August 31, 2024 – S/V Reflection

Northern Lights

Post author:Marcia Beer
Post published:August 31, 2024
Post category:Introductions Ports of Call
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August 31 at 3:45am I got up to do an anchor check and I looked out and saw stars, so I unzipped the enclosure and noticed rhythmic and shimmering light coming from our starboard side. I woke up Mary and Harold and we sat out on deck an watched the aurora for a half hour until it started to fade. The Milky Way was out in all it's brilliance and so many stars. I even spotted a meteor. Nearly every night I've look up into the night sky looking for the lights and today we enjoyed them from the middle of the Beaver Island Harbor. Tonight we are tying up a the marina because winds are going to be gusting 30mph! Yesterday at 24 mph, we dragged anchor halfway through our first cup of coffee and had to spring into action. When we…

Night Noises

Post author:Marcia Beer
Post published:August 31, 2024
Post category:Reflections
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Sleeping aboard a boat comes with unique night noises depending on wind, waves, and swing of the boat. During the day we don't notice the various creaking lines, slapping halyards, tapping snap fasteners, and squawking squeaks. Apparently the cue for these unsettling noises to start, is the moment you turn off the lights and start to nod off. "What's that sound?" is the predominate conversation, quickly followed by an anchor check to make sure no dragging is happening. Then settling down again, starting to nod off there is a tap tap tapping sound followed by a thump thump thumping sound, then a swing of the boat followed by a moan of the snubber line. On a calm night in a protected anchorage the noises are much less, maybe a lapping of a wave against the hull. The noises once identified are something we…

Rose and Dave

Post author:Harold Beer
Post published:August 31, 2024
Post category:People
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We bought our first ‘big’ sailboat (27 feet) in 2000. It was named Arcturus when we bought it, and we kept the name. The year 2000 was a bit of a blur. We would drive about a hundred miles to the boat on Friday after an early dinner, get to the boat, go out and sail until about 10pm. Racing to get back before Demond’s grocery closed, in order to get 3 pints of ice cream. Most of the time we needed to get back to Lansing for Sunday morning church. On the center dock, there were four or five really active sailing couples. Bill and his wife were right next to us on Airwaves, Brian and Lynn on Re-Run, Al and Nancy on Desire, and Rose and Dave on Windswept. At the marina, Tower Harbor in Douglas, Michigan, was the Tower Harbour…

August 31 – 0245

Post author:Harold Beer
Post published:August 31, 2024
Post category:Ports of Call
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Marcia woke up to check on our anchor - we dragged anchor yesterday morning. Beaver Island is quite dark. She called out, "Stars, northern lights!" And so I went out dressed in a hoodie. Then went below to get the camera - the boat swings at anchor, but the northern lights were awesome.