Last one in is a ... FINALLY got to swim in Lake Erie!

What a strange summer it has been for weather, in my part of the world anyway. We started out a little cool but I was being patient. When it got hot, it was very hot - but we were not at the boat. 

Every time we got to the boat, it seemed there was a 40% chance of precipitation threatening us. Doesn't sound so bad, but 40% can kick up some very unpleasant sailing conditions. And several times, we had 3-day gales blowing. You could barely stand still. Not quite swimming weather for me. J made it in several times, only to warn me that I would not be able to handle it.

We had fun anyway with quick trips, going out to one of the islands for an afternoon or one night and coming back to our home port early. J needed to be at work on Wednesday nights so we could not risk being weathered in away from home.

In mid-August, after three wonderful weeks of guests on board, J and I drove to Port Clinton after his Friday night show for 5 days of R & R. We arrived in time for last call at our Yacht Club before crashing for the night. 

The next morning we checked the weather reports as we drank our "best-ever" coffee, and were cheered to find the wind favorable for a sail to Kelley's Island. But first we headed to the local park for the City Wide Yard Sale. 

On a previous trip, J had brought a loaf of homemade bread (his grandmother's recipe) to the Yacht Club caretaker Eric. He left it on Eric's front porch and we went sailing. Two days later as we approached our home dock, Eric waved and came to help us tie up. "There's been a theft," he said.

I quickly looked to see if my car was there. It was. Then he added, " There were two squirrels partying on my porch the other day." The critters had smelled the bread and chewed their way in through the screened window, knocking over Eric's CO2 rifle, to get to the baked goods. They had the bread out of the bag and were pigging out on it. 

At the City Wide Yard Sale, I kept my eye out for a vessel we could use to protect future deliveries. Sure enough, there was a red mailbox for sale for $5. We took it home, put a "Bread Delivery Box" sign on the flag and left it (filled, of course) on the next trip. 

After our visit the to Yard Sale, we packed up and headed for Kelley's Island. This time we were able to set a close reach and sail all the way. 

When we arrived, we went to the dock to unload the bikes, and then dropped anchor for the night. As usual, by dusk most of the other boats had departed, leaving us with two motorboats and one other sailboat for the night. We sat on deck and watched the sunset.

I got nervous when I saw the other sailboat head into the protected cove and tie up to the rocks, followed by one motorboat. We turned on the weather radio station and sure enough, an unexpected storm was headed our way, and soon. No time to sail around the island to the city dock, so J  pulled up the anchor and we headed over to the state dock. 

You are only supposed to stay there for 15 minutes, but we have tied up overnight a few times when the weather turned sour suddenly. We sat on the deck and watched the approaching storm. And the final motorboat. 

He came into the cove and tried to drop anchor, but there is so much seaweed growing there that he could not get it to catch. We could see it covered with vegetation when he raised it for another try. Jerry went ashore and called out to him that there was another side to the dock where we were and he would help him tie up there. In short time, he was secure.

Turned out it was a guy from New York who was making the Great Loop - down through the Great Lakes to the Mississippi (through estuaries near Chicago), on to the Gulf of Mexico and back up on the Atlantic Coast, (people often use the Inter-coastal Waterway to avoid the open ocean.) We exchanged a few words and went to sleep. 

The next morning, I headed up to the State Park to take a shower before we moved back to our anchorage. I hoped to check out the kayaks by now, but had not had a chance yet. J walked to the store across the street for ice. When I got back, there was a park worker there who said we had to move immediately and had no sympathy for the conditions of the night before. We were getting ready to go when another official arrived. He let us take a few more minutes since our boat is registered in Ohio, but the guy from New York had to move right then. Not very hospitable if you ask me. (Note, there was no one else around trying to use the dock.)

For the next few days, we did all our favorite Kelley's Island things - biked around the Island, had strawberry shots at Bag the Moon Saloon, toured the Glacial Grooves (pictured below with J and our friend Jeanne), found the reservoir in the old quarry and enjoyed the sandy beach area. 

One day, I decided it was time for me to try the new kayaks. J had been in them and found it challenging to get in and out from the ladder on the boat. We had a inflatable dinghy before and you could step in the center and then lower yourself into the seat. When J tried standing in his kayak to get back onboard, the kayak flipped and he lost his new goggles. He was not sure the kayaks were going to work for getting to and from shore after that. 

