Monday: We had a great {motor} from Beaver Island to Mackinaw City. It's always a thrill going under the bridge. Also, looking up that mast at any stationary bridge, you have that little pea of doubt, (are we really going to make it??). But of course, we did. It's the perspective of looking up at it. We arrived in Mackinaw City at the DNR docks. New marina, really fantastic facility. You do have to push the button in the shower to get water every minute or so, which made me feel a little like I was in prison. But still, lots of hot water. They power the place with wind. There weren't many boats, and it was quiet for the most part. The sunset was one of the best I've seen, and the sunrise was beautiful too!
Tuesday: Left Mackinaw City for Rogers City. I had never been between Round Island and the mainland, or Bois Blanc Island and the mainland. Really pretty. {Motoring} once again because there was no wind. I got some tanning in and some naps. Ahh, the life of a cruiser with two cabin boys, can't be beat! We arrived in Rogers City at 3:00 and Andy got fuel. Very nice marina here also. The staff was very helpful and very friendly. We walked uptown to the Chinese-Thai restaurant and had a good meal. Just enough walking to walk it off to get back to the boat. Another quiet night.
Wednesday: Left Rogers City for Alpena, and we finally got a chance to SAIL!! It was beautiful. Quiet. Sunny. Just the right amount of wind, if there is such a thing.
So, then I had a great idea: Let's sail all the way to Port Sanilac! No, not in a couple of days, TONIGHT! Yes, overnight. We were going to do this on Lake Michigan, but didn't get the opportunity. AND it's on my bucket list! Sail overnight on Lake Huron.
The guys said, OKAY, and off we went. The wind was out of the south-southwest, so we had to tack out into the lake. About 20 miles. Then, it got rough. Water over the bow. When we tacked back, we hadn't made much forward progress. So we decided if we were going to get anywhere, we had to {motor}. Ugh.
Great sunset. The moon came out. It was glorious, but very rough. Wind gusts up to 25K. Lots of water over the bow. And we've been having some problems with leaky windows. Not serious, just need to replace some gaskets and things. We took shifts napping, but I couldn't sleep much. Lots of freighters. On one of Andy's watches, he had the radar set to alarm if anything came into a zone right in front of us. Then he happened to look behind the boat, and there was a ginormous freighter coming up from behind passing us!! He woke me up to see that one. Huge, lots of lights. Pretty sight.
At 2:00 AM on Thursday we spotted the Port Austin light. The sun came up as predicted, and by 9:00 am and 160 miles later, we were in a slip in my beloved Port Sanilac. Same Harbormaster, Dave. Such a nice guy. We secured the boat, then marched up to Mary's Diner for breakfast. Delicious as ever. Back to the boat, in my jammies, and we all took a snooze. Laundry, showers, dinner at Mary's, a walk around town, and a beautiful night.
Today, as the guys do some research into the halyard (which is another whole story in and of itself), and the windows, and other odds and ends they need to repair before they continue on, I can sit and ponder, and enjoy the silence and the peace. So far we've traveled about 450 miles since leaving Muskegon. I get off here, but not before a few more days of rest and relaxation! I'll be posting some pictures!
Deb
Andy
Friday, August 19, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
8/13/11, Saturday, and a lovely Saturday it is!
8/13/11 Okay, so I slept like a baby. Until 4:30 AM. Then I was up. Couldn't sleep. But it didn't matter. I was reading and watching those crazy fishermen. I think they know something we don't know... about destressing.
We left Frankfort at 9:00. Anchor up out of the mud. Skies still overcast, with snippets of sun. 70 degrees, waves 2 to 4, wind 15K out of the NE. Another motoring day. Passed the Point Betsie Light at 9:44, south end of South Manitou Island (where we've anchored multiple times and love it) at 11:48, the Manitou Shoal Light at 1:00, and at 2:30 arrived at Leland Harbor. We have never been to Leland Harbor, and I am so glad we had the opportunity to see it. What a cute little fishing town! They had a slip for us and we didn't have to raft up behind boats like some people did. The marina is brand spanking new, with floating docks, and a lovely main building.
After I cooked dinner I went out walking and spent a good amount of time on the beach. Just sitting, watching the water. And the seagulls. Have you even seen seagulls walking the beach looking for goodies? The first one I saw seemed to be a loner. On his own, his little speckled body moving down the beach, head down. The first thing I realized is that birds have backwards knees. I named this bird "Knobby Knees." Why I had never noticed that birds have backwards knees before, I don't know.
