Sail Far Live Free

Meldrum Bay to Gore Bay 32NM After having had the rare cruising combo of a meal at a restaurant and hot showers the night before, we were all feeling fresh and ready to continue eastward. We left tiny Meldrum Bay at about 6am and quickly hoisted the sails for what was to be an excellent close reach all the way to Gore Bay. Winds were generally 10-15 knots, but gusted to 20 when we weren’t in the lee of the many points on Manitoulin Island’s north shore. The boat hurried along at between 6 and 7 knots and 20 degrees of heel for most of the ride. By this point , Island Bound’s crew now has their sea legs and we’re all quite comfortable with the rhythm of morning passages, afternoon explorations (either of an island or harbor) and evening fun (games, singing, fishing, etc.). We’re still surprised that there aren’t more cruisers out on the water. We only see about one or two boats a day, which is more than we saw while in Lake Michigan. The marinas remain less than full and the anc...

Just a couple of quick clips of our sail under the Mac Bridge...

Just a quick snipit from our approach to Mackinac Island Harbor...

Here's a brief video of s/v Island Bound rounding the light marking DeTour Reef just south of Detour Passage.

Here's a quick video showing our shore excursion on Harbor Island.  You can read more about our Harbor Island stopover in one of our previous posts.

Pilot Cove - Meldrum Bay 20NM The rain started falling at midnight in Pilot Cove and didn't let up until 8am.  Winds had increased to 10-15 knots from the east with gusts to 20 knots.  We pulled the anchor, which held very securely through the night, and started making our way east into 3-5 foot seas with the wind on our nose.  The ride was rough and wet, with spray and drizzle finding their way into the cockpit beneath the dodger and bimini.  We wore our foulies for the entire 4 hour trip over to Meldrum Bay on Manitoulin Island.  The girls brought their sleeping bags down to the floor of the salon and fell asleep for most of the passage.  As we cruised north of Cockburn Island and approached Missisagi Strait through the dense fog, we spotted a freighter between us and the shoreline.  It was difficult to make out the ship's heading through the fog, but was easy to tell we were getting too close for comfort.  I got on the VHF and hailed the "...

Harbor Island - Pilot Cove (Drummond Island) 20NM We all slept in and made a leisurely departure for tiny Pilot Cove on the eastern side of Drummond Island. The trip over was just under 4 hours. Hannah and I boarded Island hopper (our dinghy) to sound out the channel depth into Pilot Cove with our handheld depth finder prior to entering with the mothership. Unfortunately, the handheld depth sounder (Hawkeye XP100) wasn’t working, so we improvised and used a rope and rock to determine that depth in the narrow little channel leading into the peaceful and picture-perfect cove was only around 5 feet. This was too shallow to risk an entry with Island Bound. On paper, our sloop draws 4’6” of water, but we conservatively figure she probably has a draft of 5’ given the plethora of cruising gear we have aboard. No worries as the sand bottom and spit of land just outside of Pilot Cove provided a safe anchorage for the night as long as the wind stayed out of the south and/or east. Luckily, i...

Les Chenneaux Islands - Harbor Island 30NM As we left the “Snows” in our wake we pointed the bow east and inched closer to the North Channel. The wind was light so we mostly motored, but around mid-day the wind increased to around 8 knots and we decided to try out our symmetrical tri-radial spinnaker for the first time. After stuffing the sack and rigging all the required extra gear, we hoisted the big yellow and orange sail. It took us about 10 minutes to get it trimmed out but when it was, wow…what a beautiful sail and a fun ride! We were doing 5.5 knots in the light air. Eventually, the wind began to shift off our port quarter so we had to douse the spinnaker, but we can’t wait to get it out again sometime soon! We rounded the Detour Reef Light (complete with a man taking photographs of boats passing by) with a freighter steaming in off our starboard quarter. The freighter quickly overtook us as we all enjoyed the close up view of the big ship in the narrow Detour Passa...

Mackinac Island - Les Chenneaux Islands 19NM Finally we had the perfect day for sailing. The winds were 10-20 knots out of the west which meant we’d be running downwind to the Les Chenneauxs. We started with 2 foot seas on our port quarter and the genoa poled out to port with the main held with a preventer to starboard. As the winds built we ended up on a broad reach with a single reef in the main. As we approached the channel in from Lake Huron to the Les Chenneaux Islands, the wind increased close to 20 knots and the waves built to 3-4 feet. The ride was fast and boisterous. As we eased the bow into the channel and the lee of Government Island, the boat stood upright and we cruised in to our cozy anchorage in Government Bay. There were two powerboats and two sailboats already swaying at anchor. We snuggled in between the two other sailboats and enjoyed another peaceful evening on the hook. We took our dingy in to shore and explored what seemed to be part of the national forest a...

