WISCONSIN - PART 2 - TWO RIVERS - TRULY A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

It was already snotty on the lake when we left Kewaunee.  But we thought we'd give it a try and see how it went.  Our goal was Sheboygan, 44 miles south.  Well, we made it 23 and called it quits and ducked into a town called Two Rivers.  I wasn't expecting much as the cruising guides really don't give it much, and the nautical charts don't show much in the way of available harbors.  However, all of this was pretty much wrong and Two Rivers turned out to be a great stop.

First of all, there is a USCG Station there.  They have a couple of small boats.  Nonetheless, when you see them the first thing coming into the harbor, that feels good.  Then, the harbor entrance is very wide and plenty deep.  It's a little hard to see from 2 miles out, but a good pair of binoculars coupled with the rastor charts, and you can pick out the land marks to shoot for until you get close enough to see the marks at the harbor mouth.  Once you're in, it's all good. 




We picked the Seagul Marina because it was first on the left and did not involve going under a bridge of questionable height.  The chart had the bridge marked as having a 12 foot vertical clearance, but standing there and looking at it, it sure looked like more.  Well, better safe than sorry, we stuck with our first option.




We tried and tried to get these folks on the radio; channels 09 and 16, and nobody answered.  I called a couple times on the phone and just got voice mail.  So, it was so rough and nasty on the lake, going on was not an option, so we decided we would go in and take the first available spot and find someone later.  This we did, and it all worked out fine. 

We walked up to some activity in the back of the building where the harbormaster is supposed to be and found a boat storage office.  We met a guy in there whose brother ownes the place.  Apparently, the person who works in the marina office had taken the last couple days off to go bear hunting and would be back in the morning.  No problem as we do not plan to leave that early in the morning. 



So, we then took off walking.  There is one main street in this town and then several smaller streets that run paralell.  As we walked down Washington Street, which is the main street, we were struck by how nice this place is.  It is quite modern and up to date while holding onto the older style of building.  We did not witness the severe depression we have seen in so many other small waterfront towns.  In fact, in the windows of several stores were signs that said, "We have laid off doom, gloom, and hard times...."




Most importantly, however, as we approached the town square, we discovered a bronze plackard that told the story of the first ice creme sunday.  Apparently, the first ice creme sunday was made right here in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.  I understand that Ithica, NY claims this fame as well.  However, although theirs is allegedly documented, it is purported that Ithica started making sundays in the early 1890's.  Here, however, it is proclaimed that, in 1883, the first ice creme sunday was made at the request of a local ice creme patron who asked to have some of that chocolate sauce put on his ice creme since they didn't serve soda with ice creme on Sundays.  Then, shortly thereafter, a local child asked for the same thing on a weekday and, against the protest of the shopkeeper, stated that everyday could be a Sunday.  The shopkeeper agreed and the ice creme sunday was born and became available on any day.  In fact, it would appear that, so as to avoid irritating anyone's sensibilities over the whole ordeal, the dish was actually called an "Ice Creme Sundae".



Of course the original was made with vanilla ice creme, chocolate sauce, whipped creme, nuts and a cherry.  There were variations, and in time, one could do just about anything they wanted with a variety of toppings and a multitude of ice creme flavors.  However, what you really have to keep in mind is that Wisconsin is known as the Dairy State.  As such, the ice creme I had in my sundae was perhaps the best ice creme I have ever had.  I didn't get all crazy with different flavors.  Rather, I wanted to taste plain old vanilla.  It was superb.

Then we discovered the Washington House.  It was built in the 1850's and is one of the places where the first versions of the ice creme Sundae was first served.  In fact, they are still served there today in the historical ice creme parlor.  Today, the building is also an historical museum.  We entered and were greeted by three women who were the day's volunteers.  They were very nice and very knowledgable about their town and what was contained in the museum.  You may recall that I have, on more than one occasion, stated that there is a fine line between historical museums, consignment shops, and garage sales?  This place certainly hit the mark as an historical museum.  Their collection consisted of art work, a toy collection,  as well as thousands of practical items that truly displayed the history, heritage and culture of this community as well as the surrounding area.  There is a traditional lady's bedroom filled with hats, sewing machines and a 1902 wedding dress.  There is a Beer Room which has bottles, posters, and all kinds of beer stuff from the turn of the century.  There is a turn of the century through the 1950's kitchen with all the coolest and newest (oldies) appliances.   The displays were well marked and explained everything.  A self-guided tour led to understanding.  All of the items were donated by local families over the years.  Even the building itself had historical significance as it was once used as everything from a boarding house to a brothel; from a department store, to a suite of professional offices and conference and ball room uses.  And, upstairs, there are replicas of dental and medical offices containing original equipment used by a dentist and a physician both of whom lived and worked in Two Rivers.  There is also a replica barber shop as well as a hotel room.  Back in the day, one could rent a hotel room for $.50 per day.    The grand ball room is still available to rent at $10.00 per hour. 

