Harrisville to Presque Isle, MI

We passed several light houses

The storm front moved through the area last night with only a little rain and it was fairly calm with a slight breeze from the northeast when we departed at 8:00 this morning. We expected the wind and waves to build through the day but needed to make progress towards Mackinac City. Quartering sea for the first half of the trip off the port bow, a bit of rock and roll until Thunder Bay. Once around the corner, then head on into the wind and waves. The autopilot worked very well and held our course throughout the day. But the sundeck furniture said they had enough and started toward the door. We corralled them back to the sundeck once the waves subsided a bit.

Scotts boating endorsement: Driving the boat is better than sitting on the couch!

Great, I think???

Manuvering to shore

We saw two freighters on the way one some distance off and a second behind us but close to shore as were we. The freighter passed us and then seemed to be crossing our path, at Stoneport the freighter headed for shore directly in front of us, I guess he had an appointment with a bunch of stone. Really nice to see this large boat maneuver toward the loading area.

Our stone freighter

We stopped short of our planned destination due to the building seas and wind and stopped at Presque Isle Harbor a Michigan DNR sponsored marina. Fairly new and well managed and kept nice dock house and deli across the street.





Safe behind the rock wall

Hoping for better winds and seas tomorrow.

Harbor Beach to Harrisville, MI

Harbor of Refuge

One of the few times we will lose sight of land is the crossing of Saginaw Bay. Today we read mixed weather reports some said the wind would diminish and others said it would stay at 10-15 from the SE. About 58 nm of open water between the two ports with little place for refuge. We decided to leave as early as possible, so up a 6:00 and we weighed anchor about 6:45 after our normal morning routine of checking and warming the engine, checking the instruments, washing down the anchor rode and anchor and of course making coffee breakfast is usually later.

Nice quiet coast line to the PTE AUX BARQUES LIGHT and then open water to Harrisville our destination. The wind did build most of the day 15-17 knots from the Southeast up the bay to our port stern quarter. We used the auto pilot the first couple of hours and then steered manually the rest of the trip. Scott learned how to surf a 40 ft. 25,000 lb. trawler as we reached Harrisville in three foot waves.

Notice the flags

Sunny and cool and another successful 58 nm day. The Harrisville Harbor is a Harbor of Refuge built by the Michigan DNR for the town. Harrisville manages the marina and it is within walking access of the center of town. Harrisville has a quilt shop so I saved a bunch of money because Scott does not quilt.

We arrived about 3:00 and settled in, took a walk about town, cleaned up and Scott prepared flame broiled chicken, nothing but the best. We expect rain tonight and tomorrow morning, not sure about traveling yet.  

Olympic Trawler Surfing Champion, Scott Johnson

Port Huron to Harbor Beach, MI

Bluewater bridge the sailboat ahead and a 3+ knot current

We departed the slip about 7:15 and requested an opening from the 7^th street bridge. 7^th street replies and Military Street replied as well. Most towns have more than one bridge in this case operated 24/7 by two people. One call on the radio and we can contact both on channel 09, however, they will not raise the second bridge until the first bridge is fully lowered and passing traffic. In this manner they are assured one bridge is always functional incase the second bridge gets stuck open. We entered the St. Clair River expecting a strong current and were not disappointed. We watched a sailboat ahead of us deal with the current and weave back and forth as the current pushed it along. Watching our speed decline to 3.5 knots for a short period of time told us we were facing a 3.75 knot adverse current. The strongest current was under the Bluewater Bridge to Canada and of course this is the best fishing area as well and the opening was dotted with fishing boats. So we did a bit of a slalom course between the fishermen. Then of course, a 38 ft. twin engine power boat needs to pass us and the fishing boats at 20 knots throwing a large wake. We could turn into the wake but the drifting open fishing boats were not as mobile. Some people are inconsiderate even when on the water.

