Port #16: No Point at North Point...

Great Loop II Date: 8/25/2014

Day #25 {Monday): 46 miles (956 total miles)

Locks: 0 (2 total locks)

Port #16:  Winthrop Harbor, IL

The clock was set for 4:45AM.  I woke up at 4:25AM and reset it for 5:30AM.  I couldn’t get back to sleep so I got up, got dressed and set up the crockpot with a pork roast, potatoes and carrots.

The weather looked overcast with rain developing all around us.  The seas were supposed to be 1 foot or less.  Todd and I readied the boat and were out of the dock by 7:30AM.  Once we passed all the break walls, we were in very confused seas with closer to 2 foot waves and they seemed to be building.  We decided to turn around and go back to the dock and wait out the incoming storms.

Storms to the North of McKinley Marina.

Storms south of McKinley Marina.

Charlie doesn't like storms...he went into full panic panting mode.

By 11AM all the fun was past, the winds seemed to have calmed and we headed out to Lake Michigan once again.  The seas were nearly calm..

Lake Michigan settled down nicely after the storms passed.

Charlie, our barometer, demonstrated the settled seas.

We were in and out of rain for most of our trip to North Point Marina at Winthrop Harbor.  Todd had called the marina office on Sunday and again the morning before we left.  There was a recording advising us the marina office was closed Saturdays through Mondays…period.  The recording did say ‘In case of emergency, call Security at…. or hail them on Ch.9'.  I mentioned Security might make dock assignments on.  Todd called back, got the Security phone number and called.  Security said indeed they would make a dock assignment for us when we arrived.

An hour before our arrival, Todd called Security at the marina….no answer.  As we got closer, he hailed them on Ch.68, the channel he thought they had told him to call when we got to the harbor.   No answer.  He called Ch.9.  No answer.  He called on the phone again and finally someone answered.  By then we were entering the harbor in increasingly windy conditions with an incoming storm.

We asked for directions to the dock and what side our lines should be on in order to tie OB to the dock.  The Security fellow stammered and basically had no clue.  We started down the row of our dock assignment and noticed the docks were for smaller boats.  With the direction and speed of the wind, Todd was not going to be able to easily turn OB around to get out of a bad situation.  He hailed Security, asked for a dock for larger boats and he began backing OB back down the long approach we had just come through.  Security came back with a new dock assignment.

We went to the newly assigned dock which indeed was on a longer dock however there was another large boat in the adjoining well.  With the wind direction and speed, we would again be in a bad situation so we proceeded down the row of docks until we found 4 or 5 empty ones we could maneuver into.

As Todd was backing into one of these docks, the huge center post was dead center on our swim platform.  I was already prepared with the boat hook to fend us off of anything we were sure to hit.  I pushed the pole against the post and my right shoulder stuck me with intense pain.  It was the shoulder I had injured last summer and had extensive surgery to repair it.  Now I was going about my line work moaning and trying to help Todd with our sad situation!

Ultimately Todd got us into the empty dock, I was able to get a line around a cleat from our mid-cleat.  Todd scurried down the stern ladder and secured the stern cleat.  He called Security to tell them our situation and asked if we could stay in the dock.  They said they were on their way.

Moments later they rumbled up in their Security car.  They said we couldn’t stay in the dock.  We both looked at them like they were speaking a foreign language.  Apparently the dock belonged to someone who was out on a boating vacation.  We told them we were only there for overnight.  Nope, that wasn’t going to work.  We all finally agreed on the T-head at the end of the dock.  It would make for easier docking and no one belonged to that particular dock.  They registered us right there on the spot and promptly left.  Todd and I just looked at each other.  Great…two big sturdy guys didn’t offer any help and just left us to our own.

Lines off, back on board, a shoulder that hurt with every movement, dark imposing clouds moving in quickly and the wind picking up even more made me a very unhappy customer.  With a deep breath, I retrieved the lines, did what I could to push us off the dock with the boat hook and away we went to the T-head.

We now had a stiff wind out of the west.  Todd put OB’s nose to the wind, brought us up to the T-head, I finally lassoed a dock cleat from the bow, Todd jumped off and got the center cleat secured and I got the stern.  We made quick work of securing OB properly, Todd got the water and electric set up and we waited for the storm that eventually passed us to the north and south.

A fine fellow, Wayne, had helplessly watched all of the proceedings and came over in his dinghy to make sure we were okay.  He asked if there was anything he could do to make us more comfortable.  Todd needed to go West Marine before they closed to pick up an inverter he had put on hold.  Wayne quickly agreed to take him there.  Todd and I both decided Wayne was our angel for the day.

