Most everyone knows that we're back home. We had an uneventful trip down the St Clair river, moving along with an average 2 kt. downstream current - warm temps, blue skies and little traffic.
Once we hit Lake St Clair, the wind picked up a little (not enough to sail) but the lake remained relatively smooth. We were staying at Lakeview Marina and because they have a small fuel dock, we ended up circling outside by Peche Island for about 20 min. waiting for a spot to open up. Once docked on the short wall directly across from the fuel dock, I was amused by a couple of boaters on a Go Fast boat with a long improvised fishing net - apparently looking for a fuel cap in the 'drink'. Hmmm does this happen often? ;-)
Time to split up: next morning Adagio and Resolution left at six and headed to Put-In-Bay. Since we wanted to be home in time for Kat to attend a shower, we decided to head for home at CIC. So we slept in until 6:30 - but by 6:50 lines were cast off and we picked up the Detroit River current - about 1 - 1.5kt avg. Conditions were the same as the day before, blue skies, calm water and mild temps.
We did see a bit more traffic, but most, not all, of the AIS alerts were from ships that were stationary. The one that wasn't is a 1000' ft. ore carrier called the John Barker. For a while it looked like she was going to pass us by Fighting Island, no such luck. Just as we entered the Livingston Channel, we look back and saw it turning by the mid channel mark. Kat was elated because her shift at the helm was ending and she wouldn't have to deal with it. As it entered this part of the downstream channel it literally looked like there was minimal room on either side (AIS data showed her to be 113 ft wide). So as I took over the helm, I was looking for potential 'escape routes' and the one to Belle Isle made the most sense. Luckily for us, the Barker's speed closely matched ours - she was doing 10.9 kt's compared to our 10.5. We were out of the channel and into the lake by #34 red can before she passed us.
Lake Erie, was relatively calm as well, with a northwest wind, we tried sailing, but the waves and minimal wind created an effective way to flog the main - so down it went. One benefit of the wind was that it did create some wave action that helped us along by about .5 kt. As we entered CIC we were greeted at the fuel dock by our friends the McLaughlins.
Great to be home!
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We had a weather delay this morning, we were planning on leaving at 7:00 but since there was a band of heavy rain - including at the dock the consensus was to postpone departure until 8:30. At 8:00, although still raining, French Connection decided to leave with the other boats following a half hour later.
We had a wonderful sail for two thirds of this 7 hour trip - we kept the connector between the dodger and bimini in place to keep the rain out. We lucked out since we found out later that the wind had died behind us - both Adagio and Resolution had to motor. Kat navigated us under the Blue Water bridge and was pleasantly surprised by the 4 kt. favorable current.
This was an uneventful trip except for the rowboat with a couple and their infant that decided to anchor in the middle of the channel fifty feet in front of us. What are these people thinking?? After I appropriately chastised them we continued into Sarnia Bay Marina.
This is a sad point in the trip, passing under the Blue Water bridge is the equivalent to having a wonderful vacation and being at the airport ready to head home - you're not quite home but you know the vacation is over. Tomorrow it's down the St. Clair river to Windsor.
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This little town is truly the highlight of our trip and is made even better with our friends being there. We had a leisurely day, with Vixen getting plenty of exercise walking up the hill into town.
Did I mention galleries? This is where we bought the paintings that now decorate both French Connection and our home. So with our 'art consultant', Ava and her consort Michael, off we went to Turner and then Martin galleries. Turner is where we bought the McKnight paintings so we had high hopes we could find something for the fireplace. Alas nothing that really stood out for the fireplace, although we did see a wonderful abstract that could go on another wall, we were just about ready to buy it when the clerk found out they made a mistake on the price (by $900). That sealed the no-deal so off to lunch and then the Martin gallery.
By the way if you're in Bayfield, you have to have lunch at the Black Dog, awesome and they have a bakery there as well. Anyway back to the Martin gallery, where all four of us spotted a painting that we instantly agreed on. It's a wonderful encaustic oil abstract done by Fiona Hoop, a pseudonym for two Toronto artists. A little negotiating and the deal is done - now how to get it home since its 36x42. The sensible approach was to have them ship it - so they priced it out with insurance, duty, etc. the price was $600. I don't think so. Back to the boat to measure the companionway - it looked like it was going to fit so we had them wrap it and deliver it. With a little grease (just kidding) it fit through the companionway.