Then the rest of the seagulls came walking by, several minutes later. Knobby Knees seemed to be an overachiever, and was about ¼ mile ahead of the rest of the game. I love how they all stopped on their way by, just for a second, turned their little head like birds do, and looked at me first from one eye, and then the other. I said “hi” to each one, and they moved along. They had work to do and needed to be on their way.
It got pretty cold sitting there on the beach, so I went back to the boat, did the dishes, and got ready for bed. The sunset was spectacular, but no pictures because I didn’t feel like running out to the street in my PJ’s. Dave and Andy went into town to get coffee and Andy got “the best ice cream that he’d ever had in his life.” There must be something with the northern air that makes you feel that way about things up here.
The Days are Getting AwAy from Me!!
Wow, time flies when you're having fun! I have covered the first day, but that's it so far! (But maybe I shouldn't be mentioning the word FLIES....shhhhh!)
8/12/11, Friday, our second day out. We left Ludington Municipal Marina at 9:15 am. 70 degrees, overcast sky, waves 1 to 3'. The wind was on our nose again, so we motored. The great thing: NO FLIES! What an experience with those damn flies! We passed Hamlin Light at 10:30, Manistee at 12:15. Andy and Dave were talking engine and decided to run our Yanmar diesel engine at full throttle for a little while to see how she handled it. Lots of noise and a big headache 10 minutes later, they decided she handled it just fine. Yeah. I guess. It's a guy thing.
1:00 we passed Portage Lake, 2:15 Arcadia, and by 3:30 we anchored in Betsie Lake in Frankfort.
I love Frankfort. It's a cute, quiet little town. Except when there is a fishing tournament. We were anchored near the boat ramps, and there must have been 5,000 fishing boats going in and out of there, for most of the night. We had a STORM that night, and it didn't phase them one single bit. Wow, imagine what the world would be like, if everyone had the perseverance of those fishermen.
Andy and Dave took the dingy into town to get a coffee, and for something to do. Live entertainment: Hannah Rae Beale. Dave was so smitten with her voice that he bought her CD. It was good, I have to admit!
It was a beautiful night with a full moon. There's something good about taking a shower when you're anchored out, putting on your PJ's, and sitting on the boat with a hot cup of coffee. Just something, peaceful. No worries. Lots of calm. No stress here. With the rain that night, I slept like a baby, with the boat gently rocking. Heaven.
8/12/11, Friday, our second day out. We left Ludington Municipal Marina at 9:15 am. 70 degrees, overcast sky, waves 1 to 3'. The wind was on our nose again, so we motored. The great thing: NO FLIES! What an experience with those damn flies! We passed Hamlin Light at 10:30, Manistee at 12:15. Andy and Dave were talking engine and decided to run our Yanmar diesel engine at full throttle for a little while to see how she handled it. Lots of noise and a big headache 10 minutes later, they decided she handled it just fine. Yeah. I guess. It's a guy thing.
1:00 we passed Portage Lake, 2:15 Arcadia, and by 3:30 we anchored in Betsie Lake in Frankfort.
I love Frankfort. It's a cute, quiet little town. Except when there is a fishing tournament. We were anchored near the boat ramps, and there must have been 5,000 fishing boats going in and out of there, for most of the night. We had a STORM that night, and it didn't phase them one single bit. Wow, imagine what the world would be like, if everyone had the perseverance of those fishermen.
Andy and Dave took the dingy into town to get a coffee, and for something to do. Live entertainment: Hannah Rae Beale. Dave was so smitten with her voice that he bought her CD. It was good, I have to admit!
It was a beautiful night with a full moon. There's something good about taking a shower when you're anchored out, putting on your PJ's, and sitting on the boat with a hot cup of coffee. Just something, peaceful. No worries. Lots of calm. No stress here. With the rain that night, I slept like a baby, with the boat gently rocking. Heaven.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Updated Itinerary as of 8-12-11
Our itinerary has changed a bit. Here is an updated version:
Thursday 8/11/2011 Muskegon to Ludington
Friday 8/12/2011 Ludington to Frankfort
Saturday 8/13/2011 Frankfort to Leland
Sunday 8/14/2011 Leland to Beaver Island
Monday 8/15/2011 Beaver Island to Mackinac City
Tuesday 8/16/2011 Mackinac City, to Rogers City, MI
Wednesday 8/17/2011 Rogers City, MI to Alpena, MI
Thursday 8/18/2011 Alpena, MI to E. Tawas, MI
Friday 8/19/2011 E. Tawas, MI to Harbor Beach, MI
Saturday 8/20/2011 Harbor Beach, MI to Port Sanilac, MI
Sunday 8/21/2011 Port Sanilac, MI
A Very Exciting First Day (to say the least)
A beautiful morning when we left Muskegon in the morning on our first day away. Beautiful sunshine, cool temperatures, kind of a mist rising off the water in the still pond.
