You Know You're in Trouble When...

Friday morning we woke up to whitecaps in the harbor at Meldrum Bay. The wind was from the East at 10/12 knots! We knew we had to leave so at 6:30 a.m. we left the dock and headed out. Rock and roll! Goodness it was aweful until we turned West and the wind was behind us. We weren't able to use the main but we did hoist the jib and motor sailed for the next 12 hours! Yes, 12 hours... rocking and rolling all the way to Mackinaw Island.
We arrived, tied up and went to the video phone to check in with customs. An interesting process for sure. Then we headed to the Pink Pony! It was time for a beverage and time to get off the boat and walk a little.
On Saturday morning, we left Mackinaw Island and went to St. Ignace for fuel and a grocery run. Two hours later we were headed toward Charlevoix. There were two very large power boats at St. Ignace getting fuel before us. I can't imagine paying $2,400.00 for gas but they did... and more. Our diesel was only $44.00! We felt blessed for sure.
So on to Charlevoix. We knew we were cutting it close because we didn't leave St. Ignace until 12:30 and it was a pretty good haul. We estimated our time of arrival to be 9 p.m. And we made it but we missed the 9 o'clock bridge and had to wait until 9:30 to come into Round Lake.
This weekend was the Venetian Festival. Oh my goodness, there were so many boats in Round Lake! Carnival rides, beer gardens, live music! You name it and it was there. I'm attaching a picture of boat that were decorated for the boat parade.
After we left Round Lake and headed toward Oyster Bay, the fireworks began. High in the sky and lots of color and noise.
By the time we got anchored it was 10:30! Another long day. But we're here and made it safely.
Chris, Kelly and the kids arrive this week. And our Xavier had his birthday party on Saturday. Happy Birthday big guy!
Love and Blessings Everyone,
Margo and Skip

Interesting Few Days...

Well we left Little Current on Tuesday afternoon but not before Skip repaired the hot water heater! I noticed the night before that we had no hot water on the boat so Tuesday morning, Skip took the  cover off the water heater and found where there had been an arc and burned one of the wires. So he made the repair and once again we had hot water. Yippee!
So we left Little Current and headed for Clapperton Island where we anchored in lovely Logan Bay. It was a windy night but we had a good hold and did just fine. The  next morning (Wednesday) when we left it looked like the day would be pretty decent. We hoisted the sails pretty quickly once out of the Bay and soon the wind was between 10 and 12 knots. And blowing in the correct direction for us to be able to take advantage of the wind. Well... that lasted maybe two hours and then the skies got overcast; the wind kicked up to 17/18 knots; and it began to rain. Thankfully it was not a hard rain but rain non the less.
Skip riffed the main and pulled the jib in a bit. We were managing very nicely. Except for one thing... the seas were 3/5 ft. and rolley! I hate that! No fun at all.
We took in the sails and motored the rest of the way to Turnbull Island. We were there about 10 days or so ago. This time, our anchorage was a bit different. We were the only boat in the cove so  we had our pick of where to anchor. We dropped anchor and waited and watched to make sure we had a good hold. We were both below and heard a very unfamiliar noise. We had drifted into a shallow area and hit rocks on the lake bottom.
Up came the anchor and we moved. This time we put both anchors out and Skip checked our position every two hours all night.
This morning, Thursday, when we left we headed to Meldrum Bay on Manitoulin Island. This was our first stop once we got into the North Channel a couple of weeks ago. The wind was great for sailing... at our back between 10-15. Excellent! We were sailing along quite nicely but we were right on the edge of which way the mainsail could/would go. About 3 times it flopped from one side to the other and then... it flopped again and I saw lines hanging where they should not have been. Upon further inspection, we realized that the line that holds the mainsail boom had snapped. The boom was laying on top of the cockpit dodger.
We turned into the wind and lowered the sail. That was scary 'cause the wind in our face was at 17 knots. Skip slipped once and all I could see was him flipping over the side! But he caught himself and was able to finish with the  sails and jerry-rig the boom and hoist it off of the dodger.
So here we are in Meldrum Bay for the night and tomorrow we're off to South Lake Huron. Tonight we'll have dinner once again at the Meldrum Bay Inn. Skip already knows he'll have the delicious Bumbleberry Pie!
Take care everyone and know that we miss everyone a bunch.
Love and Blessings,
Margo and Skip