Across the street, in the huge Hamilton Machinery Factory was the Hamilton Wood Type Museum.  The Hamilton company manufactured a number of things over the years, but what they are apparently best known for is the wooden type which is still used today to print posters, flyers and leaflets.  It is really quite a process to make the letters and all of the fonts used to hand press and print posters of all sizes.  This was interesting insofar as I recall my Brother who is a graphic designer struggling while in school using a computer to design and develop fonts.  Imagine having to start with a cut log and then having to cut the log down to size, prepare the pieces for thickness, sand them, etch out the letters, trim them, perfect them, and then figure out how to place them so they could be inked and then pressed to paper by hand to make a poster.  This sure represents a lot of work.  It was very interesting to see.

Well, sometimes you just hit the nail on the head when you come into a new town and you meet some folks you really had no idea you ever would.  So, we are walking down the street and we see a guy outside this liquor store/bait and tackle store/smoked fish market/convenience store who is cutting down logs into smaller pieces using a chop saw.  Brenda and I were thinking the same thing - maybe we can buy some of that cut wood for our fireplace.  So, we asked.  They guy outside didn't see a problem, but suggested we should talk to the owner inside.  In we went.  Here we met Captain Norman Bussie, aka Captain Norris (Norm Bussie), aka Nasty Norm.  Not only is he the proprieter of the River Front Bait & Beverage Mart, but his business card says he is also a Philanthropist, Hero of the Oppressed, Tax Payer, and World Traveler, Lover, Fighter and Sea Captain.  Whatever you need, Captain Norm can take care of it.  According to his card, he can do just about anything whether it is Wars Fought, Revolutions Started, Assasinations Plotted, Governments Run, Whiskey Run, Tigers Tamed, Bars Emptied, Virgins Converted, Voters Bought, Rumors Started, or Manure Spread, Captain Norm is your man.  Not only did he graciously provide us with two heavy buckets of chopped apple wood, but he also gave us about a pound and a half of freshly smoked Lake Michigan Salmon.  Later in the day, he and his wife, and his friend and his wife, all of whom are originally from Indiana, came down to the boat for a tour and to visit a while.  This was a great treat. 

We also happened to meet two other very cool folks from Hawaii.  They are travelling around the country in a "dirt yacht".  They were walking around on the docks and came to ask about the boat, fishing, etc., and we got to talking about doing the loop.  He is a harbor pilot in Hawaii.  He is one of those guys who drives the biggest ships in the world into and out of various ports in the Hawaiian islands.  Funny thing is, as he describes it, it's easy for him to dock a 1200 foot freighter, but he couldn't dock his 32 foot trawler if his life depended on it.  We laughed when I was telling him how interested I was in what he did for a living and his wife said she likes to think of him as a valet parking service for big boats.  The came aboard and visited for a while.  She is from Tahiti.  They have a house there on an outer island where it is possible to bring the boats up and anchor them right in front in a totally protected lagoon.  I told her I was going to take her up on her offer one day.  Once again, we had the privilege of meeting some wonderful people whose paths we would not likely ever cross.  Perhaps there is meaning in all of this beyond the pure and simple "wow factor."  Not sure yet, and if discovering the true meaning of it all means meeting your maker, well, I can wait awhile.

That was a really full day.  In the morning we will leave here for Sheboygan.  The weather forecast is not unreasonable for another 24 mile run.  I think we'll make it.  Then, it looks like we are going to be holed up there for a few more days.  The low pressure system that has been bringing rain to these parts for the last 5-6 days is finally planning on moving out of the area and behind it is the northwest wind that is scheduled to start filling in with a purpose on Thursday night and blow like stink until Saturday.  So, we just keep pecking away at it and eventually we will get off Lake Michigan in one piece.

That's all for now.

Well, we made it to Sheboygan.  It was an uncomfortable ride, but not as bad as yesterday.  Either way, we are here for the next couple of days.  Actually, we will likely be here through Sunday.  Then, it looks like we will have at least a couple really good travel days.  In the mean time, this is what the National Whatever Service is calling for:

================================================================

LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SHEBOYGAN TO PORT WASHINGTON WI 5 NM OFFSHORE
TO MID LAKE-

307 AM CDT THU SEP 29 2011

...STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
1 PM CDT FRIDAY...

A STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
1 PM CDT FRIDAY.

* EXPECT SUSTAINED STORM FORCE WINDS OR FREQUENT STORM FORCE
  GUSTS FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 1 PM CDT FRIDAY.

