Great Loop Date: 09.11.2010 (Saturday): Game Day…

Day 30: 589.1 miles (today: 0 miles in 0 hours at 0 mph)

Port #10 – Ludington Municipal Marina, Ludington, MI

Before we arrived in Ludington, we passed the Big Sable Lighthouse:

Big Sable was built in 1867.  It stands 112 feet tall and can be seen 18 miles away! 

Yesterday evening, after I had posted our blog, we were startled by a loud horn announcing entrance to Ludington’s Harbor. Connie mentioned it was the SS Badger coming in…and definitely a photo op. I rushed to catch pictures of this huge ferry I had talked about in the blog.

SS Badger, carferry still operating between Ludington, MI and Manitowoc, WI. It runs once a day every day.

This is one BIG carferry...

...that transports more than cars! 

We watched her turn 180* using her starboard anchor to help her.

Then she proceeded to drag the anchor to the dock!  Now we know how they dredge the harbor!

Although weather days concern us after our extended stay in Leland, it is nice to have a day off after a long day on the water. It is raining and the Captains are staying on the side of the Admirals. It isn’t any fun to manage lines in the rain while the Captain stays dry.

Red sun in 'morn, sailors take warn...so we did.

Before the game started, we had a knock on the door.  Loopers Robb and Deb Certner had just come into Ludington Harbor on their boat Lady Royal.  I had found them on the Great Loop website at the beginning of the summer and we had started e-mailing back and forth.  They are from the Cleveland area.  Three other Looper boats had come in with them, so for the time being we were an armada of 9 Looper boats.

It was game day and the first big game of the season for OSU. The Buckeyes played and beat the Miami Hurricanes 36 to 24. GO BUCKS !!!

Our traveling companions are from Michigan so you know who they were watching. The big M had a little tougher game but beat Notre Dame 28 to 24. The score doesn’t show it but the game was pretty close until late in the last quarter. So for our friends…good show Blue. (I really should have brought my Oklahoma attire. I hate being caught in a rivalry.)

After the game, Jerry, Joan, Ed and Connie invited us to stay for a most wonderful dinner. Who knew Joan and Connie were Italian? They both cooked up the best Chicken Parmesan I’ve had in a long time. Thank you Joan and Connie!

We all turned in about 10PM wondering if we’d get back out on Lake Michigan in the morning.