Day 43 - 8/7/24
Nice calm morning at Government Bay. After the anchor was up Cory volunteered to make our favorite of breakfast burritos. We had about 3 hours of sail ahead of us and it’s a bit of a complex meal but we all were excited to have some. The Cheneaux’s are very protected and we quickly learned that we had taken for granted the calm waters of protection. We were soon out in Lake Huron. Wind coming from then south meant it had been wipping up the entire length of the lake. We found ourselves in relatively shallow water in tall steep waves. We’ve experienced this before, nothing we can’t handle, but boy we weren’t used to it and not ready. I had to don my life jacket and harness and get up deck and clear it as well as get the sails up asap to stabilize the boat. Meanwhile Cory, who is most prone to sea sickness is down in the galley trying to keep bacon and eggs from being on the walls.
We got it all settled and went down to finish up breakfast so Cory could get and watch the horizon.
We did feel very bad for that trimaran having to cross to the lower peninsula (not a good boat for these conditions).
The sail got smoother as we went along and got more protected from some islands to the south. We saw the William Sykes freighter coming under the Mack bridge towards the end. She is a sister ship to the famous Fitzgerald and a sight to see.
No issues docking our boat at Mackinac island. And about 5 minutes after we secured lines our friend Brett on Altair came in with two friends aboard. We started this trip with him Egg Harbor and Fayette. It was their first time making the Michigan crossing and going under the bridge. It was good to see them. Last time Richard and I were here was on his boat, but with our friends George and Teri Keeler, the previous owners.
Kids got their chores done while I tackled the dishes I wasn’t going to do underway.
We then all walked the Main Street to get some ice cream and a little beyond so Kona could swim and we could view the bridge. I gave lots advice to our friends on what they could do tomorrow. Then we had glorious showers!!!
While the kids made dinner we helped bring in another sailboat. Nice guy named Chris who has just finished circumnavigating all of Lake Superior. We invited him over for a beer and he came by later. He has sailed his boat all over and regaled us of tales of the St. Lawerence river and more.
The Fort here used to have live trumpet players play calls from the fort which overlooks the town and marina. We haven’t heard them since 2018. I’m not sure if the scouts are still here in the summers like they used to be or just not the scouts that play trumpet. So I played Taps live at 9pm which was very well received. I had to play on the dock as the waves from the ferries had our bow (even at the dock) going up and down at least a foot most of the time.
We finished the night with tradition. This is Richard and myself 4th time to the island. The very first time we were here we found our self at the Seabiscuit bar and a curious shot called chambongs. That first year we had way to many and have epic tales of the results but we have ventured back there every time since on our first time to toast our journey, today with good friends, old and new!
