The journey actually began in late September when we bought our Hunter 28.5 Rhondezvous. Somehow I had convinced my wife that underneath all the mildew and grime there was a beautiful sailboat and anyway, the price was right. The staffs at Torresen Marine in Muskegon were great and let us use water, electric service, and even borrow tools. Lots of soap, water, bleach, and TLC were needed to get the boat ship-shape before spring commissioning, shakedown, and the voyage north. On launch day in we admired the sleek lines of our boat as we saw her in the water for the first time. Luckily, we discovered the leaking raw water intake hose before she sank in her berth. A couple of feet of rubber hose from the ship's store put us back in business. On the day of departure the crew assembled and left Lansing, MI in bright sunshine and 70 degree weather and drove west to Muskegon where we were greeted by fog and drizzle. After provisioning, fueling, and casting off we were promptly driven back to the dock by a squall on Muskegon Lake before we even made the channel to Lake Michigan. We waited out the weather and set sail again at 1400 hours, abandoning our float plan of making Pentwater in lieu of White Lake. That night we docked at the White Lake Yacht Club, a quaint but spartan tie-up on the south shore of White Lake. The evening was spent repairing the knot meter and tightening the leaking stuffing box. Saturday morning we motored out of the channel and into a north wind. Already behind schedule, we hoisted the iron genny rather than tack north and made for Ludington. Confusion reigned upon arrival as our wives in the chase car expected us to be in Pentwater and couldn't reach us on the cell phone. A radio message from Pentwater Municipal advised us of her whereabouts, but they refused to accept a marina-to-marina VHF radio transmission. We deployed the cell phone, whereupon we discovered that Pentwater Municipal Marina has an unlisted phone number. We were about ready to send up a signal flare when the chase crew found us, marooned in our slip and running low on beer. Sunday was cloudy and rainy as we motored up to Manistee dead into a cold north wind. As we approached Manistee at approximately 1700 hours, we observed a frantic skipper with a fouled in-mast furling system trying to sail up the channel. Unfortunately we could do nothing to help, so we tied up Rhondezvous for the week, returning to our jobs downstate to earn enough for another boat payment. Returning the following weekend, we slipped our moorings and headed north, but again the wind was directly out of the north. I wondered when I would actually get to sail this boat. To her credit the diesel engine had performed flawlessly, though the actual time under sail had been minimal. We were still getting acquainted with her, and her with us. We motored on to Frankfort and tied up at Jacobsen's Marina (nice accomadations but a little overpriced.) That evening's entertainment was watching the Coast Guard tow in a stink-boat that had run out of gas. Next day we were weathered in by fog and drizzle--rain alone wouldn't stop us, but we didn't relish heading through the Manitou Passage blind. We caught a movie, shopped, tidied-up the boat, and rested. Wednesday dawned clear and bright with--you guessed it--a north wind. We motored through the Manitou Passage as the Navy Blue Angels practiced aerial acrobatics above us. Several down-bound lake carriers passed us as we gave them a wide berth. Sleeping Bear Dunes from the water was an awesome sight, We finally raised a sail as we bore to the northeast--I was determined to sail into Leland. We passed the Nantucket Clipper on her mooring and thought of how comfortable they must be in their staterooms and deck chairs, and dining on white linen tablecloths. Rumblings of mutiny circulated amongst my crew; luckily the cruise ship slipped her moorings and disappeared undercover of darkness. To appease the crew we shopped, ate at the Bluebird Café and hit the hammocks early for the next leg, around Leelanau Point to Northport. On the morning of July 4th we motored around the point and put that damned north wind aft of us. We eased the sheets for a run and it was good to be finally sailing, though only at 4 knots. When the time came to bear SW into Northport Bay, we decided to alter course and make for Elk Rapids. Our spirits rose as we sailed farther south into East Bay and sighted the familiar landmark water tower. The next day, with the sun shining and the wind 10-15 knots out of the west, I suggested a day sail but the crew had jumped ship and were last seen lying on the beach!