Back to Little Current

On Sunday we left Killarney and began our journey West. We had a beautiful wind and we were able to sail to Heywood Island where we dropped anchor in Browning Cove. Only this time we went back to a cove through a small channel. It was a lovely anchorage and we were soon joined by two other sailboats.
As it has been a couple weeks since the ole' washer woman did any laundry, I got busy with my bucket of lake water, a little Tide and a scrub brush! And alas, we have some clean shorts and shirts to wear. I can't imagine doing that all the time! Goodness are we slaves to our "stuff"!
We left Heywood after breakfast and headed toward Little Current. This time we stayed at the Government Docks right downtown. A real flurry of activity there was on Monday. Just a real busy place. There were a couple of boat races over the weekend and several boats were there due to that. Also the GLCC Wilderness Rally is approaching and there were several boats headed for that.
We met our dock mates - Lee and Jim. Nice folks who are headed East from here.
It's Tuesday and we're trying to decide whether to leave today or stay for another night. The wind looks to be pretty good out of the West/Northwest today but between 15 and 20 knots. Still waiting for the Captain to make the call.
Happy Birthday tomorrow to David and Wendy! Not sure I'll have phone service to sing that birthday song, but please know that I'm thinking of both of you and feeling so proud. Now just how old are you two!!!  ;-) Love you both.
Sure do miss everyone.
Love and blessings,
Margo and Skip

Lovely Killarney

Yesterday, Saturday we left Covered Portage and headed the short distance down  Lansdowne Channel to the town of Killarney. A storm was brewing so the ride was a bit bumpy! But we made it and pulled into the harbor of Killarney. The channel here connects the North Channel with Georgian  Bay.
At the East end of the channel sits the Killarney Mountain Lodge. It was built by the Fruehauf Trailer Corp. in 1946 for customer entertainment. For some 12 years the lodge was only accessible by water craft or aircraft. There was not a road/highway coming into Killarney until 1961 when a road was built to  access  this area.
We walked to the lodge, stopped at Pitfield's General Store, and ended up at Herbert Fisheries. Outside the store is a red and white school bus where the best fish 'n' chips are sold. Yummee!
A short distance from Herbert's is Gateway Marine. Not only is this a marine supply store but there is a small restaurant serving breakfast/lunch/dinner and the muffin depot. Needless to say, the Captain had to have his cookie fix for the walk back to the boat.
We are staying at the Sportsman's Inn. I've attached a couple of pictures. We are actually across the channel from the hotel and marina. They have dockage on either side and a pontoon taxi to transport you  back and forth across  the channel.
Sure do miss everyone but we're having so much fun. It's beautiful here and the weather has been amazing.
Love and Blessings,
Margo and Skip

Baie Fine

On Thursday, July  19, we left Browning Cove on Heywood Island  and headed toward  Baie Fine (pronounced Bay Fin). The approach here is interesting in that there is an unnamed rock to the right of the entrance with a lovely house on it. There is nothing else on this island/rock... just this house. I was reminded of Paul who was to build the foundation of the church on rock!  Call me  crazy!
Just as we entered the small channel, to our right is Frazier Point. Frazier Point is where Okeechobee Lodge is located. Once a favorite stop-over for cruisers, it  is now privately owned. There is a series of cottages as well as a dock and what looks to be a restaurant and a swimming pool. I would imagine  back in the day it was quite the place to be. From this vantage point you are surrounded by Killarney Ridge and Blue Ridge. The formations are beautiful!
As we wound our way back the eight miles to the  pool, there were several interesting things to view. A rock/island with a cute house connected to a smaller rock/island by a suspension bridge. I took  pictures and will attach them. Hopefully you will be able to see the bridge.
We went back to an area called the Pool. Getting there was a bit dicey as the entrance to that finger off of Baie Fine was narrow and shallow! Two things boaters hate. There are a couple of cottages there but that's about it. The story goes that Mr. Evanrude (of boat engine fame) liked this area so much he built a cottage there.
As we came back into the bigger channel, we looked for a place to  anchor. We did find a place but ended up moving from that place to Mary Ann Cove. A lovely anchorage. Ed and JoAnne  you would love this. We backed in, set the  anchor and then went ashore and tied the stern to a tree! Check out the pictures.
Today, Friday, we will continue our trip East. Not sure what the captain has in mind but no doubt it will be lovely.
Love and Blessings,
Margo  and Skip

