Rain and Waves Dominate Brief Final Sail - September 27, 2010

Kelly IV on her "mooring"

John Stahl signed up to do the first fall work day to help me with Kelly IV's haul out.  Since both of us were free to go to Erie a day early, we decided to take Kelly for a daysail.  Unfortunately, the weather was grey, blustery and rainy with a forecast for increased wind, waves and rain as Monday wore on.

While Kelly has been in Erie this month, we've treated the CQR anchor as if it is a mooring.  I tied a couple small floats onto the end of the anchor line.  Every time we moved Kelly IV from the anchorage, we merely untied the anchor line and dropped it, with the floats, off the bow and sailed away.  When we returned, it was just a matter of using the boat hook to retrieve the line by snagging onto the floats.  Jack VanArsdale suggested this when we first arrived in Erie and it has worked well all month!

About 11am John dropped the anchor floats off of Kelly's bow and we motored out of the bay heading directly into the northeasterly breeze.  And it was a very cool, stiff breeze.  Presque Isle Bay was choppy, the channel was worse and there were nasty little 2 to 3 footers bashing us on the nose as we made our way into the open lake.

John and I raised the mainsail with the first reef tied in and only unfurled the jib to the top of the bow pulpit, effectively a first reef in the jib.  With the Yanmar shutdown the only sound was the splashing and whooshing of the waves and wind as we beat into them close hauled on a due north heading.  We tacked to avoid the shoals of Gull Point and could point no higher than 120 degrees.  Although the breeze made for great sailing, the cool temperature, damp spray, threatening grey clouds and short, steep choppy waves made for an uncomfortable ride beating to weather.

It only took a couple more tacks and the addition of some determined rain clouds to convince us that we were “gentlemen”.  As in “Gentlemen Never Sail to Weather”!  It had taken us over an hour to tack our way to the northeast only a couple miles beyond the channel into the bay.  Once we ran downwind, we covered the few miles in less than half the time, with much greater comfort, and with almost no spray.  With the wind at our backs we blasted through the channel without even turning the engine on.  John was steering most of the time and continued to turn the helm to the southwest as we ran toward the Erie Yacht Club at the far end of the bay.

As we approached the EYC, John called “Helm's-a-lee!” and we tacked back into the building breeze.  Without the battering waves of the open lake, the close hauled trim became an exciting and enjoyable sail.  John successfully tacked Kelly several more times to place her off the entrance to Marina Lake in Presque Isle State Park.  The breeze was strong enough that we never needed the motor, but drifted through the almost dead wind space in the small entrance to the park's anchorage.  As we made the turn to the west, the breeze came clear of the towering trees and we sailed nicely up to our makeshift mooring.  We only used the motor for a little fine tuning as we maneuvered to pick up the anchor line.

John and I had a good, if wet and chilly sail, but now it was time to work.  We rigged the whisker pole as a crane, lifted the Portland Pudgy onto the foredeck and pulled the CQR off the bottom.  Raising anchor became a job worthy of Mike Rowe!  John volunteered to do the messy deed, but I fear he didn't understand just how dirty the job really was.  At first the line came up just fine, then it became dark in color from the bottom muck until finally the anchor line appeared to be twice as thick.  In fact, the extra density came from the globs of black, gooey crud that makes up the bottom of the anchorage.  While it is terrific for holding a boat anchor in the strongest of winds, the thick black mess sticks to and stains everything it touches.  To clear the muck off the anchor rode and chain and finally the anchor itself, John had to continuously and vigorously splash the line, then chain, then CQR up and down in the water to gradually wash everything enough to drop it back down the hawse hole.  If John had not done this job well, then the odoriferous slime would generate a foul scent that would permeate the entire vessel.  Thankfully, John did extremely well and the anchor, nicely cleaned, came to rest in its place on the roller.

I dropped John off at the fuel dock so he could drive the car around the bay while Kelly and I motored over to Bay Harbor Marina.  In the morning, the team at BHM would haul Kelly out of the water and put her on a cradle in the RCR Yachts yard for the winter.  It was pouring down rain Tuesday morning as John and I pulled the Genoa and main off their spars and folded them up.  Thankfully the rain intensity dropped to a mere drizzle with frequent dry moments, so the weather kept improving as the work progressed.

Although the “Dreary Erie” weather made things a little uncomfortable, our rain gear kept us mostly dry and the job was done.  John and I were both back to our respective homes in time for dinner Tuesday night.

Another World Traveling Sailor Meets Kelly - September 17 – 19, 2010

Jack VanArsdale, Bill Paviol and his daughter, Sarah, joined Kelly IV for the final sail of the 2010 season.  We drove to Kelly IV on Friday night, loaded our provisions and gear and climbed into our sleeping bags.

