Leaving Lake Erie and Entering Lake Huron!

Lake Erie Metropark Marina, Rockwood, MI, Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

The trip from Put-in-Bay to Lake Erie Metropark was blissfully easy. We definitely chose the right time to travel on this day!

When we got to the Metropark we were directed to a slip shared by a jet ski. The docks are wooden, sort of narrow, but very sufficient for our purposes. We met several of the boaters who dock here, including the man who owns the jet ski. He stopped by to talk…and ask “how in the world did you get from Knoxville to this place?” ;-)
The marina is only a small part of the Metropark. There are over 1600 acres set aside for this park, right along Lake Erie. The park area next to the marina has a fishing pier, which was being well used, a bike/walking trail, picnic pavilions, etc. Looked like there were several neighborhoods on either side of the park…and we saw a lot of people biking along that trail.

 

Erma Henderson Municipal Marina, Detroit, MI, Thursday, July 23, 2015.


Nice cruising today! We were close enough to the shore to see lots as we went by. We chose to take the Amherstburg Channel from Lake Erie up to downtown Detroit, MI, where we docked at the Erma Henderson Municipal Marina. A few of our views from the water today...
One thing about this course is that we were actually in Canadian waters a lot of the time. That meant that if we started using our phones’ mobile data or made calls…we might incur large fees from our carrier, Verizon. Today we chose to leave the phones off and use a small camera for pictures. ;-)

Entering Detroit on the Detroit River...

The last picture is a  view from our marina slip. Erma Henderson was a great stop for us. There were a lot of boaters out on that beautiful Thursday evening and they were all chatty and friendly. One lady ran from her dock to ours to help us tie up in the slip.

Though we didn’t take a lot of time to walk around the surrounding area, I did walk Lucy out in the nearby park area and it felt like an OK kind of location.

The marina staff was very helpful. We had pizza on our mind for the evening and they gave us several menus, including one from Jets Pizza, which is the one we chose. The marina has a guard gate that requires a code for entry, but we told the 24 hour security guard on duty that we had a pizza delivery coming and the delivery was made right to our dock.

Loved the name on this boat...



As many of you probably already know…Detroit, MI, was my home from 1952-1960…kindergarten through the beginning of the 8th grade. That was back when Detroit was a great place to live, and my memories of it are good.

One especially dear memory is of our neighbors, the Geibs. I spent many a day running around, playing, with either Don (Butchie) or Donna. Though our last face-to-face visit was back in 1985 when I took Mother and Daddy up for a visit to their old friends and places, Donna and I have kept up connections. The connections became garbled and finally lost over the last several years. Moves, cell phones replacing land lines, all contributed to my not knowing how to connect again with Donna as we’re in the area.

It finally occurred to me that Donna might be on Facebook so I asked my sister, Nadine, to do some searching and let me know if she came up with something. She did, indeed! Two phone calls later and I was leaving a message for Donna to call me.

Bottom line: we connected that evening and decided to get together when we get to Port Huron this weekend!

River Street Marina, Port Huron, MI, Friday, July 24-25, 2015.

We left the Detroit area on Friday the 24th and traveled a long, long day to Port Huron. In miles, the trip was not so bad. However, the current on the river, many no wake zones, and dodging other boaters’ wakes slowed us down. Ten hours after leaving Detroit, we got to Port Huron.

First we crossed Lake St. Clair. Water was smooth and the shores were far from sight. As we were leaving the Detroit area and entering Lake St. Clair we heard a broadcast from the Canadian Coast Guard in Sarnia, CA, announcing the closing of the St. Clair River Friday-Sunday, 10-4, between certain coordinates to accommodate a power boat race. The coordinates covered a section from one side of the river to the other, both the US and Canadian waters.

Wayne immediately called the Coast Guard and got the Detroit section on the radio. They confirmed the closure Friday-Sunday. Really?? On further questioning the contact read the official notice, which indeed said the same thing. The notice ended by saying something like “further inquiries should be directed to the Port Huron Coast Guard section.

Wayne hailed Port Huron Coast Guard. Same response: river closed Friday-Sunday for power boat race. Never one to stop until he gets the right answer, Wayne continued to question the young man about the logic of this move to the point that their was a long pause on the radio. Then the Coast Guard representative came back and said, “My superior says the river will be closed on Sunday from 10-4.” Now…why couldn’t they have announced THAT?

Traveling up the St. Clair River we began to see the beauty of Michigan Great Lakes!  The water just kept getting bluer and bluer...

We had chosen the River Street Marina for our stay because it got good ratings on Active Captain (AC) and it looked well positioned for accessing the town. To get to the marina we would go up the Black River a short way, transiting two lift bridges in the process. At the time of day we arrived, the bridges were on an “open every half hour” schedule. When we got to the first bridge it was 20 minutes until 4 o’clock. There was a marina right there with a good price on diesel, so we decided maybe we could get a pump out AND refuel before the 4:30 bridge openings and we would make good use of our wait time.