Little Current

In my last report, on Tuesday, we were headed to Clapperton Island. Well we had a great wind out of the East and hated not to take advantage of it. Winds at 12 to 15 knots... filled the sails nicely. So we just kept on going and ended up at Little Current. A lovely town located on Manitoulin Island. Goat Island sits across from Little Current. You must go through Little Current if you are going to Georgian Bay. The passage is somewhat of a bottleneck and the current can run pretty strong - hence the name.
We stayed at Spider Bay Marina on Tuesday night. After we got settled, we walked into town - less than a mile from the marina. There are two good  sized marina's in Little Current, both owned by the city as we understand it. The City Dock or Government Dock is located downtown and is very handy for shopping, dining, etc. In the book "Well Favored Passage" (a must have for cruising this area of the Great Lakes), we read about a store called Turners. So as we were strolling thru town we found Turners and made a visit. Debby was so helpful as we purchased a couple of charts.
Next we went to Edgewater Grille to check out the menu. As we were having a beverage  we met Denise and Dan who were also on a sailboat. After saying our good-bye's we decided to walk across the street to the Anchor Inn and have dinner. The whitefish there was wonderful!
Back to the boat and a good night's sleep for a full day on Wed. Wednesday morning we left Spider Bay Marina and headed to the Government Dock downtown. We still had grocery shopping to do and the grocer was closer to the city docks. G G's Foodland was kind enough to drive us back to the dock once we made our purchase. Very nice folks in Little Current!
We left Little Current in time to catch the 4pm opening of  the swing bridge. It opens or swings on the hour and there is usually several boats waiting to pass thru.
So it's Wednesday afternoon and we are headed a short 9 miles to Heywood Island and an anchorage in Browning Cove. The wind was coming out of East and made for a sleepless for the Captain. He kept checking to make sure the anchor was holding and we weren't drifting into the shore.
Today, Thursday, we are going to Baie Fine (pronounced Bay Fin). At least that's the plan for the moment. Baie Fine is noted for having "the only true fjord in North America." I'll report on that later.
I've attached a few pictures. The swing bridge at Little Current; the lighthouse at Strawberry Island and two pictures of Browning Cove where several boats were anchored for the night.
Hope everyone is well. We miss you all a bunch and know that we're missing things at home.
Love and Blessings,
Margo  and Skip

