Bouncing Along Michigan

8/27/11 Saturday     Irish Boat Shop is a working boat yard that doesn't have many slips that will accommodate Tourist thus they put us on the wall next to the travel lifts. Tight but not too bad. They did offer a 20 percent Looper discount for overnights.

Tighter than it looks.

Bru & Sandy had access to a car that one of the slipholders let them use during their stay. Nice! Since we had wheels we went for a drive around Charlevoix. A picturesque little harbor town with a beautiful waterfront and some unusual homes that resemble a mushroom.

Mushroom home.

Downtown waterfront.
The whole area is a vacation mecca with golf, water sports, winter sports, and the usual stores that go with a tourist hot spot. We finished the day with cocktails (Like you couldn't guess!) on Coconuts.

8/28/11 Sunday     At a little after 9 we wiggled our way out of the Irish Boat Shop marina and headed to the draw bridge hoping to make the 9:30 opening. Just as we entered Round Lake and had the bridge in sight at 9:28 it started to open and let 3 boats through. We were only a couple hundred yards from it when it started coming back down. Drats! Nothing to do but float around until 10am and look at the downtown and surrounding area.

Charlevoix bridge.

We finally got through the bridge and back onto Lake Michigan. Our destination today. Leland and it's Fishtown area. Seas were forecasted to be 1' to 3' coming from the north. That meant following seas for Tourist. Something that makes her tail swing back and forth like the pendulum on a clock. We applied enough speed to minimize the swinging and made our way to Leland arriving a little after noon. Once Tourist was secured we headed to town. About a hundred yards away!
We walked through the Fishtown area to Rick's Cafe.

Fishtown.

Rick's Cafe.

Once inside we perused the menu and decided to order a couple of Chubby Mary's to get things started.

Chubby Mary's. Is that a fish in there? Rick, he's looking at me!

Which is Chubby and who is Mary?

Lunch was great as were the Chubby's and it took every ounce of my will power to keep from going back to the boat and taking a nap. Leland is a neat little town with touristy shops, grocery store, and fish market all within easy walking distance from the marina.

Looking out over the marina to the Lake.

8/29/11 Monday     We were hoping to sneak across the lake to the Door County area of Wisconsin today but with a forecast of 2' to 4' seas we decided to continue heading south. We passed the Sleeping Bear Dunes area and tried to figure out what drug the person was on who thought the dunes resembled a sleeping bear.

Sleeping Bear Dunes. A big pile of sand.

Our ride was smooth until we rounded Betsie Point then the water became confused with waves coming at us from the front and from the side. For the last leg of the journey it was like being in a washing machine. The breakwater at Manistee was a welcome sight as we slid in between the protective rocks. We quickly found our marina and got secured. We weren't in any danger on the lake, just an uncomfortable ride that we were glad to be done with.

Update

8/27/11 Saturday     Since our last entry a lot has happened. Of course we were busy catching up with friends & family and taking care of household chores, but more to the point Pam met the surgeon on Tuesday. A nice man with a calming bedside manner which put us both at ease. Following a brief discussion about the situation he had Pam remove her top and proceeded to perform his own ultrasound of her breast. (Let me insert at this point; Where was the representative from this field of medicine at career day when I was in High School? Get paid to examine female breasts! What a gig and you're not thought of as a pervert!) Hmmm..... Back to reality.

The doctor did the exam with both Pam & I looking at the monitor while he explained what he was seeing. His conclusion. There is a tiny spot that he believes is fluid among the ducts of her breast and at this time would advise leaving it alone and have it rechecked in a few months. In the meantime he recommended that we return to the boat and continue with our lives and not to worry. So that is what we're trying to do.

Pam & I would like to thank everyone for their prayers and thoughts as she goes through this scare. There is no doubt that it has helped to ease our minds. The outpouring of concern is truly a blessing that we both cherish. Thank you!

With the news from the surgeon we immediately booked a rental car for the next day. Said our rounds of goodbyes, and headed back to Tourist in Mackinaw City.

When we arrived at the boat the wind was blowing at about 25 to 30 mph with a light mist to make it even more enjoyable. The forecast for Thursday was calling for strong winds as well with seas of 3' to 7' on Lake Michigan. A good day to stay in port. We got the boat organized and snooped around town playing what else? Tourists!

