Log 6 - Escaping Mackinaw City
The outboard motor is repaired, the rudder shaft isn't leaking quite as much, and we have clean clothes! The wind has calmed to about 15 knots. Sounds like we may actually leave Mackinaw City in the morning.
It has been really cold here today. The high temperature was only 58 and it was cloudy. It was a great day to stay in the boat. I fired up the laptop and did some work writing the curriculum for a new class we are offering and updating some of the GRPS WebPages.
Tonight we went to a concert in the park. It was put on by the Straits Area Concert Band and was very good. Unlike the Pentwater band this group could actually play something other than a march! It was fun to see everyone huddled with hooded sweatshirts and blankets. Sure is wonderful July weather.
Well tomorrow is another day and we'll hopefully be off to the Les Cheneaux's. But I've been saying that for three days now.
To be contined tomorrow. Time to finish my Sambuca and go to bed!
Wednesday Evening July 19
We did it! We are anchored in Marquette Bay in the Les Cheneaux Islands. We have sky full of stars, the water is like a millpond, the smell of Cedar is everywhere, and we're listening to Bob Marley! Life is good on our boat (I just had to borrow that Buffett line).
We left Mac City at about 8:30 this morning and had a good sail to Mackinaw Island. We motored through the Round Island Passage and then sailed most of the way to Marquette Bay.
It was fun to go past Mac Island today! The Port Huron to Mackinaw Island race just finished on Monday night and Tuesday, it was great to see the marina filled with sailboats and the powerboats waiting on anchor to get in. The marina was closed to other boats until noon today.
Once we were anchored today we took a dinghy trip into Hessel. From the anchorage it is about a 3 mile trip. We did some grocery shopping and then had lunch at the Hessel Bay Inn. This means that we were in every business in Hessel other than the boat yard!
If the weather is good in the morning we are going to make a run to Harbour Island. This is one of our favorite anchorage’s. The island is just Northeast of the Detour Passage and Drummond Island. This will be our most easterly port for this trip.
The Marley Cd just finished, my glass of port is empty, time for bed!
More Later
Thursday Afternoon July 20
OK! Plans Change, so we're not at Harbour Island! We got up this morning looked at the grey sky and low hanging clouds and decided to make a shorter trip. We actually covered 10 miles but ended up only about 4 miles from where we started (go figure)!
We are anchored in Government Bay, just southeast of Cederville. This bay will give us better protection from the forecasted NW winds and possible thunderstorms.
It has been raining all day and is still quite cold. God how will I ever get a decent tan? It is a good napping day and both of us have taken advantage of the opportunity.
If the rain ever lets up we'll dinghy into Cederville which is only a mile up the channel. We have run out of wine and we're having pizza for dinner! I hate it when emergencies come up!
To be continued I'm sure.
R&R