* DURING THE STORM WARNING...THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE UP TO
  50 KT FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE HIGHEST SIGNIFICANT WAVES WILL
  BE UP TO 22 FT. THERE WILL BE OCCASIONAL WAVES UP TO 33 FT.A STORM WARNING MEANS WINDS OF 48 TO 63 KNOTS ARE IMMINENT OR
OCCURRING. RECREATIONAL BOATERS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT...OR TAKE
SHELTER UNTIL WINDS AND WAVES SUBSIDE. COMMERCIAL VESSELS SHOULD
PREPARE FOR VERY STRONG WINDS AND DANGEROUS SEA CONDITIONS...AND
CONSIDER REMAINING IN PORT OR TAKING SHELTER IN PORT UNTIL WINDS
AND WAVES SUBSIDE.
======================================================================

Did they say waves up to 33 feet?  Holy Shit, Batman!  Well, I think it is about time to think about sitting this one out.  I really just want to get off this damn lake. 

WISCONSIN COAST OF LAKE MICHIGAN - PART 1 - WASHINGTON ISLAND AND KEWAUNEE

Beaver Island, or St. James, Michigan, would be our last stop in Michigan.  Originally, when we left Beaver Island, we were not sure if this would be the case, but the weather was perfect for the long crossing.  We could have ditched and headed north only 35 miles to Manistique.  However, we decided to run the 76 miles all the way across the northern part of Lake Michigan and make landfall at Washington Island.

Leaving Beaver Island

We anchored for the night in Washington Harbor.  It is a very deep inlet with beautiful trees on both sides.  It is certainly getting to be fall as is evidenced by the changing colors of the trees.  I have never actually witnessed the changing colors like this before.  I have only seen it in puzzles or in pictures.  I am here to tell you, however, that it is truly spectacular. 

You can start to see just the tops of some of the islands that make up the upper part of the Door Penninsula.  Nice water.

Fall is just about here.  There is a chill in the air as temperatures are now in the 50-60's during the day and dropping into the mid 40's at night.  We actually used the fire place last night.  That was great.  It sure smelled good. 

Washington Island

Unfortunately, this anchorage is very rolly when the wind, even relatively light, has any northerly component to it.  When we went to sleep it was flat as a pancake.  By 0230, however, we were rockin' and a rollin'.  Not a very comfortable night, but nothing we haven't seen before on the California coast where rockin' and rollin' all night long is virtually a given (sometimes it is better than others, but I'm just sayin'). 

Not too clear, but you can see the colors of the trees starting to take on those fall hues.

Anyways, I thought I'd bang out a little blog work before I wake Brenda up with the generator to make coffee.  Then, I think we'll pull the hook and head out of here.  The water is calming down some and the sooner we are headed south, the sooner this northerly bump will be on our stern.  We are heading for Sturgeon Canal today.  That should be interesting.  We'll head out and around the corner of Washington Harbor to the Northwest and then gibe and head southwest through Port des Morts, and then back out onto Lake Michigan for a few miles in the lee of the Door Penninsula before we turn right and head into the canal. 

More later.

We definitely got the northerly swell on our stern and rocketed down through Port des Morts (Death's Door) and then back out onto Lake Michigan heading south.  Once we got off Green Bay, the water smoothed out nicely.  There was this strange 4-5' roller, though, that seemed to be coming from wind far to the north.  It didn't really bother us as we turned down with it.  It was just an interesting thing to notice. 

It rained almost all day.  As we were getting closer to our planned destination at Sturgeon, we happened to be checking the weather.  Our conditions, which were quite nice, as a matter of fact, would be deteriorating by midnight, and then would be crap for the next few days.  So, what we decided to do, was take advantage of the nice weather, and pushed another 4 hours down to a place called Kewaunee, Wisconsin.  The cruising guides said nice things about Kewaunee and we decided we should make up the distance while we have the good weather.  For the last few weeks, it seems like we have 2-3 good travel days, followed by 3-4 days of no-travel days.  If ths continues, we should make the south end of Lake Michigan by the end of the first week in October if not a little sooner.  The further south we get, the better and more consistent the weather gets.  I, personally, will miss northern Lake Michigan.  It is spectacular up there and someplace I would enjoy visiting again, only the next time, in more detail.  Nevertheless, we are on a mission. 

The photographs never really show just how nasty the waters of Lake Michigan had become.  Needless to say......we're fine.  As one reader pointed out, we certainly couldn't post blog updates from the bottom of the lake.

This is right at the end of the Port Des Morts (Death's Door) Passage.  Looks like a big headstone on a nasty looking sandpile, doesn't it?  Well, it's actually a lighthouse of sorts.  I think the headstone image is more appropriate for this day. 

