Day #208 - Pentwater

View of Pentwater from our anchorage

 

Left Ludington at  7:45am.  It was a beautiful, calm and sunny day for a ride to Pentwater. We arrived at 9:55 am and dropped anchor in the mooring field across from town.  Took dinghy to town to check our what's new.....nothing much. Picked up a few items at the Dollar Store. Very quiet here....and hardly any boats at the municipal marina.  Traveled about 14 miles today.....short and sweet!

Day #207 - Ludington

Left Manistee @ 7:00 am to get another early start. There were "rollers" left over from yesterday's winds, but were manageable. Got here @ 11:15am. to the Municipal Marina.  Doug and Carolyn picked us up for lunch and had some mexican food....yum!  They asked us if we would like to come over for a fish fry at their park for dinner where they live. Of course, we said yes.  It was so delicious and all the neighbors were so friendly. Came back to the boat around 7:00pm, took showers and watched the "Badger" take off @ 8:30 pm.

Just want to thank Doug and Carolyn for all their hospitality @ Ludington today. They are such "super nice people". It feels so good to be near home........

Day #206 - Manistee

Left Frankfort by 6:10am and got here about 10:15am. It wasn't a bad ride, but winds were suppose to kick up by this afternoon. Rode bikes to check out the town and to get some more groceries. This marina has been remodeled and its beautiful. Only two other boats here.....what a shame! I really enjoy walking the riverwalk along the waterfront. Also found an American Legion and got a free drink because we were visitors from out of town.

Day #205 - Frankfort

We left Leland at 6:00am hoping to get an early start. What a beautiful day for a boat ride. Sunny and west winds about 5 knots and waves about a foot. The visibility was great today...you could see for miles and miles. Beautiful scenery with Sleeping Bear Dunes and Point Betsie Lighthouse. There were a few sailboats and a couple freighters.
We were planning on going to Arcadia today, but Scot noticed that our thruster belt was giving him grief. So we decided to go into Frankfort to find a NAPA store for another belt.....again. Tied up at the municipal dock around 12:15pm and called "The Boat Drs." They delivered the part within 45 minutes. There is no NAPA here, of course, but have one 7 miles away.
We decided to stay here at Frankfort because Arcadia has shallow waters. The deepest part is 5ft, according to the dockmasters here. Tomorrow the weather window doesn't look too good for us traveling south. So we might anchor out tomorrow night here at Frankfort.  Thursday through Sunday's weather forecast will be in our favor.....as of now.  Traveled 41 miles today.

Day #204 - Leland

Left at 7:00am to catch the opening of the Charlevoix Bridge at 7:30. We were about 3 minutes late, but tooted our horn, and he opened up the US 31 Bridge. Surprisingly, there were some rollers in the channel going out to Lake Michigan, which gives you a "good" idea what to expect on the big lake.
Once we got out there were BIG rollers....up to 4 ft! Boy, this was not what the weather report said. They said 2 ft or less.....Anyway, we're cruising along, actually rolling along, side to side, and we didn't want to check on things downstairs. For one, it was really rocking, which is hard to manage your way down below and two, who wants to clean up the mess!  Scot went down to check on things down below......thank goodness, because I was in my "safety spot" riding out the big rollers. I'm not much help when it's rough, but if a situation arise, I'll be there!  Scot is the best captain that I know and I feel "safe" with him and his decision making. I just follow "Captain's Orders".
We needed to make a decision whether to turn into Traverse Bay and go to North Port or continue on to Leland. Scot wanted to get "cheap" diesel in North Port and it would of been a better ride, but we decided to continue on to Leland. Of course, the waves were still rolling us around, but you get used to it after a while. We arrived at Leland about 12:15pm. Lots of deck hands helping us dock the boat. Other boaters came over to ask us about the conditions on the lake. They wanted to head to Charlevoix which meant bucking the waves from the north. Guess, no one else ventured out today. We did  see a couple brave sailboats traveling north.
This marina is in the process of remodeling with heavy machinery noise and dust, but the slips and the restroom facilities are very nice. We ventured to town to check out the "tourists" stores and grocery store. It turned out to be a beautiful sunny day and the water on Lake Michigan look like paradise with so many different shades of turquoise and blue.

 

                           Only about 160 miles to get home........Went about 42 miles today.

Day #203 - Oyster Bay

 Oyster Bay anchorage 

 

Not a very good day for traveling, so we're going to anchor out in Oyster Bay off of Round Lake It's very nice and quiet here. Played Scrabble and Nancy won again!  Hoping to go to North Point tomorrow, weather permitting.