The Islands

Today is Tuesday, July 17! Happy Anniversary Captain! Who  knew we'd be spending it in the North Channel this year.
On Sunday we left Meldrum Bay and headed to Turnbull Island. The islands here are interesting in that they are all rock! I'm still trying to figure out how trees grow on them. So we sailed to Turnbull Island and caught a great little anchorage kinda nestled between the rocks. The water was warm and Skip swam. Because we are anchoring so much, we are conserving our water supply, so bathing in the lake water is essential. It becomes a little tricky especially when other boats are at the same anchorage!
On Monday we headed out, going East toward Aird Island. Unless you see the islands in the North Channel, it's hard to explain just how many there are. We got to Aird Island through the Whalesback  Channel. We motored all day as you had to watch for an outcropping of rocks, etc.
Aird Island was a beautiful anchorage. Very quiet and peaceful. There were three other boats back in the cove we headed to. Large powerboats. The sunset was beautiful. Unfortunately I couldn't take a picture because our tablet had locked up. It's all better this morning! It took the night to recover!
Today we left Aird Island and are continuing East. Our destination today is Clapperton Island. I'll let you know later what we find there.
As we made our way toward Clapperton, we had to go through a passage called Little Detroit. This passage links the Whalesback and McBean Channels. This is a very narrow area, only big enough for one vessel at a time to pass through. And you have to announce that you are going through!  I've attached a picture.
Talked to Nicole and Chris yesterday. Our Amelia is walking and talking and Xavier is in big boy unders all the time. Yipee! Chris was headed to Texas with stops along the way to call on his customers. We also heard from my cousin/brother with a good report  from his doctor. They are headed for a little fishing with friends in Canada. Good luck! 
Our gin rummy marathon continues, with me currently in the lead. But that won't last to long I'm thinking!
Sure do miss everyone at home.
Love and Blessings,
Margo and Skip

The North Channel

Lon, get your map out for this geography lesson!
On Friday, July 13, we left DeTour Village and headed toward the North Channel and Canada. We left DeTour about 12:30 and had about 40 miles to go. Just before entering Canadian waters, we decided to pull into a bay just outside Peck Island. We had been fishing and time got away from us so it would have been very late when we arrived at Meldrum Bay.
So we swam and enjoyed the evening. The wind that was predicted for earlier in the day, hit about 5pm. The Captain was up most of the night making sure the anchor was holding... and it did!
We left Peck Island bay and headed toward Meldrum Bay. It was a fairly uneventful crossing except for the storm that popped up just past Cockburn Island. Winds at 17 knots and waves at 2-3. We brought in the jib and mainsail and continued to motor. We finally arrived here about 2:30. It was a little overcast but by then the rain stopped and we could enjoy the scenery.
Meldrum Bay is located on Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world. Meldrum Bay is an old fishing village and is named after a town in Scotland. There is a lovely hotel and restaurant located close to the marina called the Meldrum Bay Inn, built in 1906. We had dinner there on Saturday night which consisted of fish and chips for Skip and Trout Alfredo for me. This was followed by dessert of bumbleberry pie for Skip and a slice of orange, apricot and cardamon cheesecake for me. OMG was it all wonderful!
We met some great folks while we were in Meldrum Bay. Tom and Ann (Door County, Wis.) in a 28 ft. Bristol Channel Crusier and Tom and Elaine (Sarasota, Fl) in a 40/50 ft Symbol power yacht.
Today, Sunday, we are heading to Turnbull Island and Sanford Island for the night.
Miss everyone so much.
Love  and blessings,
Margo and Skip 

Travel to DeTour Village

Yesterday, Thursday, we left St. Ignace and headed to DeTour Village. We left about12:30 and figured we'd arrive at our destination about 6ish. Welllllll... that didn't happen. We pulled in about 8:30.
The wind was nothing like it was predicted to be... not the direction or the speed. We did sail and even got to 6 knots of boat speed at one point. But that was about all there was.  It made for a very long day.
So here we are at DeTour, getting ready to head into Canada. We spoke to a couple who travel the North Channel all the time and they gave us very good information about places to see and what to be cautious about.
Here at DeTour they have an armed sloop on display. Her name is Welcome and she is an exact replica of a ship built in the 18th century here in the Mackinaw Straits area. She was a British ship and used in the war of 1812. I've attached a picture of Skip standing next to the Welcome.
I'm also attaching a picture of  the DeTour Reef Lighthouse. It's real a magnificent structure. An interesting fact about this lighthouse is that you can apply to be a lighthouse keeper for the day. It requires that you spend the night and give tours! Hey David, did you sign up yet?
And one last picture of Skip standing next to the US Customs and Border Patrol boat that came in last night. Notice the four 300hp engines on the transom in back. The little pontoon boat will flat fly over the water!
So everyone will know, I will continue to write the blog but I may not have service in Canada to publish it. So if you don't see a blog for a bit, they may all hit at the same time. If you need us for anything, call Skip's phone.
We miss everyone so much and wish you were all here with us. I am continually amazed at God magnificent creation. Simply beautiful!
Love and Blessings,
Margo and  Skip

