Day 4 - Made it to Frankfort

After such a big day yesterday, we wanted to have a more relaxed morning.  So we let the kids sleep in a bit until we were ready to go for breakfast.  We visited the Pancake Chef... a greasy spoon we've passed a number of times but never stopped.  But today we were in search of bacon and the Pancake Chef didn't disappoint.

While we waited for our food, we played a game of Ticket to Ride and pretty much all walked away frustrated.  But we enjoyed the walk back in the sunshine.  No rain today, but the temps have definitely fallen.  It was in the 50s when we walked to breakfast... and our shorts are now replaced by jeans and sweatshirts.  No worries though, it's some of my favorite boating weather.

When we got back, the guys worked on a couple boat projects including checking that oil sensor and removing some water from the bilge.  I washed the dishes and organized the cabinet under the galley sink.  Tyler made a run to the dumpster with more trash and then we prepped for our departure.

We left the marina around 11:20 am enjoying the views of the island and the bridge while we put away the fenders and lines.

 

The seas were rougher today, consistently 2-3' waves that grew to 4' swells as we got further south.  With such colder temps, we stayed indoors most of the day, or sat outside with a sweatshirt and blanket.  

Around 2:00 pm Jen cooked up some brats for lunch.  Tyler is always a big help with the boat but also took some time to work on his homework.  Not a bad view, if you ask me.

It was 4:15 pm when we pulled into Frankfort.  We have always enjoyed this harbor!  We filled up our fuel and then moved over to slip 55 for the night.  As soon as we were tied, we headed out for supper.  

We ate at the Dinghy Restaurant & Bar, only a few blocks away.  When we returned, Scott helped Tyler get set up for his class tonight.  He's been taking a night class for AI & Machine Learning.  So we had him at the desk in our stateroom so he could have privacy and less distractions.

Once he was set up, he and I went for a scooter ride to drop off the mail while Scott taught Sammy how to play chess.  Then Tyler headed to class, I get started on some church work, and Scott and Sammy took a dinghy ride.

Tyler wrapped up at 10:30pm and we all headed to bed.  It was another great day!

Day 3 - An Adventure: On to Mackinaw City

We wanted to be on the water by 9 am so we woke the kids up at 8 and just had a quick bowl of cereal for breakfast.  It’s Tyler’s 19th birthday today so we did our best to decorate.

We got everything put away and were pulling lines by 8:50 am.  By 9:20 am we had left the harbor and were on the Lake at cruising speed.  

Lake Huron is quite calm today with 1-2 footers and winds under 9 mph from the south.  Later in the day we are expecting a storm front to move through so we hope to arrive in Roger City by mid afternoon to avoid the rain.  

The lake was gorgeous this morning and we enjoyed the calm seas with videos, Legos, computer work, etc.  Sammy spent a decent bit of time in her stateroom even which is at the bow of the boat so clearly it was a calm ride.  

We had lunch around noon… making grilled sandwiches while remaining at cruising speed.  We continue to be impressed by the way the boat handles.  We passed Alpena around 12:30pm.  

 

As we approached Roger City, we checked the radar and realized the front of rain would be passing overhead right about the time we arrived and needed to fuel up.  However, if we continued north we would avoid the patch of rain.  So instead of tying lines in the rain, we decided to press on.  We passed Roger City at 2:05 pm.

About halfway to Cheboygan, which is the next possible fuel stop, our fuel sensor dropped significantly indicating less than 9% fuel remaining.  Now, it’s pretty common knowledge that boat fuel gauges can be sticky… but really, we didn’t want to figure it out the hard way.  So Scott slowed our speed to conserve fuel and we enjoyed the next hour at 8 mph - luckily the seas were comfortable.

We were still a ways off from Cheboygan when the fuel gauge dropped.  Best calculation was that it had  16 gallons remaining.  But by our estimate, we needed about 14 to make it in.  Ugh.  We continued on, making action plans for worst case scenarios… all the while trying to ignore the looming storm clouds ahead.  I tried to keep spirits light by talking about “what an adventure” it would be should we have to anchor and call for fuel.  My captain and his first mate were not amused.

We were still about 10 mins away when Scott asked me to call ahead to the fuel dock.  They were close to closing for the day (4:30pm) but Dockmaster Mike was more than gracious about staying as long as it took us to arrive.  He talked me through the approach and said he’d be waiting.  