Kewaunee is right on Lake Michigan.  It's about 30 miles south of Door County and about 25 miles east of Green Bay.  It is home to about 3000 folks.  It has often been referred to as Wisconsin's best kept secret.  Here is what the town's Comprehensive Plan Vision Statement states about Kewaunee, 
“In maintaining Kewaunee’s unique charm as the “Spirit of the Lakeshore”, we visualize a community which retains its historic, small city appeal while providing for measured economic growth where citizens can enjoy its exceptional lakefront, recreational and spiritual benefits of a dynamic, fulfilling community life and in so doing, confirming the need to provide residents with a safe and attractive community where ample opportunities exist to live, work and play”.  So far, so good.  Unfortunately, this plan to "Boom" was written before the economy went "Kaboom."

Kewaunee was incorporated as a village in 1873 and as a city in 1883.  Kewaunee first developed as a lumber town. Its proximity to northern forests and excellent transportation connections made it a prime location for sawmills and furniture factories. Kewaunee's natural harbor was a major factor in the development of the early settlement. The town is very proud of its maritime and ethnic heritage.  Here's an interesting tidbit:  the first doctor's office in Wisconsin was opened in Kewaunee in 1874, and is still there  on Milwaukee Street. Also, the U.S.S. Pueblo, along with other World War II naval vessels, were built and launched in Kewaunee. 

Waldo has his Cheesehead on.

The real reason Kewaunee was established however, was due to gold fever.  Someone in the early 1800's proclaimed that he had discovered gold in the Kewaunee River.  Well, no gold was ever found there, but a bunch of folks came and thought they'd try.  Thus, Kewaunee was established and the story says that they never looked back.  They had originally planned to design a city to rival Chicago.  Well, I guess you can say that, sometimes even the best laid plans don't quite work out.  It's like cruising.  Plans are like letters written in the sand on a rising tide. 

Kewaunee Harbor is an easy, deep entrance between two very long breakwaters.  Then you proceed about a half mile up the Kewaunee River until you get to the Kewaunee Municipal Marina.  The Harbormaster is a guy named Charlie.  Everyone who boats in and out of Kewaunee loves this guy.  Why?  Because he gets the job done extremely well.  He is also a very friendly person and is about as laid back as you can get.  I called in from about 4 to 5 hours out to make sure they had space for us and got his voice mail.  I then called a little later and he answered.  I told him I had called earlier and wanted to know if we could get in the harbor that afternoon.  He said, "Well, I got the message and was about to call you back.  We all had got a little drunk last night and decided to take the day off and go fishing. " (Sounds like life in Hawaii, especially up the North Shore)  So, he says, "no problem, E-24.  It's an end cap with 30 amp." I told him great, and that we would see him whenever it was convenient for him; that the weather was getting nasty and that we'd be going nowhere.  Then I called back again because I realized that I hadn't a clue as to the cost.  He said, "Well, you sound like a nice guy so we'll only charge you a buck and a quarter a foot. We ususally get a buck fifty."  Then he says, "On one condition, you give me a tour of your boat.  I love trawlers."  Of course he is most welcome.

So, we got in to Kewaunee and got tied up.  We then found The Waterfront which is the-on premises bar and grill.  I'm impressed.  We threw back a cheeseburger, several beers, and several wines and the bill rolled out to around $30.  That was the least I have spent on a full evening in a bar in over 5000 miles.  And, the food was good and the beer served in frosty mugs.  We had a nice time there and vowed to go back the following day to watch the Packers play the Bears.


So, two 9 hour travel days in a row separated by a lousy night at anchor, and we were ready for some rack time.

In the morning, we got up sort of early and took a hike through town.  There is not a whole lot of downtown Kewaunee, but what is there is pretty cool.  Unfortunately, it looks like this town, and its history of ship building, is pretty broken down economically.  Most of the businesses are closed and the doors boarded up.  However, in fairness, it was Sunday, and it was raining again, all day long.  So, we'll try it again on Monday (today) and see if more is happening.  Either way, we found a great coffee shop a short walk from the harbor. 

We then walked out along the waterfront and saw just how nasty Lake Michigan had become.  The waves were 6-8 feet and were coming over the top of the breakwater.  The water looked dark and grey.  Definitely no place for man or beast.  Even the birds were down.  It was very windy and cold.  Then of course, it started raining......again.  So we hightailed it back to the boat and dried out some before going to watch the football game at TheWaterfront.

