lake Michigan into Lake Manistee. It was a sight to behold.  He had to hold position a stern of our docked trawler waiting for the bascule bridge to open.  What a sight!

Manitowoc making her way into Manistee Lake

    Next stop on our agenda was Frankfurt.  The municipal marina is in Lake Betsie just through a short channel from Lake Michigan.  We were docked along the water front and the Betsie Valley Trail a walking/biking trail.  We had planned on staying just one or two nights but a blow came through and we extended our visit.   This gave us time to ride the bike trail and get our propane tanks refilled.  We also discovered the most awesome cafe for breakfast.  The Lighthouse Cafe was about 2 miles along the bike trail.  We had to wait 25 minutes for a table and 30 minutes before our food came but it was so good, all is forgiven.  It’s no wonder people lineup outside before they open at 7.

Bicycles laden with propane tanks for the stove

Frankfurt Ironworks

Bell Tower in Elberta 

Marina from the Elberta side of Betsie Lake

        We also rode to the old iron works and train round house in Elbert.  Some very nice bike riding in this part of Michigan.  We enjoyed our stay in Frankfurt and made some new friends too.

      Now we really have to put it in gear.  We left Frankfurt on July 30th and cruised to South Manitou Island to anchor for the night.  A very nice, protected anchorage with a sandy bottom.  No mussels this time though there were water skiers and a number of fast boats cruising through.  Luckily for us, no bugs!

       Next day we cruised to Omena Bay, just south of Sutton Bay in Grand Traverse Bay.  We anchored for the night here also.  Very quiet bay, very little traffic, and water so cleat we could see our anchor.  Great holding in sand.

       NEXT STOP TRAVERSE CITY!

     

Wonderful Wisconsin

 July, 2023         Port Washington

          We arrived in Port Washington on July 6th after a brief cruise down from Manitowoc.  As I said in the last blog, we were assigned a t-head which we totally dominated.  Our first stop was a local restaurant /bar for a maneuver schlook.  Unfortunately, we chose poorly.  The beer was good - a dark brew called Moose Drowl- but the salads were certainly not worth what we paid.  

        We rode our bikes to the Coal Dock Park and then on to the original lighthouse up the hill.  Unfortunately the light house is only open to the public on weekends so we’d have to make a return trip the next day.

        The following morning we struck out early to ride to the Peir Lighthouse and then to the originalPort Washington Lighthouse.

1860 Port Washington Lighthouse

     We took the tour of the lighthouse and we’re pleasantly surprised.  It’s a very unique light.  It housed a 4th order Fresnel Lens that was lit by an oil lanter that was placed inside the lens.   To get to the lantern room you had to climb two ladders that basically went straight up.   We signed a release form before they would let us climb.  Others in our group chose not to attempt it.

Pierhead Light

    The Pier Head Light marks the entrance to  Port Washington Harbor.   It was built in 1935 to replace the original light up on the hill. It is still and active aid to navigation and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

     Bob and I try to keep in shape by riding our bicycles every chance we get.  Port Washington was on the Ozaukee Interurban Trail.  We suited up and got our water and computers and hit the trail.   We rode to the village of Grafton, mostly through farm lands.   It was a pretty ride and we even saw some wildlife (deer and rabbits).

      I must say that the marina in Port Washington is one of the best we have stayed in so far.  They had all the appropriate safety gear, beautiful restrooms and the grounds were like a park.Too bad we couldn’t stay longer but it was time to move on.   Milwaukee and the Harley-Davidson Museum were next on our list.

 Milwaukee Lighthouse

McKinley Marina gas dock where we checked in and we’re assigned a t-head

Sandra’s Mom, Sandra Foppiano, and Clare

We had reservations at the McKinley Marina right downtown.   It just so happened that a great friend from Texas and sailing buddy was in Milwaukee visiting relatives.   It would be a double header for us. So we left Port Washington and cruised south to Milwaukee.

     WOW - This was one BIG. Marina.   They lay claim to 655 slips.   When we arrived they directed us to the fuel dock to get our slip assignment.  We couldn’t understand docking twice but followed orders.  We took up most of their fuel dock but there was no one waiting so we didn’t feel too bad.   Once assigned our t-head we left the fuel dock and head out to F dock.   Friendly neighbors helped us tie up  because there were no dockhands to be seen.  We decided to walk back to the main office/restaurant for a quick lunch since Sandra would be arriving in a couple of hours.   We’ll it became apparent why you got your slip assignment at the fuel dock.   The walk back to the office was about 1/2mile.  We bought a maneuver schlook and sat and watch people trying to launch their boats then walked back to Carolina for our lunch.  I’m counting that as exercise!