North Point Marina is a huge marina with 1500 slips.  They advertise themselves as the largest marina in the Great Lakes.  Only half the slips were filled and it is obvious the marina is bigger than the income to help maintain it.  Further, with a security team left to tend the docks without full knowledge of what they are doing (other than keeping the bad guys out and the good guys in) puts transients in a difficult situation.

Early morning pictures of North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor, IL.

Can you see OB?  Me neither...she's at the very end of the dock.

 Our stop in North Point was a basic stop much like a motel or a RV stop on the way to somewhere else.  Unfortunately it caused great frustration, inflamed an old repaired injury and left a bad taste in our mouth.

Port #15: Home of the Braves...I Mean Brewers!

Great Loop II Date: 8/23/2014

Day #23 {Saturday): 77 miles (910 total miles)

Locks: 0 (2 total locks)

Port #15:  Milwaukee, WI

I was up again at 4:45AM to get Charlie and myself ready for an early start.  Todd was up shortly thereafter.  We left Manitowoc Marina at 7:30AM in grey, overcast skies with light fog.  We had no problem with dead recogning however it’s always nice to know we have good back up with our electronics.

Manitowoc Harbor Light as we left Manitowoc.

Looking south as we left Manitowoc.

Nothing to see but the horizon.

The one nice thing about fog is the seas are usually very calm and quiet.  We had some rollers on our forward port quarter beam but nothing bothersome.  We had to door in the pilothouse open with a nice breeze coming through and Charlie had picked out his happy spot for the morning.

Charlie was sound asleep with his nose out the pilothouse door.

By noon the fog was thickening and by 3PM we couldn’t see our hand in front of our face…so to speak.  I quit working on the blog and pictures that would be going into it.  Todd and I both we posted at watch.  We could see two tugs and a sailboat on our AIS.  We began sounding our horn every 1 ½ to 2 minutes to alert anyone that didn’t have radar that we were in the area.  When we got the sailboat within ½ mile, Todd radioed him to let him know our position and progress.  We could see him move to the starboard side on the radar (as well as AIS) and out of our path.  I went up on the bridge but couldn’t see him even at a quarter mile.  He sounded his air horn and I could hear him falling behind us.

The tug Captain obviously saw us on radar and talked to the other tug Captain about the two crazy sail boaters out in this mess.  He didn’t know we weren’t a sailboat…surprise, surprise!

What we saw....

...what our radar and GPS mapping program saw.  All that orange on the radar was land, the dots behind us (left and right) were the tug and the sailboat, the red X in the middle of the screen was our current position and the red X in the white box was our target for the Autopilot.  On the left is the map...the little black boat is OB.  It was clear to see the entrance to the harbor, the marina and the dock on the map, not so much with the naked eye.

Coming into the breakwall and the marina was another intense effort for us.  Todd and I put on our headsets, I stepped outside the door.  He told me which side the wall would appear on first.  I’d respond when I could see it.  He’d tell me when he could see it.  Then we went about looking for the next wall.  We both were very thankful for the detail on our charting system.  Indeed it did show us exactly where we expected to be as we entered the marina.  Todd called into the marina office on the VHF radio.  They knew how frustrated we were as we tried to make out the fuel dock however they were of little help.  Finally I spotted an attendant on the fuel dock, the wind had picked up and it had started to rain and we literally blew into the dock.  It scared the attendant.  There was no harm, no foul and all was well with the world once again.

By the time we had taken on fuel, pumped out and checked in, the rain had rinsed out the fog (so to speak), the wind stopped and we progressed to our dock with little fanfare.

A fellow we had met in Key West by way of another good friend of ours lives in Milwaukee.  Hap’s dock was on the same dock we were assigned to.  He came down with his two dogs (Dory and Shamu) and a Yorkie he was dogsitting (Cooper).  Hap was the host of hosts to us.  He took us through downtown Milwaukee that evening on his boat, gave us a grand river tour and took us to a great pub for dinner.  We got back to the marina just before another rainstorm hit.  The rain on the bow lulled us to sleep.

Hap and Cooper

Dory trying to figure out Charlie.

McKinley Marina in the sunset.

OB at her dock.

The Milwaukee skyline from the shipping channel.

The Art Museum...

...those 'wings' are made of separate veins that close into each of the angled windows.  We didn't see them closed until the last evening and it was too far away for me to get a good picture.  It looks like a white teepee when the veins are down.

The shipping channel markers.  We couldn't see those when we came in, however we came in an opening closer to the marina.  There are actually three openings into one huge bay that is formed by the breakwall.

Our Lake Erie friends will remember the Dennis Sullivan.  It participated in the Battle of Lake Erie September 2013.  It was constructed and resides in Milwaukee.

The home of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Ale House

Sunday, Hap took us to West Marine and another marine store in a failed attempt to find a replacement Inverter for our dying 400 Watt inverter that powers our computers underway.  We went back to the marina and walked over to the best vintage car show we’ve ever attended.  There were cars from the very early 1900s right up to the latest 2014 Corvette Stingray.  The cars were grouped by age and class into display circles.  We had so much fun spending the afternoon looking at these beautiful cars.