Of course, I am smaller and lighter than J, so it was easy to put one foot in the kayak and slip into the seat. The kayak skids away. but it was tied to the sailboat so I reeled myself back in, got my paddle and I was in. J was more curious to see if I could successfully get back out. I did not think about it, just reversed the process, putting my weight on the foot on the ladder before  standing and I was out.

To his credit, J did not lose his temper when I stumbled into this method so easily. He even gave me credit later for showing him how to do it. I think now the kayaks have a chance of lasting for future seasons.

We paddled all over. checking out the shore and the other boats. When we decided to swim (finally, it is warm enough to try my new alligator float!), I decided to use the kayak to drag it to shore and wade in the shallow water to get on. I did get some strange looks as I paddled back and forth with the alligator in tow, but it made sense to me! I hated to see that afternoon end. 

We went home relaxed and rested. Ready to sail another day as soon as possible!

 

Summer Is Far From Lazy These Days - Part I

Summer has flown by - it always does since I started hanging out with J, my husband. He never slows down - too many things to do, places to go, people to see. It is all I can do to keep up sometimes. 

Summer accelerates even more - he has friends - and often work - in such fun places - Mackinac Island, Charlevoix, Put-In-Bay, Traverse City, Ludington, South Haven - the list goes on and on. I cannot stand to be left behind, but all this travel does not leave much time for writing blogs. It seems we are always getting ready to go away or getting back. 

So today, I just want to capture some of the fun things that have been happened during the last few weeks. Things have been hectic but fun. The weather has been unpredictable (the weather services sure have been having trouble) and a factor in our lives.

  We got down to our sailboat in Lake Erie a few times in May and June. It was pleasant with promise of warm, relaxing days to come.  In late June, it was in the nineties.

 We took J's parents to Mackinac Island with us for his annual gig at Horn's Gaslight Bar & Restaurant. He plays there every year around his birthday. This year the Sunday night show rocked when two different wedding parties arrived to continue their celebrations dancing to J's music.

In July, we drove up to Walloon Lake for an annual visit with old friends. Those few days the weather was very hot. We spent most of the time visiting, but could not resist floating in the water for a short while before we had to head back home.

On a recent weekend, my daughter arrived from Brooklyn, NY to visit and go sailing with us. But Charlie, the younger of my geriatric cats at 15 and a half, had a crisis that week and we had to cancel. 
  By the next weekend, Charlie had recovered enough to be left behind which was good since J was booked for a couple of shows at Mojito Bay in Put-In-Bay. Shortly before we were to go we realized that we had to get to Put-In-Bay early on Friday to make sure we got a mooring during the second weekend of the Christmas in July promotion.

We had arranged to join some friends on their pontoon boat here in town on Thursday night, but a new plan was needed. We talked it over and decided we could have a fine evening on the pontoon, race home, load the coolers and supplies and drive to Port Clinton where the boat is docked.

 So that is what we did. We arrived around midnight, stowed everything and set off for the island. By 3 a.m., we were anchored at the State Park on the south side of South Bass Island.

Waking up to this serene setting in the lovely sunlight did nothing to prepare me for the next few days. We had our coffee (J makes cappuccino on the propane stove), raised the anchor and sailed around to choose our mooring. The weather was lovely all day and perfect for J's show on Friday afternoon. I sat with friends from Port Clinton who came out to hear him, and sold a few of J's new CDs. After the show, we all had dinner at the Boardwalk before the ladies had to head home on the Jet (ferry). 

Saturday was pretty but cool. We took it easy, anticipating J's show on Sunday afternoon and the arrival of the friends we had invited to stay on the boat for the night afterwards. To make room, we moved all of the stuff laying around into the V berth so the couple we were expecting could sleep in the salon while we stayed in the aft cabin.

We were really surprised as the water taxi approached the next afternoon to see not two but four people arriving! We had invited them all, but somehow Jerry had misunderstood when one friend contacted him to say they were coming. They started handing up luggage and I wondered where we would put it all!
 
Turns out several pieces were coolers and blankets and pillows - which we were going to need. The weather had turned even cooler and no one would want to sleep in the cockpit, even with all the canvas up. After a little rearranging, we figured it all out and proceeded to have a wonderful visit. 