Mackinac Island After securing the boat, we promptly headed to the busy main street on Mackinac Island to take in the colonial charm of the architecture, lack of cars, and plethora of horse drawn carriages. Both Hannah and Izzy were amazed that bikes and horses did all the work of cars and trucks on this unique island. After grabbing a Mexican combo plate at a mainstreet pub, we climbed the steep trail up to Fort Mackinac. The Fort dominates the landscape from the southern view of the island. Seeing the picketed barrier fences, the old cannons and reading about the history of British and American soldiers at the Fort we were all taken back a to another the 19th century. Next it was on to the governor’s residence on Mackinac Island. Every incumbent governor of Michigan is gifted the use of a colonial styled white mansion perched high on the sandstone bluffs of the island just down the road from Fort Mackinac. A fiercesome boy scout stood guard the day we walked by. We continued o...

Beaver Island - Mackinac Island: 6/17/10 - 6/18/10 40NM I awoke with the sun on Thursday morning and pulled the anchor while all three “girls” slept soundly. I was eager to make the passage from Beaver Island to Mackinac as it’s one I’ve often envisioned while planning this trip. As I motored out of St. James harbor I was surrounded by the other islands in the Beaver archipelago. Both High and Garden Island beckoned as I continued east. Perhaps we’ll explore them on the way back home. Beaver Island to the mainland of Michigan’s lower peninsula covers a shallow area of shoals and reefs known broadly as Gray’s Reef. It’s eerie to sail several miles from land and still see the bottom and watch boulders and sand patches glide by beneath the hull. Most of the way from Beaver Island to the abandoned lighthouse marking the beginning of the Mackinac Straits is just 20 feet or less of water depth. We passed by a total of three mid-lake lighthouse on passage through Gray’s Reef, t...

Charlevoix - Beaver Island: 6/16/10 26NM We left Charlevoix in the rain in time to make the second drawbridge opening of the morning at 6:30am. We were headed to Beaver Island. There was a thick fog on Lake Michigan as we left the protection of the pier head. We have a Davis Instruments Echomaster Deluxe radar reflector hung from our portside spreader, so hopefully we’re as visible as possible to traffic on the lake. Still, fog is eerie to travel in when you don’t have radar. We knew exactly where we were because of our chart plotter, but it was important that we kept a close watch for ships and boats through the fog. As the seas began to build to 3 and 4 footers, the fog lifted and was filled in by an overcast sky and rain showers. At about 9:30am we noticed the ferry boat Emerald Isle off our stern port quarter. I radioed the captain of the ferry via VHF to make sure he saw us. He confirmed that he did and said he’d give us a wide margin as he passed to our port. The rest of the...

South Manitou - Charlevoix: 6/14/10 42NM We woke at 4:15am to get an early start on the route to Charlevoix as storms were predicted for the next evening. As we clambered on deck in the dark of the early morning in South Manitou’s bay, we took in the quiet beauty of the calm lake one more time. I went forward and began the process of retrieving our 33lbs Lewmar Claw, 20 feet of chain and 200 feet of rode. The first 100 feet or so of the rode came in easily, but then things got difficult. I knew the anchor would be dug in after having been on the bottom in Lake Michigan for over 12 hours, but it felt more than just buried. The rode got vertical as I inched it back onto the boat. At around 60 feet left I couldn’t bring it in anymore. Erin joined me on deck and we heaved together, pulling in around 6 inches at a time and then cleating it off for a rest. After nearly an hour of wrestling with the anchor and wondering if I purchased one that was too heavy, we shined our flashlight down ...

Frankfort to South Manitou - 6/13/10 26NM We departed Frankfort bound for the quiet calm of South Manitou Island at approximately 9am. The morning began with patchy clouds but became overcast as we headed north into the wind with the motor. Waves were calm to 2 feet. The girls mostly played below as Otto had the helm and Erin and I kept watch and played navigator. This was the first time in our voyage that we’d be crossing the north and south bound shipping lanes in Manitou Passage, so we scanned the horizon frequently looking for freighters. We spotted a couple in the distance, but didn’t pass any closer than a couple of miles. As we approached South Manitou from the south we were able to clearly see the wreck of the Morazan resting in shallow waters just off the southern end of the island. The girls had plenty of questions about how the wreck got there, where the people went to and what was left in the ship. If we would have had more time we could have anchored nearby and took the...

