Great Loop Date 08.18.2010: Plying the Waters With the BIG Guys!

6 Days/133 total miles:

Once again we were pretty late leaving a port.  Those of you who know us also know we spend a lot of time surfing and sitting around in the mornings, drinking Starbucks and watching life go by.  That being the case, we didn't leave the Detroit Yacht Club until around 11:30AM.  Todd had made reservations at the Pt. Huron River Street Municipal Marina.  We needed to be there by 5PM to check in.

Since we had about 50 miles to travel, we were going against a strong current and now a deadline, we couldn't go the planned 7 knots.  We ran 17 mph most of the way (around 2400 rpm in diesel talk).  Once we were in the St. Clair River, we were closer to 16 mph because of the current and still maintaining the 2400 rpm.  I read some where that there is actually a 4 foot drop from Lake Huron to Lake Erie.  The current caused by that drop is more noticeable the closer we get to the Blue Water Bridge (the junction between the St. Clair River and Lake Huron).

We got to the Pt. Huron River Street Marina around 4:30PM and made our reservation time.  More on that later.

As we left the Detroit Yacht Club, we passed this structure in the river.  I have looked everywhere to find out just what it is...or was.  Hopefully one of my Detroit friends can identify it so I can update later.

Entering the Lake St. Clair, we saw a huge freighter, the Presque Isle from Duluth, MN, entering the Fleming Channel southbound.  Todd is sure it's the biggest freighter we have ever seen on the lakes.  He was mighty big!

The Presque Isle is a 1000 foot long freighter that is labeled a tug/barge combination.  The 1000 foot freighters cannot pass through the Welland Canal since the locks are only 800+ feet long.  They are called Lakers and can only deliver between the four Great Lakes before the Welland Canal.  There are only thirteen 1000 footers on the Great Lakes.  The Edmund Fitzgerald was a 1000 foot Laker.

We crossed Lake St. Clair and found this tug and barge in a dredging operation right in the middle of the channel.  I bet the freighter captains have enjoyed getting around him!

Work is never done on any kind of boat...note the two fellows swabbing down the decks!

Of course, as we make this run up the St. Clair river, we continue to have lots of memories of past trips.  First memory is our trip up the Chenal Ecarte River to Wallaceburg, ON, CA and our stay in Library Park.

Opening to the Chenal Ecarte River from the St. Clair River

Todd and I mention to each other that we wish we had time to do it again.  It goes back on our 'someday' list.  Then I remember our run into Sassy's Marina at Algenac, MI coming home from somewhere.  We were trying to beat a big thunderstorm...and didn't.  It's just not much fun running lines off the boat with lightening coming down all around!  And how could we forget our trip to Tilbury, ON, CA across Lake St. Clair, staying at Cove Marina.  That's where our little boating group discovered Moose Tracks Ice Cream with Raspberry Liqueur and Oreo Cookies!  We've had so many adventures with Dick and Jane, John and Kay, Gary and Nancy, and Bonnie and Jack.  Oh those memories...and now we are making more.

Back from memory lane, we passed this huge Canadian Power Plant (they call them Hydos).  It had a huge scrubber since it's energy source is coal.  Even after passing through the scrubber, the sky around it was tinged with smog.

The freighter traffic picked up after this point and gave us entertainment for the rest of the trip.  First we passed this downbound Canadian flagged freighter.  The captain noticed me taking pictures and waved.  Todd and I have decided all Canadians are just plain friendly.  They just seem to make our day happy.

Then we passed and upbound freighter in a wider part of the river.

We noticed another Canadian flagged freighter quite a distance ahead of us.  He entertained us as we watched him pass a downbound freighter...much like two semi-trucks on the highway.

The Blue Water Bridge is in the middle of the picture just over the trees.  The first bridge is a cantilever truss with a total length of 6,178 feet (1,883 m). The main span is 871 feet (265 m). The second bridge is a continuous tied arch with a total length of 6,109 feet (1,862 m). The main span is 922 feet (281 m).  Together, the two bridges are one of the busiest transportation arteries between the United States and Canada, the second-busiest crossing after the Ambassador Bridge at Detroit-Windsor. They also provide one of the four shortest routes of land travel between the eastern seaboard of the United States, and the central United States.