We had the most wonderful evening starting out with drinks and appetizers (better than dinner) on Michael and Ava's boat followed by a leisurely walk into town to the ice cream shop followed by a a sunset walk along the beach - it doesn't get any better than this. Tomorrow off to Sarnia.
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Blue skies, moderate wind and waves led to one our more delightful sails on this trip. Unfortunately it was the shortest leg - only 2 hours. Once we got out of the sloppiness in the channel, we were able to raise both sails and off we went . Bayfield, albeit small, is one our favorite towns in Canada. The 'downtown' is only about three blocks long but filled with quaint shops and galleries.
As we walked down the docks to head into town, I spotted a familiar looking Beneteau - as I thought, it was our 345 (pictured above) that we sold 12 years ago to Bob and Carol from Royal Oak, Mi. and of course we got a chance to catch up with them - it was nice to hear that they still love the boat. It was one of our favorites - especially since we have many fond memories of family vacations on it. Also next to us at the dock is a powerboat and as we got to talking to them, turns out they are good friends of Jake and Emily (Kerm and Lynne we'll get their names for you). Small world indeed!
Tonight we're hosting cocktails (wine and wonderful appetizers) then off to the Red Pump, one of the nicest restaurants on Lake Huron.
Cheers
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At our 7;30 Captains meeting, we decided to proceed forward on our 6 hr trip to Bayfield. The weather didn't look too threatening, although the winds would be right on the nose building to 10-15, with an early afternoon change to the west. As we left Kincardine, we found the waves to be west southwest and with the wind on the nose. Of course the Michigan Lake Huron forecast said 1-3ft waves, but then you have to add in the 'fetch' created by waves traveling over 50 miles (from Pt Huron) before they hit us. Needless to say we had a very sloppy ride.
Apparently we didn't plan this trip too well, since on the way up the wind and waves were blowing out of the north, on the trip down they are blowing from the south - go figure.
Anyway with a band of thundershowers (again) approaching and after four hours of the lumpy sailing, we decided to tuck into Goderich, where we'll stay until tomorrow morning - then onto Bayfield. As I'm writing this and looking at the satellite weather, another line of thunderstorms just came up from Ann Arbor northeast to Presque Isle. This stuff just doesn't quit.
Had a phone call from Ken last night and got the info on the Dry Creek Vineyards race yesterday. Mark congratulations on your first place finish - I know it's well deserved. I also heard that the word on the street is that Gary's Christmas came early with a number of orders for new sails - hmmm is North Sails a public traded company? Wish we were there to give Gil some competition for his excellent second place finish.
Hope to see everyone soon.
Cheers
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Nice to have a layover day after a long trip. As mentioned in the previous blog, Kat started out the day cooking blueberry pancakes for the other crews, however, they also contributed with bacon, orange juice, syrup, etc. A nice beginning to a lazy day. We walked into town to pick up a couple of items - the weather was definitely lousy over the water with thunderstorms, wind, etc. it looked like it might rain in town and well but we decided to go for it anyway. Once into town the storms moved inland and we ended up having to wait out the downpours.
Once back on board, the long overdue bath for Vixen was even more critical as she got soaked in one of the downpours.
Tomorrow, weather permitting we're off to Bayfield, one our favorite Canadian towns.
Cheers
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This was part of the journey I was not especially looking forward to for a number of reasons. First it officially puts closure on the North Channel part of the trip, since this is the gateway to Lake Huron (or vice versa depending on the itinerary). It is also the longest part of the trip for us - an estimated 9-10 hours in open Lake Huron waters. Lastly, this entry into Lake Huron is known for its treacherous reefs.
Anyway after two days in a very protected 'Little Tub' harbor it is time to move on. We were up pretty early - Vixen had her 'walk ' at 5:00a.m. and by 6, we had helped cast off Chuck and Gale, on Resolution 2. We were next with help from Michael and Ava, so off we go, hoping that the weather reports were right and that mother nature had decided to abide by them.
Typically our watches are one hour on/off on French Connection, since we were all up early, I took and extended watch of 6 - 8:30. Partly to give Kat some additional rest, part to get a good sense for what the lake was going to offer up in terms of weather and sea conditions. The report called for light and variable winds - clocking to the southwest later in the afternoon (right on the nose for us) and gradually building throughout the day.
Fortunately, our trip through the reefs of the Cape Herd channel was relatively calm, since it's critical to visually follow the buoys (chartplotters are nice, but we don't solely rely upon them in critical or dangerous areas).
