ROYALEAGLE.NET

This was our second sunny day in a row. It started off cool but the bright sunshine quickly warmed things up. We departed at 0900 for the short trip down the lake passing under the Bluewater Bridge into the St Clair River and  then into the Black River and Port Huron. We only had 3-4 knot winds from the N so it was motor the whole way. This is always a fun leg because of the current which builds as you approach and then go under the bridge. We hit 10.9 knots over the ground while passing under the bridge which meant the current peaked at 4.0 knots. After fueling, we tied up at the PHYC guest dock, had lunch and the used the bikes to visit the Maritime center and the GlCC  headquarters which are on the south side of the Black River across from the YC. We were surprised to find a Farmers Market in operation near the Maritime Center and picked up some more fresh corn and fruit. We are the only transient boat at the YC but there was lots of boat traffic on the Black River before and after dinner. Tomorrow we will go down the St. Clair River for a short ways and make a first ever stop at the town of St. Clair. We are able to do this since we have so much time and the forecast is for continued good weather through Labor Day.

What a gorgeous day this was. We left at 0920 with a cloudless sky and light winds off the land. There was a 3 foot leftover swell from the previos days winds but it gradually fell as the day progressed. We set full sail but the 7-9 knot wind off the starboard quarter was not enough to give us the speed to make Lexington in a reasonable time so we ran the engine lightly as well. The light boating activity still puzzles me. This entire beautiful day we only saw one powerboat going north and one sailboat apparently crossing the lake from Canada. We docked at Lexington at 1520 and we were the only transient boat here until a large powerboat pulled in around 2000. I put my bike down and pedaled up to the local IGA to pick up what should be the last provisions for the trip. We had a tuna casserole and peas for dinner. Tomorrow we have a short trip to Port Huron where we plan to dock at the Port Huron YC.

Where we glad to be at a dock last night. We had 20-30 knot winds all night and they continued to blow this morning. On top of that we had numerous rain squalls and temperatures in the high forties. The marina staff drove us down town to Al’s for a great breakfast and then picked us up when we were finished. Then we settled down to read the Sunday paper. It was the Detroit Free Press and does not compare to the Plain Dealer. After we got back the skies started to clear but it was still blowing. We helped our neighbors on a Carver 440 retie their boat as they were literally pulling the pilings for their dock out of the water. It is 1630 as I am typing this and I am happy to report the wind has finally started to settle down. Maybe we will be able to leave tomorrow morning for the 35 NM run south to Lexington. We plan to bike downtown to an early dinner tonight.

We got up, said goodbye to the Bowmans and immediately headed uo town to the Farmers Market where we puchased corn, cauliflower, tomatoes and fresh dill. The dill will accompany tonight’s salmon loaf. At 0915 we left the dock expecting calm seas as there had been no wind all night. That was not the case. As soon as we left the Harbor the wind started picking up and by the time we rounde the Port Austin Reef Lighthouse it was blowing 20-23 knots and we were in 3-5 foot seas. To make matters worse there was a large leftover swell from the NE. The confused seas were making things uncomfortable but we were making up to 8 knots over the ground. As we crossed the top of the “Thumb” and turned south the seas started to lay down but the wind persisted. I was worried about another high wind docking in Harbor Beach but we had no real problem other than the cold. After docking it started to rain and we had rain, high gusty winds  and very cool temperatures the rest of the day.  They are forecasting  high NW winds and water spouts on the lake tomorrow so we plan to stay here.

I checked on the bat this morning and during the night it jumped ship. But it certainly is a long way from its friends. We cleaned topsides today and were they ever filthy. With Bill’s help we got it done in about two hours and Royal Eagle lookd good again.  Right after we finished it started raining and continued most of the day. The Bowmans called and they are underway in the SW winds heading for Port Austin. They arrived about 1600 along with their granddaughter Olivia and her friend Katarina an exchange student from Berlin, Germany. We all got together for a spaghetti dinner on Royal Eagle. It was great catching up with them and hearing some first hand tales about the 5 summers they spent on their boat Simpatico in the Canadian Maritimes. I thought it was cold up in Lake Superior this summer but it was nothing compared the cold the endured upon occasion around Labrador.  They hope to leave for Harrisville tomorrow and we plan to go around the “Thumb” to Harbor Beach.