As we watched him make his way up the river, the Blue Water Bridge began to appear over the trees!

We didn't catch up with our freighter friend until we were within two miles of Port Huron.

Todd did finally have to pass him as he slowed for a turn in the river just before Port Huron.  He was a petroleum freighter and smelled of gas fumes.

Once past him, our final familiar sight was ahead...Sarnia, ON, CA on the starboard (right side)

and the old black bascule bridge marking the Black River in Port Huron, MI on the port (left side).

Our destination lay ahead.

Ocean Breeze relaxing at sunset in Pt. Huron River Street Marina.

Pt. Huron River Street Marina is between the 7th Street Bridge and the 10th Street Bridge.  We did not have to wait long for either bridge to open.  The marina is in a park setting in front of the St. Clair County Community College campus.  It seems very safe and quiet (except for the fire station right next door and the ambulances running back and forth over the 7th Street bridge (otherwise known as Military Street).  Municipal marinas in Michigan all currently charge $1/foot.  This one has clean restrooms with showers, FREE washing machine and dryer, ice ($2.50/bag), gas and diesel (diesel is currently $3.12/gal) and pumpout ($5).  We've stayed here before and liked the way the marina is situated close to downtown.

Oh yes, and if Charlie thought the dock at Detroit Yacht Club was narrow, the ones here really gave him agoraphobia!  They continue to be high off the water and very narrow (difference is these wood docks are in good shape).

We stayed Thursday so we could catch our breath and see a few things in Pt. Huron.  Todd and I took the Blue Water Trolley tour and saw quite a bit of the city and learned a lot about it.  In 1815, Ft. Gratiot was established here.  Pt. Huron was incorporated in 1857.  Ship building and lumber were it's main industries.  Ice harvesting developed as well.  Ice was shipped all over the east.  The underground railroad came through here and passed under the St. Clair River to Canada.  A tunnel is maintained today that is used by freight trains to transport goods from the US into Canada.  The main industry is a paper mill.  There is also a Coast Guard Station located here.  I understand there were some companies that made automobile parts but most have closed.  It is a pretty little city (population of about 30,000) with many well kept houses, buildings and churches dating back to the 1800s.  Thomas Edison's family moved here from Ohio when Tom was 7 years old.  There are a half dozen museums that would be fun to tour if time permitted.  We did go through an ice museum that had a nice film of the history of ice harvesting here as well as a lot of memorabilia.

When we leave Port Huron, go under the Blue Water Bridge and travel up the Michigan coast, a new adventure begins.

Click on this picture and you will see the Blue Water Bridge as well as all of the traffic backed up on the Canadian side waiting for US Customs.

Great Loop Date 08.17.2010: The Old Men's Club...Maybe Even Gentlemen!

Leg #2 of our adventure took us from Put In Bay, South Bass Island to Detroit, MI and the Detroit Yacht Club.  We've run the Detroit River before and are always surprised at the color of the water.  It's such a beautiful aqua.  Today's pictures don't show it's true color because of the overcast, hazy skies.

Crossing Lake Erie was a little lumpy but not nearly as rough as our trip from Bay Point to Put In Bay on Friday (yes, Friday the 13th...just what were we thinkin' !!!).  It's always nice to see the Detroit Lighthouse and know the river is coming.

The Detroit Lighthouse was built in 1885. The light station pier has the appearance of a vessel, with the pointed end directed toward the mouth of the river to break ice flows coming down river. The construction of the station was tested in December 1997 when the 635-foot freighter Buffalo struck the station dead on while sailing downbound for Lake Eire. Damage to the station was minimal involving only the structure's rock and stone foundation. Another source I read says the house actually leans slightly because of the crash (and I THOUGHT I could see the lean...but it may have been the power of suggestion!). The freighter faired much worse with its steel bow push in like a tin can. The station's stone pier torn a 25-foot gash across the bow of the freighter which then took on water. The vessel was able to control the flooding and continued on for repairs.

The channels in the Detroit River are wide (upbound and down bound divided by islands in some spots).

The wide channels in the Detroit River allow easy passage of pleasure boats such as ours and the big guys, the international freighters like the one we passed here..