We pulled in at 4:15pm.  Mike got us filled up quickly and we were headed back out to the lake by 4:45pm.  The seas were rougher now having lost an hour to slower speeds and then 30 mins for fuel.  The front had passed through and we had all of 4 footers with whitecaps.  The winds picked up out of the west (which we were now heading) and the rain began.  

No one seemed to mind though as we relished the fact that we had a full tank of gas again.  Until something white flashed across the windshield and we realized a cushion from the front seating area had torn off and was now floating behind the boat.  Scott turned back, Tyler and I grabbed life jackets and headed out.  Scott backed up to the floating 3x3’ cushion while I knelt on the swim platform to fish it out of the water.  Honestly with waves like that, I was pretty wet fairly quickly and struggled to get the cushion on board.

Next Tyler and I had to head out to the bow to put the covers back on the cushions to prevent any more from flying off.  (The velcro detached from the cushion… not from the other piece of Velcro but actually pulled the glue right off).  

Once we got back on board, and somewhat dried off, we tried to get back up to speed but Scott decided to hold us at 20 mph to make a more comfortable ride.  We laughed at maybe not needing any more adventure today.  

We pulled in to Mackinaw City at 5:40 pm.  The marina had already closed for the evening, so we made our way to our slip and tied up for the evening.

We were drenched and super hungry.  A quick change of clothes and we were on our way to dinner at the Dixie Saloon.  

After dinner, Tyler was hoping for a Kilwins chocolate shake, his favorite.  It was raining but birthday boy wants a chocolate shake. We walked all the way there in the rain. He ordered, she went to make the shake and came back to tell us that they didn’t have any milk and cannot make shakes. Our sweet boy says “that’s ok, thank you” without a hint of disappointment.  But this mama knew he was.  So I asked if she would make the shake if I could find milk.  I explained it was his birthday and she agreed! (Honestly, I couldn’t believe it).  So off we went to the gas station several blocks away… still in the rain.  On the way we notice a Subway and I quick open the door only to see through the side of the cooler, a milk single.  The two young employees laughed with us about how ridiculous I look in a rain poncho.  After a fun conversation that explained it was Tyler’s Birthday and I was a great mom, they gave us two bottles of milk for free.  We headed back to Kilwins where the lovely ladies made the birthday boy his favorite chocolate shake.  That’s one we won’t soon forget.  

A beautiful sunset graced the sky as we walked back to the boat followed by a full rainbow that was incredibly vivid. 

After we got settled in, Tyler opened his presents and then we watched some YouTube videos until bedtime. 

It’s not the best pic through the glass door but the view from our slip is pretty incredible… here is the Mackinac Bridge beyond the Shepler’s dock, all lit up.  A pretty great view for tonight!  

Day 2 - Harbor Beach

Scott and I woke before the kids and enjoyed a cup of coffee in the calm of the morning.  I wrapped up my morning devotions and then took a shower - thoroughly enjoying the extra space and higher water pressure.

Scott worked on a few projects and confirmed an oil sensor alarm that we got yesterday was not an issue.  Then I woke up the kids to get them started and headed to the parking lot to scout out the trash situation.  We have a lot of boxes and packaging material from items we’ve purchased and need to find a place.  Luckily, the marina has carts for our use so I made it in just one trip.  

When I got back I made breakfast sandwiches and we prepped for our departure.  We pulled out at 10:50 am and got underway.  

Sammy worked on Legos while Tyler helped Scott customize the electronics.

Lake St Clair was very calm and we crossed in just over 30 minutes.  The St Clair River was a lot of fun - again allowing us to stay at cruising speed all the way up to the southern tip of Lake Huron.  

Around 12:30pm I served French Dip Sandwiches for lunch.  Around 1:05pm we made it to Lake Huron.  As we got out in open water again, we had a beautiful view of Port Huron behind us.

We continued north to Port Sanilac where we had a reservation for the night but decided to continue north to Harbor Beach.  We were underway 4:50 hrs but the time went fast.  Toward the end of the afternoon, Tyler took over the helm and allowed Scott some time to relax and just enjoy the ride.  

 

Once we arrived in Harbor Beach, we fueled up and chatted with the harbor master.  It is the largest man-made fresh water harbor in the world.  The marina is quite empty with most of its slip owners already out for the season.  We are the only boat on our entire dock.  

