Charlevoix - Beaver Island - Mackinac Bridge - St Ignace

Beaver Island / CMU Research Station

Power boat with beautiful reflections during the Golden Hour

25 June  2015


We left Oyster Bay, Charlevoix with clear skies and cool temps.  Made the bridge with 10 minutes to spare.  Headed northwest to Beaver Island.  Pretty uneventful passage.  A combination of sailing and motor sailing.
Same sailing clothes as yesterday: leggings, wind breaker pants, teeshirt, sweatshirt, foul-weather jacket, smart wool socks ...
ohhh... and sun screen !





Arrival late afternoon.  Anchored.  took a breather then off to shore.  Tried to look up an old friend but he was off Island.
Sorry we missed you Eric!
So we headed to the Shamrock, the local watering hole and all around meeting place.  We had a delicious burger.

After, we took a stroll down the Municipal Marina docks to chat with some other sailors we had seen back in Charlevoix.  Ward and Jeane aboard Jeane Marie, a Mason 44 S/V.

26 June

Grey's Reef Light

We headed out from Beaver Island by 7:30am  bound for St. Ignace by way of Grey's Reef.  It is the main shipping channel for freighters going from Lake Huron to southern Lake Michigan.  We saw plenty of freighters.  One dive boat with divers in the water just west of  The Bridge (water temps mid 50'... you got to really want to dive to go  in water that cold).  .  A check of the charts told us there was a wreck there.  Looking closer at the charts, the whole area is strewn with ship wrecks... None a hazard to navigation due to depths though.
I realized today that we have seen almost NO garbage on the Lakes this year.  A first for us.  we usually see plastic of some sort on every passage or daysail, hourly.
Hope that's a sign of things to come...  

Friehgters ...

more frieghters ...

and more freighters ...

We crossed under the Bridge about 1:30pm...

It is pretty cool from down under ....

you can hear the cars overhead on the grating part of the lanes...  see them too 

Rounding can #3 , a fisherman pulling in nets

26 June  2015

So happy for so many reasons tonight 

Affordable Care Act

Marriage Equality

Being able to Live the Dream 

26 - 27 June  2015

Upon or arrival at the marina yesterday, we were told that St. Ignace is hosting their annual car show.  Interesting... however, we only planned to stay the night and head to the Les Cheneaux Islands on the south east coast of the U.P. Saturday.  we have a package arriving by US mail Saturday and then we are off.  

We walked around town and saw the many, many cars arriving.  Mostly vintage but 'souped' up in some way.  We had a nice dinner at the Gangplank restaurant and made it back to the boat just as the Car Parade started... we had pretty good seat from the cockpit of the boat.  Friends Ward and Jeane (S.V. Jeane Marie) joined us as well.

27 th   

Jim got up early to head to the post office to get our package only to discover they were closed for the entire day!  We had called earlier in the week to inquire their hours and asking them to hold a package for us ... they neglected to tell us they closed Friday at noon and all day Saturday for the Car Show... 

now what ?  We brainstormed for quite while but decided we would not stay through the weekend (2 more nights) to get a package.  we needed plan B... So we found the Harbor Master, Tim, and explained our predicament.  He scratched his head then says... "Ya know, Andy (the post master) is working the Animal Shelter Booth.  I'll just give him a call and see if we can work something out."   ????   !!!!!  You have to love small towns... Tim and Andy came through for us and "someone" met Jim at the Post Office in the afternoon to let us get our package...  thank you!

So, with the afternoon nearly gone, we stayed another night.  We took advantage of the time and reorganized a few things aboard.  Picked up a few groceries.  Had a nice nap and of course checked out more of the Car Show.  Jim and I are not 'car aficionados' but is was really cool.  The main street through town, U.S. 2, was closed for about 2 miles to through traffic.  The cars lined both sides of the streets.  Estimates say about 50,000  people attended.  Nearly 600 cars!  This is a serious hobby!  Prizes were awarded late afternoon.                                                                                

We happened upon a sweet looking 1957 Jaguar... owned by Dave...   He let us sit in it.   Jim was a bit cramped though...                                                                          Dave actually drove it here from Lewiston, Mi.  About 75 miles south and east of here.  He even won one of the prizes for his entry.

We "dined" at B.C. Pizza .... my absolute FAVORITE pizza (so far) in the world.... Who knows when I'll get some again... I savored every bite!

The cars are headed for home and we are back aboard trying to finish the "excess" booze we have before entering Canada in a few days (read daze) so we can avoid any penalties.  

Another, different, sort of... topic.... Over the last few days we have been conversing with Jan (sounds like John with a Y ) from Germany.  He is our former exchange students brother, from Germany... He inquired if we would like  'crew'  for the summer ! Holy smokes... yes!  He is a very accomplished sailor and super fun to be around.  Loves to travel and... apparently doesn't mind spending his summer vacation with  'old(er)  people' !  so, he arrives mid July and will stay aboard till the end of August... What fun for us all....  

BTW ... Rose, you are off the hook for handling those 'Erie Canal' lines since Jan will be with ....

So with the boat reorganized, packages acquired, projects caught up on, provisions stowed.... we'll cast off dock line tomorrow bound for the Les Cheneaux Islands, in da U.P.  eh ....

After that:  Canada and no phones for weeks... ugggh .... only text or email ....