We were promised by the weatherman that we would have winds out of the southwest. HA! I can count on one hand how many times he has correctly forecast the weather on the lakes. The wind was out of the northeast, and we were going directly into it. It slowly shifted to the west.
The flies started congregating on deck, mainly in the cockpit, shortly after leaving Muskegon. By the time we got a few miles out, they were horrendous! They were the biting kind. Staying on deck in the breeze helped a bit, but we were constantly swatting. The flies must have attracted the two bats that showed up shortly after. They flew around the boat and sometimes lit on the sails. Then one flew into the cockpit, and directly into one of the line bags. He probably would have still been in there but Andy shooshed him out. I stayed down below each time the bats came swooping by to visit us again!
The wind changed enough to put up the spinnaker sail. Andy was at the bow getting it all organized (we sometimes call this sail "The Beast," aptly named by a couple we met who also had one), while I was in the cockpit manning the lines. Then, as sometimes happens when I'm in a rush, listening to Andy, trying to maintain my footing and my mind: BRAIN FREEZE. Rule: always put the line on the winch in a clockwise direction. I forgot that rule, and by the time I realized it and tried to fix it, Andy had launched the spinnaker. My hands both got tangled in the line and got pulled through the winch. Just some bruises and a little cut, no broken bones, thank goodness. Line gloves save my life, fo sho!!
So I went below with ice, and the guys were in the cockpit enjoying the sail with the spinnaker. Then, a loud POP! And Andy shouted "OH NO!!" and the spinnaker was in the water. Our halyard failed. Deja vu, because it did the same thing, almost in the same place on the Lake, two years ago!! So we hauled it on deck. Ugh!!
By this time, the flies had commandeered the boat. We were washing the dead ones down with the cockpit sprayer. You guys should thank us. I think we eliminated half the flies in the State of Michigan.
We had planned to go to Leland overnight. But with all the excitement, we decided to put in in Ludington. I cooked up some comfort food, BACON and lots of it, and ham, and sauerkraut, and more BACON. I went to bed early. What a day!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Our Last Weekend in Muskegon
We spent our last weekend in Muskegon, anchored between the arms, with our friends, Howard and Sandy. We had a steak dinner with all the trimmings. Andy can cook a mean ribeye on that little grill of ours! When we first decided to put the boat in at Muskegon, I was a little skeptical. But after 4 years, I will now miss Muskegon tons! There are beautiful beaches, lovely parks, great marinas, and lots of great people to get to know. I hope we can keep in touch with all of our Muskegon friends!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
A New Adventure!
This Thursday, August 11, we will be setting sail for a new journey. Our jumping off point is Muskegon, MI. Andy's destination will be Stuart, FL.
Here is the first twelve days of the itinerary:
Thursday 8/11/2011 Muskegon to Leland, MI
Friday 8/12/2011 Leland, MI
Saturday 8/13/2011 Leland to Beaver Island, MI (St. James Harbor)
Sunday 8/14/2011 Beaver Island to Mackinac Island, MI
Monday 8/15/2011 Mackinac Island
Tuesday 8/16/2011 Mackinac Island, MI, to Rogers City, MI
Wednesday 8/17/2011 Rogers City, MI to Alpena, MI
Thursday 8/18/2011 Alpena, MI to E. Tawas, MI
Friday 8/19/2011 E. Tawas, MI to Harbor Beach, MI
Saturday 8/20/2011 Harbor Beach, MI to Port Sanilac, MI
Sunday 8/21/2011 Port Sanilac, MI
I'll be getting off at Port Sanilac. Andy and his friend, Dave, will continue on:
Monday 8/22/2011 Port Sanilac, MI to Port Huron, St. Clair River, Harsen's Island
Tuesday 8/23/2011 Lake St.Clair to Detroit River to Lake Erie to Toledo (or before)
Wednesday 8/24/2011 Toledo to Huron, Ohio
Thursday 8/25/2011 Huron, Ohio to Chagrin River, Ohio
Friday 8/26/2011 Chagrin River to Ashtabula
Saturday 8/27/2011 Ashtabula to Erie
Sunday 8/28/2011 Erie to Dunkirk
Monday 8/29/2011 Dunkirk to Buffalo to Welland Canal
From the Welland Canal, they will go into Lake Ontario, to the Erie Canal, through the Erie Canal to the Hudson River, New York, the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, Intercoastal Waterway, Atlantic Ocean to Stuart, FL.
I will keep you updated each step of the way! Also, Andy is looking for crew. You can join him at any port, and get off where ever port you want.