Underway at 0800 in bright, clear conditions with light winds from the NNW.  Just after we left the harbor and hoisted the mainsail an amazing thing happened. I noticed a bat crawling down one of our lines on the mast to the nest of blocks at the base of the mast and he hunkered down amidst the blocks and stayed there the rest of the day. Royal Eagle has morphed to the Bat Mobile.  We had a calm lake and after listening to the forecast which was calling for strong SE winds and rain for tomorrow, we decided to bite the bullet and make the long trip to Port Austin. It was the right decision as we had an easy fast trip to Port Austin arriving at 1715. We refueled, went to our slipand the headed out to dinner to the Bank. Yes it is a converted bank building and the good food we enjoyed in the past is still being served. We checked on the bat when we returned to the boat and he was still there. We need to do a major cleanup especially the deck so given the forecast we plan to stay here tomorrow. I spoke to our fiends Bill and Connie Bowman who we originally met on our sailing trip in the Maldive Islands and they may be able to join us in Port Austin tomorrow as they are headed north up Lake Huron. I hope it works out.

We left at 0830 under sunny dry conditions with a forecast of  10-15 knots from the NW. However when we got out into the lake we found 15-20 knot winds from the NE and 3-5 foot seas on our beam. We were able to sail but we also ran the engine slowly to stabilize the boat as we were rolling quite a bit. Once we made the turn into Thunder Bay which runs NW up to Alpena  we had quite pleasant conditions. We arrived at 1400 and after squaring the boat away we walked up into town. The Shipwreck Museum that was here when we last visited Alpena in 2005 is unfortunately closed but the excellent retaurant Joe Lau’s Saloon was still open. We visited the IGA for a few fresh provisions and the returned to the boat. We biked over to the restaurant at 1900 and both ordered their signature Walleye entre. It was excellent the last time and it was just as good tonight. Tomorrow our plans are to head some 30 miles down the coast to Harrisville.

We had a beautiful warm sunny day today and mid-morning we borrowed bikes from the Portage store coutesy of the Pesque Isle YC and biked slightly over a mile out to the Presque Isle Point Lighthouse. It is still a working lighthouse that stands 109 feet high and we did the 130 steps to the top. The lighthouse keepers home next door was also an interesting stop and is even more authentically furnished with turn of the century material than the one we visited at White fish Point. On the way back we also stopped to visit the “old” Presque Isle Lighthouse. Then it was back to the boat for a late  lunch and a catch up on emails and other items. I baked my final blueberry pie for the trip which we enjoyed after dinner. The wind which was blowing southwest all day has now shifted to the nothwest and turned cool so we should enjoy a nice night. Tomorrow we are off to Alpena.

After a late breakfast, we left for our short trip to Presque Isle at 1015. It was a beautiful sunny day without a cloud in the sky, but we had no wind. The lake was like glass and we only saw the first cats paws arrive as we made the turn into the small bay leading up to the harbor. The water here is crystal clear and you can see the details of the bottom 20 and more feet down. We arrived at 1315 and there were no transients here  but over the course of the afternoon and early evening  8 other boats pulled in: a veritable crowd. I did laundry after posting logs from the previous two days and then we went out to dinner at the Portage Restaurant which is literally at the head of the pier. Our broiled Whitefish was excellent . We plan to stay here tomorrow to visit the two lighthouses in the area as well as to kick back and relax.

The winds did lay down overnight. When we left at 0915, we had 7 knot winds from the N. The skies were heavily overcast and leaden but we had no rain. As we progressed across Lake Huron to the south shore the swells, which were left over from yesterday’s winds, got progressively worse and we started rolling quite a bit. There actually were three swells; the largest from the NE and two smaller ones from the N and W. If only the wind had come up we could have used a sail to steady the boat but no such luck. Thanks to the help of a favorable current we made good time and arrived in Rogers City at 1400. Just like every other place we have visited this summer with the exceptions of Houghton and Madeline Island, there was no one here and only one Canadian power boat came in later in the afternoon. Similarly to ALL our other transits of large bodies of water we saw NO other cruising boats just a handful of fishermen and three freighters. Boating activity is really down throughout the Great Lakes this summer. By the late afternoon the skies finally cleared and it turned beautiful. The forecast is for another sunny and warm day tomorrow for our brief trip to Presque Isle.