Friday morning with a forecast of 2' to 4' we departed Mackinaw City. Not much traffic heading out at 6:30am. Under the bridge heading west it wasn't long before we met a freighter coming at us but no worries, there is plenty of room to avoid being run over. Seas were 1' or less making for a comfortable ride.
As we got past land and into the upper end of the lake the waves began to build to 2' to 3' but with a southwest wind they were on our nose for the entire trip to Charlevoix. We arrived just in time to make the noon opening of the bridge that blocks entry into the Charlevoix harbor area. We are now at the Irish Boat Shop where we reunited with the Coconuts crew. The plan is to pull out Sunday and continue travelling south.

Sunrise over the Straits of Mackinac.

Mackinac Bridge.

Entrance to Charlevoix.

Still Home Waiting

8/19/11 Friday     Anyone who has ever spent time cruising knows that not all things go according to plan. So it is in our lives right now. Our reason for coming home was for Pam to have another mammogram done as well as an ultrasound. Seems that when we were home in June and had our checkups they found a suspicious looking spot on one of her breasts. Of course we weren't notified of this until we were back on Tourist and well into Canada. Our first stop back in the states that would afford us a convenient place to head home from was going to be the Mackinac area of Michigan where Tourist is now.

Pam's appointment was Tuesday and didn't take long at all however they wouldn't tell her what they had found. That is the doctors job and she would be in touch in a day or two. At this point I think we may get better info if we had gone to a veterinarian! Anyway, home we go with both of us worrying about the unknown. Our plan was to wait overnight and call the doctor in the morning. Miracle of miracles the doctor calls first thing Wednesday morning. (If I sound sarcastic it's only because to this point our communication with the doctor, nurse, and x-ray department has been as straight forward as one of those corn mazes you see in the Midwest every fall.)

The ultrasound confirms that there is a nodule inside. They believe it has a low risk of cancer and we can take one of two courses of action. 1. Wait 6 months and have another mammogram and see if it has changed. Or 2. Have a lumpectomy and remove it and check it for cancer. Needless to say we opted for #2.

Our next step is to meet the surgeon on this coming Tuesday (the earliest he could see us) and discuss the procedure and I assume also schedule the surgery. Until then we sit suspended in our own thoughts and worries and Tourist sits waiting for her crew to return.

Tourist waiting at Straits State Marina.

On to Mackinac with a side of home.

8/10/11 Wednesday     When I checked NOAA a couple of days ago the forecast called for winds of 10 knots out of the NW and 1' to 2' seas for our travels to Mackinac Island today. It may come as a surprise to you that they were wrong! Rain with 20 knot winds with gusts to 30 knots and predicted seas of 3' to 5' greeted us as we woke up this morning. It didn't take long to make the decision to stay put in our slip. Even there we were rockin' as the waves came around the breakwater. The wind continued all day long making it a very bad hair day for one of the crew!

Whitecaps outside of Drummond Island Yacht Haven.

Marina office with Customs located just left of the maroon SUV.

It was a lazy kind of day with a few boat chores getting done and of course the mandatory afternoon nap.

8/11/11 Thursday     A new day with light winds and sunshine greeted us this morning and so we prepared to get underway. Unfortunately Coconuts prop wasn't back yet and so we would be reluctantly moving on without them. Sniff, sniff. We have enjoyed travelling with Bru & Sandy these past few weeks and hope that we can get back together down the road.

The Brubakers

After saying our goodbye's we pulled out of Drummond Island shortly after 9am. Conditions were great with a light chop on the water as we headed for the open water of Lake Huron. It wasn't long and we were overtaking Lollygag, an unmistakable homemade sailboat who we had first met back in Waterford, NY. at the start of the Erie Canal.

Lollygag. (http://www.lollygagaroundtheloop.blogspot.com/)

We slipped past DeTour Village listening to a report of an dinghy floating unmanned in the area. We didn't see it but later heard a transmission from a boat who apparently lost it and didn't realize it was gone. Huh?

We had a pleasant ride across the top of the lake and arrived off Mackinac Island around 1:30pm.

Grand Hotel.

Mackinac with the fort in the background.

We met this guy on our way to Mackinac.

One of the Star Line ferries.

