The Final Days of 2009

We are home. It has been so long since I blogged I have almost forgotten how!!

Anyway, you last heard from us as Labor Day was approaching in Frankfort. We went to the engagement party/Labor Day blast with Ron and Kay and had a wonderful time. Their location on Grand Traverse Bay is terrific. One can see city lights at night, the water is lapping away, very peaceful. It was a great party.

Then back to Frankfort where we got the boat ready to have overnight guests. Jennifer and her friend Meredith from San Francisco joined us for 5 days to move the boat across the Lake. Attached is a picture of the two of them, grinning from ear to ear, as we went to Leland for lunch on Day 1 of their visit. Jennifer of course has spent time growing up in Michigan so wanted to stay on that side of the Lake as long as possible. They took the car one day and went to Sleeping Bear Dunes and other highlights and had a blast. But on Sunday, September 13th it was time to move to Sturgeon Bay, WI. Emery and the girls took the boat and I took the Jeep on the car ferry. The weather was great and the Lake calm, so they got across in 3 hours; I took 6 hours…four on the slower ferry and an hour of driving on each side. But we got there.

We promptly went to Fish Creek for the oh-so-famous Fish Boil. We saw a good show as usual and Jennifer, Meredith and I ate the fish and accompaniments from the Boil… delicious!!! Emery had ribs but enjoyed watching the show none-the-less. On Monday we drove the three hours from Sturgeon Bay to Milwaukee where our guests were catching an early Tuesday morning flight. We stopped at Kohler along the way for lunch and a look at their famous golf courses….a fine time was had by all. Jennifer and Emery would love to play Whistling Straits together some time…maybe next year.

Then back to the boat for a final cleanup before storage. Attached is a picture of me filling the water tank for the last time in 2009. We had the oil and filters changed and then unloaded clothes and food for the trip home.

Finally, attached are pictures of the boat on the travel lift in the winter storage barn. It is huge, and light and airy, so a great place to keep The Emerys snug for the winter. We drove the 1200 miles home over three days and arrived on Saturday, September 19th. We loved the summer, but are delighted to be home. Who knows what next summer will bring.

Thanks for following the blog and enjoy your winter. Cheers to all.

Labor Day in Frankfort

We left Bay Harbor and went to Charlevoix for three days. As usual, that little town was wonderful and we enjoyed the restaurants, the shopping, the library (an old middle school re-engineered into a functioning library) and the people. We had one wet, stormy, windy day, but that is such a protected port that it matters not. Attached is a picture of the Charlevoix light, as well as pictures coming down the coast (Sleeping Bear Dunes and the Betsie Bay lighthouse) to Frankfort. I have attached pictures of its entry light and the Coast Guard station that welcomes you into Frankfort, so you get a full feeling for our Monday trip from Charlevoix to Frankfort. We even stopped in Leland for lunch, the lake was flat and the moving was easy.

We have been loving Frankfort. We have the Jeep here, so lots of freedom to move around. On Wednesday we drove to Clare (90 miles) to meet with friends Roger and Jean for lunch, visiting, and great pie for dessert. Sunday we are going to Traverse City to return the North Channel charts we borrowed from Ron and Kay and celebrate the engagement of their daughter.

And every day we walk to the lake to enjoy the spectacular sunset. Beats Mallory Square in Key West for sure!! It is salmon fishing season here, and every night about 5:00 PM 100-200 small and large fishing boats go out of Betsie Bay where we are docked to find the salmon. We watch them parade out as we have cocktails and dinner; then watch them come back after sunset. We are on an outside dock with an unobstructed view of all the action, and it is fun.

This marina is full for Labor Day weekend and there is lots going on. Once that is over however, we will be one of only a few boats left on the lake. Weather is terrific (70’s during the day and 50 and clear as a bell at night), so it is a great way to end our season. Next week Jennifer is coming to visit for 5 days and help move the boat and Jeep across the lake to Sturgeon Bay and then we start coming home. Cheers, happy Labor Day weekend.

