Back in Saugatuck after a fabulous summer on the lakes

We made the short hop down from Holland this morning in what were totally flat lake conditions. Unlike yesterday it was blissful. We exited the Holland channel amongst many little sailboats in what was some sort of youth program. As we approached Saugatuck it was apparent that they must have gotten a lot of stimulus money with all the dredging and harbor entrance improvements that were taking place. We pulled into our slip for a night, checked in, and drove our car to Burger King for lunch which was a real treat. Upon returning Al took care of servicing the engine which went without incident this year. With today being one of the hottest we've experienced in two months we spent most of the day inside the boat in the A/C. Tonight is our last night on the boat before heading to a motel in Holland for the next two nights.

We traveled 1156 nautical miles this year which was slightly less than prior years but no less enjoyable. We discovered many new anchorages and met some fun folks along the way. For those who have followed us on our journey we hope you've enjoyed it. See you next year!!!

We hate Lake Michigan

After a relaxing weekend in Ludington we departed at 7:30AM on Monday morning and headed to Holland, Michigan which will be our last stop before arriving back in Saugatuck on Tuesday. We departed under the guidance of the crack weather forecasters at NOAA but were stunned to find very bad conditions almost immediately upon leaving the breakwall at Ludington. The predicted waves were 1-2 feet but instead were more like 5-8 footers. Our only saving grace was they were right on the nose and stayed that way all day only diminishing around 2PM. Although a rough ride, the boat really handles those seas well versus waves on the beam or stern. With gusty wind we were sprayed many times in the flybridge as we plowed through a big wave. Those conditions also show you where every leak is on the boat and we do have a few. Arriving in Holland at 5:15 we took on our last fuel before returning to our home port on Tuesday. Until today, the timing of favorable weather has been on our side this year with the bad stuff usually clearing out just as we depart on the next leg.

The long haul down Lake Michigan is underway

We began our long and often troublesome passage down Lake Michigan as we departed the mostly empty Straits State Harbor (see right) in Mackinaw City at 7AM on Wednesday morning. Giving ourselves plenty of extra days to make it back we used one already in Mackinaw City and one in Leland, Michigan which was our first stop. Both delays were weather related and for which seems to plague us each year as we make the long haul down the lake to our homeport of Saugatuck. We are currently in Ludington, Michigan which is a standard stop for us on both our outbound and return legs.

Although Leland is not a bad place to be delayed with nice marina facilities and a delightful town with plenty of dining and shopping opportunities (Sheri not Al), the marina can get a bit chaotic when weather drives an extra compliment of boats in there because they are classified a “harbor of refuge”. This means that they have to take you no matter what. We were tied only half on a dock with our main connection being a large steel pole that provides primary support for the dock. Unfortunately, with winds and surges moving the docks this pole cushioned by our fenders was very noisy and kept us up both nights. The shot to the left is of the surf on the beach north of the marina wall. Most boats that arrived on Wednesday stayed Thursday. There was one sailboat that arrived Thursday and had to anchor inside the breakwall as no dock space was left and it was too windy to try rafting. Checking the weather closely we decided to get out early on Thursday so we left at 7:30 and experienced a fairly rough 75 mile trek to Ludington. The waves were 2-4 feet and mostly confused which means they were not flowing in any particular direction. Our saving grace was that the wind was mostly at our back which boosted boat speed as it pushed us along usually over nine knots. Sheri assumed the position in the shot below for most of the day since she does not do well in bouncy, rolly conditions. One observation along the way was that some water spouts were spawning from a cloud formation that we were approaching. For those of you who don’t know what a water spout is, it is a like tornado but over water. Based on what I read what we saw was a non-tornadic variety but my assumption is that they can be dangerous if you sail into one. In any case, these never fully formed but did give us some concerns for an hour or so.

We pulled into Ludington at 4:30, got fuel, pumped out, and headed to our slip for the next few days. On the way over to the slip someone shouted that we had a line in the water. This is usually important as the line can become wrapped around a propeller which is exactly what happened as we backed into the slip. The small handling line which was attached to our dingy was untied from its cleat probably in Leland as we scrambled to find the right dock line configuration for our odd tie up there. We also probably dragged it in the water all the way down on Friday and it wasn’t until we backed up that it found the prop. This will not happen again as we have now added that item to our pre-flight checklist. As the line became tangled it might have ripped itself right out of the dingy connection had the prop spun any more but thank goodness that did not happen. OK, what next? The line had to be removed from the prop and because our boat is not an outboard the prop is permanently under the boat. One of the emergency items we pack on the boat is a complete SCUBA set up so in the rare instance that we have to go under the boat to untangle a line or perform a damage check after hitting something (hope that never happens) we have the gear to do that. With that said Al donned the backpack with tank and regulator, mask, and a safety line and took the plunge. Upon examination of the entanglement the line was easily removed and did not do any damage. We dodged one this time but unfortunately accepted this blemish on our otherwise uneventful cruise this season. We also crossed the 1000 mile mark for the trip and 1000 hours on the engine on Friday.