Little did we know, this was a super efficient marina!! They did the pump out while Wayne and I conducted the fuel up. We were done and outta there in time for the 4 PM bridge!! Just happens that the people who manage this marina also manage the River Street Marina.

This is a gorgeous venue, the River Street Marina. Lots of arty little extras...



Notice the bench in the right foreground...








Bike rack...




The staff, from Mike, the Dock Master, to his able crew of dock hands, is the friendliest, most accommodating group we’ve seen yet.

The marina was said (on AC) to have had a courtesy car…which we were looking forward to since we had an appointment for our furry Lucy to get groomed while there…And we needed another grocery run, a large one, due to my having shopped at the uber chic Heinen’s in Cleveland and my reluctance, there, to blow the budget. ;-)

Well, the courtesy van was supplied by a car rental company that had gone out of business…and the van hadn’t been replaced. That didn’t stop this marina. Individual dock hands ended up escorting us to Lucy’s appointment and to the grocery. My trip home from the grocery this time completely filled up the unsuspecting driver from the trunk, through to the back seat…where we placed groceries on some of his clothes. ;-)

Donna, my friend, came up on Saturday afternoon with her girlfriend, Sharon (who’s always up for an impromptu trip!) After greeting Wayne (Wayne and Donna had never met)and taking a tour of our spacious 32 foot trawler [grin]…Donna, Sharon, and I took off for lunch and a long get-to-know-you again talk. It was wonderful! We fell right into step…and Sharon rounded out the happy threesome.
We went to the Freighter restaurant at the Doubletree Hotel in Port Huron. The food was delicious and we spent a lovely 3 hours talking and watching the Blue Water Bridge and St. Clair River traffic.
After a goodbye at the boat, the ladies took off. Wayne and I had supper from the Fuel Woodfire Grill downtown and it was delicious!






The next morning Wayne and I took off for a walk around town. We walked up to the Coast Guard station, then back, stopping at a hardware store for tidbits. After lunch the dock hands gave me a ride to Kroger where I stocked up on vittles. That tucked away, I went back uptown to see if ANY shops were open…and they were! Browsed around an antique mall and found an old War Dept. Field Manual on Engineer Field Data. (Read, where to place the latrines and how deep to dig, etc.) Should make good collage material!

Port Sanilac Harbor of Refuge, Port Sanilac, MI, July 27, 2015. Easy day up to Port Sanilac, MI. As we came into the harbor we saw our friends from Port Huron! We'd met and talked with them at River Street Marina in Port Huron. The two couples were in two boats traveling together from their home at the bottom of Saginaw Bay down to Port Huron and back. As they left Port Huron we snapped pictures of them in their boats on the river and sent to them by email. So…as they were leaving Port Sanilac that day as we arrived, we took a few more pictures and sent along to them. ;-)

Wayne and Elvia



Joyce and Steve



Port Sanilac has a cute little town just up the hill from the harbor. We were looking for a few things, ice cream as one, of course.
We spied a shop called “Karen’s Creations” with all kinds of “stuff” in the windows and on the sidewalk. Funny, though, it advertised ice cream. Probably the stick variety from a chest freezer…but we were ready to settle for that. We walked inside…and the place looked like ice cream wouldn’t have a chance to survive in here, freezer or not. There were racks of clothes everywhere, do-dads crammed into corners and on the floor…it was a tad warm and dark inside. We moseyed up to the service counter, still wondering what’s with the ice cream sign, when we see “Karen” and behind her a list of ice cream flavors for dip serve. Really???, we asked! Oh, yeah, she says as she up-ends the service counter and reveals a large ice cream freezer with kegs of flavors sitting inside. Strangest thing we’ve ever seen for an ice cream venue…but it was good ice cream!
We walked on down the way, after making quick work of the ice cream. It was a bit warm that day!






































We also had to see “Michigan’s oldest hardware, established in 1850! Looked like a place you could wile away an hour or two browsing.


This is a beautifully maintained Chris Craft docked at Port Sanilac.  The owners used to live in Asheville, NC, and retired up here.  They've never looked back!  ;-)








Loved this sign in the marina office concerning Aliens!




Later that afternoon I walked up to deposit some mail in the post office.  Then I sought out the local library, of course.  They had a good book sale/giveaway going on and I got a couple of small items.

As I left the library I stopped to talk with the two women at the main desk.  I told them we were visiting the area...and that led to where we came from and how we got to Port Sanilac.  Before I left, they had pulled out an atlas and had me guide them along our route up to here.  Gotta love that about librarians! ;-)

Walking back towards the marina I saw, what looked from the distance, a sign by the sidewalk and 3 girls trying to drum up business for something.  Since it was a hot day, I was hoping it was lemonade and I would make them very happy!  Turns out they were selling face painting.  Well, I talked them into a hand decoration instead...and took advantage of their "first person to buy gets it for 75 cents" instead of for a dollar.





