C-22 Great Lakes Cruise Blog

Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
Today we head out on another adventure we've followed for years in the MainBrace, the annual C-22 Great Lakes Cruise. I've decided to use the forum section on the C-22 National Association web site as my blog for our Great Lakes adventures. You can follow along as we rinse the salt off our keel by simply using this link and going to the "FORUM" section:

http://www.catalina22.org/

I'll be posting photos every day or so as we make our way on the sweet waters of the Great Lakes.

The camper is packed, the trailer tires checked, the wheel bearings given a shot of grease, and the boat is secure. This is what "trailer sailing" is all about!

Don
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May 11, 2014
156
Catalina 22 Lake Pleasant, AZ
Don: you log more miles trailering your boat than anyone I know. How about giving us a little write-up on how you prepare for a road trip and how you secure your boat for the open road? That will hold us over until we can start getting your posts and photos from the cruise . Seriously though, what have found works best for safely trailering your C-22 on the highway?

- Bob
 
Dec 5, 2011
550
Catalina Catalina 22 13632 Phenix City
Does anyone else consider their little drive to the local lake every time Don takes off for another transcontinental sailing adventure and hear a small voice saying "Slacker!?" ;)
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
Here I am..... Having a GREAT time on the annual C-22 Great Lakes Cruise! Today is the last day, we spent the night in Charlevoix Michigan, cooled down and it was real nice for sleeping. I only have my iPhone so to keep posting down to a minimum, all the cruise postings can be seen by anyone in the forum section on the C-22 Associations web site. Lots of photos and descriptions from the cruise.

Don
 
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Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
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We arrived in Mackinaw City today and got the boat rigged and launched. So far we've pulled the boat slightly over 2,000 miles since we left home almost 3 weeks ago . Tomorrow we'll set sail for a few days on Mackinaw Island. It's been a great adventure, and it ain't over yet!

Don
 
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Jun 21, 2011
49
Catalina 22 MKII Scarborough, Ontario
Hi Don. I have been following your trip on the C22 website, with great interest. You never fail to inspire me with all that you manage to accomplish with your C22 Markll and your various posts on this website!
Bon Voyage and keep those posts coming!
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
Thanks Chris, it's been an adventure for sure. As always, we seem to learn what works, and what doesn't, I plan on putting together a lessons learned after we get home and have time to reflect.

Don
 
Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
I'm jealous.... very jealous.

Don, now you just need to head a little west and hit Lake of the Woods. ;)

Edit: I'll even drive east and meet you in Kenora for dinner and beverages.
 
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May 19, 2014
170
Catalina 22 #13555 Lake Winnebago, Oshkosh, WI
2k miles?! Wow, bet it felt good to finally put her in water.

I'd invite you a little further west (Milwaukee) but not much wind to offer lately. Have a great time over there and keep the posts & pics. coming... after the sailing of course. ;)
 
Oct 1, 2015
63
Clark San Juan 30 Blaine WA
Nice Blog Capt.Don enjoyed it very much I even went. To the Catalina page and read sounds like a very fun trip. Happy you enjoy sailing as much as I do. Mine is water bound due to it size sometimes wish I had a trailer model to take adventures as yours. Thank you for the informed read I'll follow along have a fun rest of your trip Chevy SV UsCa.
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
AHHhhhhhh the life of a "trailer sailor". Yesterday morning we woke up in the beautiful harbor on Mackinac Island, fast forward and we ended the day with the boat hitched to the motorhome and we're sitting in the RV Park in Lapeer Michigan. We now have logged 2,269 miles towing the boat in a little over 3 weeks. When we departed the harbor, the freighter Roger Blough was passing through the straits between Mackinac Island and Round Island. We set the autopilot to the bridge, and took some pretty neat photos as we approach and passed under the bridge.
It's been a fun adventure, and we've almost leached the salt out of our bottom paint, but it's not over yet. This week we're busy visiting family, but next week we'll drop the boat into Lake St Clair north of Detroit and explore my old stomping grounds around the lake and the St Clair River Delta. So be patient, the blog on the C-22 National Association site will pick back up next week.
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Don
 
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Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
Don, I am insanely jealous! Our June cruise fell through, so we haven't sailed since late May. Keep the pics coming!!
 
Jun 15, 2016
212
Catalina 22 Lake Thunderbird
Sometime, down the road my wife and I are going to join in the fun. I've always wanted to sail the Great Lakes. This would be a nice way to enjoy the experience.
 
May 11, 2014
156
Catalina 22 Lake Pleasant, AZ
Hi Don: glad to hear that all is going well, and you are having a blast. I'm with some of the others - jealous. It's been hot, hot, and more hot here in Arizona - Lake Pleasant is boiling. We took the boat out yesterday - it was only 109F. My wife and kids wouldn't let me raise any canvas - we motored to and from a favorite cove where everyone swam and did some halyard jumping. Sad. I'm waiting for our sailing season to start in about another month and a half.

Hey, how has your Tohatsu modification worked for you? Does the motor stay put or do you find that it still rotates on you?

Safe travels.

- Bob
 
May 11, 2014
156
Catalina 22 Lake Pleasant, AZ
Don: I just took a few minutes to catch up with your postings on the C22 National Org site - really great. I loved your hour meter for the Tohatsu Sail Pro - how did you do at? Also, what is the chain looking thing between the end of your boom and your traveller?

I liked your visit to the Shipwreck Museum and to the CGC MACKINAW - she was a legend on the lakes back in the day.

- Bob
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
Thanks to all for the comments, I really appreciate them.
As to the question of the "chain thing" hanging down from the end of the boom, well.......that's our mainsheet. We tie it in a series or crochet knots for that proper ship-shape look. It's very easy and fast to do, and always gets comments.
The tachometer/hour meter was an easy afternoon project. I already had some scrape pieces of starboard, and my local Ace Hardware store had slightly longer stainless metric bolts to mount it into some existing mounts on the Tohatsu. The meter came from eBay, I think it was around $10. with free shipping.
The fix I came up with to hold the new Tohatsu outboard straight while motoring has worked very well so far, including a couple extended ~4 hour trips motoring the whole time.
Stand by, next week we'll be back on the water for the conclusion of our Great Lakes Adventure.

Don
 
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Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
Thanks to all for the comments, I really appreciate them.
As to the question of the "chain thing" hanging down from the end of the boom, well.......that's our mainsheet. We tie it in a series or crochet knots for that proper ship-shape look. It's very easy and fast to do, and always gets comments.
The tachometer/hour meter was an easy afternoon project. I already had some scrape pieces of starboard, and my local Ace Hardware store had slightly longer stainless metric bolts to mount it into some existing mounts on the Tohatsu. The meter came from eBay, I think it was around $10. with free shipping.
The fix I came up with to hold the new Tohatsu outboard straight while motoring has worked very well so far, including a couple extended ~4 hour trips motoring the whole time.
Stand by, next week we'll be back on the water for the conclusion of our Great Lakes Adventure.

Don
Sounds like a bunch of monthly c22 NSA newletter posts. ;)
 
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