     We had a lovely visit with Sandra Foppiano and her mother .  Mom is not as spry as she used to be but she was a real trooper and climbed up our boarding ladder and onto the back porch.  Sandra took me to the grocery while Bob entertained Mom.  It was so good to see them both.  We would have kept them longer but they had a busy schedule before leaving for NC.

   The following day we brought the bikes ashore and figured out a route mostly on the Oak Leaf Trail to the Harley-Davidson Museum.  We stuck out like sore thumbs pulling into the museum on bicycles….but we did get to park right up front.

More bikes than you could shake a stick at!

A snappy little racer

Bob on a Fat Boy

It a wonderful museum with lots of static displays but we both wanted a bit more of the technical information.  We stopped at Grassroots Salad Co. for lunch and had wonderful salads.  Our salad chef knew what he was doing and we were very pleased.  The ride back to the boat was a bit shorter - we didn’t take Bob’s “short cut”.  Now it was time to prepare for a cruise further south to Racine.  Remember you can track us at share.garmin.com/PerkinsCarolina

 July, 2023

      We said goodbye to Kewaunee on July 3rd and traveled about 20 miles south to Manitowoc.  I was kind of sad that we would miss the fireworks in Kewaunee, but hopeful that Manitowoc would have some to make up for our loss.  

    We arrived early afternoon so we decided to take a bike ride to scope out our new town.  There is a bike trail that passes through here….in fact two trails, the Ahnapee State Trail and the Ice Age Trail. We took the bikes off the boat and struck out into town.  We followed the trail south along the edge of the lake. Look what we found around the first sweeping turn!

That’s right- a giant badger and his baby brother🤣

  We continued north from this point to a lovely bench overlooking the lake and one of many sunken ships. All together we rode around 5 miles then called it a day.  We were saving our strength for the 4th.  Manitowoc had a parade planned for 10am, a street party from 12 till dusk and then fireworks right off the point south of the marina.  We were going to have a busy day.

    The following day we walked with our chairs up to the road in front of the marina.   We joined the crowds of children and adults waiting for the parade to arrive.   It wasn’t long.  Small town parades are always so revealing.   You tell a lot about the community by what appears in the parade . We saw MissHarbor Cities, ads for the Harvest Festival and the Yacht Club and lots and lots of tractors.

Damn big tractor

Steam Powered Tractor

Women’s Lib Tractor in Yellow

A Case at work

     When the parade was over we walked over to the lighthouse.    Word on the street was that it would be open to the public for 4 hours.   Turns out it’s never open to the public except on special occasions or if you rent it for an affair.   

Bob at the top of Manitowoc light with grain elevators in background

Clare at the top of the Manitowoc Light

Manitowoc Lighthouse, built in 1895

Walkway out to the light

Next we walked through the venues to see what kind of music was playing.  It was all LOUD!!  We stopped and got in a food line run by the Salmon Fish Rodeo Committee.  We were hoping for some sweet salmon but all they were serving were Derbyburgers, burgers, and brats.  We opted for Derby Burgers - you know, when in Rome eat like a Roman.🤣.  A Derby burger consisted of a brat patty, a slice of Wisconsin sharp cheddar, a beef Patty topped with sauerkraut all on a hard roll.

Derby Burger with refreshments

     We took our burgers back to the boat and ate them on our back porch-the music was just the right volume from there.  We sat and enjoyed watching all the people go past for an hour then began preparing for the fireworks show.  We spoke with many locals about the best vantage point and determined that our boat was in a primo spot.

       As dusk arrived  we moved up to the flybridge to enjoy the fireworks.  We were not disappointed. We played our own music and had a great view of Manitowoc fireworks plus those north in Two Rivers.

Happy 4th!