Harbor Beach Marina, Harbor Beach, MI - July 28-29, 2015

Another “smooth as glass” ride on Lake Huron today. We got better than 8 mph because of that. So little wind that we had teeny tiny bugs all over the boat by the time we docked, around 1 PM, at Harbor Beach Marina.

Not a bad stop at all! We’d heard and read criticism of the location because it’s “so far” from town. The marina offers the services of a courtesy van, so we figured if it got too hot (or we ate too much) we’d call for a ride home.

As soon as we had hooked up power and everything, we went up to the marina office and paid for our night’s stay. With directions from the staff, we then lit out on that bike trail, headed for Harbor Beach and lunch. Turns out, it’s an easy walk (we’d estimate under a mile) along a bike path and mostly shaded.

We lunched at Al's Restaurant, splitting a perch dinner (yummy!) that came with a full salad bar and we ordered a side salad (total bill $12).  Indulged in ice cream at the Anchorage next door when our waitress at Al's told us here daughter worked there and "it was really clean!"

While Wayne was finishing up his ice cream, I walked over to the library, a regional library, and bought a tote bag.  Talking with the staff there I learned that it served various area townships and the local school system.  Looked like a nice, well-rounded collection from first glance.

The sunset that evening was beautiful...



Port Austin State Harbor, Port Austin, MI, July 29-31.
Left Harbor Beach at 5:35 AM on July 29, a personal best for us on this trip.  We wanted to get out and "over" before winds moved in during the afternoon/evening.  Red skies at night, sailor's delight; red skies in the morning....sailor's warning.  We're reading them loud and clear!



Made it to Port Austin by 9:30 with pleasant waters to assist.  And as we came into Port Austin...Yes!  Our new friends were there getting to leave for their trip down Saginaw Bay!  I accused them of timing all this so we could chronicle their trip in pictures.  We settled this time for some group shots...and they reciprocated taking pictures of us as we tied up. ;-)

 Let me start by saying that we have NEVER seen a cleaner marina...anywhere, ever!  



Dock hands are out cleaning off the power pedestals daily with 1) duster 2) wet sponge.  Every day! Power pedestals seem to be the last things marinas maintain.  It's not at all unusual to find wasp nests, spiders, bird droppings...you get the picture.  And the laundry here at Port Austin State Harbor?  Well, it's FREE, my friends.  Not only that, they have 2 sets of washer/dryers.  One is a stacked set, normal size.  The other one is a brand spanking new set by Kenmore, 600 series.  Oh, I've got my eye on this duo!  Anyway...I took advantage of the situation and cleaned up all our laundry while here.  ;-)

This is a great setting for a marina...



Nice beach and park right next door...

After a stroll through town that day, Wayne came back to the boat to see about the generator, which hadn't started this morning when he was ready for oatmeal on the trip up.  He talked with Mark, the guy who had installed the unit, and they decided it needed a new fuel filter.  Much of that afternoon was spent figuring out how and where to get that filter.  We finally located one in a nearby town, Bad Axe, MI, and had arranged for a commuter bus to pick us up at 8:15 the next day.  (Fare was 2.50 each way, per person.)

Meanwhile, I walked around some more in town.



Next morning, Thursday, July 30, we were out early and looking for the bus, which picked us up at the marina.  It took about an hour each way...with a 1.5 hour wait in-between buses.  We saw a lot of upper Michigan, though, on that bus ride.  Lots of agriculture going on.  Passengers on the bus obviously used it often because many of them knew each other.  It was a slice of life kinda day for us...just what we like.

Bad axe is small, even though the county seat for Huron County.  We had a late breakfast at the Peppermill Restaurant after picking up the generator fuel pump.  In no time at all we were back at our bus stop waiting for our ride home.





And...ya gotta love the name: Bad Axe!



The next day, Wayne installed the new filter.  I went up to the library for a visit.  Lovely reading room...with an adjacent garden area for sitting.



And...their paying for artists to display!!!



The Lake Warriors (sea-do riders) came in for the night... They were going all the way up and down the Lake Huron coast to raise money for a charity.



That evening we joined some new friends, Jim and Peggy on Oui Cherie, on their boat for happy hour.  The skies had blustered up and looked stormy...but we decided it would probably blow over.  Wrong!! We were on the enclosed bridge when it hit and it packed a punch of wind and rain!



Later that evening a group was out on the harbor walk trying to deploy some luminaries.  Unfortunately, it was too windy.  Pretty sight, never the less...

Harrisville Municipal Marina, Harrisville, MI. August 1-2. 

Oh! My! Harrisville!!

OK, so the trip up here from Port Austin on Saturday the 1st of August was uncomfortable. Not scary, just uncomfortable. We looked at the weather forecast, as usual, and timed our departure to avoid, what we saw, as the worst of the day for travel. That, by the way [wink, wink], gave us an opportunity to visit the wonderful Port Austin farmers’ market!