It was an early wake up at 6am as Jack prepared a delicious breakfast for the crew and we were on our way at 0700.  As we cleared the channel departing Presque Isle Bay, Erie, PA, the mild breeze was about 10 knots and mostly southerly so we set the sails for a broad reach and were bounding along quite nicely.  Our original thought was to sail to Dunkirk, NY, but as the day wore on, the wind gradually shifted directly behind the stern (southwest) and built to a blustery 15 knots.  While this was great sailing, especially as we set the whisker pole and sails for wing-and-wing, it also brought grey clouds and the looming threat of rain.  It was the gloomy thought that the cold rain might catch us that changed our destination.  About Noon we were only about 4 miles from Barcelona, NY, a port of many fond memories and one that Jack had never been to.  Our stories of the small but interesting harbor and it's friendly people convinced us to rethink our destination and we set the new course for Barcelona, due East instead of Northeast.

Jack had the helm for much of the sail and did a great job of keeping us on our northeasterly course about 5 to 10 miles off the brown cliffs and green trees of the Lake Erie coastline.  The waves came upon the stern, pushing Kelly one way or the other, then sloshing noisily by as it passed underneath.  While the action was similar to our recent delivery trip as the winds were aft and the waves were lifting the stern and rolling the boat as the they slid underneath, it was a much kinder/gentler version!  These breezes to Barcelona were only about 15 knots and the waves were only 2 to 3 feet, so the scale was dramatically smaller than the “similar” sail from Sandusky a couple weeks earlier.

Knowing that the Barcelona Harbor is quite shallow, we entered slowly with Jack at the helm, myself on the bow and Bill managing our communications so everyone could work smoothly together.  The harbormaster told us in a phone call that with Kelly's 5 ft draft, we should just anchor in the small channel, keeping close to the western breakwater.   Even there we saw consistent depths of 6 to 7 feet, just enough to keep Kelly floating!

We recognized one of the moored boats as the one owned by a world circumnavigator whom we had talked with on our last trip to Barcelona, which happened to be Kelly III's final cruise when I sold her before finding Kelly IV.  Fortunately, the experienced sailor was on board his boat as we entered the harbor, so he clambered down into his dinghy and motored slowly over to us.  He asked about our anchors.  Finding that we had our 2 Danforths, he suggested we use both of them to be sure they dug into the somewhat weedy bottom (not usually good for Danforths).  The white haired sailor with more than a few miles under his keel, also pointed out that the pretty blue-hulled boat on a mooring very near us was, in fact, aground!  The pretty boat's draft was five and a half feet, just inches more than Kelly IV!

There was an open mooring between the 38 ft world traveled cruiser and the pretty boat, but thinking that another boat might own and pick up the mooring later, we decided to anchor between the moored boats and the small rocky beach at the end of the breakwater.  It was the tightest anchor spot Kelly IV has ever been in.  Thankfully, the shallow depth called for a short rode to accomplish a 5 to 1 scope.  With four feet of freeboard and 6 feet of depth, we only needed 50 feet of rode to achieve the 5 to 1 scope.  We put out both Danforth anchors and our swing was very minimal.

In the early afternoon, the sun returned, the wind kept changing from West to South to SE to SW and around again.  It was quite the test for our anchors, so the crew went ashore leaving an anchor watch (me).  Although the winds shifted a lot, the majority of the breeze came from the west.  It seemed Kelly IV was gradually inching her way closer to the pretty grounded boat, until finally I felt it was necessary to move the anchors a little further to the west, away from the moored boats, especially the grounded one.  With two anchors down, very little swing room and no crew (they were all ashore exploring the tiny harbor, marinas, restaurants, historic lighthouse and 16th century sailing ship) my adrenalin was a bit elevated!

I shouldn't have been concerned.  The breeze dropped to about 5 knots which was perfect, as it was just enough to make Kelly drift, but so minimal that just putting the engine into gear was enough to propel Kelly into the slight breeze.  With the sun bathing the entire scene, it became an upbeat and enjoyable exercise.  Kelly just motored slowly forward as I pulled up both anchor rodes until the bow was spit between the two anchors.  Then I put the engine in neutral and pulled Kelly to one side collecting the first anchor, then back to the other side and popped the second anchor off the bottom.  With the now very light breeze, I had time to splash the anchors vigorously in the water to wash all the mud off them.  Once the anchors were clean and on the bow, it was simply a matter of circling once around to find the new anchor spot, lowering first one then the other anchor and drifting back to a more comfortable distance from the pretty blue boat (which was still firmly aground).