Hap came back to the marina with his sister and brother in law (Cindy and Gary) and two friends (Pam and Jay).  We showed them through the boat and had fun telling them about our adventures.  Afterward, Hap took Gary, Cindy, Todd and me to another great little brew pub (The Horny Goat…referring to the goats horns!) on the river for dinner.  Jay and Pam met us there.  We all had a fantastic time telling stories, discovering how small our world really is and laughing the evening away.

Our evening at the Horny Goat.

Milwaukee was a great stop and Hap was a most wonderful ombudsman for his city.  I got a note from my traveling nurse girlfriend, Nancy, that we had just missed her by three weeks.  Her next assignment is in Milwaukee.  She’s been assigned to a hospital in Wisconsin before (I can’t remember if it was Green Bay or Milwaukee).  I certainly understand why she’s coming back.  The folks in Wisconsin and especially Milwaukee are so genuinely nice.  It was a pleasure to be with everyone of them.

Port #14: Submarine Duty...

Great Loop II Date: 8/21/2014

Day #21 (Thursday):  74 miles (833 total miles)

Locks: 0 (2 total locks)

Port #14:  Manitowoc, WI

After a quiet night at anchor, the stars were spectacular when I got up at 4:45AM.  There was a sliver of moon left in this lunar cycle.  I brewed the coffee, wrote the blog for the anchorage and enjoyed a beautiful sunrise.

The day began clear but fog rolled in from the lake just as we were getting ready to leave.  When I brought up the anchor, it was embedded in sea grass and weeds from the lake floor.  It took Todd and I the better part of a half an hour to clear the anchor.  By the time we were done, the fog was dissipating.

Sunrise...looking good for departure!

However, this started rolling in from the opening to Lake Michigan.

OB plied out on a nearly smooth lake.  The waves that were there were taking us squarely on the stern so the ride was non-descript.  Todd set a course to cross Lake Michigan and come into Manitowoc, WI.

Looking back at the channel leading into Portage Lake.  Such a beautiful start to the day.

Since this was going to be a ‘nothing to see, nothing to take pictures of…’ day, I went about boat cleaning.  I do the same things in the boat, I do in the house but the boat is always moving.  By the time we hit the midway point on Lake Michigan, the waves became more confused and rolling under a calm surface.  Luckily I was done with the boatwork.

 

Pretty much what we'd be seeing the rest of the day.

Last look at Michigan...pretty with the mist in the hills. 

The clouds began to build above us...still kind of pretty with the rays of sun coming down through them.

Crossing the shipping channel, Todd had to divert Auto to let this freighter get by.

That blip on the right screen is the freighter after we passed him.

The clouds began to build in front of us.

This is what our screen looks like as we travel while Auto drives for us.  The black line (where the black arrow is pointing) is the course Todd set.  The yellow line (at the yellow arrow) is how Auto corrects us back and forth to stay on course.  We don't feel very much while Auto works.  The blue box is around OB.  The red triangle is AIS showing the freighter and his direction.  The circles are showing the depth on Lake Michigan.

It's easier to see the depths we were traveling on the Navionics program.

We saw this fellow from Norway anchored in Portage Lake.  If you enlarge the picture, you'll see some of the weeds from the lake on his anchor.  Mine was way worse!

We traveled through a thunderstorm about an hour out from Manitowoc.  Charlie went into his panic panting cycle when he realized he heard thunder.  Luckily it quit before we came to the channel leading into the Manitowoc River.  We heard the Badger announce its departure from the channel as it took a heading to Ludington.  I was able to catch a picture of her as she left.

Thinking I might get a little wet when we get to Manitowoc and I start handling lines and fenders.

The Badger on her way to Ludington.  She's so big she carries semi-trucks in her belly.

Docking at Manitowoc Marina was easy because it was dead calm.  In wind it could be a challenge.  There are no uprights (poles) on the docks to throw a line around; just big cleats.  I did get a lucky throw and hooked a cleat from our mid-ship.

OB’s dock was about a quarter mile from the marina office.  Todd and I have decided not to complain about walking.  We both need the exercise and it feels good.  Charlie doesn’t mind it either.

I made chili for dinner.  After dinner we walked downtown in both directions, first south over the drawbridge, then north.  Manitowoc is a cute little town with many pubs, a few restaurants, some shops and a few empty store fronts.  We see empty store fronts in many of these little towns, much the same as we saw in 2010.  We guessed then it was due to the fall in the economy and have the same belief today, although there seem to be fewer vacated buildings.