We came away with tomatoes, blueberries, lettuce, cucumbers, peaches (SC), onions, maple syrup…and donuts!

For the first 3 hours of our trip we had waves, 1-3 feet. Had to hold on with both hands FOR SURE while walking…and often braced in our seat when not walking. We varied the direction, the speed…nothing really helped a lot. Finally, the wind settled down and we had a smoother ride,…and biting flies for the last 3 hours. At one point we went to the inside helm (sans autopilot) and drove by compass heading.

We also avoided a number of storms, purely by chance. They were cropping up all over that day...



At last we made it into the marina. What a scenic place!





Harrisville...I am feelin’ it!!!

Peaceful evening, knowing we were staying here the next day due to impending rough weather.

Next day, Sunday, storms were to come in around noon. We walked into town that morning and checked out the few places open. One was the Flour Garden, which had the most amazing beer collection ever. We chose a 6-pack for the stash. I couldn’t resist recording some of the carton art:





Neat little town. Notice the street lights that look like boat navigation lights...



A winding path down the town’s sidewalks...



View from the town to the lake...



We went back to the boat for a check on windows, lines…then headed back up to town for lunch at the Old Place Inn. Building dates back to 1870, and it’s been a number of things like home to a sheriff, boarding house…and finally, a great little restaurant.

We split a perch dinner and added an extra salad/soup bar. Delicious! We followed up with ice cream at the Alcona Coffee Company and Ice Cream Parlor. We then walked back to the Flour Garden for wine, and to the grocery store to pick up 2 flats of bottled water.

Then we called the marina to see if they could pick us up before the storm set on us. No answer. After several tries, I ran back to the marina and asked the harbor master to send the courtesy van up for Wayne and our loot. He was occupied for the moment, but said he would run right up there in a minute. I went on to the boat to put Lucy in her thunder jacket and wait for Wayne.

Turns out, the harbor master had sent someone out to get Wayne…but they didn’t get there. Instead, a fellow at the market gave Wayne a ride back to the marina.

In the meantime…we had the worst storm come through that we’ve ever seen on the boat. I was in the boat and Wayne was at the market. Thunder, lightening, wind, rain…it had it all. Pretty exciting…while sitting tied up sound to a dock!!

The power went off in the marina…and looked like it was off all over town. Later that evening we started the generator and studied for the next day and possible departure for Presque Isle (presk eel, up here).

Alpena Municipal Marina, Alpena, MI, August 3-6

OK…Monday, August 3…this is when we left Harrisville and ended up being towed to Alpena, MI.

Alpena is a great place to get caught! We hadn’t really considered coming here because of the distance into and out of the bay (over 20 miles round trip).



We have a grocery store right beside the marina, a yogurt bar only blocks away, a great restaurant called Fresh Palate from which we had lunch twice and (because the sandwiches were so large) supper. ;-) What more could a cruiser want?

Oh, yes, and we’ve met some super people. Rich, one of the two guys who manage the marina, and captain of the Maverick boat that towed us to the marina, is a font of information about mechanical issues, where to find parts, etc.; Beau, captain of a NOAA research vessel docked here and doing classes for an area college, has traveled in Lake Superior and gave us some great information about stops along the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; Dave, who took a commercial fishing boat hull and built a live-aboard boat. Dave also helps with the college classes. His boat has logged the most experience gathering data on micro plastics in the Great Lakes; and Rick, a sailor from Charleston, SC, and his Jack Russell, Ryla.

Donna Baxter’s daughter Kelly lives in Alpena with her husband, Chuck, and her daughter Erin. I met Erin and Donna downtown Alpena on Thursday afternoon and we spent a couple of hours shopping downtown. Then we went over to the new Meijer’s store in town…fantastic place!
On Thursday evening, they all came over to the boat for a visit and we spent a raucous couple of hours laughing and getting to know each other.

Erin, who’s entering the 9th grade this year, is an artist in her own right. She draws beautiful medallion shaped designs that I would call mandalas. I’m going to share some resources with Erin and am trying to convince Donna and Erin to come down next summer for a week’s visit!

Found some great little shops in Alpena! One was Traveling Ladders that took it’s name from the tall ladders that run along the wall to access high items…like in libraries or hardware stores. They have so much STUFF there that I would love to have for art purposes…but, of course, we don’t have room for a lot more art supplies on the boat. ;-) So…I limited my purchases to 2 player piano rolls (75 cents each after 75% off sale), a book of stained glass designs, and earrings. It took a lot of restraint. Turns out, the woman who shares ownership of the store with her husband, is an artist. She has a studio upstairs…and a store full of materials with which to work!! I was green!!






The large antique mall in town held this jewel. Why would there be a schnauzer there? I wonder!



The views of the marina and their HUGE flag here have been wonderful!!!



Alpena harbor and lift bridge...



On Friday, August 7, 2015, we left Alpena…and the waters were totally benign.





