SMELLIN da ROSES, Part 2-i.
Friday, 11 July (continued). We put in a little test in Part 2-h to see if everyone was awake and really reading our logs. Did you see it? (no need to answer). Actually it was another senior moment shared by Judy and Maggie who are proof reading the logs. We have sent a revised Part 2-h for those who are printing them off and keeping them.
While at the Cellular One store, Judy mentioned to the owner that the Two J's good old 3 watt bag phone had lost the lighting on the information panel which shows signal strength, number being dialed and notice of a missed call. He said to bring the phone in because he had some spare parts or may be able to sell us another hand instrument. They did and for $10.00 have a different hand set and the phone is as good as new - for a while at least.
The rest of the day was spent doing some wash (Maggie) and trying to stay warm and dry. Here it is the 11th of July and we are having Spring/Fall weather with temperatures around 60. If this front clears out as expected, we should be able to go boating again tomorrow.
Saturday, 12 July. We got up early because we heard Friday evening that the weather report was supposed to be good. We tuned into the NOAA weather report on the VHF radio, also looked at the Weather Channel on TV and decided that predicted waves of only one to two feet in the Mackinac Straits and 2 to 3 feet in the open waters of Lake Michigan was a go. Maggie was the only one to have any reservations due to the winds being from 10 to 20 mph. We left the Saint Ignace marina shortly after 8:00 AM. Going under the Mackinac Bridge was a thrill as we can now say we've had our boats on all 5 of the Great Lakes. Waves under the bridge were the predicted 1 to 2 feet and comfortable so we were encouraged. However about 2 hours into our projected 4 hour run to Beaver Island, the lake started to get rough and we encountered about 1-1/2 hours of waves running in the 3 to 4 feet and for about 8 miles 4 to 6 feet (not much fun). Not until we got into the lee of Beaver Island did it calm down again.
Arrived at Beaver Island Municipal Marina at 12:30 PM, got tied up to stationary docks, put things back where they belonged after being thrown about below in the cabins. After lunch we took separate walks around this quiet town made up mostly of summer homes and cottages. There are about 500 residents of which 350 live on the island year round. The permanent residents make their living by taking care of the homes and cottages of summer residents and vacationeers who come over by ferry boats and stay in small hotels and lodges (Howard says to be politically correct we should call them Gay boats).
Sunday, 13 July. Left Beaver Island at about 8:15 AM for the 35 mile run South East to Charlevoix, MI. Today was a bright sunny day with gentle breezes and waves of only a foot to a foot and a half. After yesterday - a delightful ride. We had hoped to stay at the Town's Municipal Marina, but it was full with more than a dozen boats at anchor waiting for a slip when we arrived shortly before Noon. The attraction was a big craft show on the marina grounds. We cruised a little further into Lake Charlevoix to the Irish Boat Shop and got two slips at their annex dock -- new floating docks with good electric, water, but no cable TV. At $1.75 per foot, it is the most we have paid so far this year! (The State/Town docks are $.90 a foot) The town is more than a mile away, so we are glad that tomorrow looks like another good day until the afternoon/evening when showers are expected again.
Monday, 14 July. Up at the crack of dawn (6:00 AM) and on our way out of Charlevoix and South to Leland, MI by 7:30 AM. We wanted to get an early start and get to Leland before noon, because this town marina is limited and does not take reservations - first come, first served. Still, it is a Michigan Harbor of Safe Refuge and one can not be turned away. When we got here at 10:50 AM all the slips were taken and there was a waiting line at the fuel dock for gas/diesel and pump out that took almost an hour for the Marge's Barge and Two J's to complete. The marina was full, so we had to "raft out". In this part of the country that means that you lay along side of the end of one finger pier and tie up to it and the next slip. It is not as bad as it sounds because the first rafter gets power (in our case a 50 amp service) so Marge's Barge went in first and the Two J's tied up to them. We hooked up the 50 amp splitter and both have 25 amp electric (it is not hot enough to run the air conditioner - not needed), and we are on house water . The way it works is that if the boat you are blocking in the slip leaves, you get to take that boat's slip, not by virtue of being the second boat out, or in the order in which you arrived. Still we are happier being rafted together versus having someone else being next to us and going through our boats that we don't know.
The weather guesser (NOAA) is predicting rain tonight and tomorrow and waves 2 to 4 feet for tomorrow, so we expect to be here another night. The next run is all open water. That is OK with us, because we have had three days of cruising in a row - WOW. We used the afternoon to check out the gift shops in town and other historic places of interest such as the old Fish Town shops. We also took advantage of a grocery store a block away to stock up on food and supplies and decided to dine out tonight - it has been a while since we have eaten out.
Tuesday, 15 July. It rained a little last night and the winds are strong this morning, so only a couple of boats left - one a large power boat going North and a catamaran sail boat which returned an hour or so after leaving. We are both still rafted off the finger pier and will probably remain that way for tonight.
TWO J's V -- John and Judy Gill
MARGE'S BARGE -- Howard and Maggie Daniels
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