Good Times in Bay Harbor

We are relaxing and enjoying beautiful Bay Harbor. Remember, this development has been underway for 15 years. The space used to be a rock quarry; a channel was blasted in from Lake Michigan, and the resulting harbor is Bay Harbor Lake where the marina is. Development is around this lake, the shores of Lake Michigan, and a beautiful golf course with views supposedly rivaling Pebble Beach. As we say 7 times per day “all it takes is money”.

Attached are a few pictures that give an idea of how pretty it is here. The one of Emery and the HUGE hanging basket is from the Village (with its excellent shopping) and the boat shot is one of the classic Chris Crafts that one sees frequently in Bay Harbor, Harbor Springs and Charlevoix. Enjoy!!

Mackinac Island Again

We are now in beautiful Harbor Springs, home of lots of beautiful real estate, classic boats and big pots of geraniums on the dock. It happens to be pouring rain at the moment but it is still a marvelous place.

We spent three fun days in Mackinac Island. We are seeing a lot of boats “doing the Loop”. Most are now headed for Chicago to start the trek south about the middle of September. So there are many folks to chat with. Some are living on their boats full time, some just taking a year to finish their trek. One boat is turning back east to go to the Bahamas for the winter, and one is going to stay over the winter in Michigan as we do. We had a big cocktail party one night in Mackinac with all the Loopers. There are not so many tourists on the Island as when we were there a month ago but still very busy.

This past Saturday we moved the boat to Mackinaw City where there are the amenities necessary for boating life……laundry, groceries and a pumpout. We stayed at the City docks this time, not the eco-friendly State dock we were the last time. Much better!! Our friends from 2007, Greg and Sally Whitaker on Odyssey met us for dinner and it was terrific to see them again.

Attached are a number of pictures from our last few days…..Fort Mackinac and parasails and big boats and flowers and horses…….summer near Mackinac.

Next we are going to Bay Harbor and Charlevoix. We are looking forward to getting into those ports. Happy summer.

Back in the USA

We are back in the U.S. of A. While in Canada we fly the Canadian flag, so attached is a picture of Emery hauling it down.

Yesterday we left Gore Bay for Meldrum Bay, the eastern-most port on giant Manitoulin Island. We pulled into Meldrum in a big wind, and despite reservations, we were going to end up with no power to hook to. So we had lunch and pressed on to DeTour Village, MI. Big waves, first on the port side bow, then the starboard side as we turned south. So the boat got pounded and we got wet. It is amazing how well the boat behaves and holds together with that kind of banging around. The waves really weren’t that big, but with the wind and our speed it was an exciting ride!!!

We are going to Mackinac Island today and stay there for three nights. Horses, bikes, fudge and people……our favorite port. We now notice fewer boats in the marinas, and think school will start next week in Michigan. So we will find it easier to get slip space I am sure. Weather is great and we are happy. Cheers to everyone!!

Happy 70th Birthday

Happy 70th Birthday, Emery. Here’s a picture of the birthday boy enjoying his morning coffee. Thank you to everyone who called to help celebrate the day. There was no birthday cake, but it was a super day none-the-less.

We started the day at Eagle Island and finished in Gore Bay. Eagle Island was our last, planned anchoring-out spot for 2009. And what a place. The wind was dead calm so the quiet is absolute. We shared the cove with a few other boats and a pair of loons who called frequently throughout the late afternoon. Beautiful. And it was another night of no clouds, no moon so the stars were very bright. We saw the milky way at its best….all in all quite the most peaceful mooring we have had, and a great way to end the anchoring adventure.

At noon we pulled anchor and headed west to Gore Bay, a small town on Manitoulin Island where we are now tied up at a nice city dock. We will restock the boat today, do some laundry and move to Meldrum Bay, the western-most port on Manitoulin, tomorrow. We had a huge rain/windstorm last night, so we were glad to be in port.

A great birthday and we continue to enjoy the North Channel.