All the way up to Presque Isle, MI. And what a place this is!!! Talk about remote and beautiful! We chose to anchor instead of enter the harbor nearby. First time we’ve anchored since the Hudson River! There’s something about “being on the hook” that is so relaxing...





The water is so clear...



We took Lucy into shore at the nearby dock and met locals, Lynda and Wally. They live here during the summers and in the mountains of Georgia during the winter.

There were so many neat rocks there!! And Erin had told me about the Petroskey rocks...

Petoskey Stones
On certain Lake Huron beaches, as, more famously, along the state’s Lake Michigan shore, hikers might turn up a geologic treasure: the Petoskey stone, actually fossilized remains of colonial corals that existed 350 million years ago in the tropical seaways that sloshed over present-day Michigan in the Devonian Period. Thus, they are relics of ancient reefs, smoothed over the vast expanse of time by currents. They were transported from outcrops of Alpena Limestone around Little Traverse Bay -- the vicinity of the stone’s namesake town -- to points beyond by continental glaciers.  http://traveltips.usatoday.com/lake-huron-michigans-stone-beaches-101320.html

I asked Lynda about the stones. She described them…and I found one! I’m looking forward to finding more over our stay here.



Tomorrow looks a little blustery…so we’ll likely stay here until Sunday, at least. Yes!

So, as I finish this long, long entry we are still in the vicinity of Presque Isle, but we moved this morning to the bay just north of here called, wait for it: North Bay.  The winds had picked up over night and somehow we found ourselves facing the wind...but taking waves on the beam.  Well, you already know how we feel about that!

We took Lucy into shore as a group from the area was getting ready to do their "open water swim."  Air temperature was in the 50's...water temp?  Not sure.  But I'll bet it's chilly.  Hardy souls up here!!

Fought some waves as we left Presque Isle harbor and rounded the bend to North Bay.  But we've found a great spot, tucked into 10 ft. of water with sandy beaches to land the dinghy.  Hoping we can leave tomorrow and start our trek towards Lake Superior.  We'll see.  Looks kind of iffy right now.

Meantime, take a gander at this place!  We're the only boat in the bay.

If you look closely, you might be able to see the lighthouse in the background...

Wayne thinks we've finally gotten an infinity pool!

And the beach is perfect for Lucy.

I picked up this t-shirt for Wayne in Port Huron the day Donna came to visit.  This just about says it!

Spoiler Alert: All is Well!

Alpena Municipal Marina, Alpena, MI, Wednesday, August 5, 2015 -

About five days ago, we began to have problems with our Kabota engine in the generator…Having worked perfectly for over 300 hours, it suddenly died after running only a short while…or wouldn’t start at all.

We first suspected the problem was fuel related.  We changed the fuel filter that is attached to the Kabota and there was some improvement…but the problem didn’t go away entirely. 

The day before this “dead in the water” incident, we noticed minor changes in rpm level on the main Cummins engine…only to have it return to the original setting within a few seconds.

Bottom line:  it was all a fuel related problem affecting both engines, but not obvious until we were docked and started diagnosing the problem.  The problem was resolved when we replaced the fuel filter on each engine and a larger fuel filter that is shared between them.

As of yesterday, both engines are running…but we have yet to fully test them while traveling.

We'll likely be here through Thursday so we can change oil in the Cummins and do some other minor household chores.  More later from Alpena, MI....

Yesterday, not just a Beatles song

We're going to interrupt this normally chronological journal of our trip to tell you about....yesterday.

We started out in Harrisville, MI.  We'd been there 2 nights, waiting an extra night so we could avoid what turned out to be some pretty spectacular thunderstorms that moved through that afternoon...but more on that later when I fill in with a whole nuther post about the time spent between here and Put-in-Bay, where we left you last.

We were headed to Presque Isle, MI, a 50+ mile run for us that could take over 7 hours depending on how the wind and waves behaved.  Our contingency plan was to "duck into" Alpena, MI, which is 12 miles back into Thunder Bay and quite a ways "off the road."  We were excited about the anchorage up there because we haven't anchored in quite some time...since the Hudson River!

Our course was pretty much a straight line from Harrisville to a point off Thunder Island, then on up to Presque Isle staying about 2 miles offshore.  We were three hours into the trip, just about the middle of the mouth of Thunder Bay when our engine stopped.  Wouldn't start again.  Here's the story as I've sent out to my family ahead of this blog post.  I think it will describe the incident sufficiently...and it a very conversational tone. ;-)

******

We don't yet know about the engine because we only talked to a Cummins guy yesterday afternoon.  We had him lined up to send a mechanic out this morning...but our insurance company wants an adjuster to come out first. (Skip long story about fuel tank failure at beginning of Loop trip last time and how insurance ended up not paying for it because we hadn't gotten them involved early enough in the process.  Lesson really, really tough...but we learned.)  We're waiting today to hear from the adjuster.

