Entry #73: N45.10.889, W85.36.536
Thursday, July 4th (Day 58): For the first time, my 6 am alarm woke me up! I just wanted to sleep some more but I was anxious to get to Northport while the weather was good – I think. I had no internet or phone and needed to reach somewhere to get connected and check-out the weather forecast. (Even though I know it will likely be wrong.)
As I followed south along the Michigan coastline, the warm morning was spent heading into 5-7 knot head winds. (Why was I not headed north so I could enjoy following winds? Better yet why weren’t the winds heading south instead of north? Oh well, after weeks of cold and stormy weather, I am not complaining – except for the biting flies.
It was a light air afternoon, hot, the flies biting and I couldn’t wait to anchor. It was late afternoon as I finally began approaching the Leenau Penninsula for Northport. I had already passed harbor Springs and Charleveaux. As I began contemplating tomorrows sail, I noticed on my chart plotter another bay on the western shore of Lake Michigan. If I could anchor there, I would save myself about 10 miles and at least 2-3 hrs as Northport was on the eastern side of the penninsula. The bay was called Cathead Bay and it offered protection on all points with the exception of winds coming from the north and north west. I checked my weather apps and found weather (storms) were being forecast coming from the southwest for a couple of hours beginning at 7 tomorrow morning before clearing for the remainder of the day.
I anchored around 5 pm in the north west corner of Cathead Bay in crystal clear water were I could see my anchor lay 15 feet below. A beautiful serene bay. That evening I could hear children and their parents playing and laughing in the water. After a can of tuna and some red beets I began to read a book and immediately fell asleep.
Take care.
Never Too Late For 