Thursday August 2, 2007

We departed this morning on a heading of 80 degrees (East) with Mackinak Island fading too our backs. Good winds as we sailed on a run wing to wing with the Whisper pole in the Genoa. Seas were 2-3 feet and moving faster then us (6 Knots) so we surfed at times up to 7.5 knots, a very fun point of sail. Around 11 the sky blackened, the wind gusty, and there was thunder in the distance. So we brought in the main and sailed with the Genoa alone. The storm never really arrived and I was doing a rain dance (I really was!) because we needed some rain to wash off the horse manure flakes left from the Mackinak towering horse dock. We motor sailed the rest of the way to Detour Village.

Do we have an Auto helm? Yes we do and use it most of the time, works well! How to we handle Helm responsibility. Mark and I switch off every hour on the hour. Most of the route planning I do at home and is on the laptop. We change things though because of new interests (Like going to Mackinak) or weather. . Ports are chosen by what we have heard, what the books say, and distance between ports. Where do we find wireless? Sometimes we don’t, you have to go hunting. Restaurants, some marina’s, libraries, coffee shops, hotel lobbies.

Dinner at the local bar where we met a power boat couple that had just arrived from the North Channel. They had some weather today and are not sure about leaving tomorrow. There are many noises in the marina tonight from the winds in the sailboat rigs. The calmness has passed and we need to keep a keen eye on the conditions tomorrow. Could be a stay in Detour Village Day.

This marina is full of large, expensive sailboats. 90% transient, every is returning or heading to the North Channel, a popular destination and where we are headed.

It is cooling down tonight, we are wearing jackets. There is a church near by and we hear the hourly gong as the wind shakes the rigging and the boat rocks side to side .

Beautiful sunrise this morning! ..A new friend at the docks told us there is a certain table outside at a certain bar in town that he was able to get wireless So today’s log is brought to you by “The Mainsail Deckhand saloon” Off we are to Canada…