We thought it was going to be quite crowded, but it wasn't.  Perhaps there were other places where folks went to watch the Packers.  So, we ended up getting there a little early as we wanted to make sure we got a decent table.  Not a problem.  Just before the end of the first quarter, some folks come into the place with pots and trays loaded up with food.  Then the waitress said to us to feel free to join in the feast, help ourselves, etc.  So we did.  The ham prepared by the owner's wife was sublime, along with this great bread.  There were baskets of chips, and other stuff as well.  There was no shortage of food.  Folks eat and party well here.  I like it.

Once the game ended, we made our way back to the boat.  It was an early evening.  We'll see what today holds as the weather is foretold to be pure snot.  It's supposed to get nice, so we can leave here tomorrow to continue heading south.  I'd like to check out the town's historic district.

 We got a few boat chores done today since it has been raining non stop.  Finally, around 3:30 in the afternoon, it stopped and so we took off for a walk.  We went back into town to take a closer look.  It really is a cool little town.  We stopped in for a drink at a place called the Blue Door Sports Bar.  We met the owner.  She and her husband moved up here from Chicago because they decided the did not want to have their three kids going to school in at a place where they had to walk through metal detectors every morning.  It turns out, his grandmother lives up here, so they and their kids packed up and left Chicago to live near his grandmother and to raise their kids in a small town.  Really, it is only a half hour from Green Bay, but it is certainly not Chicago.

She worked at a number of local establishments until one day she decided she wanted to do something on her own.  Having always tended bar, she knew something about the business and did not find it that hard to find a local bank that would loan her the money she needed to open a local small town bar.  Eventually, she got the loan and then called her younger sister who also lived in Chicago and offered her a partnership in the business.  While her sister had no capital to invest, she did agree to help out with the kids when she was not working, and it was agreed.  So, these two girls run their own bar with no "male" help.  However, her husband, a local carpinter, did all the finish carpentry to make the empty space into a very cool place. 

We hung out at the Blue Door for a little while and had the pleasure of speaking with a few more of the locals who filled us in on much in the way of local information and lore.  One guy we talked to was born and raised here, but left to attend engineering school at the U of W and then travelled the country during his career as an engineer of manufacturing machinery.  Now, he is retired and living on his family's 85 acre farm just outside of town.

We have met a lot of local folks here in Kewaunee.  These are some of the friendliest folks we have met on this trip.  They have been more than willing to talk, and to ask and answer questions.  We have been made to feel most welcome.

Today, we will leave for Sheboygan.  Hope we make it.  The weather forecast is rather unstable.  We have some options, however, so long as we keep moving south.

That's it for now.

Bye y'all.



A BAD NIGHT ON THE HOOK - A SHORT STORY

A BAD NIGHT ON THE HOOK

I think I would not make a good boat broker or salesman.  I can imagine a guy coming into my office and saying he wants to buy a boat for his family to enjoy on weekends and holidays.  I would then ask him if he has ever had any training or boating education.  Had the response been affirmative, I would have certainly asked more questions.  If he said he did not, I would probably focus on persuading him to get as much as possible BEFORE he plunked down thousands and thousands of dollars on a boat. That would be the end of that sale; another one bites the dust.

I would also ask “the mark” about his or her boating experience.  Some folks would inevitably tell me they used to go out with Uncle Steve on Lake Whatchamacallit in his 16 foot ski boat when they were kids.  Any experience since then?  No?

My next question, the one which would invariably concern the broker license holder whose chair I am warming, might be, have you ever been scared on the water?  This is an important question.  There are a lot of beautiful, well equipped boats for sale because the boater endured a horribly terrifying experience.  There are few things as scary as the notion of that deep, dark, cold, watery grave to put an exclamation point on a bad day on the water.  Whether it is getting caught in a storm or breaking down in front of an oncoming freighter, springing a leak, or catching on fire, bad waterborne experiences are life modifying events. Real boaters understand (at least they had better) that, Mother Nature has the ability to make boats simply disappear from the surface of the water without a trace.  And, we mostly know, or suspect that, disappearing from the surface of the water is going to be anything but quick and painless. I think I just killed another sale.  If you really want to kill a sale, then consider a bad night on the hook. 

Anchoring out is one of the most rewarding and wonderful experiences a boater can have.  The idea that you can pull up to paradise, drop the hook and “be there”; the freedom to stop where you want; the sense that it is you and the elements, alone, is all very stimulating.  Anchoring out brings peace and quiet.  Most of the time, a gentle rocking motion makes for a really good night’s sleep. 