Anchors Aweigh!!
Deb
Here is the first twelve days of the itinerary:
Thursday 8/11/2011 Muskegon to Leland, MI
Friday 8/12/2011 Leland, MI
Saturday 8/13/2011 Leland to Beaver Island, MI (St. James Harbor)
Sunday 8/14/2011 Beaver Island to Mackinac Island, MI
Monday 8/15/2011 Mackinac Island
Tuesday 8/16/2011 Mackinac Island, MI, to Rogers City, MI
Wednesday 8/17/2011 Rogers City, MI to Alpena, MI
Thursday 8/18/2011 Alpena, MI to E. Tawas, MI
Friday 8/19/2011 E. Tawas, MI to Harbor Beach, MI
Saturday 8/20/2011 Harbor Beach, MI to Port Sanilac, MI
Sunday 8/21/2011 Port Sanilac, MI
I'll be getting off at Port Sanilac. Andy and his friend, Dave, will continue on:
Monday 8/22/2011 Port Sanilac, MI to Port Huron, St. Clair River, Harsen's Island
Tuesday 8/23/2011 Lake St.Clair to Detroit River to Lake Erie to Toledo (or before)
Wednesday 8/24/2011 Toledo to Huron, Ohio
Thursday 8/25/2011 Huron, Ohio to Chagrin River, Ohio
Friday 8/26/2011 Chagrin River to Ashtabula
Saturday 8/27/2011 Ashtabula to Erie
Sunday 8/28/2011 Erie to Dunkirk
Monday 8/29/2011 Dunkirk to Buffalo to Welland Canal
From the Welland Canal, they will go into Lake Ontario, to the Erie Canal, through the Erie Canal to the Hudson River, New York, the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, Intercoastal Waterway, Atlantic Ocean to Stuart, FL.
I will keep you updated each step of the way! Also, Andy is looking for crew. You can join him at any port, and get off where ever port you want.
Anchors Aweigh!!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Island Time is in the water!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Still "Sailing" North
Day 3 of the Fabulous Journey of 2010. By Deb:
Port Washington was a great, sleepy little town. The marina is huge and nearly brand new in some areas. But the town has many closed stores. We had coffee at "Smith Brothers Coffee House" and asked one of the ladies working there about it. She said that opening a business in Port Washington is almost like putting a curse on the business!
I LOVED Smith Brothers Coffee, however. I have been drinking iced coffees during the warmer summer months. The one I got at Smith Brothers was unlike any coffee I had ever had! When I inquired about it, they told me that it was a "Toddy's Cold Brew." They cold brew the coffee for 12 hours, and it creates a coffee that has "off-gased" all the stuff that makes coffee taste bitter when you hot brew it. Well, I am sold. I am looking for a Toddy's Cold Brew contraption and will be cold brewing my coffee from now on!
Andy slept in on Saturday morning. Lots of other boats were leaving at 5 or 6 in the morning, WI time. I think Free Spirit headed out about 6:30 am. So I had time to get another Smith Brothers coffee, read the paper, watch the sunrise, look at all the boats leaving the harbor, etc.etc.etc. I had gotten up at 4:00 AM because the fishing boats were heading out in droves. They are serious about their fishing over here! Port Washington has lots of fishing charters, if you ever have the desire to go salmon fishing (or whatever other fish is in season).
When we departed Port Washington, the wind was perfect. We sailed the entire way north to Sheboygan. We saw lots of fishing boats around Port Washington, but then saw only one other sailboat, close to Sheboygan. Winds were about 20 knots and Andy trimmed the sails to make it a comfortable ride.
I finished the book "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Wow, I would highly recommend this one! I am definitely going to read the sequel. Now I'm reading "South of Broad," which takes place in Charleston, S.C. Another great book! Couldn't hardly put it down yesterday.
We arrived in Sheboygan at about 3:15. We docked at the Harbor Center Marina (Skipper Bud's). What a great marina! Floating docks, nice swimming pool, great showers, ship's store. I was really tired from getting up so early, so I "rested my eyes" until about 6:00 pm. We had steak on the grill. Andy is the best at cooking steaks; I always manage to make them overdone.
After dinner we got the dinghy motor down and put it on the dinghy. We went for a ride up the Sheboygan River. If you ever visit Sheboygan, you have to check out their waterfront along the river. It's not as wonderful as San Antonio, by any stretch of the imagination, but it's very quaint, has lots of great restaurants, and it has gotten even better since we were here in 2008.
Last night we watched the movie "The Secrets of Jonathon Sperry." True story. What an amazing man.