Day #202 - Charlevoix

Left Beaver Island around 6:45am . Got here about noonish after waiting for the bridge to open on the hour. Was a nice sunny day to travel across Lake Michigan.  Waves were about a foot, but the ferries from Charlevoix going to Beaver Island and back to Charlevoix really kick up a good size wake!
Tied up at the Municipal Marina right around the corner. Met our friends, Phil and Mary, had a couple drinks and then ate the best white fish ever at The Village Pub right across the street. Nice little "tourist" shops to stroll through too.



Phil, Mary and Nancy

Day #201 - Beaver Island

Up early and left at 6:30am. Was pretty rough for the first 3 1/2 hrs and then we were able to change course for a smoother ride with the west winds. The weather service was calling for 2 feet or less, but we didn't see anything like that.....more like 3 to 4 footers!  We took a few good "rollers" before we were able to adjust our course for Beaver Island. It turned out to be a beautiful day afterall.
Arrived at Beaver Island at 1:15pm. Called the municipal marina for a slip, nothing available, but after 4:00 pm, he would have a slip for us.  Thank goodness that boat left at 3:00pm and we were able to dock our boat. We took our bikes for a ride around the island to see how much it has changed in 31 years, the last time we were here by sailboat. It sure looked different, but the "Shamrock Bar" is still there, a few more "tourist stops" plus some maritime museums.
Scot is so excited to be here......guess I am too!  Traveled 42 miles today, but what a ride!

 

Hopefully tomorrow we'll be heading to Charlevoix for a couple of days because the weather doesn't look that good for Sunday.

Day #200 - Mackinaw City

Left Mackinaw Island @ 9:30 after the clouds cleared up. It was really "wavy" from the leftovers from yesterday and the Ferry Boats going to the Island. Got here about 10:45 and got 100 gallons of diesel fuel and a slip at the Straits State Harbor. Hardly any boats here and its a beautiful marina that they just remodeled. Rode bikes to town to get groceries at the IGA. They really do have a wide assortment of small shops in the city for the tourists. Also was able to do some laundry here.....so that's off my list for now.

Day #199 - Mackinac Island

 

Got up early this morning  5:30 am and left by 6:15ish, with hopes of beating the SW winds that were going to pick up today. There were left over "rollers" from yesterday, then a chop picked up about an hour away from Mackinac Island. Docked the boat by 9:30am. What beautiful scenery coming into the harbor.  Water is so clean here. Took our bikes to explore around the island and took some pictures.  Can't believe how many people are visiting here by bikes and horse buggy rides. Guess it is the first day of summer! It's a beautiful sunny and warm day to enjoy the island.

Day #198 - Government Bay, near Cedarville, MI

Left in the fog at 8:30am and Nancy was on the lower deck looking for other boaters.  About 30 minutes before anchoring here, "Marine Warning" came across the radio....  " All vessels seek safe harbor".  Of course, we had to push the engine a little to at least get into the bay. Skies got very dark and hurried across Lake Huron. It really was a "white knuckle" ride for the last 20 minutes. About noonish, as soon as we got into the channel of Goverment Bay, we dropped anchor, waited it out and made lunch. About 2 hours later, we cruised up the bay and anchored in the big bay. No one else is here.  Lovely.

 

A bat flew aboard and rode with us to this anchorage. There's lots of bugs to eat around here.

Day #197 - DeTour Village, MI

Finally cleared customs at Drummond Island by 10:00am. We met Vern and Mary who just had their boat put in the water at the marina. Vern suggested that we follow him to DeTour Village for a better marina, because they were dredging the docks at Drummond Island.
Got docked at the state park marina around noonish, next to a couple of tugs heading to St. Ignace for a rendezvous. Went shopping at the local grocery store and took warm showers.



Drummond Island

So glad that we are in the waters of Michigan...Yea!

Day #196 - Sandy Point, Canada

Happy Father's Day !

Sandy Point anchorage

 

Left at 8:25am heading back out into the North Channel. Rained overnight with a little lightening and thunder in the distance. Two other tugs boats left earlier at 7:00am.,  "Tuga" and the other tug was "Heart Tug". Fog rolled in plus some rain. Thank goodness no one else was out today. Finally arrived at noon and  the sun came out and the lake became flat.....my kind of cruising. At 12:30 pm we crossed into U.S. Territory!  But then back over to Canada to anchor for the night. We felt like home because it was named "Sandy Point" in Milford Haven Bay.

Day #195 - Meldrum Bay

Left Harbor Island @ 7:00am. Beautiful sunny morning. Bugs are bad again. We cooked chicken in the slow scooker during our cruise today and it smelt so good. Anchored @ 2:30pm and two trawlers also anchored near by for the night. Pretty quiet anchorage near a very small town. We didn't even go to explore because it didn't look like much to see and we didn't need any supplies.