So, you have studied the weather.  You have studied the terrain.  You have consulted charts and guides.  You think you have the perfect spot for the night under the circumstances.  You even have the proper ground tackle.  The perfect anchorage for tonight is right there in front of you. You follow all the proper procedures.  Finally, in the end, you shut down the engine and you are in paradise.  The sun is shining.  The water is flat like a mill pond.  You are the only boat in the anchorage.  The trees are beautiful.  The air is still and cool.  You can see a school of fish forming up under the shady cover of your swim platform.  It’s serene.  You have arrived.  It’s time for a cold one.  Life is good. Turn on the Jimmy Buffet tunes.  Break out the barbeque.  Dinner is going to be perfect.  The evening is shaping up to be epic.  It’s nice out; not too hot and not too cold.  The decks are just a little wet.  The sky is clear.  It’s all looking good.  You are stuffed from an outstanding meal, and those couple of drinks is making you feel that wonderful, slothful lethargy that you so look forward to after a long week in the trenches. 

You climb in under the warm blankets.  The boat is barely rocking.  In fact, you think to yourself, you rocked more at the dock the last time you went to that harbor and took a slip for the weekend.  This is really nice.  You gently drift off into blissful slumber.  Let the dream times roll.

Ok, ok, what the hell was that?  The boat is rocking and something in the galley just fell onto the floor.  Ok, that can wait.  Whoa! That was a hard roll.  Now, the splash of the swim step slamming the water has your attention.  You wonder if you are awake.  You are lying in your bunk.  It is pitch dark.  Speaking of pitch, your boat feels like a horse rearing up to gallop away and you haven’t even got your feet in the stirrups.  Now, you notice the sound of all those pots and pans in the drawers shifting and bashing.  It’s quite a racket.  What time is it?  It’s only 1:15 a.m.!  You just went to sleep at 11:00, but you feel like you have been sleeping for hours. 

Ok, time to get up and quiet those damn dishes in the sink, pick up whatever is rolling around on the galley floor, tuck a towel into that door to stop it from banging, and secure the glass cabinet doors so they won’t shatter.  It’s hard to walk.  You’re grasping for hand holds.  You have to find the lights.  You find the switch.  On with the lights, gone goes your night vision.  Now you feel like you are in the clothes dryer. Things are turning all over and you have no point of reference beyond your very reach.  The boat is rocking and rolling really hard and just pulling a shirt on over your head is a chore.  Now what?  Turn out the lights.  Boom!  Now you can see nothing.  It will take a while before your night vision returns.  So you sit there, holding on for dear life as your world spins in a blender.  Things are slamming.  You can hear the bow roller on the anchor pulpit slamming side to side.  Oh shoot, what was that?  The water pitcher just flew.  That open can of soda just flew across the salon.  Where are the cats?  Why is the bilge pump running?

Ok, night vision has returned.  Now it’s time to see what the hell is going on out there.  The boat is surging in all directions, mercilessly slamming into the incoming waves.  Was it just the wake from a passing ship or barge?  Is it a bunch of really inconsiderate night time jet ski riders making your life miserable?  What is it?  You venture up on deck.  Carefully, now.  Make sure you have a good grip.  It’s really rough out.  Then you see it. 

There is no moon.  The sky is dark and only a hint of gun metal grey due to the moon fading behind the thick, dark clouds. And there is a serious lump rolling into what you believed was a completely protected anchorage.  Then you notice the wind is gusting.  There is spindrift!  Whitecaps!  Your antennae are singing, and your outrigger lines are slapping the poles.  Ok, it’s one thing to be powering through the waves and making way.  It’s another thing to be tied to the bottom, hopefully, as the waves power through you, at night, in the dark.  So what do you do?  You sort of know where you are.  But, you don’t know really where you can go at this time of night.  It’s pitch dark out.  What if it’s worse leaving the anchorage?   How are you going to get the anchor in order to leave?  What if you leave?  If it’s worse out there, and you have to come back, how are you going to get your anchor down again?  What if it won’t set?  Where in the hell do you think you are going to go?  You are getting hit by waves that you cannot see, but that you sure can hear as they “smoke” on by.  It’s still 5 hours until day light.  There is NOTHING you can do. 

So, you can crawl back in bed or you can sit in the pilot seat.  You can try to wedge yourself into some place relatively comfortable, where you are able to resist getting tossed around too hard.  It’s hard. You can’t really read, or play video games.  All you want to do is check the weather to see when this is going to end, but there is no service.  Besides, you listened to the National Whatever Service previously.  That is why you came here.  So, what’s the point?