Once we entered Lake Huron I was able to unfurl the genoa and do some motor sailing. The weather became very challenging, while the winds were building from the northwest we were getting waves from the southwest, areas of rain (thank god for the dodger and bimini) and an extended area of pretty dense fog. Not the picturesque fog you see in photographs, but the stuff you drive through while wondering who else is out there.
Typically with radar you can pick up decent size boats, but it's the small fishing boats that you can't see. Plowing through the water at 8.5 kts - our 22,000 lbs of boat would easily take out a 16 ft fishing boat.
I set the radar at 48 mi range and closely watched for traffic and monitored the rain, which was a green blob on all three sides. Fortunately there was very little traffic on the Lake - I spotted two boats on radar and another two southbound. I wished these large cruisers had identified themselves since they gave us almost a mile of room while passing. It was a very thoughtful thing to do, more often than not they come close enough that their waves wreak havoc on sailboats.
We did have a visitor on board, about halfway through our trip, miles away from land, a small bird landed on deck, proceeded to walk up and down the sides of the boat, pecking away at the dead bugs
After about a half hour, it flew away, but still circled the boat as if saying I'm small but I can still go faster than you.
Other then the rain, dense fog, confused (sloppy) waves and wind that eventually built to 12kts on the nose, the 9 hr journey was pretty uneventful. About two hours out of Kincardine, Resolution 2 spotted a break in the overcast skies and by the time we entered the break wall, we had blue skies and warm temps. Vixen did surprisingly well on this trip although we could see her wanting to jump ship as we were entering the harbor. Again kudos to Michael on Adagio for getting us dockage in this popular harbor.
A couple of hours later after a light dinner, we went off with Michael and Ava to see the latest Harry Potter movie.
Tomorrow is a layover day in Kincardine, that starts off with Kat making blueberry (remember Eagle Island?) pancakes for all three boats.
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This morning before we departed the AIS alarm went off - a quick visual scan showed nothing - however the screen indicated a 400ft Passenger ship so we thought it was an anomaly - just like when it picked up the derelict ship in the middle of Lake Huron. This time, however, it was right on and it appeared just as we were leaving the docks. Who would have thought that a vessel this size could maneuver the channel and dock in downtown Little Current.
The wind was right on the nose as we began the passage to Tobermory. Listening to the 9:00 am Cruisers Net, we found out they had 40 boats anchored in Haywood Island, this was an alternate destination to Little Current - glad we stayed where we did.
As we passed Badgeley Island and turned right, heading into Georgian Bay, the wind freshened up and we were able to sail. Initially the wind was a little fluky with wind speed in high single digits, but it gradually increased into the mid teens with waves of 2-3 ft. By the time we reached Flower Pot Island, we were moving along at 8.3 kts. and surfing as our course changed to more of a broad reach. Tobermory was a welcome sight especially for Vixen, who was eyeing the grassy area at the fuel dock after the 7 hour journey. The temperature here was a delightfully warm 70's.
Weather continues to be a concern and one of the reasons we left so quickly for Tobermory. There was a huge band of thunderstorms the entire length of Michigan heading our way and we wanted to be in a safe harbor before they hit us. The Sirius weather system on our boat continues to pay for itself as it gives us a visual of what's going on vs. just listening to the weather station on VHF.
Tomorrow we will lay over in Tobermory and get ready to begin the journey down Lake Huron on Thursday.
Cheers
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We motored to from Eagle Island for Little Current today and the weather is sunny and warmer than it has been, even so, we're still wearing layers of fleece and gloves, When we arrived in Little Current, the wind and current were working against us so it took a bit of skill getting into the docks. Michael had called ahead to not only get the reservations but also ensure that we were docking bow into the current. Glad we had the bow thruster fixed before we left as it was critical making the final turn into the dock.
After a nice lunch at the stalwart Anchor Inn, everyone left to go shopping at Turners. Thankfully the selection was down from previous years and Kat didn't find anything she was looking for . After cocktails we agreed to get the 8:00 drawbridge and be on our way to Tobermory to get ahead of the weather.
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Eagle Island has been so serene and picturesque that we decided to stay another night. The only sound we hear are birds and an occasional frog. No loud power boats, no crowds, just nature at it's finest. As we went around the island, we found wild blueberry bushes everywhere - so it'll be blueberry pancakes at some point on the trip. Vixen continues to do well, although she barks every time I start the dingy engine, as well as at the stone markers (more to come on that later) that are placed everywhere. Tomorrow we begin working our way back with the first stop being Little Current.
Hard to imagine we've been here two weeks.
