Here is a link to our first visit DOWN the Michigan coast in 2005
and last year (2007) we went UP and Back.
That doesn't say we have it down or we are experts here but we
at least know few things.
|
We have covered this stretch three times before,
Here is a link to our first visit DOWN the Michigan coast in 2005 and last year (2007) we went UP and Back. That doesn't say we have it down or we are experts here but we
at least know few things.
|
This year we didn't want/need to visit the really cool towns along the western Michigan coast. We were ready to get up into the North Channel and start our second Canadian adventure.
We were really happy to schedule a much too short visit with Ted and Helen Brown (ex Act II ) in Ludington. They came across from Manitowac, WI on the car ferry the Badger on June 11.
The weather had really been nasty earlier but the 11th turned out sunny with light SW winds and we had a good 50 mile run up from White Lake to Ludington for our first day. We got to Ludington about time the Badger left Wisc. on it's journey across. We had a great day with the Browns and convinced them to change their passage from the 6:30 pm passage on the 12th to the 8:00am on the 13th. For those of you who are not Michiganders --- the next frontal system dropped 10" of rain in 6 hours on Ludington the night of the 12th. The Badger sailed through the center of the disturbance and clocked 60 mph gusts. The Browns had a much better passage the next morning.
We always watch the weather very carefully and the 14th looked good. We originally pointed Letitia toward Frankfort but the day was good and we decided to push on. We got to Leland as the wind began to pick up at the end of a 90 mile day - a really long day for us, something like 11 hours. But, we had passed up two tentative stops and were outrunning unpleasent weather systems.
Next was a 35 mile trip up to Charlevoix. NOAA had said good weather until 11:00am and then the beginnings of thunderstorms. We ran on both engines (we had been trying to be conservative with our fuel consumption and run on one where possible) and made the 10:00 bridge opening into the harbor. I saw catspaws begin to sweep across the lake at 11:00!!
One more long day (55 miles) with a 10-15 kt sea just off the beam for
5 hours and we were in St. Ignace and docked for a welcome rest.
We'll let you how our entry into the Noorth Channel goes in the next
'Adventures'.
Till Later!!
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