Wednesday on Lake Michigan

The day began with a boat full of bugs! That's what we woke up to this morning! Hundreds of little white and black bugs. They were everywhere! In addition to that, the spiders had their way with the boat and it was ugly! For your future reference, spiders leave poop everywhere... and it's green or black depending on the spider!
Enough of that stuff!
Today we left Beaver Island and headed toward St. Ignace. St. Ignace is located just past the Mackinaw Bridge to the left. Last year we stayed at Mackinaw City a few times but we wanted to  check out St. Ignace. And we were not disappointed at all. A lovely community in the UP of Michigan. The marina is beautiful and  there are many attractions  within walking distance of the marina.
We four The Galley and had dinner and then walked a littler further and found the grocery. Dinner was wonderful! White fish livers sauteed! We love them and only have them when we are far North. Yummy!  The taste is somewhat like chicken livers but  not quite a grainy. Much more "smooth" and rich.
We were able to sail all day, from the time we left Beaver until just before we came into the harbor at St. Ignace. A beautiful day and a great sail.
I'm attaching pics of a large freighter that we quickly passed today and the lighthouse at Gray's Reef. Love this part of the lake. So beautiful and blue the lake is. Today was busy with boats! And once we came under the bridge, the ferry's were everywhere!
All in all it was a great day! And now it's bed time for Bonzo! Tired after being in the great outdoors and walking all over St. Ignace!
Love and blessings to everyone,
Margo and Skip

The Scene of the Crime!

Diane, we're back on Beaver Island... the scene of the gosh-aweful bike accident. Well, not an accident exactly, but I fell from my bike last year and have the most lovely scar to show for it. Then on Mackinaw Island I did it again. I think my biking days are long  behind me!
Anyway, we motored from Charlevoix today to Beaver Island. The wind was not so good for sailing... at least not for us. In our face all day. So we fished along the way. Didn't catch anything so I guess we'll starve tomorrow night.
It's a lovely anchor here at Beaver. There are several other sailboats anchored here.
We had dinner and played our nightly card game and here I sit, writing to you.
So tomorrow we're off to St. Ignace tomorrow. It's a pretty good haul so we're off early. Never been to St. Ignace so we'll have some exploring to do.
Love and blessings to everyone,
Margo and Skip

Back on The Water....

Well we're back on the water after a delightful week with family for the July 4th celebration. We were in Iowa at my cousin's lake cottage with several other family members. Their cottage in on Holiday Lake which is literally between fields of corn. For as far as you can see there is corn and then this lovely lake community! We have been going to Holiday Lake for several years now and it's always such fun. Believe it or not the fireworks display is the best I've ever seen. Now I know in the bigger cities like Chicago, New York, DC it's over the top. But for this lake community it's amazing! Better than anything I've ever seen in Evansville.
Anyway we had a fun time, but now back to the Great Lakes as we make our way to the North Channel and Canada. 
We arrived in Boyne City, MI on Sunday afternoon about 5, unloaded the car and went to BRI (Boyne River Inn) for dinner. Great little pubby kind of place and really good food. This morning we cleaned the boat and did a grocery run and left the marina about 1:30. We had a great sail down the lake, tacking all the way. Took us about 3  1/2 hours to travel Lake Charlevoix to Oyster Bay. Here we are for the  night.
So we've had dinner, played our one Gin Rummy game and now are getting ready for bed. It's just after 10PM and it's still daylight! Crazy! Tomorrow we're off to Beaver Island. No Diane and Vince... we will  not do any bicycling! Way to risky for Miss Margo.
We miss everyone at home. Stay well and know that we love  you.
Love and Blessings,
Margo and Skip