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We're in Gore Bay for a couple of days, partly to regroup and part to wait out the weather. While not as big as Little Current, it at least has the amenities we were looking for such as a grocery, hardware, state store, etc. The weather continues to be the primary topic amongst everyone here - the common theme is that the seasons appear to be moving back by a couple of months - since what we're experiencing is more like a late spring. The weather on Saturday was schizophrenic - continuously alternating between sunshine and rain. The forecast appears to get better after Sunday, although we were all amused by the term 'troughiness' in the forecast so we'll see.
One additionally commentary is that the level of boaters is down significantly from previous years in spite of fuel costs being down. There has been plenty of space in the marinas and anchorages. Two nights ago at Long Point there was only one other boat plus our three. We heard that the Benjamin's are virtually vacant - two years ago we couldn't get in because of there were so many boats anchored. Also at Gore Bay, it appears that most of the charter boats at CYC are sitting in the dock.
Vixen has adjusted very well to the boat although we still give her a ΒΌ Dramamine just to take the edge off. The boat continues to do well, the swim/wet locker leak is fixed. Today, we are off following the 'grand tour master' on Adagio to our next anchorage. Originally we decided to go to South Benjamin Island however, upon entering the anchorage, we found the wind to not be in our favor so off we went to Eagle Island which is very protected on three out of four sides. The trip over from Gore Bay was an absolutely marvelous sail; broad reach, low to mid teens for wind and 3-4 ft waves. These conditions enabled French Connection to do a fair amount of surfing - very exhilarating.
As I writing this, we're anchored in this protected harbor under sunny skies, warmer temps (mid to high sixties) and about 10 kts. of wind. Altogether a very pleasant evening.
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We've been in the North Channel several days now and it is very pristine and relaxing. We ended up having to stay in Meldrum for a couple of days to wait out the weather. For those of you using satellite weather on your boats, you'll recognize the massive green blobs spiked with yellow thunderstorm cells. How about those wind barbs - over 30 kts. following the storm.
In the photo, French Connection is located on the screen and appears as a black boat symbol. You can see that we're in the eastern edge of the storm and sure enough that night we got the down pour along with the lightening - the latter of course we're always trying to avoid.
Talk about a small world (can't get a smaller village than Meldrum Bay), Bill and Sue, we ran into relatives of yours from Chicago (Don and Carol), they mentioned they're looking forward to seeing you at the wedding.
Yesterday we had a lovely four hour sail to Long Point, minimal waves - wind in the low teens. Vixen is still spooked by the boom and constantly looks at it as if it's going to get her but she didn't seem to be bothered by the jib, must be the proximity of the sail.
We arrived at Long Point in mid afternoon yesterday following Adagio through a very narrow channel, it is well worth it with a scenic background of granite cliffs and fjords that weave through the eastern end. Once anchored in this muddy bottom, we promptly introduced Vixen to her 'doggy area' on land. The first trip went well, on the second she took a flying leap from the dingy into the water. She loves to chase waves and the ones coming off the dingy were too much of a temptation. If she could she would have probably leaped right back since the water here is in the mid to high 50's. Once on land she turned into a mountain goat, insisting on climbing all of the large boulders. We had drinks aboard Adagio.
This morning we decided to head to Gore Bay instead of another anchorage. The weather is bleak for the next couple of days, plus we needed to provision. At Gore Bay we ran into friends we met two years ago from Georgian Bay, on their 423 called C'est La Vie. It truly is a small world. Tonight we're on Resolution celebrating Chuck's birthday.
Cheers
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We've decided to stay another day in Meldrum Bay, not that there is anything to do here (note: Presque Isle looks like a major metropolis compared to Meldrum Bay) as an example it has only a half doz transient docks, but on the other hand an excellent Inn with wonderful food. The challenge continues to be weather, especially since we can't run the heaters at anchor.
Tuesday did bring warmer weather although last night was still high 40's. With sun and warm temps it almost feels like early summer. The weather man promised southerly winds and that generally brings warm temps. I will try to upload photos today - not sure how fast the connection is at the Meldrum Inn. If not today then 3 days from now when we get to Gore Bay. FYI for John and Cindy when Vixen gets back she will teach Scruffy a new trick - climbing ALL the way up the companion stairs.