The rusting tower at Boblo Island, an abandoned amusement park is a reminder of our first adventure in Amherstburg, ON, CA.

In 1898 the Detroit, Windsor, and Belle Isle Ferry Company opened up a recreation park eighteen miles southwest of Windsor on the lower Detroit river. Bob-Lo was originally named Bois Blanc by the French, due to the birch and beech trees that once covered the approximately half-mile wide by three-mile long island. The area’s non-French residents called the island Bob-Lo, since they couldn’t pronounce Bois Blanc properly. This name stuck for years and was officially accepted by the owners and area residents in 1949. Boblo had it's first amusement rides by 1910. It was sold multiple times from 1979 and finally closed in 1993. Ferries serviced the island until 1991. You can see the hull of one of those ferries above.

Our second summer in boating we brought ReeBee (our second boat...a wooden 32 foot Trojan) up the Detroit River.  We stopped and docked at Duffy's Tavern on our return trip down the river.

David and Carissa have fond memories of that stop...don't you?  Anyway, the boat rocked violently throughout the day from the ferry that ran from a dock next door to Boise Blanc Island (where Boblo was located).  But dockage was cheap, the food was good and we were able to visit Ft. Malden and learn about Canada's side of the War of 1812.

Ft. Malden in Amherstburg, ON, CA. The original fort was abandoned by the British/Canadians in 1813 when Southwest Ontario fell into American hands. The Americans started building a smaller fort on the same site but was unfinished at the end of the war, when the region was returned to the British Empire. The fort was finally rebuilt between 1838 and 1840 and served as an important staging area for the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot that participated in actions around Essex county Ontario during the Upper Canada Rebellion. This fort lasted until 1851 when the last regular forces occupied the site. During the final days of the fort, it was garrisoned by members of the The Royal Canadian Rifle Regiment until it was finally de-militarized. From 1859 to 1870, Fort Malden was a lunatic asylum (during which period many of the surviving trees were planted to provide shade). Abandoned once again, the fort was acquired as a park by the Government of Canada in 1937 and remains a National Historic Site to this day. It is a great place to visit, tour and enjoy the reenactments.

Spotting the Ambassador Bridge is always a thrill, knowing Detroit and Windsor are just beyond.  We've come this way at least a dozen times.

Detroit's downtown area...home of COBO Hall and, of course, the GM building you see on TV all the time.  Todd and I have been to COBO multiple times for the Detroit Auto Show.

Detroit's sister city on the friendship boarder, Windsor, ON, CA.  We had the pleasure of running about 6 miles of the Detroit Marathon in Windsor in 1997.

Today's stop is at the Detroit Yacht Club.  Todd has always wanted to stay here having seen it so many times from the water.

It is important to study the charts of the river and follow electronic charting programs carefully when entering the Detroit Yacht Club.  There is a huge shallow area between Detroit and Belle Isle where the club is located.  The docks here are high off the water, fixed and divided by big telephone poles that have been cut in half.  Much of the wood is weathered and in various stages of decay.

View of the Detroit Yacht Club from the Detroit River.

The Main Pier of the Detroit Yacht Club where our boat was moored. The DYC clubhouse (seen here at the end of the Main Pier) is a restored 1920s Mediterranean-style villa that is the largest yacht club in the United States. The club was founded by Detroit sailing enthusiasts in the late 1870s. The picture of the first Commodore we saw was dated 1885. The first clubhouse was established in 1891 and burned down in 1904. The new (and current) clubhouse was dedicated in 1923...and it looks it inside. It really is a beautiful facility. It just needs restoration. During the 1960s, an outdoor, Olympic-size swimming pool was added, and the West End docks were built, increasing the number of boat wells to over 350. The DYC has long been a symbol of privilege and exclusivity. Up until the 1970s, Black applicants were routinely rejected. More recently, the club has added additional facilities like a fitness center and have opened the Bitter End lounge area to allow for women to enter (told you it was a Gentleman's club!). Before the restoration, the Bitter End could only be accessed through the men's locker room. The newly restored Bitter End is also used for hosting small parties.