     The following day, July 5th, was predicted to be stormy.  We woke To an overcast sky with big storm clouds piling up.   We had a smattering of rain before lunch but the the skies seemed to clear.   There were more storms on the way but we saw a window of opportunity and hopped on our bikes for a ride.   The Mariner Trail followed the coast of the lake both north and south.   We decided to head north towards Two Rivers where we were told there was a hardware store. It was about a 6.5 mile ride along the spectacular coast of Lake Michigan.  We rode the streets of Two Rivers then found the hardware.  They actually had what we needed even though the front desk girl said they didn’t carry brass screws, Bob and I found them!  When we left the hardware we noticed that the skies were clouding up again and the wind had picked up.   Must be time to head back to the boat. 

    Later, after the rain storms had passed, we rode bikes down to see the USS Cobia.   She is a WWII Pacific fleet submarine.   You ask, Why did they put a submarine in Manitowoc?  Excellent question.  Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., to help the war effort, began building submarines.  They built 28 in total.  The Cobia was not one of them.   Go figure.

Maritime Museum

USS Cobia

USSCobia

    We had hoped to go to Sheboygan next but their dock master insisted that they had no slips available so we will carry on to Port Washington.   Sorry we missed Sheboygan and sorry we couldn’t help boost their economy. 

    We had a bumpy ride from Manitowoc to Port Washington.  There was a one foot swell that could be annoying at times.  We arrived in Port Washington around 2pm and took advantage of their “cheap” diesel prices - $3.53/gal.  We are on a t-head because we are larger then most of the other boats in this marina.

Port Washington Lighthouse

Port Washington Marina

We take the  whole t-head which is set up for two boats. We plan on staying here for a couple of days then moving down to Milwaukee for a brief visit.  I’ll fill you in on our visit to Port Washington in my next installment.   There are more bike trails, lighthouses and other points of interest.  Stay tuned. 

Carolina Splashed for the Season

Carolina in the slings

 June, 2023

     We’ll we have begun a new cruising season in the Great Lakes.  At the end of last season we made a mad dash for Sturgeon Bay, WI to put Carolina in winter heated storage.  Our daughter was expecting her second child and we were racing to get Carolina put up so I could fly to Boston to help with the new grand child.   Best laid plans….Maggie went into labor the day I was to fly in.   Bob dropped me at Green Bay’s Austin Straubel Airport and continued on in the rental car to retrieve our truck from Brewerton, NY.

    I sat in the airport for 3 hours waiting for the ground stop in Chicago to end (due to tremendous storms).  If I had gone with Bob in the car, I could have caught my original flight to Boston but instead I waited and was late getting into Boston.  Baby Lily had arrived and I went directly to their house to stay with Lily’s older brother, Teddy.   It was a very hectic couple of weeks but exciting too.

      We left Carolina in Matt’s capable hands at CenterPointe Boatyard in Sturgeon Bay, WI.  We were very pleased with the care they took and their accommodating our needs.  Kudos to Matt and CenterPointe Boatyard!   Matt convinced us that June 1st was going to be too cold and suggested we aim for June 15th so that became the new plan.

      We left New Bern on June 12th and drove to Cedarville, OH home of Cedarville University.  We had a lovely hotel and enjoyed a good nights rest.  The following day we drove to Sturgeon Bay to a hotel for the night.  Carolina was still on the jack stands in the shed.  The following day Matt called to let us know that they were ready to splash her.  We had all our fingers crossed that the batteries had survived the winter and would start her up.   We didn’t need to worry.  Both Hercule and Arthur(Carolina’s John Deere’s) turned right over.  Very impressive.   We moved her to the wall outside the yard and settled in to lugging boxes for clothing and parts to the boat.  It took all morning to get everything on board then we had to unpack and stow it all.  It sure felt good to be back on board.

      The following day we set up our starlink dish to see if it would work as well here as it does at home.  We were not disappointed.   We added a Roku  and our oldish t.v.s now get all the channels we could possibly need.  Along with that, Moray downloaded about 400 movies and series for us on our external hard drive.  We would be bored on rainy days.

Capt. Bob 

Sunset in Sister Bay

Sister Bay by day

      Our cruising plan was to head north, up Door County and visit some of the touristy towns.  So after a couple of days waiting for weather and provisioning, we left for Chambers Island to anchor out for a few nights.   We enjoyed the solitude but saw some weather heading toward us to we left for Sister Bay and a slip.   We stayed at the Sister Bay Marina which is right in the downtown area.  We arrived in the afternoon and spent an hour walking to waterfront seeing some of the sights and wandering the gift shops.  The weather never materialized so the following day we left for Washington Island and Penderson Bay for another anchor out.  Unfortunately all these great secluded anchorages were marred by Canadian smoke.  We had hoped to do some star gazing but we’re fouled each time by smoke.

