Sunday September 23rd
Ahhh, the water is so much better then the interstates. We departed Goderich around 8. Clear Blue skies, calm seas, warm and sunny. Motored sailed on a southern heading and arrived in Grand Bend around 2PM. The Southern Shore of Lake Huron is in Sight. The circumnavigation is near. We left solo and to the West, we return solo out of the East.
I love having crew on board and would never want a life style of sailing alone. But I enjoy the balance of sailing solo as well. When solo so many more people approach you at the dock. "Hello there, really nice boat (Albion is frequently admired), where are you headed, where have you been, where are you going" So the conversation starts. We small boaters admire the big boats. I could take my bike on that boat; it sure would be nice to have that Furling Main sail. The interesting thing I find is the big Sail boaters admire and respect us small boaters just as much. "Wow, you take that little boat out there, you must be a good sailor" There is a beautiful simplicity to a small sailboat. Big boats, lots of stuff, lots of problems, lots of things to fix and maintain. Big boaters are continually fixing and maintaining their stuff. They look on at Albions simplicity with envy. Frequently they will come up and tell me not about their big boat, but about that little boat they used to have. This simplicity is not something I am sure I am willing to let go of. Sailing seems to neutralize class distinction. I see so many parallels to sailing and life. But that is a whole another story and not for here!
I am now a day away from completing Lake Huron, our 4th Great Lake. The emotions are mixed, very happy to have completed the lake and return to my family, sad to be returning to the 4 lanes.