Lighthouse at Port Huron

A light north breeze all day but little waves and a fine ride arriving about 3:00. We decided to anchor in the harbor, but from the time we set the anchor I was a bit uneasy since we had no protection from the south or south east. The wind was to turn to the south in the morning but as one could expect it began this evening and the forecast 3-7 knots became 10 knots and building. Scott grilled some delicious pork chops and made a salad with spinach, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onion, yellow bell pepper and mushrooms. I like his high protein diet and he has lost 16 pounds, so I guess he likes it as well.

Salvage of Tug and Barge sunk last week

After supper we decided to move the boat and possibly move to the marina in the harbor. After moving to the lee shore we could feel the protection from the trees and I was satisfied with the anchorage. We can see the flag on the lighthouse on the breakwall standing straight off the staff but here ours are hanging down. We do expect the wind to diminish overnight but weather is the most variable part of our journey.

Cool this evening in the 60s at 9:00 PM, and the breeze is starting to diminish. Nice sunset over an industrial harbor with a power station at the center and a nice municipal fishing pier.

Lighthouse at Harbor Beach entrance

Nice Sunset

River Street Marina, Port Huron, MI

Welcome to Leg 4


Scott enjoying the evening on Reunion

Scott Johnson and I rode the Amtrak Bluewater Limited last night arriving Port Huron, MI at 12:11 AM picked up a cab at the station and returned to Reunion for a restful nights sleep. The weather today inland was fine sunny 15 knot NNE wind sunny and low 80’s, however Lake Huron had 3 to 5 foot waves all day so we began leg 4 with a Marina Day. We went grocery shopping, filled the boat with 155 gallons of diesel and 100 gallons of potable water, pumped the holding tank, walked to the local boat store for supplies and generally prepared the boat and ourselves for the trip. The boat and all the electronics and gear seem to be in serviceable condition and we hope to leave early tomorrow weather permitting.

Scott and Kim married two years ago, he likes being on the boat and there will be new experiences for Scott this week. Today he learned how to land the boat using both the bow and stern lines to help place the boat where necessary for fuel and pump out.

He grilled a couple of steaks, a bit of salad, sautéed mushrooms and onions for dinner and we enjoyed the day watching other boats motor up and down the river.



The River Street Marina has about 100 slips we are in slip 49 and a sailboat pulled in the slip next to us. They were returning from completing both Mac races, that is Chicago to Mackinaw and Port Huron to Mackinaw. They will be here a couple of days and then return to Detroit.



Harrison Township Metropark to Port Huron, MI (End Leg 3)

Well we knew it would rain eventually, it was forecast for two days. Forecasted to first start before 7, then to after 8:00 then after 11:00 and finally after 1:00. We were on track to arrive at two but about 12:45 it began to rain, we covered everything Carol went below and I donned my rain jacket. It rained quite hard for 15 or 20 minutes and then again off and on for the next hour. By the time we entered the Black River the rain had stopped for a time. The top still leaks and I still get wet at the helm, but while driving in the rain I designed a new top system to provide protection without cocooning the entire bridge. I’ll talk to the canvas shop when I return.

The ride up the St. Clair River was great, nice cottages and homes on the US side and very rural on the Canadian side, hard to get used to the idea that the east side of the river is a foreign country. Country flags on both sides of the river. No bridges here linking the two sides but we did cross two ferry routes. It must be strange living across the river but with little access to the other side. I hope we get a chance to visit Canada on our longer voyage.

At the River Street Marina now for two weeks, we could not dock here last night since it was their big party celebrating the Mac race. When I first called about a slip 4 weeks ago they mentioned the Mac race and I thought how big a deal could that be they race from Chicago to Mackinaw. I did not know there is a Port Huron to Mackinaw race as well and it started yesterday noon. I guess I am from the wrong side of the peninsula.

The sun is back out and we will catch a cab at 5:00 for the train station and the Blue Water Express from Port Huron to Chicago.

Leg 4 begins July 28^th around Michigan through the Mackinac Straights either down to Lake Charlevoix or across the UP to Manistique then to Washington Island.

