After a decent night's sleep in the anchorage on South Manitou Island....(first night at anchor anxiety.....Did I do that right???) We raised the anchor just after sunrise and sailed past the Manitou Shoal Light enroute to Beaver Island. (No, Andy, that's not why they call it that......although I really don't know why they do.)

For those of you not familiar with Beaver Island, let me tell you its beautiful on the whole. Apparently, it was settled by Irish immigrants and calls itself "Michigan's Emerald Isle." I have to say however that parts of it are very, shall we say.... rustic.

Anyway, we arrived at the island in winds building to about 25 knots. We were directed by our marina (one of two on the island.....not the municipal marina....that's all I'm sayin') to their "fuel dock."

This was a semi-permanently moored barge with very sharp and jagged steel edges that was only accessable from land by walking over two pieces of lumber. (Apparently OSHA hasn't found Beaver Island yet....)

Anyway, after navigating the shallows to the "fuel dock" and bouncing off the bottom just prior to arrival, we managed to tie up before I discovered that we had just docked a water ballon on the business-end of a can opener! And the wind was blowing us very quickly onto the "dock."

Somehow we managed to get in and out and to our slip with no damage. Anyway, despite spending the night at the maritime equivalent of the "Bates Motel" we had a great time. Actually the people at the marina were very nice and the island was great.

I didn't actually take any pictures there but I'll throw in another from South Manitou.