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Thursday and Friday, July 22 and 23 – Gore Bay
July 27th, 2010 | Author:

We left Snug Harbor at 7. We were a bit delayed as we tried to exit; a sailboat had gotten caught in the sand in the middle of the channel and then had gotten his friend to take his anchor and span the channel hoping he could then pull himself off the shoal. No luck and the line was blocking the entrance and exit. We offered to pull him off . He dropped all of the line to the anchor so we were clear to pass. We waited for them to get a line to us and then he wasn’t sure he wanted our help – he was concerned about his keel. So, off we went. Kelley wanted to make the 11 o’clock opening of the Little Current swing bridge. He had timed out trip so that we would be there at 11:08. What a captain, we were right on time.

We passed Little Current and headed onto Gore Bay. We like Gore Bay. It is a nice marina and there is cute town nearby. We thought this would be the right spot to wait out the weather that was coming. We were going to stay for 2 days and I got to make a hair appointment.

The library has Internet – we checked our mail and the weather.

We visited the local museum. There was an exhibit of quilts that looked like paintings of beautiful spots in Canada. I was impressed with the workmanship. They were beautiful. We also walked through the house and looked at the furniture and clothing that had been collected. One of the best things that I saw were 2 sock ribbing machines. The docent was surprised that I knew what they were. Sure wish I had one.

This weekend was their summer fest weekend.  A local band played on Main Street on Friday; Friday night there was  a band coming to play in the tent, which was also a beer garden. We were told that we would be able to hear the band in the marina….and we did.

We were pleased when they ended at 1 in the morning…we knew we had a long run to Drummond Island in the morning, weather permitting.

Category: 2010, Cruising, Ontario  | Comments off
Saturday, July 24th – Drummond Island
July 27th, 2010 | Author:

The winds were picking up and Kelley had to get going. We left at 7 and went straight to Drummond Island. There would have been only one spot to stop, Meldrum Bay, and we didn’t want to tie up there. The marina and the “town” have not much to offer. So on we went. We had rain, a bit of rough water and really strong wind that came just as we were preparing to dock. We were so pleased that the man on the boat next to us came and assisted in the tie up. The marina had sent down a young (read 11ish) man to assist – he was not much help but at least got the back line so that after tying the front, the neighblr to get to the back and secure the boat.

This is where we clear customs. The Customs Officer was patient and waited until we were secure. She didn’t want to come aboard so just sat on the dock and talked to us. To date they have cleared 164 boats. Another officer came down and we talked to them both about our trip. It is nice to be back in the US of A.

Kelley has hurt his foot – no ta sprain, but it is hurting him. We hope it will be better by the morning. We had a nice dinner on the boat. We plan to leave early tomorrow to go on to St. Ignace. It will be another long day.

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Sunday, July 25 – St Ignace
July 27th, 2010 | Author:

We left Drummond Island  at 7ish for the trip to St. Ignace. The weather was beautiful and Lake Huron was flat, so flat and uneventful, that Kelley was bored. We took the Government Cut and enjoyed the scenery. This is a spot filled with cottages and very narrow channels. 20 feet wide often and 7 feet deep….What surprises us the most is that there is no speed limit. We are watchful of the small boats fishing and really went slowly through the area, however, smaller boats zipped by us and anchored fishing (small) boats. Amazing.

This is the first time that we have come into St. Ignace and it wasn’t raining. We got arrived at 2ish, got fuel and after tying up at the slip we walked to Douds Market to pick up a few things. The next few places we are planning to be do not have markets close by. We enjoy St. Ignace. Our evening was quiet…

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Monday, July 26th – Harbor Springs
July 27th, 2010 | Author:

We left St. Ignace early for the run to Harbor Springs. When Kelley had called the night before they “thought” they would have a spot for us for a couple of days – but it turned out to be for only one.

The Straits were flat and we were gifted with watching the sailboats heading towards Mackinac Island finishing their run from Chicago. We turned south and the lake continued to bless us with a flat run. Leaving early (7 am) helped and we arrived here at 12:30 pm.

We tried to get into Harbor Springs last year but they were booked. Turns out it was Regatta Week, the only time they take reservations, and we were out of luck. Of course, this is Regatta Week!

The town is so charming. Bud and Fredi had told us about it a few years ago when we started this journey. There are many shops, filled with high end clothes. There is the fudge shop, but only one. It is a beautiful spot.

We ate at Bar Harbor which was purported to have the BEST burgers. We were not disappointed. In the evening the local band played in the park and we were treated to a concert. This would be the best spot to have a summer home. It is quaint, although filled with tourists, the shops and businesses are well supplied for the cottagers that reside. (I am sure that there is a market within driving range).

This stop gets an A+.

Category: 2010, Cruising, Michigan  | Comments off
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