Northern Lake Michigan and Huron

[cw021382]

As I said in my reintroduction we are currently in the Les Cheneaux islands anchored just off the town of Hessel, Mi.  Like I said we just sold our diesel pusher and I started looking at boats.  I found Paladin our '87 Compac 27 on June 15th. I sent a deposit sight unseen, and we packed up 3 large totes and headed north.  We stopped in Kalamazoo, MI to pick up a rib and motor before continuing on to Traverse city. After buying the boat we spent about a week rigging and launching then cleaning and fixing a few things then provisioned and headed out.  We left Traverse city area and sailed to beaver island where we anchored overnight then sailed to Mackinaw city for 4th of July fireworks over the bridge.  Next was Mackinac island for about a week.  We left the day before the Chicago to Mac racers were due in and anchored just off Arch rock on the eastern side of Mackinac for a few days.  Then we sailed to where we are now just off Hessel, Mi in the Les Cheneaux islands.  We've been here a couple days and plan to go to Cedarville tomorrow after checking out the EJ Murtaugh boat works today.  Then on to government bay to anchor for 3-5 days.  After that we plan to sail to st Ignance for provisions, and then back to Beaver Island to spend some time checking it out.  Then we sail south to northport at the tip of grand traverse to overnight then to the Manitou islands of sleeping bear dunes for about 10 days before sailing to elk rapids to take the boat out and head home.  That gives us about 4 weeks left.  We've been thoroughly enjoying ourselves, but have had some issues to work on.  I just got the hot water heater working yesterday.  I had to McGyever it, but it works. I had some wiring connection corrosion issues I had to work out, but all lights work now.  The mainsail is new with 1 reef point, but I have not set the reefing system up correctly yet.  Tons of minor issues have been sorted and the boat is working really well.  Tons of room for the 3 of us and massive storage space.  I'm loving the 50gal water tank plus 6 gal in the hot water heater now it's working.  All in all considering how short of time we had to prepare the trip is going very smoothly.  -Chris

[crazycarl]

This sounds like a great trip.

[cw021382]

Thanks Carl.  Where do I start with the happenings of the last 2 days?  So 2 days ago I was up early about 5am and made coffee and posted my reintroduction on here. The wife and son got up about 9 and we made breakfast.  After breakfast I decided to start the engine to charge the batteries as we had been at anchor for 3 nights with just a little run time on the sail from Mackinac island.  I went topside and tried to crank the engine and nothing.  I had been running on battery 2 since we bought the boat.  I thought no problem and switched the battery selector to all and tried again.  Nothing.  The little color indicator for the battery condition didn't work so I pulled the cover and got out the dmm.  Both batteries were dead 10.35ish V.  I didn't have a jump pack so I called the marina we were anchored outside of in Hessel.  They didn't have one and suggested EJ Mertaugh boat works.  They are a large boat works specializing in wood boats.  I called and was told they had one, but would not lend it or rent it or sell it.  I explained the issue and she said she would check with someone and call back.  After an hour I took the dinghy in with the family and went in.  She came out with a very rude and dismissive attitude and said they could do nothing for me for at least a few days if at all.  I found out later that that is the normal way they do business.  Anyway, I went to several business's who were willing, but not able to help.  Finally I struck up a conversation with an older gentleman named Jim who called a friend of his to bring a jump pack.  That did the trick and the engine started right up.  I returned the jump pack and let the engine run for a couple hours with the switch on all.  Battery 2 charged up to 12.5, but battery 1 would not take a charge.  I suspect battery 1 was bad when I bought the boat and battery 2 was weak.  Anyway, I called around and found a Napa auto parts in Cedarville about 6 mi away by water.  They said they would order the new batteries and deliver them to Hessel or the dock in Cedarville.  With only one good battery I ran the engine for another hour with the bad one disconnected and then decided to go to the beach in the dinghy.  I used the battery powered all around light for the dinghy as the anchor light overnight.  The next day Tuesday we done laundry on the boat and then went back to the beach.  That was about 4:30pm, and the wind had picked up some.  We had been anchored for 3 days and 2 nights in the same spot in 13' of water with a mud bottom.  We had spun 360 at least once with some decent wind and some rain.  I felt pretty good about our set.  We went to the beach and I walked up to the restroom.  When I came out I looked for the boat and it was dragging anchor down the bay.  I sprinted for the dinghy and threw out the chairs and toys and gave chase.  I nosed up to the stern and tied off.  I managed to get aboard and start the engine.  I put it in gear and managed to get the anchor aboard.  That was fun.  Thankfully the wind was blowing out of the west and straight down the bay.  If I had dragged any other direction I would have went aground.  I was using a 30lb sascot cqr style anchor with 60' of 5/16" HT chain and about 50' of 3 strand rode.  With the height of the pulpit I had about 7:1 scope.  Not the best anchor for mud, but still some say oversized for the boat.  I motored into the lee of a small island and tried setting 2 times, but could not get it to hold when backing down on it.  I eventually just went in to the marina and picked up a slip for the night.  This morning we got up at 6 to make way by 7.  I checked the weather and it said bad air pollution.  I went topside and the wind had shifted from the northwest, and smoke and ash were like heavy fog.  The fires in Ontario are blowing down.  Ash and light particulate were falling like fine snow.  We made way just before 7 and had a great motor thru the channels to Cedarville.  We got to our slip about 9 and the marina staff could not have been more helpful.  I hailed them coming in and they were expecting us early.  They caught lines and brought a dock cart for the bad batteries.  They offered a car, but I walked up to Napa and got the new batteries.  Chris and Mark and Kaitland the store manager at Napa went above and beyond to help.  I went across the street to the market to get some milk and muffins and donuts, and then Chris drove me back to the marina and even dollied the new batteries down the dock to the boat for me.  Later after changing the batteries Mark came back and picked us up with the old batteries and drove us to town so I could get the core charges back.  A big thank you to everyone at NAPA in Cedarville, MI, and everyone at the town dock marina you guys are the best.  We done a little provisioning in town and came back to the boat and made an early supper.  Now we are just resting up.  We are here tonight and tomorrow night then down to government bay for a few days to anchor out and wait for a good weather window with favorable winds.  It's really beautiful here even with the smoke haze.  The water is dangerously shallow if you get out of the dredged channels.  You really have to watch your charts and the nav buoys. Not many sand beaches in the islands either.  There are a few, but mostly mixed with rock.  I'll post a few pics when I figure out how.  My pics won't load as they are the wrong file type. 

[Cpy23ecl]

Chris,

I wish I had known you were having these issues.  We were staying at our summer house just east of Cedarville and I would have been happy to pick you up and drive you to the soo or st ignace to get new batteries.  We have zero cell reception and no internet at the house so was completely unaware of situation.

Glad you did get help.  Years ago I was in a similar situation while bringing a 32 ft power boat home from Ohio and hit rocks in the mich thumb area while entering a harbor in the thickest fog I have ever seen.  Its stressful dealing with problems while far from home and you're very dependent on the kindness and good will of strangers.

Fred

[cw021382]

Morning Fred,  I appreciate the thought.  I just bought some standard wet cell deep cycles that were available.  They will get replaced over the winter when I refit the boat.  We've been anchored in government bay the last 2 nights and only used 20% of one battery so they should be fine for this trip.