Entry #86: N45.56.837, W86.14.945
Wednesday, July 24th (Day 79): I’m OK when sailing, but when I’m docked or anchored, motivation is becoming a challenge. Fortunately, the forecast calls for winds coming from the south building to 15 kts. If the forecast holds, I look forward to an enjoyable sail with the wind on my back and should make good distance. However, I still will need to find a safe harbour to anchor as Manistique (Upper Peninsula) is nearly 70 miles to the north. Oh well, I’ve had two days of rest and should be able to find good anchoring. Portage Bay in the U.P. Garden Bay looks promising.
I left my slip early in the morning and headed across Detroit Harbour and into the narrow channel only to be pinched between one incoming and one outgoing channel! It was a bit too close for my liking. It took me about an hour and a half before making it through the channel and around Detroit Island. Under clear blue skies and the wind on my back, I set my auto-plot and sails before looking up for a weather update. Unbelievable. The forecast completely changed from two hours ago. Two severe thunderstorms were heading directly towards me from the north! I looked up and sure enough could see dark clouds on the horizon to the north west! Over the next half hour I carefully watched the direction and development of the storms. During that time, I saw another sailboat a couple of miles in front of me heading west for safe harbour between two islands. My initial reaction was to follow him but I felt uncomfortable with that strategy as the two storms were moving quickly. What if the two storms came together? It would be right over the safe harbour. I now could hear thunder and see lightning strikes as the winds clocked and were now coming from the direction of the oncoming storms. I tethered myself to the cockpit and took the helm changed my heading to the north east. I’m going to try to sail away from the weather. I now was on the edge of the fast moving storm but it was moving south west as I was sailing north east. I looked back to see the two storms indeed did combine and was right over the safe harboured sailboat. My instincts were right. Hope he will be alright. Half an hour later the weather had passed and I was fortunate to have only caught its edge. Will this weather ever end?
It was now late-afternoon as I approached Portage Bay. Unfortunately the winds again clocked and now were coming from the east south east. It was getting dusk all harbours thus far were exposed to the winds and offered no safe anchorage. After several unsuccessful attempts to anchor, I had no choice but sail into the night to Manistique.
N45.56.837, W86.14.945
July 25th, (Day 80): At 4 am, nineteen hours after departing and 68 miles from Washington Isle, I went past the Manistique harbour breakwall, anchored and collapsed. Awakened at 6:15 am by the sounds of a freighter engine, I raised anchor and immediately proceeded east headed for Beaver Island.
Never Too Late For 