We're (almost) Home!

There are two ways to access marine weather forecasts: online from NOAA, or on a marine radio from the National Weather Service. Their forecasts don't always agree. This morning, for example, one said we would have moderate winds and small waves for a run from Beaver Island to Charlevoix. The other, however, sounded like a broken record, predicting 2-4 foot waves until Thursday, at least. So we dithered over whether to leave today or not. When another sailboat headed out, we asked them to radio and let us know what they found outside the protected harbor. At 10:30 we got their report and decided to make a run for it.

Run is what we did. The wind was almost directly astern of us. We tried tacking downwind to avoid gybing, which can be very dangerous. While we were in the lee of Beaver Island, conditions were quite nice, with gentle rolling waves on our quarter. But when we left the protected waters about halfway into our journey, we met leftover waves that had been building over the last several days. So we coasted down the fronts of four-footers and at times found ourselves in confused seas, with some waves coming up behind us from the north while others rolled in on our starboard beam. The confusion continued as we approached the pierhead light at Charlevoix and discovered that it's no longer white but has been painted red! Needless to say, we were glad to see the bridge go up allowing us to enter Round Lake and back into familiar territory.

After exactly a month away, it's good to be "home". We plan to drive to our "other" home tomorrow.

Beaver Island Birthday

We've enjoyed a pleasant weekend here on Beaver Island. For my birthday Roger bought me roses, took me to dinner at "The Lodge" on the north side of the island, then to a concert of beautiful classical music. An ideal way to celebrate!

Now we are waiting for a decent day to make the final leg of our journey back to Charlevoix. Meanwhile, Beaver Island has become a meeting place where we seem to run into friends old and new each time we visit, making the time we spend here very enjoyable. And watching the boat traffic, especially the ferry, come and go provides endless hours of amusement.

We Made It to Beaver Island!

With a heavy morning dew still dripping from our stern rail, we left St Ignace yesterday as the sun was rising over Mackinac Island. The morning's gray skies gave way to sun for most of the trip, although clouds moved back in before we reached our destination. We motored into one- to two-foot high waves that calmed down as we went along. Not enough wind to sail by, but at least we had a comfortable ride. According to friends of ours who made the trip the day before, we made the right choice. They encountered high adverse winds and had a lumpy ride. Today would have been next to impossible, as waves are 4-6 feet, building to 5-8, according to the National Weather Service. Needless to say, we are happy to be here.

Last evening we enjoyed a wonderful concert of music by Bach, Mozart and Mendelssohn as part of the Baroque on Beaver festival. There will be another concert this evening, with still more music on Sunday afternoon. It's a great weekend to be on the island.

Hurry Up and Wait

As so often happens on the homeward trek, we are encountering contrary winds. After leaving DeTour we motored into a chop all the way to the East Entrance to Les Cheneaux. We had hoped to make it to the West Entrance and anchor in Wilderness Bay, but by the time we reached the channel leading up to Government Bay, we'd had enough. And it was nice to be anchored in time to enjoy a leisurely dinner in the cockpit before enjoying yet another of the beautiful sunsets we've come to expect every time we stop here. Yesterday's forecast included more of the same (west winds and waves on our nose), so we decided to take the inside passage through Les Cheneaux, passing by the towns of Cedarville and Hessel as well as numerous cottages along the way. Our plan was to duck back in and anchor at the west end if we found conditions outside too rough.

The passage is narrow and shallow, but by staying in the channel marked by red and green buoys, we were guaranteed at least seven feet of depth the whole way. It's been probably ten years since we last came through that way, and we were surprised how many changes we found. The area used to be dotted with small cottages designed to blend in with the surroundings, each with a boat house containing a classic mahogany runabout. Now most of the powerboats are plastic, and the "cottages" border on McMansions with nothing to conceal them from the view of passing boaters.

When we were nearing the West Entrance we put up sail, as winds were an ideal speed (around 15 knots) to sail by. Unfortunately, they were on our nose, which meant we had to tack, adding considerably to the distance of our trip. This meant we were approaching Mackinac Island just as the afternoon winds were reaching their peak. Even double-reefed we were over-canvassed (apparent wind was consistently over 30 knots), so we took in sail and slogged the rest of the way to St. Ignace.