Soon after the crew returned from their explorations, we saw a good looking motor yacht with a sweeping sheer to the bow and first class canvas enclosing the pilot and cockpit area.  As the solo sailor motored close by us, he asked about where he might tie up for fuel, so we directed him to the only open slip we could see.  It was late in the afternoon, so it seemed he might be taking a slip that was unlikely to belong to anyone else that evening.  Fortunately, we guessed correctly!

The most intriguing thing about this motor yacht was the British Ensign he was sporting from his stern!  It was the first time I'd seen a British Ensign on Lake Erie.  My curiosity got the best of me, so Sarah and I rowed the dinghy across the 100 feet to shore (the shortest dinghy ride from anchor!) and walked over to meet our new neighbor.  It turns out that John is a dual citizen of Canada and the UK.  As a Canadian, his speech was identical to our own, no accent to our ears.  I guess I was hoping to hear a little “blimey, mate!” or something.  :-)

John is a very friendly sailor who had sailed his prior boat, a Catalina 45 down the US East Coast, throughout the Caribbean and even through the Panama Canal.  He says he chickened out 300 yards into the Pacific and turned around, but I suspect he is no chicken.  Like any good sailor, he changed his plans when it made sense to do so.  Like our plans to go to Dunkirk were changed when it made sense.  We were thankful we made the change or we would never have met John!

In the morning we met John for coffee at the small breakfast place called “Jack's” and discussed our plans for leaving.  The wind had shifted to the northeast overnight and was blowing at 15 knots again, kicking up 3 ft waves.  The forecast said the winds would be calming and the waves declining as the day wore on, so getting a later departure seemed a good idea, especially for John as he would be motoring into the northeasterly wind and waves.  The breeze was fine for us as we'd be riding it downwind again, southwest to Erie.

Our conversation bloomed so our departure crept to a later time until we finally pulled our anchors aboard and found the breeze was down to 10 knots or less and the waves were well under two feet.  Since the wind was directly astern, we were on a dead run, no additional advantage like a reach.  In addition the breeze and waves kept falling.  By the time we were only a couple miles from Barcelona, we restarted the engine and motor sailed the entire way to Erie.  There was just not enough breeze to get us back in a timely way.

Although we never saw the threatened rain on Saturday, Sunday afternoon it finally caught us.  It was a little cool, bur we merely raised the bimini and pulled on our foul weather gear for a comfortable, if damp ride home.  The rain stopped before we entered Presque Isle Bay, so unloading gear and packing the cars went smoothly.  Then the Paviols headed home, Jack and I buttoned up Kelly IV and the dinghy, as I wouldn't be back for several days.

It was another memorable weekend, as Barcelona continues to create wonderful memories of the world traveling sailors we meet there!

Erie Delivery Sail in 8 Foot Waves - September 3-6, 2010

The dates above are misleading because the actual sailing from Sandusky, OH to Erie, PA was only 26 hours from Saturday about 5pm to Sunday about 6pm! To add a little perspective to that, the trip is about 140nm, very similar to the two TransErie Races I crewed a few years back.  For the TransErie Race I crewed on a very fast racing sailboat that could easily sail at 8 to 10 knots, in the right breeze. It was one of the earliest finishers in both races I crewed on her. The fastest of the two races I crewed took us 30 hours to finish. And you read correctly that Kelly IV, a heavy cruising (NOT racing) design sailboat took only 26 hours for the same trip!

Here are some exciting details. I was very fortunate to have the experienced crew of Jack VanArsdale, Keith Otto, and Val Schwarzmueller. Jack has been sailing for many years including several years on his own Cape Dory Typhoon with his sons on Lake Arthur, then for 8 years with me on Kellys III and IV. Keith has been sailing on Lake Arthur since the turn of the century and with me since 2003. While Val only recently joined the Kelly Crew last year (a total of 7 trips now on Kelly IV), he has been a sailing instructor with the Moraine Sailing Club for several years and also has about 10+ years sailing all the world's oceans with the German Merchant marine and Navy.  In addition, Nino Forlini and his daughter, Nina, served as crew driving the van which delivered Val, Keith, Jack and I to Sandusky, then picked us up in Erie.  For Val's video of the trip, Click Here (Video by Val Schwarzmueller).

Nina and Nino discuss the weather with Murph

I am very fortunate to have such great crew as the conditions we faced this past weekend were anything but mild. The forecast had very little variation as I checked it each day last week leading up to our departure from Pittsburgh for Sandusky, Ohio. The Friday Afternoon Offshore Forecast from NOAA summed things nicely: “SATURDAY WEST GALES TO 35 KNOTS DIMINSHING TO 30 KNOTS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. WAVES 10 TO 12 FEET.
 SUNDAY SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTH 30 KNOTS. WAVES 5 TO 8 FEET.”