Smoke on the water and weed up to my thigh!

      Our next stop would be Sturgeon Bay again for safe harbor during a blow.  We stayed 4 days provisioning, touring and drinking Smithwicks on tap at Kitty O’Rielly’s!  When it was time to leave we had to ask the dockhands to walk us back out of our weed patch.  The weed was terrible in the marina and many people had left because of it.  We ran into one man who was having both his outboards worked on because the weed fouled them so badly.   We had to do some fancy maneuvering to shake loose what was wrapped on our prop but eventually we’re sure we had shed it all.

      Next stop is Kewaunee, WI, home of the worlds largest grandfather clock.  

      

DeTour to “The Soo”

 August 15, 2022

      Well the best laid plans….we had planned on leaving DeTour on Friday, August 12th and heading to Sault Ste. Marie.  Then on the 11th we got a message from a friend made last year in the Erie Canal and she was on her way to DeTour with her husband and family.  We would have to stay to see them.  We had missed each other at the start of the season and couldn’t miss this chance too.

     We needed to move. We needed new scenery.     We left DeTour and cruised over to Drummond Island about an hour from the marina.  After sightseeing through the islands we picked an anchorage in Pigeon Point and put the anchor down.  We’re both hoping that there’s no weed under us and the anchor will come up clean.  The night was quiet except for an occasional serenade by a loon.  We had a lazy morning and eventually had to pull up the anchor and head back to DeTour to meet friends Cheryl and John.  I donned my white anchor-up boots and headed to the bow of the boat.

Tourist trip from Drummond Island

     Luckily, there was no weed in this anchorage and the anchor came up clean!!  We left Pigeon Point for DeTour with plans to tour through the islands before heading in.  We arrived in DeTour about 4pm closely followed by friends John and Cheryl.  We helped them tie up then went to our boat to clean up and plug in.

     We all went out for dinner at The Mainsail on Sunday night and  caught up on our travels and future plans.  They had completed the loop and were ready to head home.  We still have a couple of months of cruising left.  We made plans to get together in the future and enjoyed a wonderful evening and a wonderful meal with Desi at The Mainsail.

     Monday dawned bright and clear and we dropped our lines and headed north up the St.Mary’s River to Sault Ste Marie.  It was a pleasant ride on a pleasant day and beautiful weather, again.  I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.  We had reservations in the George Kemp Marina, another state of Michigan facility.   It was great.   Located beside the Valley Camp museum and across from the US locks.  The location was awesome.  There was only one minor problem….no Uber.  We tried and tried to get a ride and finally called Quik Cabs.  Our driver was most helpful and said he’d come back and get us when we were ready.  We provisioned for our up coming guests and then tried to fit all that food and stuff onto our boat.  It was a major task and I really don’t mind having croutons in my underwear draw.

     That night we made the acquaintance of Richard and Carolyn on Hale Moana.  We docktailed  together then walked up to a great little Greek restaurant in town.  We haven’t had Greek food since I can’t remember when.  We enjoyed conversation with new friends and learned a lot about the north channel from Richard.  

     Now we just had to wait for Dale and Jeanne to arrive.   That was more of a hassle than expected.   Their plane from Toronto was delayed, then delayed again.  By the time they finished delaying they were leaving twelve hours later than expected.  They didn’t arrive to the boat till 11:30pm.  Good thing we had decided to stay another night.   We sat up for an hour or two talking and hearing about their travel hassles then headed to bed.  It had been a long day for all of us and we were hoping to leave in the morning.

Valley Camp Laker Museum, Sault Ste.Marie, MI, USA

     The next day dawned bright and beautiful and we departed the George Kemp Marina for the St. Joseph Channel southeast to the north channel.  Our new friends Richard and Carolyn had recommended this route so we thought we’d give it a try.   Richard was right.   A beautiful cruise through forty or so islands with rock shores and towering pines.  We had the perfect day and it was a lovely trip.  We planned on anchoring in Pigeon Point, a cove off Drummond Island.   We were doubly surprised when we pulled in and Richard and Carolyn were waiting for us.

