Part Eleven – Homeward Bound
Three + Weeks Cruising 2003
by - Arlyn Stewart
| After crawling into the sleeping bag, the reality that R&R still swung too much on her anchor rode was apparent. When off on a tack, she would roll. The anchor sail had reduced the problem some...but not enough. A previous idea came to me. Opening the forward hatch and standing on my knees in the bright moonlight, a bowline in a bight was knotted in the anchor rode and the loop passed forward of the stem and around to the port cleat. The starboard cleat was released to allow the port loop to bear the load and then the rode re-cleated to center the knot about a foot forward of the bow. The result is when the boat hunts on either tack, the rode shifts its load to the other cleat and pulls against the cleat with the effect of leveraging the boat back toward center. |  |
Sailing off the anchor in now greatly abated winds, we continued west and then turned south thru the Mississagi Straits. Near the lighthouse we turned close to shore and Miss Ayla was dinked to shore while Lin circled. The 36-mile crossing from Canada to Michigan was made almost entirely under power. Only the last hour saw winds freshen enough for a three mph sail into Presque Isle Harbor. A foreboding feeling that it would be the last sailing of the cruise crept within. Very often when winds are strong, when they abate they are light for several days after. After taking temporary dockage. We enjoyed a nice meal followed by an equally as nice waffle Ice cream cone, after which attemps to call my sister to see if they wanted to meet us and sail our final leg went unanswered. The message we left offered the time we would look for them if they were coming. If not, it would let them know we were coming in so they could position my truck at Harrisville.
| In the morning we entered the marina at
precisely the appointed time
but they were not there and we didn't wait knowing that they would be
on time if coming. The schooner that had anchored just east of us
had entered the marina, soon followed our departure easily overtaking
us as it headed toward the tall ships gathering in Bay City. |
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Light air directly astern was not strong enough to push us at any speed for the long 55-mile run south… we motored almost the entire distance. During the mid afternoon, the surface became glass once again signaling a wind shift, which an hour later came from the east. It may have simply been an on shore breeze.
Trying for one last bit of sailing offered 3 mph but it didn’t hold and was given up for the realization that sailing on this cruise was over.
My sister and brother in law had arrived at Harrisville Harbor shortly before we entered… his experience had the time figured well. We felt a bit melancholy, as the time was gone. It had been my longest cruise and I counted 24 days of mostly good winds and fair weather. We had been blessed with a good time together and a good sailing experience.
With the cruise over, we rested a day and then did some sightseeing and more shopping for a day.
Our last weekend brought the yearly Stewart family reunion for which our cruise is often timed to include.
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One of the hallmarks of
that event was the auction done by my
talented cousin (professional auctioneer) of the various crafts and
things brought to cover reunion expenses.
My oldest brother had contributed a well done 3D nature scroll saw artwork which was very nicely painted that I couldn't hold back from getting in the bidding... and brought home. |
The return trip to Texas was perhaps the easiest road trip between the two locations in a long time. Traffic was light and no serious road construction delays occurred. Lin and I talked a great deal the first day and the miles flew by without boredom. Near dark as it cooled, we stopped at a peaceful rest stop in Southern Illinois and slept well. An early departure provided a mid afternoon arrival home. I'd done the greater amount of driving the first day with Lin doing so the second. The road passage is made easier by her good driving. She suffers no intimidation by the boat and trailer.
A five year tradition of at least one flat tire on the trailer was broke, Yeah! The only hint of mechanical failure happened just as we arrived up north. The "service light" lit on the truck. Later at my brother's service garage and within a minute after his son hooked up the diagnostics computer, it aimed at the gas cap, inadevertently left off.
Lin grew into the boat this year. She gained the rudimentary skills to build upon. She now has confidence she can handle the boat well under power and has come a long way to grasping it under sail. She sets, throws and handles a good dock line and makes her way to the bow with confidence. She is observant and displays a natural inclination about directions and what’s required to find and set a course as well as maintain it. Next year… handling under sail will be a focus.
This was my sixth straight year to cruise the Northern Great Lakes. 743 cruising miles were logged, and added puts R&R at about 2,500. To fetch the Great Lakes from Texas, she has been hauled 17,000 miles.
Art and I have talked now for a couple of years about Lake Superior and will be looking hard at charts this winter. Lin and I still want to do the Near Bahamas… maybe next April.
Harrisville Harbor Note: While Harrisville is a good harbor and can handle power and sailboat traffic up and down the lake, its ramp is only suited for water ballast or shallow draft vessels. It is used mostly by sport fishermen and requires ballast blown prior to loading.