We departed Leland Marina on June 29th enroute to St James Harbor on Beaver Island. After the strong winds on June 28th, June 29th produced fog for most of the day until we approached Beaver Is in the afternoon.
The harbor is a step back in time when life was more tranquil. Most things are brought in from the mainland and prices are more expensive. It is a charming place and we enjoyed the stop over.
June 30, 2011
Departed Beaver Island @ 0720 hrs this morning for Mackinaw City. Very light winds from the SE and then dying out so we had to motor sail most of the way. Arrived at Mackinac Municipal Marina @ 1530 hrs. Somewhere in the Straits of Mackinac we ran into a hatching of MILLIONs of bugs. They covered everything and we had to wash the boat down at the marina. As much as we liked the Western Part of Lake Michigan, we're happy to have one Lake down with so many more to go.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
"Solstice" departs Tower Marine, Douglas, MI
On June June 24th, Solstice started on her Maiden voyage from Douglas, MI to the South Pacific via the St. Lawrence Seaway. She is a 1991 Valiant 40: hull number 282. The hailing port is Oriental, NC, however, she will not be kept there.
Phyllis and I started this voyage over 30 years ago on a 40' Wharram designed catamaram that we built in a small village on Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands. In March 1978 we sailed from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for a trans-atlantic voyage to Barbados and, eventually, back to the USA.
Never having had much money left over after six years of boat building/working, by the time we arrived in Key West we were broke. Also, at this time Phyllis was pregnant. With Phyllis pregnant, a 40' yacht and no money, I found a small slip in Carrabele, FL. We applied for food stamps and I left Phyllis and the boat to look for work as a deckhand in Morgan City, LA. In time, I became a tugboat Captain and spent the next thirty years working in the Merchant Service. During this time we raised two girls, several cats and dogs, a macaw and two cockatoos. We never lost the dream of continuing the voyage that was never completed.
In March 2011 I finally wrapped up my retirement. Phyllis had retired in December 2009. We had spent the last two years down-sizing thirty years of accumulations. We put the house up for sale and started looking for "blue water" sailboat that would take us to all those romantic places we had dreamed. It seems that more thought, evaluation, and study goes into selecting the right boat than does the process of choosing a lifetime partner. Once found, I believe, some of the same chemical processes occur as in the time honored "falling in love" rite. So we found the yacht "Solstice" in a beautiful little town on Lake Michigan.
Here begins the voyage: We sailed from Douglas on Friday June 24th @ 0720 hrs for Muskegon, MI. This was a short trip of 30+ miles. We had moderate NW'ly winds and seas; tacked several times to reach Muskegon .Nothing uneventful or surprising happened. Since it was our first trip, we arrive tired and exhausted.
June 25, 2011
Up at 0530 hrs and sailed from Muskegon at 0730 for Pentwater, MI. A very pleasant sail with SE winds and following seas. Spent the night in the small and lovely town of Pentwater. At this point in our voyage, we are staying at marinas until we can adjust to the power demands the yacht requires as well as getting a good night's sleep without anchor watches. Later on we will progress to a more economical form of sailing.
June 26th
Sailed from Pentwater to Frankfort, MI. This leg was about 65 miles and we had had light and variable winds. We used a combination of sailing and motor sailing to reach our destination. Arrived in Frankfort around 1700 hrs and found a berth at the Frankfort Municipal Marina. Another lovely town on the Western side of Lake Michigan.
June 27th, 2011
We left Frankfort at 0720 hrs enroute to Leland @ 37 miles North The winds were out of the E to SE @ 15; seas 1' or less. This was perfect sailing weather and the Valiant showed that she was designed to be a performance cruiser. During gusts we hit 8 kts but the average was 6+ kts. We were secure in Leland @ 1430 hrs.
June 28, 2011
Woke up this morning to howling winds out of the SW to W at 25 kts. Our intended voyage for today was Beaver Island but, due to wind and seas , we decided to stay in port to rest and organize the boat. With more rest and ambition plus encouragement from Phyllis, we have set up this blog. Tomorrow we will set sail for St. James Harbor on Beaver Island.
Phyllis and I started this voyage over 30 years ago on a 40' Wharram designed catamaram that we built in a small village on Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands. In March 1978 we sailed from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for a trans-atlantic voyage to Barbados and, eventually, back to the USA.
Never having had much money left over after six years of boat building/working, by the time we arrived in Key West we were broke. Also, at this time Phyllis was pregnant. With Phyllis pregnant, a 40' yacht and no money, I found a small slip in Carrabele, FL. We applied for food stamps and I left Phyllis and the boat to look for work as a deckhand in Morgan City, LA. In time, I became a tugboat Captain and spent the next thirty years working in the Merchant Service. During this time we raised two girls, several cats and dogs, a macaw and two cockatoos. We never lost the dream of continuing the voyage that was never completed.
In March 2011 I finally wrapped up my retirement. Phyllis had retired in December 2009. We had spent the last two years down-sizing thirty years of accumulations. We put the house up for sale and started looking for "blue water" sailboat that would take us to all those romantic places we had dreamed. It seems that more thought, evaluation, and study goes into selecting the right boat than does the process of choosing a lifetime partner. Once found, I believe, some of the same chemical processes occur as in the time honored "falling in love" rite. So we found the yacht "Solstice" in a beautiful little town on Lake Michigan.
Here begins the voyage: We sailed from Douglas on Friday June 24th @ 0720 hrs for Muskegon, MI. This was a short trip of 30+ miles. We had moderate NW'ly winds and seas; tacked several times to reach Muskegon .Nothing uneventful or surprising happened. Since it was our first trip, we arrive tired and exhausted.
June 25, 2011
Up at 0530 hrs and sailed from Muskegon at 0730 for Pentwater, MI. A very pleasant sail with SE winds and following seas. Spent the night in the small and lovely town of Pentwater. At this point in our voyage, we are staying at marinas until we can adjust to the power demands the yacht requires as well as getting a good night's sleep without anchor watches. Later on we will progress to a more economical form of sailing.
June 26th
Sailed from Pentwater to Frankfort, MI. This leg was about 65 miles and we had had light and variable winds. We used a combination of sailing and motor sailing to reach our destination. Arrived in Frankfort around 1700 hrs and found a berth at the Frankfort Municipal Marina. Another lovely town on the Western side of Lake Michigan.
June 27th, 2011
We left Frankfort at 0720 hrs enroute to Leland @ 37 miles North The winds were out of the E to SE @ 15; seas 1' or less. This was perfect sailing weather and the Valiant showed that she was designed to be a performance cruiser. During gusts we hit 8 kts but the average was 6+ kts. We were secure in Leland @ 1430 hrs.
June 28, 2011
Woke up this morning to howling winds out of the SW to W at 25 kts. Our intended voyage for today was Beaver Island but, due to wind and seas , we decided to stay in port to rest and organize the boat. With more rest and ambition plus encouragement from Phyllis, we have set up this blog. Tomorrow we will set sail for St. James Harbor on Beaver Island.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)