Port #13: The Great Escape!

Great Loop II Date: 8/20/2014

Day #20 (Wednesday): 67 miles (760 total miles)

Locks: 0 (2 total locks)

Port #13:  Portage Lake (anchorage) Onekama north of Manistee, MI

Somehow the weather as it turns out and the forecast is not coming up equal.  The day was supposed to dawn calm.  It didn’t.  I woke up at 4:45AM feeling the boat rocking in the dock and hearing the burgee flapping on the bow pulpit.  I went up to the pilothouse to check the flag at the marina office.  It was flapping pretty good too…out of the southeast.  I went online and saw much the same at the NOAA, Weather and Wind Passage websites.  I immediately went into a funk.

Todd got up, checked everything out and announced there was fog.  Great…my frown grew deeper.  I got dressed and headed up to the marina office, mainly to experience the weather.  I couldn’t hear the waves beating the beach next door.  That was good.  The wind didn’t feel that stiff.  That was good too.  However there was dense fog with mist.  I decided that wasn’t bad since we have radar, GPS and AIS.  We can see just about anything that’s out there…except fish nets.

When I got back to the boat, I looked at Todd and said, ”Let’s go to breakfast.”  Todd agreed that was a good idea.  It would let the day lighten up so we could see what our situation was and make a decision.

After breakfast at the Early Bird, we walked back to the marina.  The wind was dying down, we could see at least a couple of miles and the fog was lifting.  It was time to get out of Leland!

Leaving Leland, the fog was lifting somewhat and the dunes were visable.

The shipping channel marker was a little hard to make out!  We could see it on the GPS Chartplotter and with our binoculars.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes...prettier on a clear day.

Sleeping Bear Point...the fog was coming back in.

Most of the day was spent in thickening fog, some increase in waves and surrounded by water…not much of a view.  I should have cleaned the boat but decided to play games instead.  Todd and I traded manning the watch…’Auto’ was driving as he normally does.

This is what we saw...fog and calm water.

This is what Auto saw...Chartplotter on the right, radar on the left.  Nothing on the radar except dust!

Todd plots a course, embeds it in our GPS mapping program and lets our autopilot take over from there.  It makes for a much better ride.  We both get through the day with less fatigue, although traveling does seem to make us tired no matter what.

The fog lifted around 3PM...and we celebrated.

We were nearing Manistee, MI when Todd said we were passing Portage Lake (north of Manistee).  I said Blue Moon was planning on anchoring there.  Todd looked over the charts for Portage Lake and asked if I’d like to anchor.  Well of course!  I checked out Active Captain and the Waterway Guide and both gave us good reports and the areas of the lake best for anchoring.  Todd changed course direction and the entrance to Portage Lake appeared to the east.

Todd guided OB into the northeast bay of the lake.  The anchor took well and we had a wonderful evening floating in a quiet wooded area.

Another beautiful anchorage.

Time for an appetizer dinner with wine...and fudge for dessert.

And, of course, another glorious sunset on a peaceful setting.