I was amazed how totally calm and collected we both were during that whole ordeal yesterday.  Neither of us was really scared...just a little, how shall I say, green around the gills at times.  Of course, like all of us that have boated seriously, we've thought many times about "what if"...and actually called the Coast Guard during our last trip while we were on Lake Michigan and one of our two engines quit running...just to let them know our situation and that we were making it into shore, etc. 

It was a really surreal kind of feeling, though, to be at the helm, as I was, when I sensed a change in the rpm's.  Next thing I know, the dial had dived to 0 and the "low oil pressure" alarm had come on.  Wayne was downstairs and tried to start the engine again (we can only start from lower helm)...but it wouldn't.  He came upstairs, got on Channel 16, and started the Pan Pan call.  [From the US Coast Guard web site, a definition and description of the distress calls you can use and when to use them:

Making the Call
First, make sure your call is sent on Channel 16. Channel 16 is the internationally recognized hailing and distress channel on your VHF radio. It is the channel the Coast Guard continuously monitors and most other boaters listen to as well. Do your best to make your call in a clear and distinct voice. Use the proper pro-word. Use MAYDAY when you are in imminent distress, and the term PAN, PAN (rhymes with on, on) for situations where you are concerned, but not necessarily in immediate danger. Do not wait for the Coast Guard to answer before stating your situation. Coast Guard operation centers record channel 16, so they can always play back what you said. Waiting for a reply may cost you all the time you have to communicate. If you do not hear a response, however, call again to confirm your call was received. It may be helpful to post a checklist of critical information near your radio so you won't forget anything. Though even veteran Search and Rescue personnel debate what the most vital information is, these three items always make the top of the list:
The number of people on board:
If the first victim found cannot communicate, it is vital to know that there are still people waiting to be found.
Your position:
Hopefully self-explanatory. An accurate latitude and longitude is best. Without that, a position relative to a specific location is best, such as 5 miles southwest of Point Loma. Try to be as specific as possible.
A description of your vessel: 

Sault Ste. Marie Coast Guard, or Sector Sue, as we began to know them, was the group we worked with and they were great.  Granted, they were a long way away from us, though, and IF we had not been able to find a Boat US contract tow in the area...the Salute Set. Marie group was "getting some boats ready" in case they had to be the ones coming to our rescue.  They asked if we could anchor safely there...but we were in 140+ water, so that wasn't an option.  Did I tell you I don't swim?  Well, I swim...but I can't BREATHE and swim.  Needless to say we both had our lifejackets on and our PLB's clutched in our clammy little hands.

The engine died at 9:30.  We had left Harrisville at 6:30, knowing it would take us 7 or more hours to get to Presque Isle.  We had the contingency plan of stopping at Alpena if we decided the bounce was a bit much in the waves...but we were doing fine in that respect and would have gone on around the bend had it not been for the engine.  Boat US contracted with a dive/tow operation here in Alpena to tow us into land.  The Coast Guard handled getting in touch with Boat US for us (we supplied our member number) and coordinating with the dive/tow operation.)  Sector Sue had us contact them every 30 minutes to give them our current location and condition.  The location, of course, changed as we were reading the GPS coordinates.  We drifted further out as we sat immobilized.  

The harbor master here at the Alpena Municipal Marina, Rich, was the captain of the boat, Maverick, that came to get us.  Apparently he was off on another operation with a towboat when the call came into him because it took over an hour for him to reach us and he came to us from north of the Thunder Bay.  

We spent two hours dead in the water...with a beam sea slapping us silly.  (Beam sea = waves hitting square on the side of the boat making it tip side to side). We both swallowed additional Bonine (we both use it when going out on the open waters), put it under our tongue...Gee, I was ready to tape it under my armpit or snort it!  Finally, we were both able to fight back the "green wave" of seasickness and just maintain a FIXED GLAZE on the horizon UPSTAIRS in the fresh air...watching for Maverick.  

When he arrived, Rich threw us a line that we attached to a front side cleat...and off we went.  An hour and a half later, we came into Alpena Municipal.  We were probably 15 miles out from Alpena because we were running across the opening of Thunder Bay.  We were about 6 miles off land...but we couldn't "land" there. Oh...did I mention that Thunder Bay is known for the over 200 shipwrecks that occurred here????  And they have a whole museum dedicated to shipwrecks on the Great Lakes.  Think I'll skip this one.

I had taken this screen shot to relate how nice the AIS system is about showing approaching vessels that might intersect our path.  We're the big black boat...following our course line, and the small grey vessel is the approaching freighter. Turns out, it's a good visual of the area we were near when the engine stopped.  The bay to the left there is Thunder Bay and Alpena is located pretty much at the outmost curve.  We were in the center of the bay area...only about as far out as we are in this diagram from shore...

The dock hands at the marina guided us gently into our slip and helped us get tied up and powered up.  We called the Coast Guard back and told them how grateful we were for their assistance and concern, as they had requested us to update them of our getting safely to harbor.  When we get to Sault Ste Marie I want to look them up and give em a big ole hug.  