We did choose to move to a dock. The wind was blowing pretty hard, making it hard to sleep comfortably - and it was easier to get everyone in and out without depending on the water taxi. The docks had emptied out some - but many boats went out and came right back because of the weather so it was not easy to find a spot. 
 We ended up on B dock where out guests were thoroughly entertained watching the large number of Lake Erie Island water snakes who lived underneath. The snakes swim all around the boats and get up on swim platforms to sun themselves. I thought we were safe since we do not have a platform, until I rode my bike up the boat to find a 3 foot specimen on the dock. J kicked him off, but I was very wary after that. 

We had a great time taking our guests to see J at Mojito Bay, to various eating and drinking establishments, to watch our favorite Detroit band, the Killer Flamingos, at the Roundhouse and on a tour of the island.

When J offered to repair a speaker that was failing at Mojito Bay, the manager offered him another show since another performer had to cancel. Although it was a Tuesday night, there was a fun crowd at the Tiki Bar and Jerry had a blast teasing them while taking requests. We spent one more night at our mooring before heading home, tired but with lots of great memories to savor next winter!

Back Sailing at Last!

We always intend to spend as much time as possible on the boat each season, but life gets in the way. So I was very excited to be heading out after not being on the water for three weeks. 

We already limit our time based on my husband J's work schedule. He sings regular shows each Sunday and Wednesday night, so this year we are driving down to Lake Erie on Monday and coming back on Wednesday. We have a couple of longer stays planned, but this is the routine for much of the summer.

 

This year, J joined the Board of his neighborhood association, so we have to miss one week in June and July so he can attend the meetings.

 

Last week, I was helping produce the annual awards ceremony at the local theatre where I serve on the Board and volunteer at everything from performing to selling tickets, to writing grants, etc. J was singing and DJing at a wedding the same night, so we went our separate ways. We are not good at that - still newlyweds, at heart - hopefully forever.

 

Then J took a couple of guy friends down to the boat for a few days, returning after I had left for a few days up North with the ladies from my USTA tennis team.  He says I misled him about when I was going, but I think he just was not listening when we discussed it. Now, after a weekend getting reacquainted, except when he left to work on one of the rental houses, we are at the boat. 

 

I was dreading it a little since J said the Mayflies arrived last week and were out in force while the men were here. They had to clean them out of the boat repeatedly and keep the

screen over the hatch.

 

I wanted to show you a picture and found a web site and Facebook page labeled The Mayflies of Lake Erie. This man is blowing dead mayflies off his deck on Pelee Island in Canada directly across Lake Erie from Port Clinton a few weeks ago.

 

We were pleasantly surprised to find things pretty clear at our yacht club - only a few bodies around to remind us of the swarms. Good timing for me!

 

The guys left without pumping out the "bladder" so J went to the marina to do that. Funny, before we bought Duchess, I never knew boats had bladders. At least it beats dumping the portable potty we had on the last boat! Going to the marina requires a trip through the drawbridge, which goes up every half hour, so some strategic timing is involved. You also have to watch out for the Jet - the ferry out to Put-In-Bay.

 

I was sending an email to my pet-care-giver since I discovered around Ann Arbor that I left my purse at home. Sounds Freudian, huh? Now I cannot drive, or pay for anything. Just hope I do not get carded trying to buy a drink...

 

When he gets backs, hopefully on the next half hour raising-of-the-drawbridge, we are sailing out to Kelley's Island. We love it there - fewer people than Put-in-Bay, but a great place to swim, hike, explore and kick back. 

 

Summer has arrived in force with 90 degree temps expected for the next few days, only cooling into the low 70's at night. We have a new air conditioner which worked great when we checked it out in May. But using it requires us to be docked and onshore power. At Kelley's we like to anchor in the bay. Should be interesting.

 

(Pause here. I did not finish during the trip. Now I am back home.)

 

We made it to Kelley's Island right at sundown. We sailed most of the way, but had to turn on the engine for the last part to try to get in before it was completely dark. We had dinner on the way - green salad with tomatoes, avocado, green onions and grilled salmon. We eat very well if we plan ahead. Lots of fruit for snacking and dessert - apples, nectarines, bananas, watermelon and pineapple, all so fresh. Yum!

We watched the night sky and listened to the evening sounds. J commented on the noisy frogs - we did not remember them being here before. We fluffed our pillows, pulled light blankets over us and settled in to sleep in the cockpit under the stars! 

I made it until about 3 in the morning when I felt rain drops. I retreated to the aft berth. J lasted longer but by morning he was inside too. 