Day #194 - Harbor Island, Clapperton

Left @ 7:30 am. Partly sunny skies and heading to Harbor Island in Clapperton Bay. Traveled about 18 miles and snuck into the anchorage. There were  old lodge buildings that had seen better days.  Sure people had fun there many years ago. Very quiet and peaceful. We played Scrabble and Nancy won!!!  Scot made chili for dinner, which has become of our our favorites on the trip.
This was the day that some guy was suppose to tightrope across Niagara Falls. As usual, no tv reception out here in nature's best.

Day #193 - Little Current

Left @ 6:45am and it was a beautiful sunny day. The winds and waves were really calm until we were approaching Little Current. Today was "gnat city"...where do they come from?  We tied up to one of the new floating docks @ Little Current around 9:45am. We slid under the swing bridge which was only about 18 feet high. Nancy feels like she's @ a spa today with all the ammendities....laundry, internet, showers, groceries, etc. Today, life is good.  Amen.

Day #192 - Baie Fine

Up @ 5:45am with a beautiful sunrise. Pulled anchor up and headed toward Killarney.....what a quaint town to cruise through. We were heading up to an anchorage called "Mary Ann Cove". We had to ask some fishermen where the anchorage was and we were just there. The "buried cables" sign scared us away. We headed behind the island and dropped anchor. What a beautiful spot! Scot and I played scrabble and Scot won! Guess it was in the stars for his turn to win..... 
Got up during the middle of the night to star gaze.....what a sight!  I was so happy just to seek out the "Big Dipper". OMG.....the constellations were amazing! Never saw so many stars in my life.
What a beautiful spot to anchor and we almost passed it up.....go figure.
No creatures to be found here....just Scot and I.

Day #191 - Collins Inlet

Stayed at Collins Inlet another night. Wind advisory today, very windy here. Thousands of mayflies covered our boat overnight, and boy was it a mess to clean! We've got a pizza in the oven tonight to help warm up the boat, but the oven would not turn on. So we had to cook the pizza on the grill which really "charred" the pizza dough. Guess it's another thing that Scot needs to work on.....
Probably tomorrow.....

Scot did change the oil in the engine today while we were waiting out the crazy weather.

Day #190 - Collins Inlet

Made it to Collins Inlet . There were a million biting flies, definitely a huge mess. Took us hours to clean up the boat......top, bottom and inside. Yuk!

Day #189 - Bing / Britt Inlet

Beautiful day, went over 30 miles.

Day #188 - Echo Bay

Anchoring was a little tricky here....this is Scot tying our lines to a tree on shore.

Day #187 - Port Severn

Left @ 7:30am and got to Lock # 43 Swift Rapids by 9:10am and went down about 47 feet. It was such a smooth ride. Then we headed for the "Big Chute". We turned the corner and saw the railroad car that carries the boats across land. We pulled into the "slings" that held up our boat. We were allowed to stay on the boat to enjoy the ride and scenery......OMG......We were both so nervous!  There were also four see doos that rode across with us. Actually, it was a very stable ride down to the waterway below. It was like a slow roller coaster ride.
We received a "coupon" for one free night dockage @ StarPoint Marina from Jim and Mary  that we met in Peterborough who were on a houseboat. We called "Linda" to make reservations. All we paid for was a pump-out for $25. plus tax, of course. A very nice marina with electricity, water, internet and restrooms, but no showers. Locals have been very friendly. We walked to town and picked up a few grocery items, post office and checked out the "LCBO" that sells expensive beer, wine and liquor. LCBO stands from Liquor Controlled Board of Ontario. Glad we still have some beverages aboard to enjoy and not have to pay double the price here in Canada.
Weather was warm and sunny and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Cruised 23 miles today. One more Lock tomorrow and then we're off into Georgian Bay.

Day #186 - Sparrow Lake

Left @ 8:45ish. Talked with Chet and Cindy before taking off. Scot used their internet and I gave them a tour of our boat. Cindy presented me with a beautiful ring that she made...what a sweetheart...and so lucky that we ran into them. We arrived @ the next Lock # 41 Gamebridge and was told that we didn't have to pay for our mooring on Lock #40 wall because the water was shut off in the restrooms....that was another miracle. Lake Simcoe was the next large body of water to cross. Winds were NW @ 10 kts with a small chop. Sunny, but cool and the knats invaded us along the way. They don't bite but they just hang around and land everywhere on your boat.  We anchored in "Deep Bay" off Sparrow Lake. It was very shallow getting into the area, but was much deeper and beautiful once we got in. Shut off engine about 3:45pm. Cruised 38 miles today.