Hale Moana

     Maneuver schlooks we’re in order so we all assembled on Hale Moana for docktail hour.      We, of course, had great fun and enjoyed a beautiful evening at anchor.  

    The next morning Dale caught sight of an animal swimming across the cove.  We’re pretty sure it was an otter but he never came out of the water where we could see for us to be sure .   We put the dinghy down and Bob and Dale roared around for a bit then the kayak had to be blown up so we could go kayaking.  Pigeon Point was a great place to play on all our toys.

Dale kayaking before he fell in!

     Our next stop would be DeTour.  Hale Moana came with us to the state marina there for one last night together before they headed off to Chicago and their last leg of the Great Loop.  We got our favorite slip next to Dave in the Searay 560 and all walked up to the Mainsail for dinner.  Desi put on a wonderful meal - we all ordered white fish- and we all left more than satisfied.   How Desi manages is a mystery but her food is excellent.

    The following day after looking at charts and weather , we decided that we could not safely travel to the Benjamin’s or Mackinac so we would head back to Sault Ste Marie and head through the lock into Lake Superior.   We had found a cove that we could anchor in for the night with the expected winds.  

West Sister Light

 

    We had a bit of a misstep at the locks.  First, when you radio you have to declare which lock you want to lock through - Canadian or US.  Thus you have to call “Canadian lock, Canadian lock”.  The lockmasters took pity on us and explained.  Then you are told to wait in the pond before the Canadian lock and accidentally wait outside the decommissioned US locks.   They once again took pity and called to let us know we were waiting in the wrong spot.   Even with all this, they let us through and into the lake without much fuss.

Soo Lock, Sault Ste Marie, CA

     We cruised passed the Algoma Steel installation.   Amazingly huge facility.   We passed the Pointe Aux Pins lighthouse and carefully cruised into Waiska Bay.  We made it in past the submerged pilings and thought we were clear when Dale grounded us in 4 feet of water.   We were pretty hard aground but it was mud so we were confident that with a little maneuvering we could get off.   Bob managed to slowly wiggle us back to deep water without hitting the pilings we had worked so hard to miss.  Needless to say, Dale’s boat driving was over for the day.   We dropped our anchor and settled in for a quiet evening.  The weather was a bit iffy with a chance of a shower.

Small portion of this enormous Algoma Steel facility

     The cove we chose was perfect for the expected weather .   Well, that chance of showers panned out into a full blown squall.  We clocked wind gusts to 42 mph and a steady blow of 35mph for about 25-30 minutes.  The lightning was intense and right on us.  The flashes and crashes were happening together.  Our smooth cove churned up and was throwing 2-3 footers at us in no time.  I am proud to say that the anchor we had set just hours before held like it was superglued to the cove bed.  We would all sleep well knowing that our anchor was not going to drag!

     The following day we had a leisurely breakfast then upped anchor and headed back to the Canadian lock to head back to “The Soo”.  We had a slip reserved at the Roberta Bondar Marina in the Canadian  half of the Soo.  We had to check into Canada using their new app called ArriveCAN.  I’d been trying to fill it in but was having technical issues.  You had to check in with an address which meant we had to be in a marina hence our stay at Roberta Bondar.  We sent our COVID vaccination info. and documentation in then called the customs office.   We were put on hold for 40 minutes and then when we got through the officer could not hear Bob so she hung up!!!!!  We were not amused.  Bob called again and waited for 30 minutes this time but he was heard when they finally came on.  We were finally legal.   We placed our curtesy flag on our bow staff and proceeded to enjoy the Canadian side of the Soo.

Bob cleaning off spider droppings!

Dale and Jeanne’s final night with us so we decided to go out for dinner.  We made reservations at a nearby restaurant called Fluid.  We had a lovely dinner and enjoyed our last night with our guests.  Their taxi to the airport was due at 8:45am so we had an early night.

      We had a great visit but they had plans to tour eastern Canada and had a plane to make.  Bob and I decided to stay and provision in Sault Ste. Marie before our next guests arrived onThursday.  We were meeting them back in DeTour and knew there was no grocery there where we could provision.  So back on the bikes and up to the Metro about 2 miles away.  

     We left the following day for our Pigeon Point anchorage behind Drummond Island and a day of solitude.  We do love to just sit and enjoy the scenery.

     I’ll stop here and regale you with our further adventures in my next blog.