After a great meal at a local micro brewery we got a good night’s rest on Friday and plan to head to Holland, Michigan on Monday for one last stop before arriving in Saugatuck before noon on Tuesday.

Back at the Mack

We left Drummond Island this morning in fairly dreary conditions and made the five hour trek in very calm waters over the the Mackinaw area for a couple of days before we head into Lake Michigan. We're staying in a brand new marina which is only about 25% full and sits adjacent to the old Mackinaw City Marina which looks to have more boats. I'm not sure why as that marina is not as nice and I believe is more expensive. In any case, we enjoyed walking around the rather touristy atmosphere of Mackinaw City and seeing more life and excitement as compared to the sleepy spots in Canada we've been to over the past month and a half. The photos below show some of the local area.

Westward Ho, Eh?

We left Little Current on Thursday and headed west to one of our favorite amd last anchorages this season at Croker Island. We enjoyed two fairly restful days and then opted to bypass a stop in Gore Bay and make the long (75 miles) haul back to Drummond Island, MI and the USA after spending the last 37 days in Canada. We will probably stay one night in Drummond before heading off to the Mackinaw area. The pictures below are from our anchorage at Croker Island.

Last time in Little Current

We're back in Little Current for the last time as we make our way west. We will be here two days and will head out on Thursday for our last two nights at anchor at Croker Island. From there we will go to Gore Bay before clearing U.S Customs in Drummond Island, MI. On our way here today we saw two square rigged sailboats making their way east. See the attached pictures.

Back to Bay Fin and Marianne Cove

After we left Killarney for the last time we once again headed back to Bay Fin and Marianne Cove. This has always been one of our favorite spots and one we will keep returning to. One of the attractions of Marianne Cove is that it is adjacent to a trailhead that ascends t the summit of Fraser Bay Hill where you are greeted with a spectacular view of the entrance of Bay Fin, Fraser Bay to the south and McGregor Bay to the north. On this visit to Marianne Cove we decided to make a morning climb to the top so that the sun would be in a better position for photography purposes. The morning was spectacular and the view from the top was breathtaking. The following is what we saw.

As far as climbs go, it’s not long (800 meters or roughly a half mile) and it’s not high (600 feet) but it is very rugged. About half the climb is over rock strewn washes where every step must be carefully planned and the other half is on a primitive trail that seems like it is always on a grade and where the descent is much more difficult. There’s one spot where a ten inch diameter tree is growing in the middle of a three foot crack (long slot created in between rock walls) where you must squeeze around either side to pass. This might be a show stopper for folks with a very large posterior but was “no problemo” for Big Al. The heavily forested trail is marked by red or yellow tape tied around trees and must be followed carefully as it can easily be missed. At the top you can see a portion of Marianne Cove which provides a perspective of the distance and altitude you’ve climbed.

The rest of our time in Marianne Cove was spent relaxing, swimming (70 degrees now), reading, napping, and visiting. In every anchorage or marina you always find other boaters to socialize with. On this visit I ran into a couple who I had met previously when I had our Morgan sailboat. They still have their Morgan and had done some interesting improvements to it. It’s also fun to run into the same people again you met in prior seasons. We always exchange cards and try to keep up.

The Joy of Anchoring

During our cruising experience in the North Channel and Georgian Bay we have anchored many times. In most cases it is a fairly simple operation and goes pretty well. In other cases, we must try more than once to find either a good hold (firmly hooked to the bottom) or find just the right spot so we don’t swing into another boat or the shore. Like landing an airplane, anchoring into the current or forecasted wind direction is advised. Where possible we like to tie a stern line to shore to eliminate any swinging. This involves launching the dingy and towing a line to shore where a suitable tree or rock must be found to attach to. More boats can be anchored in the same harbor with the latter technique. Most anchorages up in these waters are big enough for many boats swinging or tied to shore. Once established at anchor a period of time must pass where the security of the anchor must be verified so that a “dragging” situation does not occur when winds increase. Using a rock or tree on shore off each side of the boat as a reference point is the way to determine if the vessel is moving. The picture below shows a crowded anchorage in Marianne Cove (26 boats including us) with all but a couple of boats tied to shore.

The really fun side of anchoring is watching other boats applying their skills while you’re sitting comfortably observing with a favorite beverage in hand. Most boaters up here are pretty adept at anchoring but a few are not and there’s usually a lot of “command” barking going on between the crew and skipper when things are not going well. As a boat enters an anchorage, the “survey” process begins which involves cruising around the harbor like a dog trying to find just the right spot to lay down. Weaving between existing boats at anchor the new boat finally makes a call and claims their spot among the other vessels. Many boats “raft up” to other boats so access to their traveling companions is just a hop away. We’ve watched many boats do this operation most have no real issues.