Rick, the Maverick captain, is so competent and thorough in his job...I can't believe he's here at the marina (no offense to other harbor masters I've known).  A big cement freighter/barge was coming into the Alpena concrete plant ( which, from the waterfront, looks every bit as big as Alpena).  Rich called back to us to explain that the freighter had a depth restriction and needed to be in the channel.  Rich was going to give him a wide berth...and we would be outside the channel, but still in plenty of water.  He just wanted to explain this to us in case we saw we were not on the "correct side" of the buoys.  Little did he know, but we had gone into a trancelike state induced by Bonine, adrenalyn aftermath, and pure relief.  He could have pulled us around the harbor in circles for a while and I'm not sure we would've noticed.  ;-)

Delivery pizza, a couple of glasses of vino...and I was in bed by 8:30.  Quite a day!  But...what we know is, the system worked.  Time is one of the most critical issues, for sure.  The further out you are, the more sparce the rescue options,...all these add up.  Just gotta take precautions and stay calm.  We were thinking, yesterday as we were tipping side-to-side, what we would do if we capsized.  We'll probably think some more about everything that happened yesterday.  Wayne has already come up with an idea for the rescue ring we carry.  Always thinking, that man....

So then...I get this email from my Book Guild in Knoxville.  Every year we do a collaborative book project where every participant creates a page on a group-chosen topic.  Then each participant makes as many copies of their page as the number of participants...and we swap pages until everyone has a copy of everyones' pages.  The pages are all made in a uniform size so they can be bound into the book...but that's where the limits stop.  You can paint, sew, stomp, weave...however you want to.  Doesn't have to be done on paper, I've seen fabric, plastic, foam...you get the picture.  The list of possible topics this year was long, probably made up from all those suggestions in years before that hadn't won. 

So, anyways, I get this email saying the group has voted and we have our winner.  This year's topic is (drum roll).....WATER.   Really?  Water? I didn't vote for water.  I voted for 1)favorite song 2)collage  3)mandalas (not on their list, but we could suggest).  Water.  Somehow, I thought it was just too ordinary.  But I woke up this morning thinking about it and I think I'm gonna do something like a stream of consciousness piece on water from the perspective of one who's lived on water for a year.  Not sure what all will be involved yet...but I'm excited now.  

Stream of consciousness.  Pretty much what this email has been.  

I've been trying this year to do the "grateful" thing whenever I can think to do it...which isn't everyday like you're supposed to, of course.  Greatly simplified, the idea is if you think often of things for which you are grateful, you will live a happier life (see 365grateful.com, for instance).  Given our experience yesterday, we have enough to be grateful for to fill up a couple of months.  ;-)  And we are certainly grateful for all the people who care about us.  Don't worry about us.  We are very conscious of safety and yesterday only proves that it pays off.  ;-) Till next time...

Cleveland, OH, to Put-in-Bay, OH

Lakeside Yacht Club, Cleveland, OH, July 16-17, 2015

So…our first afternoon in Cleveland we’re tied up to a floating dock at the Lakeside Yacht Club which is about 2 miles from the downtown waterfront.

We need a grocery fix, so I called a cab and asked for a ride to Dave’s Grocery, which I had identified on Google Maps. The cabbie, a talky guy named Elton, encouraged me to try the new grocery store right downtown, Heinen’s.

You’re not in Kansas anymore, Doris. My first tip-off was the doorman at the entrance. Then, Wow!, what a store! They’ve taken over a historical building in downtown Cleveland and occupy the first and second floors. The first floor has a large “deli, meats, cheeses,bakery” area with a large center space cleared out for tables and chairs. Buy it and take it home…or eat it there. Oh, and if you’d like a glass of wine or beer with it, just head on up to the second floor where the whole area is devoted to tasting wines and beers.

The rest of the first floor is taken up with what I’d call traditional groceries. Only, for a store as small as this is, they have more brands represented there than the biggest of the grocery stores I’m used to shopping.

Tiny grocery carts and small check-out stations clued me in that they weren’t used to having someone come up with a week’s load of groceries…like me! Wow! for the bill, too! Ah, well. It was an “experience!" ;-)

Elton picked me up again when I called and back we went to the marina to tuck everything away.

The next day we walked into town and visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Oh, yes we did!!! It was an amazing collection of memorabilia, video clips, sound recordings…we could have stayed all day if our stamina would have taken it! As we do in most museums, we picked out the exhibits we didn’t want to miss and did those…along with a few more. Here’s a touch of what we saw. You are allowed to take pictures, just no flashes. Selfies of me in front of Metallica feature did not come out, Linda and John. ;-)

Beautiful building right on the waterfront in Cleveland, OH.




Who knew? I could’ve aspired to this job!




We hardly knew which way to look! We started out, though, in a small theater watching past inductees accept their awards.




Listening stations for sound recordings of various artists...



Memorabilia of all kinds...



Alice Cooper’s boots...



Alice in Chains Claymation Dolls...