Friday we planned a day layover in Manitowoc to tour the Maritime Museum advertised to be one of the best in the United States.  It ended up a good thing as the fog rolled in during the night and thickened to the point of hazardous travel by 11AM.  We could not see 50 feet ahead of us.

Looking off OB's bow at 8AM.

Looking off OB's stern at 8AM.

Looking off OB's bow at 11AM.

Looking off OB's stern at 11AM.  Notice how the sailboats on the moorings disappeared in the fog?

That's the Badger on the other side of the river.  When I took the picture, the fog was so thick I didn't know if I had her in my view finder or not!

We had some problems with our oil sending gage as we crossed the lake.  Todd scheduled a mechanic to check it out along with some oil splatter around the turbo charger and AirSep on the port engine.  The mechanic came first thing in the morning, deemed OB healthy enough to travel to Cape Coral where we can have the turbo charger rebuilt, the AirSep thoroughly cleaned and a new sending unit installed.  Until then the daily oil checks will do.

Once the mechanic was gone, I finished a load of laundry and Todd did some other chores.  Afterwards, we went to the Harborside Restaurant and Pub for lunch.  It was a cute little supper club set in a 30’s motif with pictures of the Rat Pack all around.  The food was great and we both said we’d be back for dinner if we stayed another day.

The museum was nearly across the street.  First we toured the WWII Gato Class Submarine USS Cobia (245).  Manitowoc shipbuilders built 28 submarines after Pearl Harbor turning out one every 8 months.  The Cobia was not built in Manitowoc but was brought here to be maintained as part of the museum.  The Navy and shipbuilders continue to keep her in working order.  Three of her four engines are revved up every Memorial Day.  The fourth engine is maintained but has windows inserted so the insides can be viewed by people taking the tour.

Looking from the stern forward on the Cobia.

The broom in the capstan is a Navy tradition when the sub comes into port.  It means it made a 'clean sweep' of the enemy.

Looking forward on the deck.  The deck is covered with teak wood.  When it is damaged, it won't float to the surface and give up the position of the sub.  The decks are painted black because the subs surface at night.  Again, it won't give up the position of the ship.  The sonar for the sub is the t-shaped piece of the equipment on the right.

We started the tour at the forward part of the submarine and worked our way all the way through to the stern section.

The forward torpedo bay and tubes.

In the forward bay, the non-commissioned officers actually slept on top of the torpedoes.  The docent told us, the sub did not have air conditioning so the temperatures usually ranged around 90*.  There was no laundry facilities onboard.  The sailors worked in their skivvies and kept their uniforms under the mattress of their bunk to keep them clean until shore leave.

The officers mess.

Captain's quarters.

The 'bridge' is amidship in the below decks.

The enlisted mess.  The docent told us because the duty on the submarine was so difficult because of the environment and the long times in enclosed spaces, the food was the best the Navy provided any of the ships.

The enlisted mess.  It actually seated 24 sailors at a time...three on each side of the four tables.

The passageway leading aft from the enlisted mess.

The enlisted quarters.  There were so many bunks in this room, it was shocking.  They were two rows deep and three bunks high on this side with only about a foot of room to pass between the row of bunks.  There was another row on the other side in the same arrangement.  The bunks were shared by two to three men....one slept while the other worked and the third was on down time.

Enlisted locker.

Enlisted latrine.  The docent told us because of the slow desalination process for water and the fact that the mess got most of the 1000 gallons a day, the sailors only had one minute to shower...AND they had to shower with their skivvies on in order to wash them.  They were allowed to shower once a week.  The sailors usually didn't shower because the one clean one would smell all the dirty ones for the rest of the week.  The submarines got the nickname 'pig boats' because of the stench.  The docent also mentioned that when they went to shore smelling as they did, the girls would look for them because they had more money to spend.

The engine room.  Temperatures ranged upward of 120* when the engines were running.  When the sub submerged, they ran on battery power to keep them stealth.

We went through the museum which is one of the best in the nation and affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute.  There were many models of freighters and other ships built at the Manitowoc Shipyards from the time it opened in 1902 until it closed in 1968.  There were many different kinds of engines on display as well as a walk through time dedicated to the fishing industry and shipbuilding in the Great Lakes.  They even had a wall dedicated to the Great Loop!

It took us almost 5 hours to tour the museum with the USS Cobia tour only taking about 30 minutes of that time.  We went back to the boat where I handcrafted a tomato, basil, garlic pizza…not quite the quality of Carmine Street in Cape Coral but it will have to do until November.  After dinner we met our Looper neighbors on Pier Pressure, Pam and Eric.  They had come in around noon just as we were leaving for lunch and the museum.  We shared experiences and gained knowledge from each other.  We’re going to have a nice group in the rivers in a week or so.

By the time Pam and Eric left, the fog that had enveloped our day had lifted giving us hope to be able to leave the next morning.