We got up "early" and left the marina in Sheboygan at 8:30. There is no wind this morning, so we are motoring north. We will either stop at Kewaunee or Sturgeon Bay, depending on how we are feeling when we get there....
My stress has been slowly melting away, and I think I can see that in Andy also. We are both in our element, on the boat, on the water, working hard but hardly working. Wish you all could be here!
Friday, June 18, 2010
OUR FIRST RACE
By Deb:
I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been a part of it. We were in a race with Island Time!
The race was sponsored by the Lake Michigan Singlehanded Society. But it was a Doublehanded race. I know, that last sentence sounds confusing. But it just means that there are two people on the boat, a captain and a crew. And I bet you know who was who.... Even if Andy does call me the Admiral, he's still the captain. :)
Do we know how to race? No. We had to study up on the rules. Andy went to the Skipper's meeting the night before. We talked to various people who race. But until you get out there, and the start boat is there, and all the other boats are milling around waiting to start, and they're telling everyone over the radio when you're going to start, and giving you a warning before the start gun sounds, and you have no idea what you're doing, do you realize how crazy it is!!
So, I was following the captain's orders. He was getting the spinnaker ready to fly. We heard it was time for us to start. Were we in the right spot, ready to go? HA! So, we were actually the LAST boat over the start line. The starter boat was leaving just as we crossed the line! It was hilarious!
There were about 28 boats leaving from Muskegon, and another 37 boats starting from Winthrop Harbor, IL. We crossed the start line at 8:35 AM. The winds were light, just right for the spinnaker. And very light all day, until about 7 PM, about 30 miles from Port Washington, and it picked up considerably. Despite being the last boat across the start, we were not the last boat at the finish. We crossed the finish line at 11: 53 pm, CT. We sailed the entire way.
When we arrived in Port Washington, the staff directed us to a place on the wall in the marina to tie up, just in front of our friend's boat (Free Spirit; Joe and David, Bob's sons, raced her over). We buttoned up the boat and fell into the berth exhausted. We didn't wake up until 10:00 AM this morning. There was a terrible storm during the night, but we barely heard it.
Today we went to the LMSS sponsored lunch, and heard who were the winners in the various classes. No, we didn't win a flag, but we did finish! Yeah for us.
I kind of like this racing stuff. Andy thought it was just okay. Being in the Chicago to Mac race is on my bucket list. Do you think....??
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Island Time is Back in the Water!!
Yesterday was a very exciting day. Island Time is back in the water for another season! Torreson's Marine helped us put her in Saturday morning. Andy and I worked since then, putting up sails, putting on the canvas, cleaning, and fixing all the things that go wrong when you first put your boat back in the water!
The video also has our friend Bob, his son Joe, and their Island Packet in it. We went for a little spin last weekend. Both Island Time and Bob's boat are both now at Harbour Towne Marina, on B dock. We're excited to be there this year!
This weekend was cold, rainy, and when we left Muskegon today, the wind was howling at 30 knots. But our first night on the boat for this season as a happy one, regardless of the weather. Besides, we had heat, coffee, internet, and lots of laughs. What more could we ask for??
See the movie here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MggBEadjWk
Thursday, June 18, 2009
We got the Spinnaker
Andy and his friend Bob, and the sailmaker went out last Saturday to try out our new spinnaker. Here are some pictures of it. We designed the pattern.
Friday, June 12, 2009
New Border Crossing Standards
I just saw this on the GLCC website. There are new requirements for border crossings as of June 1, 2009.
Feeling a little "under the weather"
Today was a big day! Andy and his friend Bob, and the guys who made our spinnaker sail took it out for a test run on Island Time. Where was I? Oh man, flat on my back on the sofa at home in DeWitt with a nasty virus that has made my throat feel like hamburger. Andy said he got some pictures. I promise I'll keep you updated with pictures and video at a later date.
Last weekend we finally got into our "permanent" slip for the summer, G-Pier #2 at Great Lakes Marina, Muskegon. Here's the link: http://www.greatlakesmarina.com/ Come and visit us!
We are planning a 2 to 3 week trip to the North Channel this summer. We will keep you posted regarding our plans and progress.
Deb
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Sailing with friends 6-08: New found pictures
Hi Friends!
We are in the midst of cleaning out and having a huge moving sale, because we are moving to Florida! I was going through some memory chips and found these pictures, from a camera that went caput on this very sailing trip! Enjoy!
Island Time is Back in the Water!
Hi Friends!
Island Time went back into the water in Muskegon on May 1. On May 2, we spent the day putting the sails back up (with our friend Dave's help), putting the canvas on, and general organization and cleaning.
It was exciting to be back on Island Time!
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