The "Big Trip" of 1998
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| Thursday October 8 I departed Bay Harbor Marina about 9:30 AM, after taking on water and fuel and pumping the holding tank. Everyone else at the fuel dock was getting ready to be hauled out. When I told them I was headed to Lake Michigan, they all said, "You’re not going out in that." But I was. The forecast was better than the previous week, when gales and waterspouts were expected. The wind was initially ENE, but soon became NE. Tacked and beat into 4-6' seas all day. By sunset, the wind had backed around to the north, and the seas were calming. Dropped the sails and motored northward along the coast all night. As night progressed, the wind speed decreased and the lake calmed. |
| Friday October 9 By dawn I was approaching Thunder Bay. I continued to motor through calm seas and very light winds. Stopped in Presque Isle around 3:00 PM. It was a fascinating place, but the marina was closed. I asked the locals about nearby gas stations, but and there was no place nearby to get diesel fuel. Since I badly needed fuel by this time, I decided to head out and try to make Rogers City. I motored steadily along, trying to make Rogers City before dark. I almost made it--it was nearly dark when I arrived. I tied up at the municipal marina and looked for fuel. The gas dock was closed, but scheduled to open in the morning. |
| Saturday October 10 Fuelled up and departed Rogers City about 9:00 AM, then motorsailed west along the southern shore of Lake Huron. Breezes were light and I was able to make about 4 knots with all sail up and the motor idling in gear. Crossed over to the south side of Bois Blanc Island. Around 4:00 PM. the wind died and fog reduced visibility to about 3 nm. As the wind died, I dropped the sails and motored around Round Island to Mackinac Island, arriving there just at sunset. The municipal marina was theoretically closed, but that just meant there was noone to collect dockage fees and the marina was only about half full. |
| Sunday October 11 Departed Mackinac Island about 9:00 AM. Hoisted the sails before passing the harbor mouth, and ran with an easterly wind towards the bridge and under it. Turned south at White Shoal and sailed south through Grey's Reef Passage at near hullspeed, reaching into a ESE wind. Passed the mouth of Little Traverse Bay, and around 4:00 PM the wind died and I started the engine and motorsailed for several hours. After sunset, the wind came up again, and I sailed SW into an increasingly southerly wind. After passing through the Manitou Passage, I continued on a southwesterly heading out into the lake. |
| Monday October 12 The wind increased all night; by dawn it was blowing about 25 knots from the south, with seas running 6' or more. Freighters had been thick through the Manitou Passage and just beyond. About 6:30 AM, I decided to head to nearest port and wait for more favorable conditions. I motored south to Frankfort, reaching there about 8:30. Waves were breaking cleanly over the breakwaters at the harbor mouth as I entered. Tied up at the Jacobson Marina on the north side of Betsie Lake, and stayed there for 2 days, until the wind calmed and changed direction. |
| Wednesday October 14 I spent the first part of the morning running around Frankfort getting a 5-gal can and diesel fuel. There is a gas station east of the marina within walking distance that sells diesel fuel. Finally departed Frankfort around 10:00 AM. Sailed south on a NW wind most of the day. Motorsailed for an hour or two around sunset, then picked up an offshore breeze of around 10 or 12 knots. Sailed on a beam reach most of the night, moving at hull speed or near it through calm seas. It was quite an experience to sail so rapidly through such calm water. |
| Thursday October 15 By dawn the wind had become southerly, and I dropped the sails and motored into a southerly wind of about 15 knots, which was producing 3-foot seas. Arrived Tower Marina in Douglas about 11:00 AM. By then I was glad to be tied to the dock again. |