We cruised past the island and dodged the ferries as we made our way to Straits State Marina. Only 3 years old this is a marina that is hard to find. Not one cruising guide has it listed and it doesn't show up on my plotter. Thanks to Active Captain we were able to get a number and make a reservation.
Once we got close a call on the VHF got us directions into the marina and to the fuel dock before heading to our slip. Lack of publicity was evident as there were only 10 boats occupying the 120 slips. We found the place to be clean and close to the services of Mackinaw City. The only thing that may be a stretch is the IGA food store but we were told that they would give us a ride back to the boat.

Empty slips at Straits State Marina.

What's not to like about a marina within walking distance of a fish market?

Our reason for coming to Mackinaw City was because of our need to go home for a few days. Research showed that this was the closest spot to a rental car agency and that there is a shuttle service that will take you the 20 miles to get it.

As it turned out we didn't need it. In a conversation with my parents they said they had nothing to do this weekend and would be happy to drive up and get us.

8/12/11 Friday     5am Central Time my parents left their home in NW Illinois. 4pm Eastern time they pulled into Mackinaw City. 535 miles. Not bad for a couple in their 80's. In fact they were visiting with the Harbormaster when Pam & I returned from the laundry. We visited for awhile then had dinner and a movie before retiring for the night.

8/13/11 Saturday     Not to be outdone by my parents I took the wheel as we left MC at 6:20am Eastern and pulled into our driveway at 2:30pm Central. We will be home for a week then back to the Loop.

Received some pictures from Greg & Kate of M/V Grianan of Tourist at the Big Chute Railway. Thanks for the photos.

Tourist entering the rail car with Pam keeping an eye on the boats in front of us.

Up and out.

Over the hill we go!

Back to the USA

8/6/11 Saturday     Happy Birthday Pam!

My Princess strolling the beach.

A change in plans found us spending last night in Little Current. I found a barber for my first haircut since June, and Pam found a grocery store. A good stop!

A pretty day met us as we headed out of Little Current. The seas were calm and all was well until we were invaded by bugs! There must have been a zillion of them! Here we were in open water with no land close by and bugs so thick you could only talk by keeping your lips sealed. We both sounded like a pair of kazoo's.
The bugs kept up with us as we explored the anchorage at Croker Island and looked around the Benjamin's. It wasn't until we decided to head to Gore Bay and run a bit faster that we shook most of the pests.

Little Current morning.

Croker Island anchorage.

Bug Carnage! Just a small portion of them.

Gore Bay where we anchored for the night just outside the marina.

Anchored in Gore Bay and secured we dropped the dinghy in the water and went to town. We found a grocery store, a hardware store, a couple restaurants, and an LCBO (liquor store). A quiet little town with everything condensed into a small area.

Back to the boats, we finished the day with cocktails aboard Coconuts where we celebrated Pam's B-day with a delicious pie that Sandy had picked up at the store in Gore Bay.

8/7/11 Sunday     Happy Birthday Dad!
That's right. Back to back birthdays for Pam and Lew. Easy for me to remember that way.

Luke & Dad.

The forecast called for rain and waves of one half meter building to one meter later in the afternoon. Not great but not terrible so off we went. The rain forecast was on the money starting not long after we cleared the harbor. Occasionally we could see lightning in the distance but it eventually passed south of us.

Gore Bay Lighthouse.

The waves started out as predicted but as the day grew on they started to build past the one meter stage making it a rock & roll ride that had us holding on every time we moved around on the boat.

Before it got bumpy.

With the wind out of the NE we had limited options for anchoring or marinas that would offer us protection. While researching this stretch we found a spot called Pilot Cove on Drummond Island that looked perfect. The Ports book described it as secluded, bigger than it looked in the picture, and a narrow entrance that in 2010 had allowed boats with a 6' draft to enter. Pilot Cove here we come. We splashed our way across the North Channel and arrived outside Pilot Cove's location only to find that the entrance wasn't readily visible. Closer in we went, since the charts showed good water right up to shore. Finally I spotted it and slowed the boat to an idle. This was going to be tricky. Making a quick assessment I decided to hug the port side upon entering and go in on one engine to keep our forward speed at a minimum. 10 feet. 7 feet. 6 feet. 4 feet. 3 feet under the keel with boulders on our starboard that were too close for comfort. Once inside the depth went back up to 10' under the keel but there was barely enough room to turn the boat around. We quickly positioned Tourist and dropped the anchor. We then ran a line to shore from the stern and also from the bow. Not very wide at all and certainly not what we had been led to believe from the description in the book. It was however flat calm with little trace of the wind that was howling on the open water.