 

The morning sky was a little iffy so we checked the marine weather station. First thing we heard was "All vessels seek safe harbor!" A storm was headed our way from Detroit with lightning, hail and heavy winds. The warning was going to last for the next 2 hours. We hauled up the anchor and headed for the nearby 15 minute loading dock and tied up for safety. 

There were four or five people fishing from the small cement dock and they were curious about our move. Imagine my surprise when we turned on the radio again to learn that the storm has dissipated and the warning was withdrawn. All in less than half an hour!

We had our coffee (J makes the best cappuccino ever with a stovetop pot on the propane stove each morning!) We hung out for a bit and decided to head back a day early since the weather report was iffy each day and J had to be back at work the next night. We sailed toward South Bass Island as long as we could, then turned directly into the wind and turned on the engine to make it back to our home port.  As usual, J had a great time at the helm.

 

Being back at the dock felt secure and the yacht club has a great bar. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner and watched a movie before calling it a night. Next morning we took our time with coffee and fruit for breakfast. Then we checked on the old boat which is being stored on shore nearby, and headed for home. Another fun, unpredictable trip. I cannot wait to come back!

This Southern Belle and Manual Labor ...

I never thought Southern Belles were into manual labor. I certainly am not.

Oh, sure. We do some housework. Sometimes a lot. And some yard work - we call it gardening - much more gentile. I have shoveled and spread my share of bark around the yard, too. After all, I am tough - I lift weights at the gym. No problem, right?

When I got divorced, I was determined to do lots of things myself. I hung curtains (the rods were already up), I moved the furniture around, I hung pictures, I painted the furniture, I sprayed for bugs. I took care of basic home maintenance, right?

But I drew the line at power tools and propane - no grill for me. I was just not taking chances with blowing myself, and possibly others, up. Or maiming myself with a power drill. I traded a homemade dinner for a friend drilling the holes for the under shelf  CD player. Fair enough.

So it was a nice change to date, and then marry, a guy (JS) who handles the propane grill, the propane stove on the sailboat, and sundry macho chores around the house. I could do them, but he is good at it! And I do reward him for his labors ... in a wifely way. And I brought back lunch from Subway!

So imagine my surprise when I realized that there was so much work to do on our sailboat, Duchess, last weekend - and just the two of us to do it. If I did not help, it would take three or four times as long to prep the boat for launch. So much for reading, studying lines, learning some new songs - the weekend I had pictured.

Instead, I found myself on a ladder, scrubbing the hull. And not as easy as just scrubbing away. You have to make sure use one cloth to put on and take off the cleaner on the white stripe, and another set on the blue. Or it smears them all together. And makes a mess. To say nothing of what it does to my fingernails. Until I found rubber gloves to wear.

This job requires finesse while standing on a ladder applying pressure to a cleaning cloth over my head??? Are you kidding? But I did my part. And I went over those lines while I was at it.

JS, of course, did the heavy lifting - the larger and higher part of the boat. WITH A POWER TOOL! (See it there on the ground at the foot of the ladder.

 

 

Of course, he had to use finesse, too. But he has lots more experience at this than I do.

 

Together we pumped out the bilge (I did the pumping) and put up the main sail. It was my job to feed the grommets into the slot and straighten it all out. Then I lined it all up as it came down and tied it with straps and put on the sail cover. After a few seasons, I am pretty good at that. My balance has definitely improved, since it is easier to do all this while we are still coming into the dock.

 

He does the technical stuff - he knows how to charge the batteries, and check them. I just turn the switch on command.

 

Finally, I went through all the canvas pieces of the bimini and dodger to see which seams need reinforcing. My 75-year-old sewing machine will not handle these industrial seams so I wanted to take the bad pieces home to find someone to fix them. Then I did some domestic tasks - sweeping inside and out to get rid of the grime from winter storage.

 

I ran out of tasks I could do myself  before JS did. So I took the time to look over at Lake Erie. The boatyard is just across the street from the lake, and the stiff wind from the North had been chilling us all day despite the almost 70 degree day. But the view was amazing - a little hard to capture from the deck 15 feet up without falling off.

 

In two weeks, Duchess will be in the Lake, and we will begin another summer of sailing, hanging out with wonderful friends and enjoying the beauty of  the wind, water and wild life in the Lake Erie Islands.

 

I guess a little manual labor never hurt anyone. Thank you, JS, for introducing me to this wonderful world!