Cheers
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July 13th Finally in the North Channel
We arrived in Meldrum Bay at 2:00 today. Weather is more of the same - although it started out as a beat and turned into a reach - and then one with following seas. Winds were averaging about 18 apparent and temp was 56 (did I mention it was 49 last night) - so what else is new! It did feel warmer though since it was sunny - not a cloud in the sky. To the 'Huron Bash team' Kat wanted to know if it was this cold when we brought the boat up to Presque Isle. I explained to her that we all prayed for the temps to get into the 50's.
The story on the two racing sailboats in trouble yesterday was that one - a Farr 40 was towing the other one (a much larger custom job) into the harbor when the larger boat ran aground next to the breakwall and of course the wind was pushing both of them onto the rocks. The Farr 40 breaks free and in turn tows the other one outside the channel. Obvious to only us on the gas dock is that the boat in tow has a long line that's dragging. Yup you guessed it - no sooner than they get out of the channel than the line gets wrapped around the Farr 40's prop. Back to the breakwall for both of them - totally disabled and even closer to the rocks. Fortunately they were able to cut the line (they had SCUBA gear on board) at the same time the Harbormaster was able to deploy a small powerboat to pull them off. We talked to the captain of the bigger sailboat - apparently everything had gone wrong with the boat including leaking fuel tanks - guess the bilge was filled with diesel, leaking thru-hulls bad alternator, etc. Interesting that neither boat had a sail out. A small jib on the bigger boat and it would have been able to maneuver to the gasdock. Hindsight is always perfect!
OK for those of you dying to know about Vixen's first sail - it was let's say mixed. We intentionally motored sailed so that she wouldn't get scared with the noise of flogging sails. She handled herself pretty well out of the harbor - but the red can a mile out had a bell, that of course scared her. So she proceeds to sit on Kat's lap for the next 4 hours. Just before we hit Mississagi Passage - she get's real comfortable and starts playing with her toys in the cockpit - 10 minutes later when we tuck in behind Cockburn Island, the main luffs with a loud bang and of course that scared the 'pee' out of her and she is down and out barking at the boom as if it were the devil incarnate. Once inside Meldrum bay she calmed down and is back to her usual self of craving attention. Our trip tomorrow is only about 3 hours - we're headed out to Long Point where we will anchor for the night - all of this provided that the wind is from the right direction - then on to two other nights of anchoring at different spots before we hit Gore Bay.
Mechanically the boat continues to run well. I don't want to jinx the repair to the swim locker - but it does look like it's holding - no water in the bilge.
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Our friends are here and we celebrated the reunion with a cocktail (wine) hour on French Connection, but only after Michael convinced himself that he could find my Fuel cap. Alas after several dives into mid 50 degree water, there was no sign of it.
We did have a little excitement as two large sailboats headed for the Chicago Mac race got into trouble close to the breakwall in the harbor more on that in a few days. 45min later everyone was safe at the fuel dock - on to a nice dinner at the PIYC and back on the boat prepping for the trip tomorrow. Read that as getting all of our warm clothes out since the forecast up here for all week is mid 60's.
This is the last bog update for a few days since we'll be in remote parts of Canada, first to Meldrum Bay then on to Long Point and a few other anchorages. After tomorrow, we will be checking in via Cruisers Net on channel 71 which is broadcast from the Anchor Inn in Little Current, Manitoulin Island (705)368 - 2023 iwhere you can get ahold of us if necessary. Once we get into Little Current, I'll update the gallery with lots of photos
Cheers
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It's amazing how regenerative a couple of days on the boat at the dock can be. Even Vixen has been resting as she checks out the dock activity from her new perch. God forbid someone should walk by and not pay attention to her.
The trip up was really tough on the body - none of us slept much that second night. So catch-up rest and sleep are the order of the day(s) while we await our friends who are now in Harrisville - just south of us.
I think (fingers crossed) that I've got the wet locker leak fixed. Tim, the fast cure 5200 was a great idea - it set in about 4 hours. The fuel cap that went in the water, on the other hand is that sacrificial boat part that we all must offer up to the gods from time to time. I was able to borrow a net to dredge the bottom - and spent about a day going back and forth stirring up all kinds of stuff in this muddy bottom - but no luck. Fortunately it is a direct swap with the stern water tank filler cap. Since we only use the stern tank to balance the boat, that gets a rag as the filler cap and the fuel cap is 'fixed'.