The name Pere Marquette is more than just a great salmon fishing river in Northern Michigan. The name itself comes from Father Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan’s first European settlement in Sault Ste. Marie and later also founded St. Ignace in the Straits of Mackinac. Jacques Marquette is now more commonly referred to as “Pere Marquette”. He was a very successful and influential missionary to the First Nation's people of Quebec and Native Americans in Michigan. Apparently there is some debate about where Father Marquette died, but many historians believe it was here along the banks of the river near a hill in Frankfort. I came upon a historical sign telling a bit of his story while walking to the lake shore on Friday morning. Although he was buried in St. Ignace, Father Marquette may likely have died here in Frankfort.

Dad left Island Bound on Wednesday in Ludington, so now it was my turn to try some solo cruising for a couple of days to see how far north I could get the boat before my wife and kids joined me for the rest of the journey. I woke up around 5:30am on Thursday morning and left the dock at about 6am. Winds were 10-12 knots from the northwest, so I was forced to motor around Big Point Sable. As I rounded the point, I put the sails up since my course would now be more northerly and I should be able to sail close hauled. I put a single reef in the main because the NOAA forecast called for some wind gusts to 20 knots and I wanted to be prepared for the conditions before they arrived. Island Bound didn’t seem to mind the reef because she made between 5 and 6 knots, even while sailing so close to the wind. Even though I’m single-handing this portion of the cruise, I’m not the only crew member. “Otto” our autopilot (Autohelm ST1000) does his job very well. He never complains, he never gets ti...

Our journey has officially begun. Island Bound departed North Shore Marina in Grand Haven on Monday, June 7th at approximately 6am and headed north. Onboard were myself (Kevin) and my dad. My dad was coming along as crew for the first day or two, then I plan to single-handedly cruise for a couple days and then s/v Island Bound will pick up her permanent crew (Erin, Hannah, Isabel) and the four of us will continue on. The weather on Monday was sunny with winds building throughout the day to around 10-12 knots out of the northwest. Waves were calm early, but built to 2-3 feet by mid afternoon. My dad and I motored north of Grand Haven at about 5 knots since the wind was too light for sailing. We had out a fishing pole with a North Port Nailer and Dipsy Diver, but didn’t catch a thing. The air temp was in the 50’s and we were both wearing sweatshirts, wind jackets and beanie caps. Dad at the helm After motoring for about 2-3 hours and 12 nautical miles, the engine bogged down ...

With most of our pre-cruise work completed on Island Bound , it was time to more thoroughly inspect the rig.  This of course means going up the stick if the mast is stepped.  If you're a sailor, sooner or later you'll need to make a trip to the top of the mast, either for inspections or repairs.  Our (first) time is now! The goal of the ascent was to retape the speader boots, install a portside flagline and inspect the shrouds, stays and sail track.  We used our climbing harness (Black Diamond Alpine BOD) instead of a bosun's chair. The main halyard was used as the primary uplift and one of our two wire-to-rope headsail halyards was the back-up.  A bowline knot was used to secure the main halyard to the harness, instead of using the shackle.  The shackle was also connected as a precaution. We had to use the shackle on the back-up (genoa halyard) because it's wire-to-rope and can not be knott...

Our long list of pre-season tasks is nearly complete and s/v Island Bound  is back in the water where she belongs.  This spring, we completed the following: - Added stainless steel anchor locker pipe to bow - Added anchor locker latch in v-berth - Replaced spinnaker pole topping lift - Added a turning block to the bow for the pole downhaul - Re-stitched the bimini top - Sanded, cleaned and applied Cetol to exterior teak - Cleaned and oiled interior teak - Refinished the tiller with Cetol - Added a primary automatic bilge pump - Replaced cockpit scupper drain hoses - Installed new Uniden depth sounder/transducer - Refastened the shroud caps - Acid washed, polished and waxed the hull - Repainted the yellow cove stripe - Add new license numbers - Applied new VC-17 bottom paint - Replumbed the holding tank - Added sternrail outboard motor storage bracket - Added hailing port to the transom - Added a radar reflector - Added a second flagline to the p...