Todd did well with docking in the wind.  Getting 50 amp power was a problem.  After 2 hours we were able to get tentative service.  We felt lucky it stayed on all night.  After looking at the power box on the dock, it's no wonder there are problems.  They really need to update their wiring.  It looks like wiring from the 1940s or 1950s!

Hungry yet?

Todd had planned our stay to coincide with $10 Buck Tuesday.  You have to love a man that plans for events involving food!  We had Roast Pork Loin in Dark Rosemary Sauce, garlic mashed redskin potatoes, fresh steamed vegetables, salad and rolls for $10 (per person).  And it was DELICIOUS!  The bottle of Washington Red Diamond Merlot wasn't bad either!  It made for an enjoyable evening.

We are here for overnight and then off to Port Huron, MI on the St. Clair River.  Steady as she goes....

Great Loop Date 08.16.2010: Just Relaxing Our Cares Away...

Todd and I continue our planned four days lay over at Put in Bay.  It may even be extended a day if Lake Erie doesn't lay down tonight.  A welcomed front came through last night taking away the horrible humidity and high temperatures of Saturday and Sunday.

We watched the thunderheads grow behind Perry's Monument Sunday evening.

Friday evening, we were tired from our final preparations to leave Bay Point and the ensuing battle we had through the rough water between Bay Point and the Put in Bay moorings.  We enjoyed relaxing on the bridge with some wine, cheese and crackers.  We had a late dinner of doctored store bought pizza that I cooked  later that evening.

Saturday was miserable hot and humid with no breeze to speak of.  We swam off the back of the boat, put Charlie on a line and let him swim about, lathered him up with pet soap and let him swim some more.  After the cooling dip, we went to the Beer Barrel Saloon to see the last set of the Danger Brothers, adopted as the Official Ohio State Buckeye tailgate band.

The original Beer Barrel Saloon was housed in the Colonial Inn, built in 1905.

 

As with so many of the old, beautiful structures at Put In Bay, the Colonial burned to the ground Memorial Day 1988.  We could see the smoke 16 miles away at Bay Point!

The Beer Barrel Saloon was built in the footprint of the old Colonial and opened in 1989.  It has the longest bar in the world (as recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records).  It is 405 feet 10 inches long.

From there we had chicken from the famous Chicken Patio.

We love to take a chicken dinner from there to DeRivera Park, find a picnic table under the canopy of trees and watch the boats in the Municipal Docks.

In 1854 a Spanish merchant name Joseph de Rivera bought South Bass, Middle Bass, Sugar, Gibraltar, Ballast and Starve Island for a price of $44,000. He began to develop the islands building a saw mill and a starve mill in the fall of 1854. He had the county engineer survey the area in 10-acre lots. In the first ten years, de Rivera sold 42 parcels of land in South and Middle Bass. He sold a quarter acre of land to the South Bass Board of Education for a dollar. The park downtown is named de Rivera Park in his honor, and a trust is responsible for the park and other land still today.  (As a side note, you can't touch any property for $44,000 today...if you COULD find a land parcel for that price, you'd better JUMP on it!)

Last but not least we went to the Boathouse to hear the Put In Bay troubadour himself, Pat Dailey.

Pat Dailey...let him explain himself !  You have to hear him...he's quite the story teller.

The Boathouse Put In Bay has undergone so many changes since we first started coming to the island.  It actually is built around an old WWII Quonset hut.  It's hard to find remnants of that today.

 

Sunday morning we went to St. Paul's Episcopal Church, the first church built on the islands and the oldest Episcopal church in Ohio.

The parish has been in search for a minister for the last two years.  Their new minister, Rev. Mary Staley, was moving in today (Monday) so we were unable to meet her.  I find it interesting that the two islands we love have the oldest Episcopal churches in their own areas, the first churches founded in those areas and also have the same name...St. Paul's on Put In Bay, OH and St. Paul's on Key West, FL.

Todd had a desire for a Bloody Mary (no surprise to folks who know him) so we were accommodated at Hooligan's, a new Irish Pub on the Bay (well, new last year!).  We came back to another very hot and humid day on the moorings, so we dropped the dinghy into the water and cruised around to keep cool.  Refreshed, we went back into the Bay to hear Mad Dog (Mike Adams) final set at the Roundhouse.  Todd loves the fact that you can't get cornered in the Roundhouse!

