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We Left Rogers City for Alpena at 7 am (I know!).  This coastline is so different from our western MI side – no towering dunes and not that many ports or harbors to pull into. We did pass several lighthouses standing as testimony to shallow and rocky shores. We had a nice SW wind and sailed all the way around to Thunder Bay Island. This is part of the Thunder Bay Underwater Preserve, and we noticed several markers indicating shipwreck sites.  Once we turned west we motored into the wind to the harbor, a long way in at 8 nautical miles – over an hour for us at 6 kts/hr.  We tied into a slip at 3:30 pm, on the mostly empty transient dock.

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Alpena has a protected marina right inside the river mouth.  The facilities are old but adequate enough, although some might object to the sewage treatment plant and working industrial site on its shore.  The town is soliciting ideas about an upgrade planned for next year, but they are stuck with the location. The downtown area is close with several restaurants and shops, and also many older, empty buildings.  We biked across the river to visit the Thunder Bay Maritime Museum and were disappointed to find them closed, so we headed for Rite Aid to pick up a couple prescriptions (they are great about transferring things to wherever we are) and biked the 2 miles back to downtown for lunch at Mangoes Tequila Bar – delicious and enough food for 4! Fred has finally admitted that the bikes make it much easier to get around and we see/do more than if we were walking.

When we returned to the marina we talked to a sailboat we had heard earlier on the radio.  They had come from Annapolis and had to divert from the Erie Canal because of lock issues on the west side.  They exited through the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario, and due to the border closure, had to pay a Canadian pilot to bring the boat through the Welland Canal – for $2000!  Needless to say, we are a bit worried and are hoping the issue (only 5’ depth at one lock) will be repaired within a couple weeks.

Our next stop was Harrisville – only a 25 mile run, so we slept in a bit.  We were happy to be able to anchor inside the marina harbor.  At anchor Ritual points into the wind, so the motion of the boat is (usually) gentle and natural, and the cattains can run the deck.  When tied in a slip, the rocking from crosswinds, rubbing of dock lines and fenders, and weather sometimes blowing INTO the cockpit can be noisy and uncomfortable. And the cats are very tempted to get on the dock, and even other boats!

Harrisville is the only place along this coast where we had stopped 5 years ago when we bought Ritual in St. Clair Shores and sailed to Blind River, Ontario.  The marina is very nice, with new docks since we were here last. There was live music in the park overlooking the harbor, and the musician, Josh Rose, is a teacher at Lowell HS. Yes, he knew our friend’s grandsons, and we had a nice chat. He is a good lyricist and we really enjoyed his songs. Aside from that and a walk to the ice cream shoppe, there is not much here in the way of services and therefore, no need to hang around.  And our next 2 legs would be long ones at about 60 miles each. Count ’em – we average 6 knots/hour…

We continued south to Harbor Beach, where we were able to again anchor inside the breakwall.  It was nice to get out of the confused seas, have some dinner and enjoy the sunset. The seagulls on the breakwall were not as thrilled, and kept up a cacophony well into the night.  We were up early and on to Port Huron.

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Entering the narrows under the Blue Water Bridge is not for the faint-hearted!  Huge freighters coming and going, plus what seemed like every boat in Pt. Huron and Sarnia, Ontario out enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon, made for very choppy and crowded waters! Combined with the eddies and current under the bridge, Lisa was a bit anxious as she clung to the wheel, hanging on as much as steering.  We made for the Port Huron Yacht Club just inside the Black River, and were happy to tie to the marina wall.

PHYC was welcoming and provided the perfect spot to rest a bit, along with access to their clubhouse, bar and bathrooms.  It was fun to watch the “parade” that evening as boats returned to their various marinas upriver. We also visited with a few PHYC sailboats that were prepping for the upcoming Bayview to Mackinac race.

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We took our time getting started the next morning since the run down the St. Clair River would be with the current.  It is interesting that the American side of the river is mostly lined with nice homes, vs. the very industrial Canadian side, until one is well down river.  We passed more freighters, including the Paul R. Tregurtha – “Queen of the Lakes” at 1,013 ft. long. Talk about feeling small!  We crossed Lake St. Clair and took a slip at Jefferson Beach Marina, along the “Nautical Mile” in St. Clair Shores.  In a way it was homecoming for Ritual, since we had purchased her here 5 years ago.

This was a planned stop for a few days, since we would have access to many boat supplies. But, like all planned things, priorities changed when the water pump on our refrigeration quit. Our fridge and freezer are water-cooled, and we were grateful that the Jeff Beach service department was able to find a new pump that same day and Fred got it installed. The bikes came in very handy, since the marina is huge, and it’s a long walk to the boat stores and restaurants.

The couple on the trawler next to us had just completed their Loop, so we celebrated with them at dinner.  They also had to divert out of the Erie Canal and paid $1600 to a Canadian pilot to bring their boat through the Welland Canal in Ontario.  We are hopeful that either the one closed lock on the Erie will open by August, or we can wait for Canada to open the border on Aug. 9 and pass through the Welland Canal on our own at a cost of $300.

