“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain
Wow, what a difference a year can make! After months of dreaming and planning, we finally set sail on the Great Loop in the early hours of Monday, September 25, 2017. We left our slip at Anchorage Marina in Holland, MI and headed south for St. Joseph, MI.
Anchorage was our home for the summer after we sold our house and most of our possessions back in June. After Chad and his friend Scott’s great adventure to get our new boat from Bayfield, WI to Frankfort (see http://maunabiker.com/index.php/category/sailing-the-great-lakes/), Chad and I finally “moved in” to our slip in Holland 4th of July weekend. What a homecoming! Everyone wanted to hear Chad’s tales of Lake Superior (I wonder if these were like fish tales?!?). After the chaos of the holiday weekend subsided, Chad got to business doing the minor improvements to the boat to get it ready to set sail this fall. I got to business…well working! My work was awesome enough to allow me to work remotely until they were able to find a replacement – a win/win for us both!
This summer was amazing. Besides getting lots of boat projects done and training my replacement at work, we had time to spend on what is most important to us – our family and friends. We had so many visitors this summer, it was awesome! We also have so many friends at the marina – some old friends, and some new friends. It was great to be able spend time with you all! It made leaving that much harder, but luckily we already have plans to see many of you along the Loop!
So Monday morning, rather than shoot straight across the lake to Chicago, IL, we headed south to St. Joseph, MI. It’s not just Chad and I on this great adventure; we have our nine year old pup Rilee with us. Rilee may be a lot of things, but boat dog is not one of them. She’s done a great job adjusting to boat life this summer, and is willing to endure just about anything to spend time with us. We picked St. Joseph as a good half way point, and also because Chad’s family has history here. His grandparents built their home there and raised his mom in this amazing coastal town. We love St. Joe!
Since the wind was at our nose when we left (not ideal for sailing), and then eventually died, we spent most of the morning and early afternoon motoring. After we arrived at the municipal marina in St. Joseph, we tied the boat up and headed in to town to explore. We were just here last summer, but it is amazing how quickly (and yet also how slowly) things can change. Not quite ready for dinner, we made our way to Clementine’s for an appetizer and brew. Despite the 95 degree heat, we had the strangest urge to order a high roller…and to have coffee…with our meal 😉
After a fun day in St. Joseph, we headed out early the next morning for our first open lake crossing. Well, Michelle’s first…Chad’s crazy Lake Superior stories probably top everything. For some reason I was nervous for the crossing, probably because there would be some period of time we wouldn’t see land…at all…!?! We left before the sun rose, and as we headed out across the lake into the darkness, my fears started to creep up again. But then, the sun peaked out and things started getting lighter. The choppy waters seemed to calm, and it was beautiful. Pictures just wouldn’t do it justice. Once we reached the dreaded “middle of the lake”, all I could feel was peaceful.
We wouldn’t see this much open water until we reached the Gulf of Mexico. Luckily we were able to sail a good part of the day, since tomorrow, our mast comes down. We won’t have it put back on until we reach Mobile, AL. That means lots and lots of motoring! We kept an eye on the horizon in front of us, waiting to see the towering sky scrapers of downtown Chicago. We were quite close to shore before we noticed the faint hint of the Sears Tower, and slowly we could make out more and more. It was a hot, hazy day on shore, and we would not get a great view of downtown today. We continued south to the Calumet River, where we are now docked awaiting a busy day tomorrow.
Tomorrow is a big day, as taking our mast down is what allows us to leave Illinois, and to continue on down towards the Mississippi. While we hate to see our mast go, we are ready for what lies ahead!