Early morning Freighter

Houses on pilings with water front and back, no mowing

It is Sunday, we think of Mt. Pleasant a lot

Classic

The Canadian Side

Freighters are big and deserve our attention

Canadian Ferry dock

Canadian House

Metro Beach Metropark, Huron Clinton Metroparks

Semicircular Marina

Marina day and very nice the park is quite nice with a trackless train that will take people to the point from the parking lot. No cars in the park, but the trackless train has a flatbed trailer for your ice chest, grill, 50 bottles of water or whatever. For one dollar you can take a round trip to the point and back to the parking lot. Lots of people riding bikes and roller blading is encouraged. Nice pool, beach, spray park, reception hall complete with a Saturday wedding, beach shop and snack bar and of course a 256 slip marina and launch area. Michigan has made a real commitment to recreational boating and has 80 State owned marinas. We hope to enjoy several of them on Leg 4.

I scrubbed some and tried some Mop n Glow on the non-skid portions of the decking, impossible to wax except with a liquid wax not sure how long it will last but it is worth a try. Carol read, took some pictures and relaxed, really nice to have her aboard.

Clouding over this evening and we expect showers tonight and in the morning, we may be traveling in the rain.





Beach

Pool with two water slides

The Spray Park

A Little Tentative at first

Putt Putt Golf

Wyandotte to Metro Beach Metropark (Lake St. Clair)

A cement truck "really"

This morning as I climbed out of the boat to go across the street, I noticed a cement truck in the parking lot. There was a rough spot in the pavement near the boat and they were about to fill it. I mentioned to the cement truck driver that I really had enough ballast and to please keep the concrete on the deck. They did a fine job on the concrete and filled several areas around the grounds. Some things that happen on a trip are quite unexpected.

We finally were able to contact the Metro Beach Metropark this morning and made a reservation for tonight and tomorrow night. About 11:00 we left the dock and began our journey north to Lake St. Clair.

Steel Mill Experiences from the early 70's

Detroit really looks good from the water and Dennis reminisced about his days at US Steel in Gary, IN as we passed the US Steel plant here in Detroit. Blast furnaces, BOP shop the 80” hot strip mill, cold rolling facilities and the finishing shop. These are all a smaller size than those at Gary Works, here there are three blast furnaces, when at Gary Works there were 13. Then on to downtown Detroit, nice area nestled by the river as viewed from the river. The GM building is beautiful and has 4 towers around a central core, all glass and a nice addition to their skyline.

Carol at the helm

We decided to take the left fork of the river that favors the American side, however, after a fighter jet buzzed us several times at 300 feet we felt either really special to have this private air show or really in trouble for doing something wrong. As the sheriff boat approached we thought maybe the latter. This branch of the river was closed and we needed to take the other fork. There was indeed an air show on the river and not just for us.

Then around the island and on to Lake St. Clair, when shopping for boats several years ago we saw a boat both at the St. Clair Yacht Club and one at the Great Lakes Steel Boat Club, Neat to see these places again from the water. Across Lake St. Clair to the entrance to the Metropark, the approach was a bit sketchy a range line I could not see and charted depth of 6 feet bordered by 4 and 3 foot areas. Once in the channel the depth was fine and the amenities wonderful. (By boating definition Wonderful=electricity and hot showers)

Detroit Skyline, under the Ambasador Bridge



Some boats are larger others smaller, room for evereyone

As we pulled into our assigned slip we approached a picnic table with a bunch of folks having lunch. We thanked them for inviting us to their table and discussion banter ensued. They all came aboard to see the boat and we think we have some new friends in Detroit.

The Metropark is quite cool with a 1000 ft. swimming beach, pool, tram that circles the grounds, roller blading area, nature trails, windsurfing and kiteboarding launch area, a par 3 golf course, mini golf, playground, and marina; 770 acres in all.