We were happy to have lunch with friends from the area, use up some boat points with purchases at West Marine, and do more laundry. The Jeff Beach manager even gave us a ride to Nino’s, a nice grocery/produce store we had discovered the last time we were here. Now, to figure out our next stop.

Fair winds, Fred and Lisa

In case you don’t know us, or have not been aboard Ritual, here is a quick introduction:

Ritual is a 1987 Slocum 43, cutter rigged sailboat.  We chose her for her hardiness and safety at sea, as well as the roomy interior and storage space below decks.  We have been updating systems and equipment over the past few years, and this work continues as we travel east.

Fred and Lisa are both retired, and have been planning to make an extended trip for several years.  The crew consists of two cats – Jette and Mel. Yes – there are many boat kitties out sailing!

Hello Lake Huron

Good thing we like St. Ignace – we ended up staying a little longer than planned!  This is a lovely marina, close to restaurants, hardware stores and other amenities.  We wanted to celebrate our (probably last) crossing under the Mackinaw bridge with a nice dinner, but the spot we chose was closing at 5:00 (?!). We tried another place, only to walk out after first having quite the discussion with the hostess about where we could sit, then waiting 10-15 minutes without being acknowledged. Place #3 seated us right away, but then added a party of 12 next to us. Service was okay, but the food was mediocre. So goes the struggle for businesses to find good (and enough) help!  All 3 of these are places we have enjoyed in the past.

The next day was cold and rainy, so we cleaned inside and did laundry at the marina. This is a real marina perk, since schlepping dirty clothes and bedding to a laundromat is NOT fun, or easy, nor is washing by hand in our little tub.  Later that afternoon Fred became quite sick, with chills and a fever. We thought it might be food poisoning, but by morning it was apparent that he probably had a UTI. This is a possible side effect of one of his meds. One thing that has come out of the Covid mess is that doctors are now more accustomed to talking via phone and video-chat, and that is what we did.  A prescription was called in to the pharmacy across the street and by afternoon he was on a course of antibiotics, with the promise that we would go to a clinic or ER if he didn’t show quick improvement.

Another added benefit of being at a marina for a few days is the ability to have things sent to us.  Our propane sensors had failed, and we were able to have new ones Fed Ex’ed to us in St. Ignace. We stayed one more day just to be sure Fred was on the mend, topped off the diesel tank and had the head pumped, then happily headed out for the Les Cheneaux Islands. 

A four-hour run east, across the north side of Mackinac Island and along the Upper Peninsula shore, put us in the middle of a series of narrow islands – Les Cheneaux’s, or as the locals call them, the Snows. We dropped the hook in Government Bay, near the little beach on Gov’t Island.  Our friends were camping at a spot just north of us, and it was fun to have them motor out (in a REAL motor boat, not a dinghy!).  Barb gave Lisa a ride to the grocery store, saving her a long dinghy ride and several block walk.

The next day Steve and Barb, along with daughter Christina, picked us up for a boat ride through the islands. We loved seeing the old cottages (and the crazy huge new ones), wooden boats and boat houses, while sipping on bloody marys that Barb made.  We had a nice lunch and enjoyed the live music at The Distillery in Cedarville.  By 3 pm we were all ready for a nap, so we said our goodbyes and returned to Ritual.

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We were up early the next morning to cross the eastern Straits of Mackinaw to Rogers City. Knowing how rough the straits can be, it always amazes us when it is calm. After 40 miles of glassy water, swatting at those nasty little biting flies (which our friend Kelly has turned into a sport with the little electrified tennis racket bug zapper), and passed by only two freighters, we arrived at the Rogers City Marina.

This is another nice marina, with newer docks and bathrooms/laundry.  While we prefer to anchor out, there are few places protected enough along this coast. We were worried about entering the harbor with our 6 ft. draft, but there was 12’ in the marked channel.  Within walking distance we found a grocery, liquor store, and several shops along the main street. We had a good pizza at the Lighthouse Restaurant.  Once again the labor shortage showed, as the place was packed, and there appeared to be one cook, one bartender and maybe 2 wait staff, and many patrons waiting for food and or drinks. We are finding that if we go out to eat, patience is required!

Another rainy cold day greeted us in the morning.  We walked to the hardware store to find fittings for the propane tank that would allow Fred to remove the sensor solenoid, which still is not working. Turns out we need an entirely new system controller, and the sensors we ordered will not work!  By removing the solenoid we won’t have to listen to the loud beeping of the alarm every time we turn on a stove burner. Of course, there will also be no warning if the propane leaks and we are about to blow up! We saw this happen once in Seattle – that boat fried to the waterline in minutes – made quite the impression.  We are resolved to get a new system installed along our way.  Fred also tore one of the secondary winches down for a good cleaning/greasing. The saying goes “cruising is  fixing your boat in exotic places”.  And we are nowhere near exotic yet!

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Fair winds, Fred and Lisa