We spent the rest of the first day walking to both the old lighthouse (1830) and the new one that was established in 1870. The walk ended up being longer than intended but nice to see both Lighthouses. Kat made a wonderful chicken and rice dinner with freshly baked bread. The second day we took Vixen to the beach and sand dunes - she loves to run after the waves - thanks to Alex and Stephanie who regularly take her to the beach. Last night's dinner was breaded pork. The only thing that would have made this meal better would have been a nice young Pinot Noir, but I'm not going into the wine cellar until we're finally in Canada as our on board supply is limited and the selection in the Ontario stores is restricted to the equivalent of Catawba Reds (our CIC friends will understand). It's amazing how much we use the galley compared to our previous boat, I don't think we ever turned on the stove/oven on the 38.
The weather is challenging in many respects, a thunderstorm blew through 2 nights ago with strong winds and a downpour, Yesterday the wind in the harbor blew a steady 15 with gusts to 20. It's interesting that except for the 4th weekend with little to no wind, we have had very windy conditions (and cold) for the past month. The heat is on in the boat - and we're dressed in fall clothes. We're ready for some warm and becalmed days.
July 12th
This morning we heard our friends talking on the VHF so we know they are on the way - we're very excited to meet up with them.
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Another full moon to help with the navigation, although there wasn't much to see. We are west of the primary shipping channels and only spot a freighter after the AIS alarm goes off. Most of the freighters were 8-10 miles from us so no need to worry about collisions. At one point we had as many as 6 targets on AIS/Radar - not sure how the 'old timers' avoided this kind of traffic. One of the targets was interesting as it was a derelict ship, abandoned and stationary but still floating and transmitting AIS information. The information broadcast said it's been abandoned for a year - very interesting since it was in about 250 feet of water. Hopefully one our crew remembers the name of the ship so that we can find out more info. NOAA promished higher winds and waves and we certainly got them tonight. Fortunately the dodger glass was in so we didn't have to worry about getting wet and everyone was comfortable in the cockpit. It is colder than the previous night and someone got the great idea of using the sleeping bags as covers to keep comfortable. A great idea!
As daylight broke we had rounded Thunder Bay and were on the last leg of our journey, this part of the waterscape is littered with fishing nets and the plan was to sail several miles off shore to avoid any entanglements. We were able to spot most of them inshore, eagle eye Ken did spot a couple that stretched across our course and we were able to avoid them in time. We pulled into Presque Isle tired and cold but with the satisfaction of having transited a tough course. Hot showers, warm meals and quick naps later, we are ready to go separate ways. Kat has arrived by car (fully loaded of course - where are we going to put this stuff??) with Vixen our 10 month old Cairn Terrier (on her first sail). Now it's time to regroup, do any maintenance and await the two other boats meeting us.
Oh did I mention maintenance? The cork worked too well. One of the reasons for the drain is to evacuate any water that trickles in from the cockpit or backwashes from the stern. When Mark opened up the wet locker it was full of water not to mention the water that had seeped into the engine compartment. More bailing and drying before I can fix with the 5200. Since I was working in the cockpit, I also decided to empty the 2 extra jerry cans of diesel into the fuel tank. As they say 'things happen' - so they did this time as well. The fuel filler cap which is attached to the filler tube by chain got somehow relieved and into the water it goes. As the guys will testify, the water here is crystal clear, the bottom is about 20 feet deep and as clear as a bathtub but the cap is nowhere to be seen. So off I go to acquire a net on a long handle to dredge the bottom.......
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Officially day 2, we're on our way to Harbor Beach Mi. to fuel. Conditions are not conducive to sailing with moderate headwinds. We're all glad we brought foulweather gear to break the wind and the cold temps. Can't believe this is July 7th - we were expecting hot and muggy temps. The boat is performing well and the guys off watch can go below and catch some sleep. Ever since our incident with the oil filler tube breaking and spilling oil into the engine pan 2 years ago on the way to Harbor Beach, I check the engine every 10 hours. When I did tonight I found about 2 gals of water - quick investigation revealed that there was a break in the drain tube of the stern wet locker. Other than the inconvenience of having to bail it out there are no structural or safety issues.
When I called the Harbormaster a few days ago he promised me we could get in with our 5'6" draft. Mark who was at the helm upon arrival brought the boat in flawlessly, even though the depth sounder was reading 0 depth under the keel for the last 50 feet to the fuel dock. Harbor Beach lived up to its reputation of a shallow harbor. A hot breakfast and a couple hours nap revitalized everyone. I though a great temporary solution for the drain tube issue was to put some form of a stopper into the tube since the break was outside the tube - after breakfast I found a wine store in town that had corks - that looked like the ideal solution - so in goes the cork and hopefully that temporarily solves the problem until Kat comes up on Wednesday with a tube of 5200.