Anchoring in Covered Portage Cove

Note: Pictures loaded backwards. We’ve been anchored out for two nights in Covered Portage Cove, a spot a bit north of Killarney. The weather is terrific…high 70’s, clear skies and no wind.

Covered Portage is a very popular cove, and the good weather is bringing out lots of boaters. So we had other boats with us, but that is good as there is dinghy visiting and people to talk with. Rob and Tracy, long haul truckers who live on the Trent Severn Waterway, helped untangle a line from our prop using a snorkel and fins they travel with just for underwater emergencies like that. Our list of stuff we need to anchor out properly grows daily!! Lots of fir trees and white granite in Covered Portage, as the first attached pictures show.

We climbed to the top of the rocks above our boat and were treated to more spectacular views. We were looking right done on the boat so I have attached our view of that as well. At night the sky and stars are spectacular as there is no ambient light to get in the way. We did not see the meteor shower however as we were fast asleep at optimum time.

Today we are back in Killarney to restock the boat and see other folks we’ve met in the North Channel. Thought you might be amused by the seaplane parked in the slip next to us…..that is a popular mode of transportation around here. Killarney Mountain Lodge is a popular boater stop because of the pool and good restaurant at the resort. After a day or two here we are going to head west and stop at some anchorages and ports before heading to Mackinac Island and Michigan. Happy August!!!

Climbing to the Top

There is a high peak in the granite hills surrounding Marianne’s Cove in Baie Fin. We climbed it, and the view from the top is spectacular. Attached is a picture of Emery as we started up, Mary at the top (bruises and blood included) and the view. Quite a satisfying 45 minute trip up, and hard coming down the rocks. Beautiful.

That climb was Friday, and on Saturday we pulled up anchor and came to Killarney on the east end of a channel between the North Channel and Georgian Bay. This is home to Mountain Lodge and Herbert’s Fish (red school bus) that we loved coming through here in 2007. Fun place and we have laughed and chatted with lots of boaters and Lodge guests. We were entertained on Saturday night in the Carousel Bar at Mountain Lodge by a guy who could sing almost anything requested…..Sinatra, John Denver, Johnny Cash, whoever. Lots of fun. Sunday morning was a killer thunderstorm and today is beautiful blue sky and 75 degrees. We went to the pool and then to dinner tonight at the Lodge to celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary.

Tomorrow we are headed off the Covered Portage Cove to anchor out again. Who knows what we will experience there. Cheers to all.

Marianne's Cove, Baie Fine

Hello. I am writing this on Friday morning, August 7th and not sure when I will get to post it. We are anchored out in Marianne’s Cove, in Baie Fin (the Bay of Finn) in the North Channel of Lake Huron. It is beautiful and I have attached a few pictures of the scenery.

We arrived yesterday after a 15 mile run from Little Current, where on Wednesday we got 150 feet of chain road for the anchor. Put the winch assembly back together after feeding in the chain, and we are really all set now to anchor out successfully as we replaced one of the house batteries also. I am happy to report the anchor works beautifully, the house batteries work perfectly and we spent the night peacefully with an anchor that held and two rear lines attached to trees on shore. What a difference it makes when there is no wind blowing.

Today we plan to hike and swim and run the dinghy around this beautiful cove. This is living.

Cruise Ship Clelia II

Fun day in Little Current as a private, yacht-like cruise ship has come in to dock for a day. The Clelia II flies the flag of Malta and comes in once a week during July and August. There are 50 staterooms, 100 passengers…most of them looking like gray-haired retirees. The ship is 290 feet long, has a 50 foot beam, 12 foot draft and looks like an ocean liner moored to the wall here in Little Current. Attached are photos of the ship, my favorite being as it leaves here under the big highway bridge, which it dwarfed on the way out. Enjoy the pictures.