Our running mate wasn't as lucky upon entering and ticked a prop on the rocks. Once both boats were secured we dinghied back to the entrance to sound it and mark it with floats so we could get out safely the next morning.

Entrance with our markers in place.

Tourist and Coconuts in Pilot Cove.

The anchorage was calm except for the disturbance made by the resident beaver who was very upset with our invasion of his space. After swimming around slapping his tail in the water he retreated to land where he sat for hours watching us. Later on we spotted a deer on shore eating her way around the cove.

Bambi of Pilot Cove.

8/8/11 Monday     We inched our way out of Pilot Cove and worked our way around the north shore of Drummond Island to the Drummond Island Yacht Haven (http://www.diyachthaven.com/) to clear U.S. customs and check out the prop on Coconuts. The customs agents came right to the boat and after a few questions we were officially back home! We originally planned on continuing on to DeTour Village for the night but decided to stay here. Only problem. No cell service. We can't even text! For weeks we have been looking forward to getting back in the states so we would have full use of our phones and computer. Not to be. Welcome home.
For $12.00 we rented one of the vehicles from the marina and went to dinner at the Northwood Restaurant which turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

8/9/11 Tuesday     Strong thunderstorms moving through our intended path of travel kept us in port today so maintenance took the stage. First up get the shop vac out and suck up the bugs in the engine room. Yuck!Second, change the sea water impeller on the generator. Only 100 hours on it. What's up with that? Next tighten a fitting on the dripless shaft seals. Last, change the duck valves on the macerator pump for the master head. Double Yuck! One thing about a boat, there's always something to do.
Later in the day the Coconuts crew joined us for cocktails and we proceeded to drink our dinner.

Baie Fine

8/3/11 Wednesday    Free day in Killarney! Spent the better part of the morning on the internet getting booted off because I exceeded the capacity I was allotted! What? This part of being in Canada I do not like. The good news is that it was raining all morning so I didn't have anything else to do.

Once the rain stopped we took a stroll downtown and had lunch and checked out the Sportsman's Inn. Not much going on but still a pleasant stop.

Fish & Chips bus in Killarney.

Sportsman's Inn.

Boat Picture for Buttgravy.

8/4/11 Thursday     Our adventure today started at 6:50am with our departure from Killarney. Calm seas made for a great ride to our next destination of Baie Fine. We arrived at 10:30am. Checked out the area known as the pool and then backtracked to anchor a short distance away.

Calm seas.

Heading into Baie Fine.

Pam checking for rocks while entering the pool.

Once we anchored we lowered the dinghy, packed a lunch, and headed for Topaz Lake. To get there requires a hike through the woods and uphill to the lake which is nestled up in the hills.

Hiking to the lake.

Topaz Lake.

We had lunch on the rocks and then went swimming. The water was warm and the color of a swimming pool.

Swimming in Topaz lake.

One scare did occur while we were there. Pam was watching me swim and put the camera down on the rocks where it started to slide towards the lake. Pam and Sandy screamed loud enough to hear back in Illinois which got the attention of a young man who was able to get to the camera just before it did a swan dive into the lake. Crisis averted we enjoyed our remaining time until we had to walk back down the trail and return to the boats. We enjoyed a nice sunset before turning in.

Sunset in Baie Fine.
8/5/11 Friday     The night at anchor was great and we awoke to a flat calm anchorage.

Morning in Baie Fine.

Tourist in Baie Fine.

Reluctantly we left Baie Fine and headed towards Little Current. On the way we checked out the anchorage at Heywood Island. Too close for us today but a great spot to sit out a storm if needed. We timed our travels to arrive in Little Current at the top of the hour to minimize our wait at the swing bridge which only opens once an hour.

Little Current bridge.

In reading the guides you would think that the bridge at Little Current was the most dangerous span you could ever pass through. I'm sure it can be but it isn't anything worse that our Mississippi River bridges back home. Once through it's just a stones throw to the city docks where you can stay overnight or just for a couple of hours to provision. Of course overnight costs but the short stay doesn't. Little Current has plenty to offer the cruiser and proved to be a good stop.

By the way. Tomorrow is Pam's birthday!