Payback

Payback

What the lake giveth; the lake taketh away…

We started this morning at 6:00am from Harrisville trying to make it as far as we could again today.  The wind was west at 20kts with a small craft advisory until 11:00am in the morning.  The first two hours were perfect.  Daryl and I hugged the shore line and with seas about 2 feet we were able to cruise at our normal 25mph as we headed north.

However, once we turned at Presque Isle Harbor and headed more north west, the seas built to 4 to 6 feet and we got clobbered.  We slowed the boat down to 12.5mph and did our best to continue to make way.  We were taking waves and spray over the top of the boat, but we hung in there.  We found a few leaks we didn’t know we had and did our best to keep things dry.  What made matters a bit worse was the skies were completely overcast and the temps were around 40.  With the wind chill, the temperature was easily in the low 30’s.  We were freezing cold.

We tried to turn the cockpit heat on, but with the water temperature at 35 degrees, it was too cold for the reverse cycle heat to be effective.  So we put on more layers of clothes and kept making our way to the top of Lake Huron and Mackinaw City. 

After 5 hours of very slow and wet passage, we arrive at Mackinaw City at 1:00pm.  We pulled into the harbor to take on some fuel and check the weather conditions on Lake Michigan.  We have been reading all week that there is still a good bit of ice on Lake Michigan.  After taking on the fuel and trying to get some information from the locals on the ice, we came up empty.  No one at the dock had any real idea about the ice, where it was or even if it was still on the lake.

So Daryl and I did what any two guys do who want to get home, they cast off the lines and head out onto Lake Michigan.  We passed under the Mackinaw Bridge and the skies cleared a bit and the sun came out.  The seas also calmed a bit and thought we might get lucky and have a good afternoon run.  Not to be.

We had a good run for about 30 minutes.  When Beaver Island came into sight, so did the ice pack.  Hear are some words you never want to hear as a captain, “Hey Cap, I think we have an ice problem.”  Sure enough, we have a big ice problem.  There are two good sized ice flows on the lake.  We are able to skirt the edge of the first ice flow and think we have it beat.  No.

After another 3 miles, more ice comes into view.  We pick our way through the ice and find some clear water.  However the ice is on both sides of us and we are running down the middle.  After another mile or so, we come to a dead end.  A big horseshoe of ice.  So we turn around, find a small break in the ice and try and cut through to the other side.  We make it through and now start running toward the shore line to get around the ice. 

We make it again.  We find some more clear water and turn south again down Lake Michigan.  After another 5 mile run, we find more ice.  At this point we are starting to run out of real estate.  We are getting closer and closer to the shore line and now don’t know if we will be able to get around the ice as we are getting closer to some shallow water and some shoals.  Somehow we find our way through and finally clear the ice at the very southern end of Travers Bay. 

By this time, we are flat worn out.  We check our charts and find the closest marina.  We head for Leland Harbor which is about an hour away.  We finally tied up in Leland at 5:30 pm after a 212 miles day and 11 hours of tough sledding on Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.

We have about 260 miles left to get to Port St Joe and if the seas and ice cooperate tomorrow, we are going to do our best to finish this trip on Sunday and get Daryl’s boat to its home port.  This has definitely been a trip to remember.