Concert posters...



And, our personal favorites,  handwritten lyrics by the artists like this one by Neil Simon...



And this by the Gibbs boys...



Joe Walsh...



And more...



One of the special exhibits consisted of portraits and musical videos done by photographer Herb Ritts.






It may seem I put in a lot of photos of this entertaining venue…but count yourselves lucky that I spared you the rest!!!

It was a morning well spent! Then we walked around the waterfront a bit before grabbing lunch at the Winking Lizard Tavern (very good!)





This is the view from the waterfront to uptown Cleveland.



A walk back to the boat and we were in for the afternoon.



It was an evening with some beautiful cloud formations and a blazing sunset. Reflecting on our stay here, we like what we’ve seen of Cleveland and would return!




We left Cleveland the next morning, and had a bumpy ride to Vermilion, OH.

Vermilion Power Boat Yacht Club, Vermilion, OH, July 18-19, 2015


Vermilion, OH, is an amazing place for boaters! Canals weave through neighborhoods of mostly small homes, with neatly manicured lawns. Many have a boat right outside on one of the canals.
We docked at the Vermilion Power Boat Yacht Club, not to be confused with the Vermilion Boat Club or the Vermilion Yacht Club. I told you this was a boater’s paradise!

The rate was very reasonable, as was the price of diesel…and the people we met from the club were very friendly.

Saturday we spent mostly on down time after our arrival. The trip here had been uncomfortable for most of the way, with waves coming in right on our bow. We maneuvered some to vary the angle, but it seemed no matter what we did…the waves were “There!"

On Sunday we set out and walked around town, checking out the stores and eateries…and stopping by the beach for a look at Lake Erie stones and beach glass. This is a beautiful place!



Looking out the entrance channel…Lake Erie in the distance.







Lunch was at the soda shop in town, Big Ed’s Main Street Soda Grill. Yummy food, soda treats…and the place was packed on a Sunday.

In between all the walking and eating we managed to take care of a couple of loads of laundry at the unheard of price of $1/wash and 50 cents/dry!

Mooring Field, Put-in-Bay, OH - July 20-21 Spring Break for adults! Well, and “of age” young adults.



So, on Monday, July 20, we left Vermilion and went 30-some miles to Put-in-Bay mooring field. Again, the trip was somewhat bumpy…but not as much as between Cleveland and Vermilion. The winds were 10 Knots or less and the waves 2 ft. or less…winds from the NW.

If we thought Vermilion was the place for boaters, oh my! Put-in-Bay is set up for fun times. An island, Put-in-Bay has a small population of residents. But in season, the place is flooded with people! We’re here on a Monday-Tuesday, and I can’t imagine how many more golf carts could fit into this little town area...



It's a resort town, with people coming in by ferry or boat.  Golf carts are the common way of moving around, but there are some cars, too, that were ferried over here.

Of course, there is a sailing event going on this week and a buzzilion little sailboats zooming around during the time they are not out in the bigger waters.



Village park at the waterfront...



The Boardwalk area...





The kids on this boat jumped from the top of the boat all afternoon. They were having a ball!

We’re moored in the bay. The mooring field is run by the Boardwalk and rate for our length of boat is $30/day. A water taxi is available free of charge for trips to shore, though we took our dinghy when we took Lucy for walks. There’s a village boat ramp along the waterfront for landing dinghy and from there it’s an easy walk to the park.

The pillar you see in the background of some of the above pictures is the Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial.



From the nps.gov website,

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial was established to honor those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie, during the War of 1812, and to celebrate the long-lasting peace among Britain, Canada and the U.S. The Memorial, a Doric column, rising 352 feet over Lake Erie is situated 5 miles from the longest undefended border in the world.

Someone told us, when we said we were going to Put-in-Bay, that “it’s all about Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie.”

The Lake Erie Islands Historical Society (http://www.leihs.org) has a great short summary of the battle, including reference to the oft seen flag flying here, the "Don’t Give Up the Ship" flag…and to the famous line, “We have met the enemy, and they are ours."

We weren’t sure how long we’d stay here, but decided two nights were required after the first day. We had a good lunch yesterday at Topsy Turvy’s Island Grill and walked around the waterfront area, including the National Park museum for Perry’s memorial. Stopped at the small grocery store on the island for some produce…and had fish from the grill for supper.

Last night brought winds that were not predicted. We woke up, simultaneously, at around 11 PM with the boat rocking sideways Big Time! The wind was howling (we see from readings this morning that winds were up to 24 knots last night)! This morning we’re watching the conditions and plan to leave here around 11 AM…after the winds and waves have settled down some. At least, that’s the plan for now.;-)

Oh, yeah, one more little factoid about Put-in-Bay: it’s got a lot of nonpoisonous water snakes. Wayne saw one, but one reviewer on Active Captain wrote he’d seen several on his swim platform sunning. Hmmm. If they made it to our swim platform, could the back deck be far behind? Tuck that one away...