After two relatively short days of slogging (each trip was around 25 miles), we decided we weren't up for more of the same on the 40-mile trip to Beaver Island, our next planned stop. So here we are in St. Ignace, waiting for a favorable forecast. Meanwhile, there's lots to do, some fun, some not so much. Laundry, waxing cabin sides, and possibly visiting Mackinac Island via ferry, are at the top of the list.

Back in the U.S.S.A. (with apologies to the Beatles)

We left Canada yesterday (Sunday) and made our way through the islands of Potagannissing Bay to the U.S. Customs check-in point on Drummond Island. They let us back in without too much fuss (just a bill for $27.50 to purchase a decal, required since our boat is 30 feet long). Then we went off to anchor at Harbor Island, just two miles away. The anchorage offered by this horseshoe-shaped island is very protected from all sides, with just a narrow opening to the south. It's popular, but not too crowded. We shared it with three sailboats, including this one, and a few powerboats.

This morning we hauled up our anchor and headed west. Winds are light, but since they're out of the west that's okay. We'd rather motor than sail into big waves. On passing DeTour just before noon, we decided to make a quick stop for lunch, email, blogging and grocery shopping. Tonight we plan to anchor in the Les Cheneaux Islands which run along the south shore of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Channel to Channel in the North Channel

The North Channel refers to the body of water between mainland Ontario and a series of islands to the south. The largest of these is Manitoulin Island, which is in Canada. Heading west from Manitoulin you find Cockburn Island, also Canadian, then Drummond Island, which is in the U.S. At the western end of the North Channel is St. Joseph Island, on the Canadian side of the St. Mary's River, which is the link between Lake Huron and Lake Superior to the north.

In the northern part of the North Channel you find other, smaller channels formed by other, smaller islands. I already mentioned the McBean Channel, which is at the eastern end of the North Channel, not far from Little Current. Getting out of the McBean Channel at its western end requires passing through a narrow opening between two rocky islands. The passage, called "Little Detroit," is only deep enough at its very center and requires making a sharp turn halfway along to get out on the other side. To assist boaters, range marks have been set up to show what course to steer to pass through safely. It's always a little exciting to find out if you'll make it or not. Fortunately, we did.

Once through you enter the Whalesback Channel, which is dotted with lots of little and very picturesque rocky islands. Many of these islands are covered with wild blueberries, except, ironically enough, the one called "Berrypicker Island". This is a small bare rock in the middle of the channel which serves as a home for a triangular marker that lets boaters know where they are on the chart. The marker is almost as big as the rock itself!

We spent a night at anchor in Beardrop Harbour just off the Whalesback Channel, so-named because, yes, there are bears around here. We've never seen any, though. The beauty of this anchorage lies in the tall cliffs that surround it. It's possible to find paths to the top where the views are incomparable. This time, though, the weather was gray and drizzly, so we skipped the climb and headed on to Blind River, making tracks while the wind was from the east. After just one night there, we continued on to Thessalon, a small village whose economy rests on veneer mills. This will be our last stop in Canada. As soon as the threat of thunderstorms passes, we'll be off to Michigan, getting ever closer to home.

Evensong Cove

I couldn't resist posting this composite photo of "our" little cove off Hotham Bay. This stopover was the highlight of our trip so far.

Also, I found that I can alter settings to allow anonymous comments, so you don't have to create a Google account to post one. Just click on the "0 comments" at the bottom of the entry you wish to comment about and follow the instructions from there!

A Little Piece of Heaven on Earth

The first time we came to the North Channel eleven years ago, we had a smaller boat, Evensong, which needed only five feet or so of water depth to stay afloat. At that time we anchored in a beautiful spot behind Hotham Island off the McBean Channel (the North Channel has many such "channels-within-a-channel"). Hotham Island offers many different coves to tuck into, so we decided to return and look for a place with enough depth (six or seven feet at least) to accommodate Cattitude's keel. We arrived late enough in the afternoon that many of the "good spots" were already occupied. As we approached "our spot" from 1998, we found no one there. Water levels have been down over the last several years, so we figured it probably wasn't deep enough. We anchored in a more open, and therefore less attractive spot, but immediately took our dinghy over to explore with a lead line and found that if we threaded our way carefully between shoals, we might just squeak into our little haven, where the depth was a pretty uniform seven to eight feet.