At 1:45 we were off to Presque Isle, we picked the time so that we would arrive in Presque Isle in daylight. Nothing is worse than coming into a harbor in the dark - especially in Presque Isle where the last four buoys are a sharp right turn and unlit.
The forecast continued to be less than ideal sailing weather with NOAA promising headwinds and waves all the way to our destination - more of the same stuff that we started with in Lake Erie. Saginaw bay were it meets Lake Huron (also known as the Michigan thumb) has a reputation for sloppy weather including confused waves. We ended up having sunny weather, moderate winds, and 2-3 waves, all very manageable in French Connection. We took advantage of the weather to have a nice sit down dinner in the cockpit prepared by the captain. For our spouses who thought that we'd subsist on only candy bars, please note the tablecloth, and candle (in the foreground), but forget about the wine - very civilized as any French boat should be - the only thing we were missing were the brie and baguettes. Stay tuned for part 2.
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We had a great sail across Lake St Clair, the conditions were almost Caribbean-like; clear skies, blue water and plenty of wind. We got to see a barge setting buoys - so for those that want to know how, ask Ken. We began more serious navigation as we entered the St Clair River cut-off channel at 4:05. The river has a reputation for very shallow areas adjacent to the deep water channel. Combine that with the reputation for strong currents and commercial ship traffic it becomes even more challenging. Fortunately the combination worked in our favor; very little commercial traffic and except for the Blue Water bridge we only experienced an average current of about 2 kts.
We were motor sailing up the river, and for the most part the main was helping us, however about 2/3's of the way up we experienced high winds in the wrong direction. Up to this point Roger was using the width of the channel to keep the main full but we got slammed with 21kts right on the nose. With Roger at the wheel, I dropped the main and with Mark's help we were able to get it folded and sail bag zipped. For our spouses: yes we were tethered in, the rule on the boat was when in the cockpit everyone must wear life preservers, outside of the cockpit or at night in the cockpit everyone must have life preservers and be tethered to the jack lines.
The watch schedule continues to work well, as Roger and Mark are able to grab some sleep as Ken navigates us under the Blue Water Bridge at 11:00. As mentioned previously this area is notorious for strong currents but we only experienced 3-4 kts directly under the bridge. Since it was dark, it was nice not having any commercial traffic to deal with during this passage, however the small fishing boats were something else as there were quite a few anchored or drifting in the middle of the channel. Most of these boats are poorly illuminated and probably have no clue as to the potential hazards they represent. We're finally in Lake Huron, the engine is running well.
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0400, Mark, Ken, Roger and I were ready to cast off except for a minor glitch; a burned out navigation light bulb. Fortunately I had a spare - but even better Tim our dockmate and local West Marine rep was there and will be passing along a couple of additional spares to Kat who is leaving to meet us on Wednesday. Tim said he woke up at 3:30 to come down and see us off - or was he partying and never went to bed?
We had the usual formula for any sailor leaving for as specific destination: head winds and enough wave height to slow the boat down. On the first leg to the Detroit River, we saw a pretty cool thing, a 'Moon Set'. All of us have seen Moons rise but this was quite extraordinary. We had a full moon that was almost a bright orange set into the horizon, unfortunately with the boat rocking from the waves we were unable to take a picture of it.
We arrived at the Detroit river at 9:10 and with the wind now abeam we raised the main. This enabled us to motorsail all the way up the river. The normal current is 1 kt, but we encountered some areas with up to 2 knots. This current was offset by winds that peaked at 26. The AIS system performed well giving us plenty of notice on freighters transiting the river - although both pleasure boat and commercial ship traffic was down considerably from previous trips. Mark showed off his culinary skills with Ramen noodles along with peanut butter sandwiches, everyone is in good spirits and secretly hoping that the wind doesn't quit and flies that love sailboats can't locate us.
Lake St Clair at 1:50 and it's time to do some sailing - with a nice westerly breeze we were able to sail all the way to the St Clair river. Everyone quickly picked up the nuances of the boat's systems including Radar, AIS and Chartplotter. The watch schedule with alternating four hour watches is working well also. More to come on this extended first day.
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Well final preparations have been completed for our trip to the North Channel. The boat is loaded to the water line with provisions, water, fuel, and a good portion of Kat's wardrobe. Our mechanic was out on Thursday and pronounced the mechanical and electrical systems good to go and also made sure that we had plenty of spare parts - since getting access to parts or even a FedEx drop off are rare. This year's journey will take a different format, with a planned 'guys' trip to Presque Isle where Kat will meet us, the guys will then return back to CIC by car. That will be our launching point to Meldrum Bay in the North Channel. The plan is to then meet up with our friends on Adagio (another 423) and potentially two other boats.