The Canadian Side

Middle Bass Island to Wyandotte, MI

Well a difficult day, the forecast was for the waves and winds to diminish throughout the day and that once we were closer to Michigan the waves would drop from 2 feet to 1 foot. Not the case, towards the end of the day we were faced with 3 foot waves on the beam and a hard sea to judge. We needed to get well into the Detroit River before the wave action was reduced. We learned to stay calm and work together. I need to learn how to mitigate my desire to continue to make mileage. Too goal orientated. That being said, I am pleased with our progress.

As we approached the Detroit River and the waves had not reduced we moved toward our primary marina destination at Gibraltar. There were some unmarked areas that showed shallow spots, we also encountered many floating weed clumps. Ultimately, we abandoned our primary destination, took cover in the river and redirected our efforts. Carol got on the Cell Phone and called marinas and had better luck than I. Because of the recession, many of the marinas have closed or changed hands and the numbers listed in our cruising guide are no longer in operation.

We are at Rivers Edge Marina and the dockmaster and other boaters were most helpful, the building is leased by the Wyandotte Yacht Club. Once a very active club with a 150 slip marina. Pauley, one of the skippers offered a ride to the grocery store and Carol got a few things we needed. The boating community is the most friendly group of people collectively I have ever met.

 There is more commercial traffic in the Detroit River and this afternoon we saw four large freighters working down the river. The channel is wide and it is easy enough to determine the direction and intent of the commercial traffic.

I don't want to complain about the size of this mooring, but I could not get fenders poistioned on both sides. We had help moving into the slip but Carol and I move out in the morning. Still just a bit tight.

Lorain to Middle Bass Island, OH

Lorain Lighthouse

The seas settled some overnight and the wind was 8 knots this morning when we decided to take a look at the lake. We expected the seas would build as the day went on and planned just a 30 mile day. As we expected the waves were from the northeast and we were traveling northwest so we experienced a beam sea. That is the waves were directly perpendicular to our travel. Generally, not a very comfortable experience, the first hour went fairly well and during the second hour we could feel and see the sea state building. However we were committed and continued on to Middle Bass Island which is about 35 miles from the Detroit River.



The wind should shift to the south tomorrow and traveling should be easier. The western end of Lake Erie is quite shallow with many islands most privately owned. Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island is the Door county of Lake Erie, Middle Bass Island is partially a state park with a marina in the park, and the state has recently rebuilt the marina and provides 256 transient slips for both overnight or daytime landing. Nice new dock house with showers, ample electricity and water in a pretty setting. They are just finishing the landscaping around the dock house.

Lonz Winery



We arrived a bit after 2:00 had some lunch and toured the Island. The marina was once part of a winery and the property; I believe is now the state park. There is also a ferry to Put-in-Bay for those who wish to explore and shop.



Reunion in the Garden

New Dock House and Greeting Center

Middle Bass Island State Park Marina

Spitzers Lakeside Marina, Lorain, OH

Well the crew change went smoothly, but a bit of a problem trying to find the Amtrak station at 3:00 in the morning. Poorly marked and just a dark platform with no office. Jim made his connection at 3:40 about 10 minutes late. Much thanks to Jim for traveling almost 700 miles on the boat with me. I appreciate all his work and continual interest in the boat and the process of moving forward.

The love of my life arrived at 4:55 AM this morning; I slept in the car between the 3:30 Capitol Limited bound for Chicago and the Lake Shore Limited coming from Chicago.

We did a bit of shopping, returned the rental car, planning for a short trip to Middle Bass Island. But the wind had increased to 18 knots and waves to 3 feet. As we were deciding on traveling, we asked some fishermen if they had been out. Oh, yes they had and found 5 foot waves, no traveling for us. They advised on Thursday the winds were to shift to the south and the waves would lie down.

Considering we were a bit tired after our all-nighter, we stayed in port today.