We pulled in and tied off by 3:40 pm.  Because town is a bit of a distance away, we decided to eat aboard tonight.  I started the oven and warmed Enchilada Pie for supper.  We ate out on the cockpit table.  Neither of our previous boats offered enough space for us to comfortably dine together so this was a great treat.

After dinner, Scott worked on adjusting the height of some hatches in the cockpit floor and then looked at our ice maker again.  Jen cleaned up from dinner and Tyler prepped the scooters for him and Jen to ride into town.  

It was a successful trip and we found everything we needed at a local gas station.  

After we got back, there were showers and blogs and more projects.  But overall, we just enjoyed the evening.  Tonight is a little cooler but it’s just the right temperature to sit on the back couch wrapped in a blanket with a cup of coffee to enjoy the evening sky. 

It was a perfect day!

Day 1 - Across Lake Erie

We started out early to get on the road for our 4 hour drive to Port Clinton.  We needed to stop for groceries and wanted to get on board and somewhat settled before noon when Kyle planned to arrive.  Kyle was the captain for the previous owner and agreed to take this first leg with us as we get used to the controls of the new boat.  

It took a little longer to unload the car and get aboard but we were ready to go around 12:30pm.  We untied the lines and fenders and Scott took us out to Lake Erie.

After we cleared the marina and got out in the lake, Scott brought her up to cruising speed and we were off.  It took about 45 minutes to cross the lake and enter the Detroit River.  

The lake was so calm.  It was a beautiful trip across with the Ohio shore barely out of sight before Canada came into view.  The Detroit River is nothing like I expected but so cool.  There are man-made berms on either side making a fairly narrow channel most of the way up to Lake St Claire.  This allows boats to travel at full speed without damaging the beautiful homes along the shores.  Its like a highway through the river.

 

While passing through Detroit, the kids and I sat on the bow.  This is new for us as our previous boats didn't offer safe seating up front while at cruising speeds.  It was lots of fun as we saw the buildings and crossed under many bridges including the new international bridge that's currently being built.  

At one point, a couple jet-skiers followed along to jump in our wake.  It was very entertaining to watch them do tricks.

It was 4:30 pm when we finally pulled into the marina in St Claire Shores.  As soon as we were tied off and connected power, Captain Kyle headed out to find his wife to begin the drive home.

The boys got started setting up our Starlink internet and Jen immediately made a plan for food.  We had missed lunch and it was nearing suppertime.  I ordered pizza from Buddy's but because we were on a dock wasn't sure where to have it delivered.  So I decided to grab a scooter and find a better place to meet the driver.  

First I had to figure out how to use the new scooter.  Then had to figure out how to get out of the marina... it's a big one.  Then needed to drop off some outgoing mail.  After finding a post box, I circled back and found a bench that I could wait for the pizza delivery.  As I chatted with some lovely ladies taking a smoke break from a nearby restaurant, I realized I would struggle to carry our large order home.  If I held the pizza box, I'd have to choose between having gas or the break.  Neither seemed wise, so I set the boxes on the 'floor' of the scooter, balanced on just one foot while using the other to keep the food from falling.  And off I went.  Scott spotted me coming down the dock and snapped a pic. 

After dinner, Scott and Jen worked on projects around the boat.  Jen got all of the food and dishes organized and changed the linens on all the beds while Scott unpacked some of things and addressed a sensor alarm that had gone off while underway.

Both kids love having a space to themselves.  Sammy calls her room "spacious" and has already found a place for all of her things.

It's almost 9:00 pm now and we are all pretty tired.  I think we are all ready to climb in bed and rest a bit.  But first, a few moments with a cup of coffee on the bow to enjoy the beautiful sunset.

 

The Plan - Getting Her Home

We purchased a 2017 Azimuth 55S from Port Clinton, OH.  Labor Day weekend we drove down for a sea trial and two weeks later she was ours.  We drove down to spend one night aboard on the 14th so that we could remove the stuff from the previous owners, bring some of our stuff aboard and just overall get used to the space.  

Memory Maker has a great layout with lots of entertaining space.  She has three staterooms, two baths plus a separate crew quarters in the bow of the boat.  I think she is a great boat for this next chapter in our lives.

Tomorrow we will return to Port Clinton to pick her up and begin a 600 mile journey home.  It will be our longest boat trip in the shortest amount of time.  We are excited and a little nervous as this boat is a different brand than we are used to and there is much to learn.