Stay tuned as the guys try to make the trip in about 50 hours - going round the clock.
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Here it is - another season of sailing, however the house is getting in the way again. Last year we were fortunate to have sold our Beachwood home in ten days and we ended up moving during prime sailing season. This summer we're wrapping up a major renovation on our home in Catawba. Almost done - and it needs to be since we'll be off to the North Channel shortly.
Even thought we only have sailed three times this year - two were exciting races. Alex and Stephanie were on board for the first one and really helped us out. Winds were perfect for French Connection, 14+kts, the waves minimal and a decent start. Most of the fleet chose an inshore heading, a few brave souls, ourselves included, took the contrarian route hoping for better winds and lifts. Turns out that was the favored course and we ended up with a first place in the division and third overall. The photo is of Alex and Stephanie, the soon to be newlyweds accepting the first place burgee.
The second race was equally as perfect with wind and no waves, although this time the opinion on the docks was to shorten sail. This made sense especially since Kat, Cheryl our race partner from last year and myself were the only ones on the boat. We put one reef in the main and had wonderful control (no weather helm) unfortunately we didn't have great boat speed, so we took out the reef halfway down to the windward mark, but by then we had lost precious speed and position on the rest of the fleet. This race, was a 2X windward - leeward. Long story short we came in third place in our division and just ten seconds behind Tiki Hut a Beneteau 473.
Apart from these exciting races the story on board French Connection this year has been maintenance. A complete set of batteries went in after our first shakedown sail - when we found out we couldn't run any electronics or basic necessities like Kat's electric head (toilet) or the fridge. A $ grand later FC was a happy camper with more than enough power to run everything on board. With that high level of confidence we motored back to the dock after the second race only to have the bow thruster fail just before the critical turn into our dock. Of course there was a steady crosswind which was blowing us into everything but our dock. Three tries later and with help from our dockmates we landed safely with no damage. Isn't docking the best spectator sport out there!
The news on the bow thruster is that it was the shear pin between the motor and the drive shaft. Another megabuck later - they had to haul out the boat to check the thruster for damage and we're good to go. Next week is boat prep week with lots of activity getting French Connection ready for the 1000 mile journey.
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July 31st
Most everyone knows that we're back home. We had an uneventful trip down the St Clair river, moving along with an average 2 kt. downstream current - warm temps, blue skies and little traffic. Once we hit Lake St Clair, the wind picked up a little (not enough to sail) but the lake remained relatively smooth. We were staying at Lakeview Marina and because they have a small fuel dock, we ended up circling outside by Peche Island for about 20 min. waiting for a spot to open up. Once docked on the short wall directly across from the fuel dock, I was amused by a couple of boaters on a Go Fast boat with a long improvised fishing net - apparently looking for a fuel cap in the 'drink'. Hmmm does this happen often? ;-).
Time to split up: next morning Adagio and Resolution left at six and headed to Put-In-Bay. Since we wanted to be home in time for Kat to attend a shower, we decided to head for home at CIC. So we slept in until 6:30 - but by 6:50 lines were cast off and we picked up the Detroit River current - about 1 - 1.5kt avg. Conditions were the same as the day before, blue skies, calm water and mild temps. We did see a bit more traffic, but most, not all, of the AIS alerts were from ships that were stationary. The one that wasn't is a 1000' ft. ore carrier called the John Barker. For a while it looked like she was going to pass us by Fighting Island, no such luck. Just as we entered the Livingston Channel, we look back and saw it turning by the mid channel mark. Kat was elated because her shift at the helm was ending and she wouldn't have to deal with it. As it entered this part of the downstream channel it literally looked like there was minimal room on either side (AIS data showed her to be 113 ft wide). So as I took over the helm, I was looking for potential 'escape routes' and the one to Belle Isle made the most sense. Luckily for us, the Barker's speed closely matched ours - she was doing 10.9 kt's compared to our 10.5. We were out of the channel and into the lake by #34 red can before she passed us.
Lake Erie, was relatively calm as well, with a northwest wind, we tried sailing, but the waves and minimal wind created an effective way to flog the main - so down it went. One benefit of the wind was that it did create some wave action that helped us along by about .5 kt. As we entered CIC we were greeted at the fuel dock by our friends the McLaughlins.
Great to be home!
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