Before this miserable state of affairs tossed you out of bed, you were warm.  Now you are cold.  You are cold and you are sweating.  No amount of clothing is going to help because you will just get sweatier.  You take off a layer, you’re cold. You put it back on, and you sweat some more.  Now it’s starting to rain.  Your socks are wet.  There is a big knot in your stomach. And, even your t-shirt collar feels like its strangling you to death.  You have the beginnings of a nagging headache.  There is nobody to talk to.  Your wife is so pissed off she can’t speak.  She is lying there in bed scared to death and holding on for dear life.  Will anything make it stop?  It’s not going to stop.  You sit there hoping it’s going to get better when daylight arrives.  What if daylight never comes?  What if your anchor breaks loose.  Will there be time?  Oh God, it’s so cold!  Why won’t it stop?!  Why won’t it stop?! Oh, please just make it stop.  You can scream all you want, but there is nobody out there to hear you. 

 So, now.  Are you sure you want to buy a boat?  There goes another sale.

LAKE MICHIGAN - BEAVER ISLAND

We woke up early on Tuesday morning and headed out of Mackinac City under a cloudy orange sky.  There was a breeze and I was immediately concerned that the National Whatever Service had done it again - or not done it as the case may be.  The forecast was pretty good for the 36 mile passage we were about to undertake.  Our destination for the day is St. James on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan.  It is part of our plan to travel down the west coast of Lake Michigan and visit the coast of Wisconsin.

The Mackinac Bridge is the third longest suspension bridge in the world.  It cost almost $100 million to build nearly 40 years ago. 

This is a shot of our chart plotter screen showing us in the Staits of Mackinac leaving Lake Huron and entering Lake Michigan.

It was pretty amazing to go under the Mighty Mack Bridge with the sun on the stern, full steam ahead, seemingly running from the sunrise.  Of course, the sun caught up with us, and so did the errors of the National Whatever Service.  It got quite stinky out there as we headed west, south west.  The 1 foot waves were more like 3's and 4's and the 7-9 knots of wind was more like 15 to 20.  Nevertheless, the invenerable Abreojos handled it all like a champ and we just pounded along.  This was one of those trips where the windshield wipers are not in use due to rain, if you know what I mean. 

You might think this is somewhere in the Carribean.  Nope.  It's right here in northern Lake Michigan.

St. James on Beaver Island was only 36 nm away and we got an early start because the weather promised to get real bad later in the day.  It did.  But, by the time the weather really got sucky, we were already tied up snug as a bug in a rug at an old wooden dock in an older marina. 

Beaver Island is a pretty cool place to be.  It is the most remote inhabited island in the Great Lakes.  About 650 folks live here full time.  There are 11 lighthouses on this island. A lot of folks come here to hunt Coyote.  The docks we are tied up at are a little on the rustic side, but the 30 amp works and there is plenty of water.  We are right across the street from a very nice little grocery store, as opposed to the glorified 7-11 we found in Mackinac City.    So, it's all good.

This is the old jail.  Interesting.  There is an old jail, but there is not a stop sign on the island.

We are learning more about this island, but what we have learned so far is that there is a substantial Irish flavor to this island because of the history of Irish settlement here.  Trapping, fishing, and cutting wood for the passing steamers allowed men to earn a living here in the early part of the 19th century. By the 1840s, there were two flourishing trading posts.  In fact, Beaver Island became more significant than Mackinac Island at the time because of Beaver's good fishing, thick forests, and a much better harbor.  In 1850, there were 100 people living in a growing community at Whiskey Point.  They were unaware, however, that the few Mormons who arrived there around 1848, were planning to overwhelm the island and force them to leave.

A rather strange dude named James Strang is said to have created America's only kingdom on Beaver Island.  Although he failed in his career as a lawyer, he found God, so to speak when, in 1844, he met the big Mormon himself, Joseph Smith, and thus converted to this new evangelical religion.  Smith was impressed with Strang and assigned him to establish a branch in Wisconsin.  While Strang was gone, Smith was killed.  Well of course, Strang shortly thereafter "produced" a letter naming him Smith's chosen heir.  The even bigger Mormon, Brigham Young, challenged this.  Young was rather well entrenched by this time, so Strang packed himself up and led his followers through parts of Illinois and then Wisconsin before settling on Beaver Island where he claims God wanted him to bring his flock.  Once there, Strang managed to form a colony after managing to dig up a number of "mysterious" brass plates from the ground purportedly containing directives from God directly to him. 

Over the next couple years, the Strang colony grew and by 1850, most of the non-mormons left the island.  It is said that this degree of absolute power went to Strang's head.  He crowned himself King and took on additional wives.  Some of his former followers tried to oust him legally, but failed.  Finally, Strang was assasinated, by his own people.  Now, the Mormons were without a leader.  At the same time, an unruly mob of Irishmen was assembling on Mackinac Island, planning to oust all the Mormons from Beaver Island.  They succeeded, and by the end of 1856, all the Mormons had been driven from the island.