We decided to take the challenge, and were richly rewarded. Our little "Evensong Cove" is one of the few that offers a view of Mount McBean, and for the whole time we were there, we had the place to ourselves, a rarity, especially in late July. And after all the autumnal weather we've been having, we were thrilled to enjoy a bit of summer. We spent the better part of a day on a flat rock with a view of our harbor, Roger with his sketchbook, I with my knitting and the camera.

Only reluctantly we hauled up our anchor on the third day, when the forecast suggested we had a window of opportunity to make progress on our westward journey. As we threaded our way out of Hotham Bay, a loon came over to call out a plaintive farewell. It's difficult to leave such a beautiful place.

Swinging Back Homeward

After spending a nice day in Little Current, where we were docked in sight of the swing bridge that connects Manitoulin Island with the mainland, we turned around and headed back west toward home. But we're not in a hurry, having left as much time for the return trip as we used to get here. Miraculously, winds have shifted to be out of the east, most unusual for this time of year, but just right to blow us back west. Other boats had the same idea, including this pretty sloop we saw sliding past the typical North Channel rocky islands.

Life on the Water is Always an Adventure...

First, a request. Please drop us an email if you want to comment without having to create a Google account. We'd love to know who all is reading about our adventures!

After finishing our chores in Gore Bay we headed northeast to the Benjamin Islands on Thursday. This group of islands is noted for its unique pink granite and multiple coves to anchor in. It's also located conveniently about halfway between Gore Bay and Little Current, our next planned stop. By planning our route to zig zag across the North Channel between stops, we've managed to take advantage of the consistent west winds that have been blowing ever since we left Charlevoix. Most years when cruising we find ourselves motoring more than sailing. Not this year. Each day we've traveled, it's been under sail. Our biggest hope now is that the west winds will either die down or change direction, as we now need to turn around and head back toward home. Fortunately the prediction is for south winds tomorrow and light winds for a couple of days after that. Dare we trust the forecasters?

The group of islands known as the Benjamins is actually made up of North and South Benjamin, Fox Island to the north, and Croker Island to the east, all laid out in a kind of circle. We anchored in a corner of South Benjamin and took our dinghy to explore the nooks and crannies of North Benjamin. The beauty of these islands never ceases to amaze.

Yesterday we made our way east southeast to Little Current, arriving just as a rain shower passed through. One of the things we enjoy about life on the water is that you can see the weather as it approaches, although sometimes that means getting a bit wet! Little Current is the largest town on Manitoulin Island. There is a swing bridge here that provides the only connection between Manitoulin Island and the mainland. Even so, the town is quite small, and very boat-oriented. We've been here a few times before and always enjoyed it. Still, it is "civilization," so we are eager to head back out to the islands tomorrow.

It's a Beautiful World We Live In

On Sunday we enjoyed a beautiful, brisk, downwind sail to Long Point Cove, a lovely, well-protected anchorage that can get crowded. This year, however, we shared this idyllic spot with only five other boats. The only downside is that winds were too strong to allow for much exploration by dinghy outside the cove, but the scenery is unparalleled in its beauty. The star-gazing was amazing. Dark sky all the way to the horizon in all directions. And the breezes seem to be discouraging the mosquito population usually found in this area.

After two nights and parts of three blissful days at anchor, we decided to head for one of our favorite harbor towns to refill a water tank, do some laundry, and wait out some predicted rainstorms, which are falling as I write this. Gore Bay, Ontario is on the north shore of Manitoulin Island, the island which forms the south boundary of the cruising area known as the North Channel. It is a charming place to spend a couple of days before we head out again to anchor somewhere new. Yesterday turned out to be an ideal travel day, with lots of sun and westerly winds to blow us southeast across the channel under sail. So often when we cruise we have to settle for motoring to get somewhere. Not this year. We've had plenty of wind for sailing, and have been able to stay in harbor when the winds were too strong. It doesn't get much better than this.

We're Heading Out!