Little Current Festivities

The wind is still howling here in Little Current, but it is a” happenin’” place to be. We arrived on Sunday in the midst of Haweaters Homecoming Weekend. Little Current is the biggest town on Manitoulin Island, which is the biggest island in the North Channel. Folks born on the island are called haweaters. Hawberries grow in profusion here, are bitter to eat, but make great jam. Anyway…..

There was a big parade on Sunday right after we arrived. Attached are a few pictures from that funky event. A street fair was in full swing, and the evening ended with a lighted boat parade and terrific fireworks. The fireworks are underwritten by the Evinrude family (the guy married a Canadian woman) and they were terrific. We had a front row seat from the boat.

Monday was a civic holiday (no reason, just the first Monday in August), so we made no progress on fixing the anchor. But bright and early this morning Emery brought the boat mechanic on board and parts and chain are ordered for delivery tomorrow. So we should be fixed soon.

Little Current is a fun place. The only “hot spot” for the phone is under the “Turner” sign in the notions area of the local department store; and internet is available only at either the bar or the tea room. All the boaters gather in those locations and it is a continuous party environment.

This is a hugely busy port with boats coming and going all day long. The current runs very fast and changes direction several times per day. Combined with the winds (30 mph today) it is high drama to watch boats try to dock. So we will leave in a day or two I guess. Stay tuned.

The Benjamins, Part 3

Well, just as we got settled in for the night, John called from the sailboat. Jean had taken Dante to shore in their dinghy for his last walk of the night, and the dinghy motor quit. So Jean and Dante had blown all the way into the end of the cove and were stranded there.

We re-launched our dinghy and went to the rescue. However, our dinghy isn’t very powerful, so there was little chance we could haul Jean’s dinghy back in the dark (with wind and waves still enough to get your attention). So we ran over to the other sailboat anchored in the cove to get their help. That boat had a big powerful dinghy and two young guys on it; we had spoken to them earlier in the day. The guys said they’d launch right away.

John had by now found Jean with his powerful searchlight and she was walking along shore in thigh high water pulling the dinghy out of the weeds. We motored over with our searchlight and held her dinghy off the rocks and weeds while she climbed back aboard and the guys got their big dinghy launched and came to get Jean. They easily towed Jean and Dante to the sailboat and we motored home to our boat and everyone settled in for a relatively peaceful night.

Next morning we decided it was time to leave and come to Little Current, about 18 miles farther east in the North Channel. Jean and John were headed west to Gore Bay. Wind was now directly from the west, so the cove we were in was pretty calm. We all got ready to go, then began the process of getting The Emerys un-anchored. Everything is by dinghy of course. So we dinghied to shore to untie from the tree. Then Emery started our boat while I went to get John so he could help haul up our anchor. I kept the boat off the rocks while Emery and John got the anchor up and stowed, then delivered John back to his boat. Then came the task of getting our dinghy landed on our boat while it is moving around; easier than I expected and we got out of there and came to Little Current.

All in all, South Benjamin was a great adventure. I loved it, Emery liked parts of it, when we get the anchor fixed in Little Current we will try another anchorage. Stay tuned!!!

The Benjamins, Part 2

Shortly after the Conyers left the boat, and after we had cleaned up the dinner party mess, the wind came up. 15 miles per hour, with a few gusts higher…….you got it, directly from the south!!!! Remember, we are anchored plus tied from the stern, with the bow pointed east, the stern west. Yep, we are now taking wind and waves broadside. Needless to say I slept above that night!!

Morning came and brought a measure of calm. We looked, John and Jean looked, at the forecasts and it seemed we were in for a reasonable day with some chance of winds from the southwest later in the day, so we made the decision to stay and enjoy the island, a pink granite mass covered with wild blueberry bushes, cedar trees and scrub. So we both dinghied to shore, John and Jean with their Airedale dog Dante and lots of cushions, food, etc for the day. We hiked, picked blueberries, started a fire and generally enjoyed ourselves for a few hours. Attached are pictures from the day.

