Up The St. Clair River

Entry #66: N42.28.178, W82.52.845

Tuesday, June 25th:  The fuel dock opened at 8 am.  I filled her up AND my spare fuel canister.  Winds were coming from the west again 10 to 15 knots.  Again, I power sailed to make as much time as possible.  It was peaceful going up the St. Clair River with the exception of the freighters.  I needed to be wary of pinch points along the river and to anticipate were I needed to be when the freighter would pass me.  At least ten freighters passed me going towards Lake Huron before I reached St. Claire .  It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed viewing the homes and cottages.  I received several waves and hellos as I went by.  At one point I saw a bald eagle capture a fish with its talons and fly away! 

Even though I was power sailing the current was holding me down to 3 – 3 1/2 mph.  I kept testing sides of the river where the current might be less but was generally unsuccessful.  The one exception, when the river opened up I found the current strength lowered a bit.

It was late afternoon and given my slow speed,  it became clear that I was not going to make Port Huron or the blue water bridge for that matter.  I began to look for potential anchorages or marinas.  A friend of mine (Gary) texted me to be cautious of sunken pylons should I decided to anchor.  He then wisely suggested St. Claire Harbor Boat Marina.  I went under the opened bridge and entered the cute marina around 6:30 pm.  I showered, warmed up a meal and prepared for the next days’ crossing under the Blue Water Bridge before retiring.  Making progress.