We left Washington Island Friday, July 10. It was a calm lake, which meant we motored almost the entire way. Not ideal, but we’re trying to set up for a trip to Beaver Island and a jump to St. Ignace. We went to anchor. After a bouncy night Sunday into Monday, we took a slip at Northport Marina, one of our favorites. We had a nice visit from our son, Tim, beginning on Monday. We watched the semifinal match between France and Spain in the boaters lounge at the marina here. We met the owner of a cherry orchard who was using the lounge as his office as he was without internet at the farm. He gifted us a bottle of cherry vinegar. It’s very nice. RedTruckOrchards.com We marinated pork chops in the vinegar with salt and black pepper. Delicious. The smoke rolled in Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, we went back to anchor.
We took the dinghy ashore and went to the Northport Bar and Grill to watch the England v. Argentina match Wednesday afternoon.
The smoke has been bothersome, so we moved back to the marina on Friday. Still trying to work out what to do. The winds are favorable to Beaver on Monday, but the seas will build by midday. Wednesday we could go through the straits to St. Ignace. But there’s smoke and it doesn’t feel super safe to travel with poor visibility.
The midges have been a real issue at anchor, and today I awoke to the carnage.
In the end, we have decided to spend almost a week here in the marina. We have wifi, hot showers, and laundry. There are good restaurants and the grocery is close as well.
It’s too early to know the winds for the end of next week, but I’m still hopeful to make it to Beaver Island and thence to St. Ignace. We are very dependent on the weather, and we make plans and scrap them, and then reconsider. We really want to get to the North Channel in August – but the winds, wave and now smoke will decide when.