Day 20: 473.3 miles (today: 34.9 miles in 2.25 hours at 19 mph)
Port #9
OB left Charlevoix City Marina at 11:30AM. Todd pushed the throttles forward and we took her up on plane again (I love it, I love it! And OB does too!). Today the waves were 3 to 4 foot again and would eventually grow to some 5 footers. We were again taking them mainly on the bow. Thank goodness for Rain X. It certainly helps the Captain see where OB is taking him (and the rest of the crew). The middle windshield wiper wasn’t tracking correctly crossing over into the portside windshield. Since it could catch the portside wiper and trap it, Todd decided not to use it. Something to add to the ‘To Do’ list while we’re in Leland. We already knew we’d be weathered in at Leland for a few days.
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| I tried letting Charlie come up with us in the pilothouse to see if it would ease his anxiety. It didn't and he fogged up the windows with his panting, so back to the lower hallway he went. |
We only saw one other power boat during our 2 hour 15 minute run to Leland. We were taking the waves much better than they were. Their bow pulpit was nearly pitchpoling in the water. That’s when the bow actually submerges in the waves. Pitchpoling deep enough can overtake a boat and the outcome isn’t desirable.
OB arrived in the little harbor of Leland Township Marina at 1:45PM. As we sterned into the dock, Ed from Sea Estate took my lines. They had already been here since Monday.
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| It's always fun to see familiar faces! Left to right- Connie and Ed from Sea Estate, Joan and Jerry from N II Wishin. |
Todd and I biked around Leland on Thursday. It’s a cute little town built around tourism. However, its’ history is in fishing. It is the home of Fish Town and everything revolves around this little village one block long on the Leland River.
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| Downtown looking south from the Post Office. |
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| Downtown looking west from the Post Office. |
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| Wonderful little park north of the Post Office. |
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| And then there is Fishtown...the real attraction in Leland. |
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| Fishtown is still and active fishing village. |
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| Fishtown also has lots of little boutique type shops amongst the memorabilia and the fishing boats of today. |
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| Fishtown also has rentals where we saw this young boy enjoying his last dip at the end of summer vacation. |
Here’s the story straight from the Preservation Society:
Fishtown is a collection of weathered fishing shanties, smokehouses, overhanging docks, fish tugs and charter boats along the Leland River in Leland, Michigan. For the past half-century it has been enjoyed and appreciated by thousands of visitors and regional residents who find the shanties, fish tugs and docks that make up the property a living legacy of our maritime culture.
Even fish tugs are like family in Fishtown. In 1958 Louis Steffens launched the newly built Janice Sue, which he named for his three-year old niece. Better able to endure ice and waves, steel-hulled tugs replaced hand-built wood tugs. The Janice Sue has since been owned by other Leland fishermen, including the Carlson family, but Leland has always been her home. The Joy, a trap-net tug, was launched in 1981. The Janice Sue and the Joy are Fishtown icons that were purchased by the Fishtown Preservation Society. In Leland’s historic Fishtown, today’s visitor can experience one of the few remaining commercial fishing complexes on the Great Lakes.
Carlson's still has a fish market that is the center of Fishtown. They offer fresh and smoked fish as well home smoked beef and turkey jerky. Todd really enjoyed the beef jerky. I couldn't sell him on smoked or fresh fish.
As we’ve seen in the other towns, there are beautiful gardens and flowers everywhere.
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| I couldn't pass this shot up from the bridge over the Leland River. |
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| This is what the bridge looked like. I thought it was awesome! |
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| Then we went further south down the main street and found this neat metal shop. |
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| I would have liked bringing froggie home but he was a little big. |
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| More of the metal sculptures. |
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| I liked fishy too. |
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| A little farther down the street...the first fall colors appeared! |
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| The beautiful sunset ended an enjoyable day and thoughts of an early fall were erased until the next morning. |
And so here is how the last 4 days have gone:
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| The rains and the wind started the afternoon of the second day. We knew it was coming but the gales lasted for 4 days! |
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| The waves grew to 15 feet and crashed over the 10 foot breakwall. The winds were sustained at 30 to 35 knots with 40 knot gusts. Our boats rocked wildly. |
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| I added more lines and fenders. |
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| OB was in a spider web of lines yet.... |
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| ...she still managed to pull this dock post away from the dock. And these uprights were BIG! |
Hurricane Happy Hour among the eight stranded Loopers…daily.
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| So we who were held captive by the 4 day storm and did the best we could...we had Hurricane Parties every afternoon. |
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...while the storm raged outside!
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| And rage it did.! We thought it would last forever! |
Rain…waves 8 to 10 feet growing to 16 feet at night. Sustained winds of 30 to 35 knots with 40 to 45 knot gusts day and night. The surge in the harbor is horrible…and there are actually white caps on the waves in the harbor. Trust me, this harbor is not that big!
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| There was one very unhappy lake outside our breakwalls. |
More rain…no internet access because there is no cell access here. Spotty WiFi from the marina office.
More rain…more Hurricane Happy Hours among the Loopers. Each afternoon we move to a different Looper boat, tour, drink, eat, visit…and hope that we might get out of here in the next day or two.
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| I really hoped this meant the gales were done....but they went on for one more night and day! |
Todd and I spotted a strong rainbow last evening…and then more rain followed. The wind actually died down some during the night. At 7AM when I got up this morning, it was back. We watched the Manitou Island ferry leave with two to three dozen folks on board. It didn’t look like it would be fun…and we were glad we weren’t out there in those 5 to 6 footers. Now the forecast is for another front coming through tomorrow with gale warnings extending through Tuesday. We hope we aren’t here forever.
Oh yes, and Charlie…he’s happy to lie around and do nothing. As long as the engines aren’t running, he doesn’t care if there is internet or cell service. The constant rocking of the boat means nothing to him. I think I’ll throw him overboard…his happiness makes me depressed!
So today is Sunday...tomorrow is Labor Day. The wind has stopped, the lake is so quiet tonight as I finish up this entry. We have readied the boat and we are all going to try to escape our little confines of Leland. Nothing against the town, but we really need to move on...TOMORROW at first light!
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