Hey everyone,
After 25 years of trailer sailing, we bought a Catalina 320 and are on a 400 mile delivery cruise. We bought the boat in Manitowoc WI, motored across a very calm and VERY foggy Lake Michigan, and are now harbor hopping our way around the mitten to our home port at the Tawas Bay Yacht Club.
I don’t really have a question, just want to make some observations that, in retrospect, all seem pretty obvious.
observation #1:
turns out we don’t control the weather.
Admittedly, not being used to the big lakes, and not being comfortable with the new boat yet, we stay at harbor when more daring (and/or more fool hardy) people might go out. But it’s been 9 days since we left Manitowoc, and so far we have only moved the boat 4 times. Manitowoc to Kewaunee, to Frankfort, to Leland, to Charlevoix. I had hoped to be in Mackinaw by now.
corollary to observation #1
The weatherman also does not control the weather.
When we left Frankfort we really believed we would have four consecutive travel days, turned out we had two. It’s beautiful today, but the wind is too much for us rookies. Tomorrow the wind and waves looks better, but it’s going to be cold and rainy…. Still making a decision on that one.
observation #2
If you buy a 30 year old boat, stuff is going to break
The guy at the Frankfort hardware store said, “You boat guys are always trying to MacGyver something together.”
I said, “Well, what I really need is a PEX 15mm to 1/2” (female) swivel elbow, you got one of those?”
Crazy glue and Teflon tape and duct tape and a hose clamp and we have hot and cold running water again.
Sometimes it’s the little victories. Let’s see if it lasts.
observation #3
just a mile offshore in northern Lake Michigan, it’s really cold
At first we packed for a little summer sailing excursion, sure … some long clothes “in case it gets cold.“ My friend suggested long John’s and wool socks and I thought she was crazy, but she has more experience than we do, so I packed long John’s and heavy socks (don’t have wool), and generally more heavy weather clothes. We have gotten used to pulling into harbor wearing pretty much all of our clothes, and looking over and seeing kids in the splash pad. It’s crazy that all of Michigan is under a heat advisory and we are out there freezing our transoms off as soon as we get out of the marina.
We are considering staying in Charlevoix for the cold and rain tomorrow, skipping Beaver Island, and making the 48nm run to Mackinaw City on Saturday in the sunshine. We‘ve done a 55 mile day and several 35 mile days, and we like the 35 mile days better, but Mackinaw City would make it feel like we were halfway home.
Anyway, so far we are still having fun. And being back in Michigan, we know that if we needed help, we have family that could meet us at any port.
After 25 years of trailer sailing, we bought a Catalina 320 and are on a 400 mile delivery cruise. We bought the boat in Manitowoc WI, motored across a very calm and VERY foggy Lake Michigan, and are now harbor hopping our way around the mitten to our home port at the Tawas Bay Yacht Club.
I don’t really have a question, just want to make some observations that, in retrospect, all seem pretty obvious.
observation #1:
turns out we don’t control the weather.
Admittedly, not being used to the big lakes, and not being comfortable with the new boat yet, we stay at harbor when more daring (and/or more fool hardy) people might go out. But it’s been 9 days since we left Manitowoc, and so far we have only moved the boat 4 times. Manitowoc to Kewaunee, to Frankfort, to Leland, to Charlevoix. I had hoped to be in Mackinaw by now.
corollary to observation #1
The weatherman also does not control the weather.
When we left Frankfort we really believed we would have four consecutive travel days, turned out we had two. It’s beautiful today, but the wind is too much for us rookies. Tomorrow the wind and waves looks better, but it’s going to be cold and rainy…. Still making a decision on that one.
observation #2
If you buy a 30 year old boat, stuff is going to break
The guy at the Frankfort hardware store said, “You boat guys are always trying to MacGyver something together.”
I said, “Well, what I really need is a PEX 15mm to 1/2” (female) swivel elbow, you got one of those?”
Crazy glue and Teflon tape and duct tape and a hose clamp and we have hot and cold running water again.
Sometimes it’s the little victories. Let’s see if it lasts.
observation #3
just a mile offshore in northern Lake Michigan, it’s really cold
At first we packed for a little summer sailing excursion, sure … some long clothes “in case it gets cold.“ My friend suggested long John’s and wool socks and I thought she was crazy, but she has more experience than we do, so I packed long John’s and heavy socks (don’t have wool), and generally more heavy weather clothes. We have gotten used to pulling into harbor wearing pretty much all of our clothes, and looking over and seeing kids in the splash pad. It’s crazy that all of Michigan is under a heat advisory and we are out there freezing our transoms off as soon as we get out of the marina.
We are considering staying in Charlevoix for the cold and rain tomorrow, skipping Beaver Island, and making the 48nm run to Mackinaw City on Saturday in the sunshine. We‘ve done a 55 mile day and several 35 mile days, and we like the 35 mile days better, but Mackinaw City would make it feel like we were halfway home.
Anyway, so far we are still having fun. And being back in Michigan, we know that if we needed help, we have family that could meet us at any port.