As I understand the history of the Roundhouse, it was originally built in 1873 in Toledo, OH.  I was first told it was moved board by board and reassembled in Put In Bay in 1944 (or there abouts).  I just read an article that gives a different story, saying it was cut in half and put back together on Put In Bay.  At any rate, a red, white and blue parachute canopy is spread across the ceiling.  It was originally placed there to keep the crumbling plaster from falling on the clientele in the bar!

 From there, we walked down to the Blue Harbor Martini Bar.

That brought Sunday to a close.  A cool front came in late evening, making our sleep a bit rocky.  Neither of us is complaining about the more comfortable conditions on the boat.

This evening we are going to dinner with boating friends, Dee and Dave, Cam and Sue at the Crews Nest, a private yachting club here on the island.  Unfortunately Kevin and Mary were called off the island for an emergency at home and couldn't be with us.  This is the final send off.

Drinks on Double D with Dave and Dee, Cam and Sue.  It's calm in the Bay...but beyond Gibraltar Island we could see the rough seas!

Wonderful dinner at the Crews Nest with (left to right) Cam, Sue, Paula Sue, Dee, Dave and Todd.

The Crews Nest is a private club with many amenities including dining facilities, a swimming pool, basketball court, tennis court and large marina.  During the week, dockage is available to non-members on a space available basis with full access to the club's facilities.  Weekends, however, are members only.  The Crews Nest originally was a private residence.  It was turned into a guest house in 1946 and was called the Friendly Inn.  It was sold in 1968, renovated and began taking members in 1970.

We were hoping for quieter seas tomorrow.  However, as I write this tonight, the wind is howling through Bay, the boat is rocking and we feel fairly certain our departure will be on Wednesday.  Our plan is to cruise from Lake Erie into the Detroit River and stay at the Detroit Yacht Club when the weather settles down.

Great Loop Date 08.13.2010: Oh How We Love Lake Erie !!!

Todd and I had decided to leave Bay Point on Friday so we could finish up a few tasks.  We knew once we set Ocean Breeze on course, these last tasks just might not be completed.  Todd washed the boat and organized compartments in the cockpit.  I went through old and broken equipment left by the previous owner and organized the pilothouse and salon.

As we worked, dockmates and friends began arriving to enjoy the weekend.  Even the Good Year blimp came overhead to wish us safe voyage.

It didn't spell out 'Bonn Voyage Ocean Breeze'!  Why???

We finished our tasks, took down our water hoses and power cords, relieved our docklines...and we were underway!  What a great feeling...to know that everything was as ready as possible for our 10 month trip...and the trip is NOW.

Good bye T-18...see you next June (and nobody better have their boat in our slip!).

Goodbye Bay Point!

After fueling at Battery Park (Bay Point has no diesel fuel), Todd turned Ocean Breeze to the North.  The wind had picked up from the East, but waters were still clear.  When Erie gets angry, she turns a muddy brown that resembles chocolate milk.  We expected some wave build up from the wind and knew we'd rock and roll some taking the waves on the starboard beam.  We didn't expect 4 to 5 foot waves once we left Mosley Channel!

Good old Lake Erie!  We're pretty used to her after 25 years and 5 boats.  Before we got into the waves, I had moved everything I could think of into 'crash position' (to the floor or in a sink).  Ocean Breeze ran well.  She took the waves like the big boat she is, plowing through and rolling enough to put anything on the floor that I had forgotten to move.

Hello Lake Erie... 

It's going to be a boat wash...

Oh yeah, she goes white with water!

And then it's over that fast...waiting for the next wave to hit!

Todd enjoyed the wet ride above.  He had piloted some from the station in the pilothouse (where I took refuge and shot pictures of the bath we were taking).

Put in Bay is a safe harbor and we were glad to get in and attach Ocean Breeze to a mooring ball.  Todd had a challenge keeping OBs nose to the wind so I could lasso the mooring.  I have to say, he's one good pilot!

With the boat settled in, we took our wine, cheese and crackers to the bridge and watched the sunset on our first day of the next 10 months.  Ahhhhhh.....