Stuffing Box Center Dish Pan and pump below

I worked on one of my boat projects to minimize the amount of water in the bilge by adding a catch basin and sump pump under the stuffing box. The stuffing box provides a seal between the prop shaft and the boat. It is lubricated by a constant drip of water while the prop is turning. The proper drip rate is about 1 drop every 6 to 10 seconds. Currently, this cooling water collects in the bilge in an area 8 feet long by 2 feet wide by 6 inches deep. When the water reaches a high enough level the bilge pump automatically pumps the water overboard. This leads to a high moisture area under much of the boat. By adding the dish pan catch basin, I reduced the wetted area to a 12X15X2 inch area greatly reducing the moisture in the bilge. The pump is now operating properly and in time we will dry the bilge completely.

Really nice to have Carol aboard again, being apart certainly shows us the importance of our relationship.

Look Closely at the Captains name on the roof.

Good night

Fairport Harbor to Lorain, OH

The wind blew hard last night causing 3-4 foot waves early in the day, we decided to leave later and reduce the distance traveled today to 45 miles. By leaving at 10:00 we found 3 foot rolling waves from the ENE, the boat begins to surf down the waves and we registered 8.9 knots on the GPS at times, really flying. All in all I believe we did make a bit better time than in flat seas but the effort required is 10 times that of flat seas.

Jim has decided to return to Milwaukee and Carol will join me here in Lorain, taking the Amtrak from Chicago at 9:30 this evening arriving fresh as a daisy about 4:15 AM. So I rented an Enterprise car and they picked me up after a bit of confusion about 5:30. The train station is 13 miles away and since this all happens early in the morning, we thought it might be better to have some flexibility with the car.

Met a really nice guy at the marina this morning, Dennis Spencer he operated an automotive parts plant in Fairport Harbor that makes a reinforced Teflon hose for fuel delivery. He explained Teflon is designed so nothing will bond to the material. The company he worked for has a patent that does bond fiberglass reinforcement to the Teflon; it is heat resistant to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and 125 PSI. He and his wife are living on the boat during the summer and he is currently working to rebuild his 46 foot Bertram Yacht. I told him my story and we discussed how to fix boats and other neat stuff. He made a hardtop for his fly bridge that is beautiful, wish I would have taken a picture. He offered and I accepted a trip to the grocery up town. One of the problems traveling on a boat is getting to stores at an appropriate time. Not many marinas or towns offer transportation to grocery stores or do many grocery stores offer services to transient boaters.

Again with the following sea, we each steer the boat for 10 miles and rest for 10 miles. Spitzers Lakeside Marina is fairly new with floating piers, nice showers and restrooms and a laundry on site. Jackson the dock hand here was very helpful and friendly. This is a well-run marina that I would recommend to anyone passing through the area.

I think "The Wall" came from the center boat

Sorry no pictures today, to busy hanging on and driving the boat. As I was grilling this evening, strains of Pink Floyd’s the Wall floated across the marina, great when boaters play classical music.

So another day in Bringing Reunion ends with a partly cloudy sunset.

Presque Isle to Fairport Harbor, OH

Fairport USCG Station

We began early with the plan to travel about 60 miles to Fairport Harbor. The storm passed last night with rain, thunder and lightning and by morning the sky was still a bit over cast but the wind had died down and the sea was rolling with 2 foot swells and no white caps. So we set our course, the only issue today would be that the autopilot does not like a following sea and we needed to steer the entire distance. We set about doing 10 mile watches with the off person taking a break and all went well. When we arrived at Grand River Marine, Inc they had placed a boat in the slip next to ours that did not provide enough width for us to enter. So they moved us to a less desirable spot across the river. It is hard trying to determine all the factors for docking at a marina, including the amount of knowledge about boats the person has making the reservation.

Open water boating does not provide much in the way of scenic pictures or interesting information. We are making good progress, but we expect 3-4 foot seas tonight and early tomorrow morning. So we will begin a bit later after the seas settle.

East bound Freighter

Stone piles at the harbor entrance