Day #185 - Lock # 40

Left about 8:26 am with lots of "skiny" canals to travel through and the seaweed was terrible not to mention the low water depth was kind of scary at times, esp. meeting a houseboat coming the other way. Did see some cows drinking water near the canal. At  2:00pm we tied up to Lock #40 wall. Meet a couple who bought Mike & Melissa's boat from Port Sheldon. Believe it or not, they tied up across from us at Lock #40. Cindy was taking a picture of their new boat from the lock bridge up above and said, "Hey, we just bought our boat from Port Sheldon". They said that there were strong winds and possible hail coming and sure enough the sky turned black. Scot and I were playing scrabble on land and quickly picked up our chairs and the scrabble board @ 3:30pm.  Thanks goodness all we got was some wind and rain.

Went through Locks # 35- Rosedale...up 4 feet , Lock #36 Kirkfield...down 49ft., Lock 37 Bolsover, down again, Lock# 38 Talbot down again, Lock # 39 Portage down again and Lock #40 Thorah down again.  Cruised 26 miles today and lots of locks!

Day #184 - Fenelon Falls

Left @ 8:15 am and headed for the first lock, but had to wait because there was a boat already in the lock coming down. It finally was a beautiful sunny day with hardly and wind......dreams come true!
Of course there was more boat traffic today because of the weather.....mostly houseboats.

Arrived @ Fenelon Falls about 2:00pm. and tied to the Lock wall and bought electricity. We're doing laundry at Fenelon Falls which has a solar water heating system.  We met Keith, the owner, who treated royally by letting us use his wi-fi and told us a bit of history around these parts. He is an avid bicyclist who rode his bike from Lindsey today, which took about an hour. He also bikes for special causes, like Ride to Conquer Cancer. He also directed us to the nearest grocery store. When we got back to our boat there were two other trawlers there tied up in front on us. One was from Twas, Michigan and the other was from Wisconsin, but they are heading the other direction, but was fun to exchange boat cards and stories.  Went through 3 locks today for a total of 35 miles with plentiful sun and had my bikini on....

Day #183 - Traynor Point

We were heading toward Lock # 30 which is a lift dock.....OMG. This container, filled with water, lifts you up 49ft....what a view!  Once after that, Scot noticed that our stern thruster was not working so we anchored up the river where the weeds were as thick as grass. Once we got started again, we actually spotted loons. Went through 10 locks today....which the last one we had to hurry because they close @ 4:00pm.....well we did make it!  We found a nice anchorage about 3 miles from Lovesick Lock @ Traynor Point, not far off the waterway.

Day #182 - Peterborough

Up @ 6:45am and left the marina by 7:00am. Cloudy but no rain yet. Finally some sun @ 8:30am. Got through Lock 19 and tied up to #20 Lock wall for .90/ft. Walked to town to pick up some groceries. Rained again, really hard at about 3:30. Glad we stopped today around 1:00pm. Traveled 38 miles today.

Day #181 - Hastings, Canada

Got up this morning about 6:15ish, took warm showers and walked to the grocery store for some needed supplies. Got back to the boat, cranked her up and took off for the next Lock # 13. Another trawler also docked by us and was already at the lock. Believe it or not, the locks don't open until 9:00am. That's like noon to us....we'd rather get an early start!  We did go through Locks 13- 18 today. Winds were really picking up out of the southwest. After going through Lock 18, they suggested that we stay at a marina around the corner, the Lockmaster made arrangements for our dockage and two nice young ladies were ready to help us dock @ 2:00pm.
Nancy did make it to church today @ 4:00pm mass right downtown...a 5 minute walk. Scot did chores on the boat, esp. after all that rain yesterday......ba humbug.
It was really nice to see some sunshine today, but the clouds and wind overtook Mother Nature today.

Happy Birthday to my dear sweet sister Roberta.......many more and have a safe trip to Florida!

Day #180 - Cambellford, Canada

Crazy or not today,  we left our warm cozy marina and headed up the Trent-Severn Canal. The locks don't open until 9:00am so it wasn't an early get away. It was raining just a little bit when we left, but Mother Nature let it pour on  on us all day long and it was pretty chilly too. We went through 12 locks today and the last 2 were a double lock....two in one....it was enormous! I felt like it was a sci-fi movie.

We arrived in Cambellford @ 5:00pm and tied up to the city marina wall for the night. We were looking forward to electricity and wi-fi for the rest of the night and Scot is fixing chili for supper. All our clothes are hanging around trying to dry with the space heater on. No one else is here....gee, I wonder why?