About 1 o’clock the wind came up, again from the south, and light rain moved in. We built a comfy shelter in a group of trees and shrubs right by the fire and settled in. All was well until Conyers’ sailboat pulled loose from its rear mooring on a piton in the rock and began to swing on anchor only. Not a bad situation, but they decided they’d like to be on the boat to see that the anchor would hold. So they left Dante with us and off they went in their dinghy to the sailboat. After a bit John came back leaving Jean on the sailboat.

Message as follows: Wind is now at 35 miles per hour from the south and not due to change to southwest for a few hours, and a heavy rain is coming. Their sailboat, now bow into the wind rather than broadside to it, was very stable (9 foot, ballasted keel below helped stability) so lets leave the island before the big rain hits. So we loaded all the gear into our dinghy (which isn’t powerful enough to go on its own directly into the wind and waves) and Mary, Emery, Dante and John into their dinghy. Off we went, hauling our dinghy behind. Hard to describe the short trip, but wind, waves, rain made it an adventure. But we made it, and spent a comfortable few hours on the big sailboat as the storm rolled by. We had dinner and then just before dark we took our dinghy over to our boat for the night. It had calmed down a bit, and the wind did in fact shift to the southwest, giving us relief from the direct broadside waves.

We settled in….then????? See the next blog for the nighttime adventure that really capped it off.

The Benjamins, Part 1

We ran to South Benjamin Island and met up with John and Jean Conyers. It is about an 80 mile distance from DeTour Village and the scenery is excellent here in the North Channel. Lots of islands large and small, big sky, puffy clouds and quite a few boats. All in all very different from the experience of running across, and north and south on Lake Michigan where there is only open water and almost no boat traffic.

Well, we found Jean and John in a small cove on the south side of the island and got anchored. The process of anchoring was quite exciting. Ideally, one drops an anchor off the bow and then you get in the dinghy and run a line off the stern to shore where you tie off to a tree or a piton someone has driven into the granite wall. I have attached a picture of the topography of the cove to give you an idea of what the cove looks like.

Anchoring was tough because early in the process the line got tangled in the winch as the anchor was lowering. Emery finally ended up cutting the line and lowering the anchor by hand. Attached is a picture of Emery and John working on the anchor. Then Jean, a fabulous knot expert, tied us to a tree, and we were in!!!!

We got together for dinner on our boat (mussels, shrimp, a little pasta, salad, cherries) and wine and fun was had by all. Attached is a picture of the group.

This ends Part 1of the South Benjamin adventure. An important fact to know for the next episode is that our anchorage spot was protected from all except winds from the south. So stay tuned.

Mackinaw City/Mackinac Island

We were all set to leave Mackinaw City on Tuesday morning……but not so fast! The starter in the starboard engine “froze up”, so we needed to have it replaced. As we know, parts take a day or so to get delivered, so on Wednesday we went to Mackinac Island on the ferry while we waited.

Attached are a number of pictures from that fun day. The first is Emery and I sitting on the steps of the Episcopal mission that was established in 1865. Then comes a busy street scene from the downtown tourist part of the island which is mobbed with people, bicycles and horse drawn vehicles of all sizes and shapes.

Then we walked up to the Grand Hotel, a lovely quiet oasis in the chaos which is Mackinac during high tourist season. The third picture is of the back entrance to the famous porch. That big porch with the fabulous view and the flowers and rocking chairs and snapping flags was virtually deserted on Wednesday afternoon. We sat for an hour on the porch, then moved to the grill at the Grand Hotel’s golf course and had a great lunch/dinner. The final picture is of a gorgeous topiary at the hotel sheared into a horse and carriage……the teams of matched horses and carriage are ubiquitous around the Grand Hotel.

Today, Thursday the mechanic came with the part at 8 A.M. and we were underway by 11:30 A.M. We are now in DeTour Village, a remote Michigan Upper Peninsula port just west of the North Channel. We are going to run tomorrow to South Benjamin Island and join John and Jean Conyers and anchor out. Stay tuned for further adventures.