Spring has been busy thus far.  Among a growing list of among about 45 tasks to be completed prior to launch, refinishing the bottom of s/v Island Bound was the first to be completed.  She has been historically bottom-painted with VC17m from Interlux, so I decided to keep things consistant and used the same paint.  VC is a bit unique among bottom paints in that it's not ablative, like so many are.  VC comes in quart sized cans with a bag of copper powder (copporous oxide) in the cap that needs to be mixed with the liquid contents of the can before application.  VC is a very thin, smooth paint and therefore does not need to be sanded down and removed before applying a new coat.  You only need to spot-sand patches that are peeling or showing through.  VC also dries extemely quickly, so you don't want the can sitting open very long and you don't want to leave paint in the roller tray.  As an alternative to a...

Sailing is addictive.  There's something about riding the wind and the waves that makes the destination matter very little, but the journey matter a whole lot.  Maybe it has something to do with the way sailing makes you slow down and breath in the world around you.  Out there on the blue there's no internet, no cell phones, no bad reality television, no dramatic news headlines, no hands racing around the numbers on some clock on the wall.  There's only the wind, waves and your dreams. Two of my favorite songs lament history's progression from wind driven vessels to steamships...and now more exotic power like gasoline, diesel and nuclear energy.  Jimmy Buffett sings "Watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam..." in A Pirate Looks at Forty. Michael Snell echoes Jimmy with his lyric "the steamers have whistled her days to an end..." in The Last of the Leelanau Schooners. The answer is obvious to the question of why p...

I went over to check on our boat yesterday, making sure the cover was still secure and that all was well with the cradle. After my quick inspection, I took a walk to the Lake Michigan shoreline and out the north pier at Grand Haven.  As much as I despise the snow and cold, there are times when I find myself in awe of the Earth's beauty during the long Great Lakes' winters.  Walking down the pier had me feeling like I was in Neil Armstrong's shoes as I stepped and tripped over strange shaped ice boulders while wearing the spacesuit most of us in Michigan call winter attire.  Even with water temperatures barely above freezing and icebergs bobbing about, Lake Michigan still beckons my adventurous spirit.  My mind drifted as I imagined 19th century wooden schooners making lumber runs up and down the lake in weather just like this. I thought I should post a few photos just so all of you sailors living in smaller latitudes than I don't take it for gra...

The North Channel is a sailor's paradise on Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario.  The channel is overflowing with picturesque islands, crystal clear blue waters and superb wilderness.  This cruising area should be on every Great Lakes sailor's short list of top destination.  We originally considered the North Channel as a destination when we hatched our plan for a 3 month summer cruise in 2010, but ruled it out because of the distance and isolation.  Distance and isolation in and of themselves make the North Channel appealing in many ways.  However, for us, having a 28 foot boat and two young daughters (ages 4 & 7) made the distance and isolation serious considerations.  After doing some research and speaking/emailing with several fellow cruisers and a few staunch North Channel advocates (thanks Rolland !), we've decided to again consider the North Channel for our 2010 itinerary. In addition to the previously mentioned research and conve...

We currently carry a 13lbs fluke (Danforth/Fortress style) as our primary anchor and an 8lbs fluke as our backup anchor. Here in Lake Michigan, we typically anchor in sand, mud, and weedy bottoms (in that order). We have 20' of chain (not sure the size) attached to our 100' rope rode. We also carry an 8lbs mushroom to send down the rode as a messenger for extra weight if needed. We've always done just fine with the 13lbs fluke anchoring for a couple hours or the occasional overnighter in good weather. However, during our 3 month cruise this coming summer we hope to anchor out at least half the time. I expect many of the bottom types to be as above (sand/mud/weeds) but know of a few anchorages where rocks/boulders will be prominent, particularly around Garden Island. I'm considering picking up either a 22lbs or 33lbs claw/Bruce-type (Lewmar Horizon) anchor to act as our primary anchor. Will this be adequate for a good night's rest and peace of ...

As I sit down and gaze at the nautical charts, GPS maps, and guide books for various ports I am warmed by thoughts of exploration for the summer of 2010.  Even though my body is in our home office on this cold January day, my spirit is sailing throughout the blue waters of northern Lake Michigan.  Who says you've got to head south to get to the islands?  We've got North and South Manitou, North and South Fox, Beaver, Garden, Hog, High, Gull, Washington, St. Martin, Horseshoe, Poverty, Summer, St. Helena and Mackinac Islands all plugged into the waypoint list on our GPS.  It's a special feeling for an islomaniac (one who has an irresistible attraction to islands) to know that s/ v Island Bound will be living up to her name in the near future. We've found a couple of websites that have been very useful in the charting/planning stages of our Lake Michigan cruise.  1) OpenCPN  - Awesome fre...