The weather is finally decent for leaving harbor. Winds are light, although they are expected to build again this afternoon. Still, we don't plan to travel too far, as one of our favorite anchorages is only 12 miles away. It's well protected, so even if the winds blow this evening, we'll be safe.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

We are STILL in Blind River. Last night, just as we were turning in, several wild thunderstorms (including hail!) passed through with plenty of noise and occasional heavy rain, but not a lot of wind. Today we awoke to sunny skies, but more wind than any of us could possibly want. And it's only gotten worse as the afternoon wears on.

Sitting down below watching the wind meter (and this is actual wind at the dock, not apparent wind which increases with our boat speed) we've been seeing steady readings over 30 with occasional gusts over 40 knots! At one point I even saw 47.4, although we aren't sure how trustworthy our gauge is when we see something like that. Needless to say we decided not to leave today. We are eager to get to a nice anchorage, but today we are glad to be safely tied up in port, not worrying about our anchor dragging.

The marina is protected from the west (the direction the wind is blowing from) by a point of land, yet still there are whitecaps blowing down the fairways between docks. And the noise of the wind in other boats' rigging is almost deafening. Not to mention halyards slapping against masts. We are grateful for our free-standing mast. No side stays, forestay or backstay for the winds to howl through.

I hope the picture shows how the boats are being blown (the masts should be upright, but they all are leaning to the east). You should also be able to see the wavelets breaking on the hulls of the westernmost boats.

Such are the joys of cruising. Some days you move, some days you stay put.

We are here, at last

Even though we're in a marina again tonight (one that has wireless internet!), we got our first taste of anchoring today en route from Thessalon to Blind River. Four years ago we tried to anchor overnight at East Grant Island, because each time we pass it on our way to and from the North Channel we see lots of loons. That time, however, the predicted "light and variable" breezes were actually 20 knot winds from the west, the one direction from which the anchorage is not protected. So we hauled up our anchor and motored into a rough chop all the way to Thessalon (we were on our way home). Today, though, there was no wind, so we dropped our anchor and had a bite of lunch in the cockpit before heading on to Blind River. In the half hour or so we were there, we did catch sight of one loon, at least. We might have stayed there overnight, but our neighbors in Thessalon had told us that was their plan, and etiquette dictated that we let them have it to themselves.

Blind River is much as we remembered it, as a good place to buy provisions and get ready to head out into the wilderness. The major difference we've found (besides the internet access) is that our favorite restaurant has changed hands and no longer offers pick up service at the marina.

There's been a big change in the weather, too. The cold, cloudy, windy days have given way to warm sunshine. Our sailing breezes are gone, at least for now, but as we have arrived in the land of beautiful islands and pretty anchorages, we won't complain too loudly.

Oh, Canada! How we love your pea meal bacon!

(For those of you who haven't discovered this already, you can make any photo larger by clicking on it. Enjoy!)

After a lazy day in harbor in DeTour on Monday, we decided to make a run for Thessalon, Ontario. It's only 22 miles, so we didn't hurry to leave, spending the morning at a local restaurant having breakfast and using the only wireless internet connection in town. Then, around 12:30, we cast off our lines and headed out into 15-20 knot winds from the northwest, perfect to push us along northeast past several small islands and across the line into Canada.

Surprisingly the waves were only about a foot high, quite tolerable to my inner ear. We hoisted the sail with a reef, as 20 knots is a bit much for full canvas. By 2 pm the winds had increased to a pretty steady 25, so we took in a second reef. Waves were beginning to build, but didn't get too uncomfortable, as we had some slight protection from the islands. And a loon landed on the water just off our starboard quarter to distract me from my discomfort. Things got worse, however, after we passed out of the lee of Serpent Island. By the end of the afternoon we were rolling in combers breaking on our port beam and the wind meter was reading over 30 at times. Yikes! We had a short respite as we passed east of Thessalon Island, and we both breathed a sigh of relief once we cleared Thessalon Point and headed for the harbor.

