Shakedown Sail in the Mitten: Part 1

By mid-July, we were mostly ready to go. With one week to go before our new departure date, we still needed to sell two cars, reconnect the steering system after our core replacement project, reconnect the engine alternator, rebuild some cabinetry, finish wiring for the new VHF radio, check the rig, organize our storage unit, provision and stow for sea. So, just a small list. 

We somehow managed to do it all and left only one day after we had planned. 

It felt AMAZING to leave the Toledo Beach channel, knowing we wouldn’t return for about a month. On our first day we headed up the Detroit River and stayed at Safe Harbor – Jefferson Beach in Lake St. Clair. The next morning, we hit the water again, motoring up the St. Clair River, where we got passed by a freighter and Great Lakes cruise ship at the same time and tied up to the wall along the Port Huron Yacht Club in downtown Port Huron. Fighting the two knot current up the rivers made for slow going but it was still so fun. I really enjoyed watching the world go by at 5 knots. Lucas was fighting with a slow engine oil leak both days but was able to figure it out in Port Huron.  

On the third day, we motored under the Blue Water Bridge, seeing up to 5 knots of current against us. To add to the excitement, a freighter was coming downbound under the bridge as we were going upbound. We motored all day in Lake Huron, arriving in Harbor Beach by early afternoon. Our friends, Sue and Richard, had warned us about the grass in Harbor Beach anchorage but we didn’t really understand what they meant until we saw it ourselves – 10 foot tall weeds everywhere! Our depth sounder stopped working because of the weeds and we had to anchor for our first night trusting the charts. After backing down on the anchor and hanging out for a bit to make sure we weren’t dragging, we launched the Margaret P. to check out the Harbor Beach Lighthouse. We then had a delicious dinner and slept great. 

By the morning, the wind had shifted and the anchorage became very rolly with waves coming through a gap in the break wall. Due to some storms coming in the next two days we opted to go into the marina. Hoisting the anchor, we discovered it was covered in weeds. We then made things worse by running over the freed weeds with our propeller #boatlyfe. Lucas did a great job getting us into our slip after accidentally running aground in the super shallow marina, all while battling with a fouled propeller. Once docked, we stuck a GoPro in the water and discovered that weeds had wrapped themselves around the propeller shaft. Someone would need to dive on the prop to fix it. Storms rolled in and we decided that the propeller would be tomorrow’s problem. We walked into the town of Harbor Beach and had a lovely afternoon exploring the library, downtown museums and learning about local hero, Frank Murphy. 

The next day, we suited up to fix the propeller. Diving in marinas requires an extra level of diligence, as there is potential for stray electrical currents coming from improperly wired boats. We agreed it was safe to proceed since there were no other boats immediately next to us and Alaya was unplugged. After much discussion (because we were both pretty freaked out to swim under the boat), we decided that since Lucas could pull me up in case of emergency a lot easier that I could pull him up, I was going in the water. We were only in about 7 feet of water but it was murky, we couldn’t see much and you’re up next to Alaya’s black, wide, hull. After much panicked treading, I dove under and ripped as many weeds off as I could, it took me about five dives to get it all off. We were very relieved to have this task done. We are very curious if our reluctance diving under the boat holds in the clear, blue, warm waters of the south. We spent the afternoon enjoying free WIFI and went to bed early – we were heading across the Saginaw Bay tomorrow. 

In the morning, we motored most of the way across the Saginaw Bay in calm conditions, making it to the beautiful Harrisville Marina by late afternoon. Upon a recommendation from my sister, we walked to the Alcona Brewery and enjoyed delicious beers and free WIFI. Harrisville is another beautiful spot, it was starting to feel like we were “Up North”. 

The “Up North” feeling really hit us at our next stop – Presque Isle. We anchored in a lovely bay with only a few other boats. We took the Margaret P. ashore and walked to the Old Lighthouse. We would have loved to stay here longer but we were trying to make it to Petoskey by the end of the month and we had a great weather window to keep moving. 

Up until now, we had been traveling for about 50 miles most days, which takes us anywhere from 10 – 12 hours. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to install our autopilot, so we were hand steering the entire time. Needless to say, we were pretty tired. So, we opted for a shorter day and went about 17 miles to Roger City. We docked at the state marina in town and enjoyed exploring the town for the afternoon. We even relaxed on the beach right next to the marina while our laundry cycled.

The next day, we both woke up pumped, we were going to Mackinaw! We love this part of Michigan and we were so excited to get a slip at the Straits State Harbor in Mackinaw City. After being surprised at the dock by Dave, Beth, Michael and Olivia (my brother and his family), we unloaded our foldable bikes and took the ferry to Mackinac Island. Lucas and I LOVE Mackinac Island and it was a huge milestone to be in the area with our own boat. We rode around the island, got dinner at the Pink Pony and just had a great time. Our arrival in the area coincided with the end of the Chicago to Mackinac Sailboat Race. There were so many Chicago-Mac boats at the island, it was really fun to be surrounded by sailors. We went back to the island the next day with Dave, Beth, Michael and Olivia.

We stayed at the Straits State Marina for two nights. On the third morning, we cast the lines and headed to Petoskey via the Mackinac Bridge. It was bright and sunny as we motored under the bridge. We’ve been dreaming of taking Alaya under the Mackinac for years. We were so proud of ourselves for getting this far. 

Fog rolled in as soon as we crossed into Lake Michigan and we had a chilly trip into Petoskey. Happily, we were able to sail for a bit of it, giving Pierre a short but very well deserved break. We pulled into the Petoskey State Marina in the late afternoon and walked into town to celebrate our long journey. 

Family Camp started the next day…we made it!