Despite my anchor dragging incident, I would have loved to spend more time in upper lower Michigan. The water is so clear you can see the bottom at 30+ feet. That’s how I KNOW my anchor was set before it dragged.
The flora and fauna are as in Maine save for a very entertaining species of red headed diving ducks that scuttle along the water like bumper , all the while quacking ferociously until they all, in unison, dive. Trying to guess when and where each will pop up is like playing Whack-o-Mole. Periodically one will rise up from the water, wings spread, a single quack and then settle back in. They circled Whisper for about half an hour at sunset. WAAAY better’n TV.
One characteristic of people from UL Michigan is their friendliness. The harbormaster at Hammond Bay Harbor met me dockside with hearty smile and good wishes on the day. He carted my trash, showed me how to work the ingenious shower system, printed out the weather report and shared his views on life in general. He was typical of harbor and dock staff through upper lower Michigan.
There seem to be two types of people in UL Michigan: those who choose to be there and those who can’t think of anywhere better to go. They are cheerful, resilient, people you would want to have as friends and neighbors.
They made this wayward sailor feel welcomed.
Sadly, the season is pressing on. I had to forego the incredible beauty of the Northern Channel and Georgian Bay in favor of working Whisper east. A marathon 24 hour sail brought us to Lower Michigan.....the one with the power plants.
But it was a beautiful sail. Attached are book matched images of fiery sunset and fiery sunrise. Can you tell which is which?
These were interspersed with a meteor shower and a burnt orange moon come to say hello.
Sailing all night with just the reaching spinnaker on a broad reach,
the windvane
steering 
and the captain keeping Whisper between shore and a constant stream of north and south bound Lakes freighters......the big boys whose way you want to stay well clear of.
and the captain keeping Whisper between shore and a constant stream of north and south bound Lakes freighters......the big boys whose way you want to stay well clear of.
Hmmm, after a bit of analyzing , If you are heading south, the sunset would be off to starboard and if the photo was taken from the cockpit..... I'd guess that the one showing the rigging would be sunset and that would be the back stay but...... I then note a slight bit of something that could be the mast which would change the perspective to a port view making what I see maybe the spinnaker sheet or pole and that would make it sunrise. Am I right, do I win, do I win?
ReplyDeleteAs for your onshore experiences, hearty welcomes, it's been said that visiting tourists are always just visiting tourists but sailors, are locals as soon as they step ashore. Residents of earth if you will.