We got tied up just before a rain shower passed through, leaving behind a beautiful rainbow. Needless to say, we are glad to be here. Thessalon is not a metropolis by any stretch, but they do have a good grocery store, made even better by the fact that they sell pea meal bacon! We think this is what the people who invented "Canadian bacon" had in mind, but our U.S. version is a poor imitation. Pea meal bacon seems to be a North Channel delicacy, as we have been unable to find it in other parts of Canada. But we had to have some for our first breakfast after crossing the border.

Our next stop, when weather permits, will be Blind River. After that we will be within reach of the beautiful anchorages this area is known for. In the words of

Garrison Keillor, we're "happy to be here."

We're in Loon Land!

Roger just reported hearing a loon calling in flight, so we know we're in the north country!

After a pleasant Sunday in harbor at St. Ignace, we set out for DeTour, at the eastern tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on Monday. The forecast was for winds from the WNW at 15 and waves 1-2 feet, which sounded ideal. What we hadn't bargained for were the cold temperatures! It IS July, after all! We brought our thermometer out into the cockpit and found the air temperature barely reached 63 degrees. Most of the day it hovered around 60. Add the wind chill with a gusty (at times over 20 knots) breeze, and you get the idea that we were COLD. Fortunately we brought lots of clothing, and we wore most of it yesterday. Hooded sweatshirts, fleeces AND windbreakers!

Our boat is equipped with a gimballed stove so we can heat things even when the boat is heeling. Mid-morning we enjoyed hot cocoa and for lunch a bowl of steaming clam chowder. Cooking it was an eerie experience, as I hope my photo shows. It looked like the pot should slide to the back of the stove when, in fact, the stove was level and the boat surrounding it was tipping. My knees got a workout keeping me level while stirring.

It was an exhilarating day, as the wind was strong enough to push us along at top speed, although we did supplement at times with the engine. The power boost from the engine allows us to let the autopilot to do the steering without draining our battery.

De Tour is a great place for freighter watching, as all the boats heading to and from Lake Superior go through here. We followed one into the channel on our arrival past the DeTour lighthouse.

Today is still chilly, but the wind and waves are good for a run to Thessalon, Ontario, some 22 nautical miles away (or three and a half to four hours), so this afternoon we are Canada bound!

Independence at last!

We are finally free from Charlevoix and are on our way to the North Channel! After an early breakfast we set out at the 7:00 bridge opening. Winds were light on the first leg, so we motored, but after a six mile detour to get close to and photograph the lovely candy-striped lighthouse marking White Shoal, we enjoyed a wonderful sail east to the Mackinac Bridge. Winds were from the WSW at 15, just as requested! We sailed on a beam reach at speeds averaging 6 knots. We passed under the bridge just after a nice-looking east-bound freighter.

Usually the Gray's Reef Passage is crowded with powerboats (we find Sea Rays in particular seem to travel in packs), but this Fourth of July they all stayed in harbor to drink beer and watch fireworks. We had the lake practically to ourselves. That just made our day even more perfect.

As the afternoon progressed, winds became stronger and more northerly, making our arrival at St Ignace exciting. At the end of a 55-mile day, we were glad to be in harbor, and tied up safely just before 5:00 p.m.

The forecast looks good for a run under sail to DeTour on Monday. A few showers, but ideal winds. It's nice to be cruising again.

(I don't understand html, so I don't know why the text is underlined. I must've hit some button by accident and I can't figure out how to correct it. Sorry. Next entry will be better, I promise).

Always bring a sweater and a pair of shorts

The weather in northern Michigan is certainly unpredictable. When we came up to prepare Cattitude for launch in mid-June, we were expecting cool weather, so we brought long pants and sweaters. Naturally, temperatures soared, thanks to a bright blue sky and lots of sun. Nothing to complain about, but a challenge to our wardrobe.

After a two-week stint at home to meet up with relatives and contractors, we are back on board and ready (nearly) to go cruising, and the weather, of course, is cool and blustery. Yesterday was spent in preparation; installing a new toilet (important to have one that works properly!), pumping up the dinghy, and buying provisions. We are now playing the waiting game, hoping for a perfect day to make the long trip through the Straights of Mackinac to St. Ignace. Too much wind means fighting big, uncomfortable waves; too little means lots of motoring with the diesel engine. Is it too much to ask for a day of west winds at 15 knots with 1-to-2-foot waves?