While the Mormons were here, they managed to change the Island from a wilderness to a moderate outpost of civilization.  The Irish who tossed them out, however, enjoyed some of the best fishing grounds in the world.  Now that the Mormons were gone, Irish fishermen came in droves from Gull Island, Mackinac Island, various port cities on the mainland, and County Donegal in Ireland. Once they settled in, they wrote to their families and friends about "America's Emerald Isle."  And, over the next 30 years, the Irish on Beaver Island developed their very own and rather unique identity, due in large part to their relative isolation.  The Catholic Church even held its services in Gaelic.

The fisherman caused a lot of trouble for themselves, however.  First, they declared as their own, the waters around the island and tried to exclude all others.  This pissed off the fishermen from the mainland.  Moreover, they were accused of over fishing as the supply of fish in Lake Michigan was suddenly declining.  The local law on the mainland tried to impose a fishing moratoreum, but the Irish fishermen ignored this proclamation.  A large controversey ensued which resulted in lots of gunfire and cannon fire in a display of aggression that became known as the Battle of the Beavers in 1897.

The Irish could never be run off the way the Mormons were, and they continued (and continue) to live on the island engaging in farming, logging, trapping, and other economic endeavors.

Interestingly, the "improvements" being implemented in other communities in the early part of the 20th Century came late to Beaver Island. It wasn't until 1905 that the Island was connected to the mainland by telegraph. Regular winter mail service did not happen until 1926.  The first power plant and thus electricity came in 1939.  Perhaps because of this backwardness, the Island was always a popular destination for those tourists who were willing to rough it. Tracts of beach on the Island's east side were turned into lots for vacation cottages in the 1920s and 30s.

Despite this seeming boost, the Island's economy was still dependent on commercial fishing.  But, when the lamprey eel began to decimate the trout and whitefish population in the 1940s, the Island was in trouble.  The once-thriving community of well over 1,000 residents dwindled to less than 200.  Fortunately, during the late 1970s as the economy of Michigan improved, more people discovered Beaver Island, fell in love with it, and bought property or a home.  Today, construction is the dominant industry, with carpenters as plentiful as fishermen once were.

We are stuck here for bad weather.....again.....but we will have a chance to check this place out.  The island is quite beautiful and very colorful.

More later.

Boy oh boy did the wind blow today!  It blew at 25-35 knots all day long.  The thing that really sucked about it was that, our boat is docked with our stern out to the bay.  The wind was from the south east which basically put it right on our transome.  So, all day and most of the evening, it was real "herky jerky" with 2-3 foot wind waves slamming into the back of the boat.  We have plenty of lines out so we weren't moving any place, but it was simply loud and uncomfortable.  Eventually, we left the boat and found a place down the road called The Shamrock.  Consistent with this island's heritage, it was an Irish Pub and Grill.

We enjoyed some nice conversation with the bartender who actually has family in Ventura County.  His uncle lives in Faria Beach.  This guy was interesting because he is actually a 4th generation islander.  His great grandfather and great grandmother came to Beaver Island with the Irish wave that arrived here at about the time the Mormons were kicked off the island.  His family were not fishermen, but rather farmers who grew wheat and corn, and, believe it or not, hemp (yes, MJ, Buddy Green, Sticky, etc) for making rope products.  There were apparently vast fields of the stuff.  It's long gone now, but that was something I had not heard before.  Anyways, his Grandfather and Grandmother then went off to Chicago and started a construction company.  His father followed in those footsteps, but eventually returned to the island with his wife, also an original islander, to retire.  Today, his father is in his early 80's and, in fine Irish tradition, is still drinkin's whiskey, kickin' ass and takin' names. 

We also enjoyed conversation with a nice couple from Chicago who are here celebrating their anniversary.  They managed to rent a house on the other side of the island and brought their two dogs for a little time away. 

Ultimately, we got back to the boat, had dinner and then watched movies.  The wind has calmed down now, but the water is still too big to leave today.  So, we'll hole up one more day.  We might rent a car (it's pretty cheap through the marina) and drive around the island.  It's supposed to be really cool.  Tomorrow, we leave.  Either we will go to Manistique, MI, or to Washington Island, WI.  We'll see.

More later.

The marina where we are staying is also the local rental car agency.  They offered us a car for 4 hours for 30 bucks so we could drive around the island.  So, we did.  We had today to do it, and decided it was worth it insofar as it is not every day you get to stay at a beautiful island in northern Lake Michigan.

The car was a little Geo Tracker.  It was perfect for the job.  We took off a little after noon and were back by 1600 and had a great time viewing all the beautiful places on this beautiful Emerals Isle.  Here are some of the photos.  Enjoy.  Tomorrow we are off again.  Not sure where to, but moving.