The Bustards, Bad River, and back

For our last venture into Georgian Bay we decided to go back to the Bustards for another night and then explore some new spots in the area. In the Bustards we enjoyed watching other boats have as much difficulty anchoring as we did and also watching a couple of loons (see below) that frequent this bay. We were also told that we just missed a 50 boat flotilla that had anchored on the east side of the island the night before. As the day ended we were treated to a nice sunset. The next morning and after a quick swim (and lake bath), we headed out around 1PM.

Our first leg was to explore the French River and although it was well marked it didn’t have much sizzle when we arrived at the proposed anchorage. We saw some remnants of the turn of the century logging community of French River (pop 2000) as we passed by its supposed location. We decided to head back out and explore the Bad River area just a few miles away. We had heard a lot about this area and were more than pleased when we arrived to find a bay full of boats. Anchoring was easy and we settled in for the night.

The Bad River is a very popular spot because of the exploration opportunities that abound if traveling by dingy, canoe, or kayak. There are a myriad of channels in the area that were formed when ancient rocks cracked and made a veritable checkerboard maze. The map to the left shows some of this pattern. The most unique features are the many rapids that are found when following the small rock channels. The most famous one is the “Devils Door” which forms the entrance to the back water areas next to our anchorage. Although the picture on the right doesn't look to ominous the current is probably running at 3-4 knots and it does present a bit of a challenge powering a small outboard through it. Once past the rapids you will still find current to a varying degree everywhere you go.

The following video will illustrate the back waters of Bad River http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4isdDoKVH7o

We departed Bad River on Thursday morning and headed back to Killarney for some re-provisioning, ice, and other staples. When we arrived in Killarney we found the 50 boat flotilla and had to shoe horned into a massively crowded Sportsman Inn marina. We were again treated to a beautiful sunset. From there we will say goodbye to Killarney for the season and start making the slow trek back to our home port in Saugatuck. We’re in our sixth week and we recognize that the end of another season is quickly approaching. We have less than three weeks left and hope it’s a smooth one.

Back to Killarney and goodbye to our company

After a night showing our friend Gary the bustling metropolis of Little Current we headed out making the 10AM bridge opening and made our way back to one of our favorite spots at Bay Fin. We arrived early and cruised up to the "pool" in our boat to show Gary what it looked like before heading back to our usual anchorage in Marianne Cove. After securing our anchor we headed out on a hike up Fraser Hill to take in the beautiful vistas that await those who make it to the top. Although it is not a long climb it is fairly rugged and mostly an uphill grade. All in all the summit is about 600 feet above the bay. On top is a plaque commemorating the namesake of the location. I'm attaching some shots from the hike.

We headed back to Killarney on Saturday morning and arrived around 1PM in some very windy conditions which made docking a real challenge. In any case. we made it in without any scratches to our berth for the next two days. After we settled in we decided to explore via our friends rental car the local area including a stop in the main city in the area Sudbury which is about 75 miles away. This is a fairly large city (pop 158K) and has most amenities of home. In particular, they had a Costco and a Wendy's where Al secured his favorite treat, the Frosty (large chocolate). On our way back we saw another bear but unfortunately don't have any photos to document the sighting. The area where Killarney (pop 500) is located is very sparsely populated and is surrounded by the Killarney Provincial Park.

Gary headed home around 10AM on Sunday morning and if all goes as scheduled he will be back in Seattle around 11:30 PM Pacific time. It was truly a pleasure having him aboard for the week.

The photo at the right is the Costco offering of poutine which is regular french fries with gravy and cheese.

Covered Portage to Little Current

We headed out of Covered Portage this morning in the rain on our way back to Little Current for a night so that Gary could see that lovely location. We plan on having a pizza tonight and heading back to Marianne Cove and Bay Fin for Gary's last night at anchor before returning to Killarney for the weekend.

Killarney to Covered Portage

After a short overnight stay in Killarney we headed off for a brief four mile jaunt to a really nice anchorage in Covered Portage which is a standard stop for us. We once again anchored next to our friends on the Tiara in a comfortable depth of six feet. After we relaxed in the afternoon Gary, Sheri, and Al went on the hike up to the top of the bluffs above the bay for a scenic view of our boat. We dined on hamburgers and settled in for the night. The shots below are from our stay here.

Indian Face on rock (can you see it??)

That's our boat down there.

Panorama of the bay from above

Back to Killarney for a night

We left Byng at 10AM and followed the inside passage (52 NM) all the way back under much more favorable conditions than Monday. In fact, Sheri drove the boat all by herself (with a little coaching from Gary and less from Al)through most of Collins Inlet. It was a beautiful day with calm seas and sunny skies.

I'm attaching some pictures of the passage including a video of the Rogers Gut passage so you can see how tight it is. We're off for two or three more nights on the hook (Covered Portage and Marianne Cove) and will be back in Killarney for Saturday and Sunday to see Gary off.

Here's the Rogers Gut video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AEU_SlY00U

Here are so additional shots from our trip back up the small craft passage.

Home sweet home

Navigational aid

Georgian bay rock scape

Bustards Lights

Sheri at the helm on Collins Inlet

Collins Inlet west channel