We were checking the weather every couple of hours on Saturday as Gale Warnings were issued through 5pm on Saturday. As you probably know, Small Craft Advisories are announced when there are sustained winds of greater than 18 knots. Gale Warnings are issued when sustained winds exceed 34 knots. In addition we checked the Canadian Hydrographic Service as well as a NOAA buoy (online data) that was in position about 17nm north of Vermilion, Ohio. About 3pm the NOAA buoy data showed a drop in wave heights from 6+ feet to about 5.5 feet. Since the forecasts were consistently showing a slow but steady drop in both winds and waves, we decided we could depart Sandusky sometime after 4pm. Although the wind and waves would be a significant challenge for us, we thought we'd be up to the challenge, as it was certainly a downwind ride.

Jack, Keith and Murph at departure by Val Schwarzmueller

About 1645 we departed our slip in Sandusky with many good wishes from various dockmates and sailors. For the first time in Sandusky, we did not leave our lines on the pier, but pulled all lines aboard Kelly IV. We do not plan to revisit Sandusky for some years to come. Val was on the first watch. We had prepared a watch schedule that had worked well for Kelly in the past. The watch was for 3 crew to stand 3 hours on, 6 hours off from 6am through midnight, then 2 hours on, 4 hours off from midnight to 6am. Our thinking is that 6 hours off provides an almost decent continuous opportunity for sleep, but also reduces the demand for concentration through the wee hours. Val's watch provided him the chance to steer through Sandusky Bay as we made our way into the open lake. Although the waves were small (2 to 3 feet) in the Bay, the wind was still a very brisk 20 knots (not counting the gusts which went to 25+ knots). We raised our mainsail with a double reef and left the jib furled completely. Once the motor was off we were still making 5 knots through the water, so we felt no need to make any more sail.

Val (steering), Jack enjoying the ride! Click for Val's Slideshow

As Val took us beyond the Cedar Point breakwater the wave heights gradually climbed until we were beyond the protection of Marblehead and Kelleys Island. By then Keith had taken the helm and the waves were about 5 feet. We were discovering that a larger wave could easily grab Kelly by the stern and push her 20 to 30 degrees off course and put her in a position to risk broaching (turning sideways to the waves so that she might dip her boom into the water). That would be bad as the water on the boom could also pull more of the mainsail under the water until finally the mast could be pulled under. That would mean we would be at risk for flooding water into the main cabin (never a good thing!). Fortunately, none of our experienced crew let even the least amount of water hit the boom, so nothing dire ever came to be.

Keith steers before an 8-10 feet tall wave! by Val Schwarzmueller

As evening turned into night, the wind and waves seemed to grow. Our log records sustained winds up to 30 knots and frequent waves up to 8 feet. What that means is that every now and then we may have seen a gust to 35 knots and a wave of 10 feet! Jack, Val and Keith were real troopers as they each took their watch as scheduled. As Skipper, I did not stand a watch, but merely made myself available, if and when needed. I am very grateful as each crew stood his watch and I never had to take a watch for any of the crew. The effort they expended was quite significant as it took a very strong effort for the helmsman to counter the powerful waves as they pushed Kelly off her course. After even two hours of fighting the weather, the watch was very willing to return to their bunk for some well-deserved rest.

You would be right on target to wonder about how the crew handled the threat of mal-de-mer (seasickness). Val, Jack and I each took Dramamine and followed on our respective package instructions closely. Val never felt ill, Jack and I only briefly and minimally. Unfortunately, Keith had a tough bout following his first watch, about 2100 on Sunday night. Keith has sailed in a large variety of conditions, but nothing quite as boisterous as the current battering from Mother Nature. As we discussed it later, this was Keith's opportunity to discover his limits! :-) Fortunately Keith recovered, got some sleep and was back on his feet in time to stand his next watch, so he never missed an assigned watch, despite his battle with the sea conditions.

Jack handles the helm at dusk, between the larger waves

As the night wore on we realized we were very much alone on the lake. We had passed a small freighter, the Maumee, at anchor outside of Sandusky Bay, and another freighter on a reciprocal course heading west, but not a single sailboat until we reached Erie. The lights of Cleveland were very bright as we passed twenty miles north, but the stars were clear enough that the helm could be steered by holding the stars in a fixed pattern above the dodger. In fact there was no haze and the horizon was starkly clear so that it was difficult to tell if the bright lights we saw were a nearby freighter or a distant shoreline. It wasn't until we passed by and could determine that the lights were fixed, that it became certain that the lights were 15 miles away on shore.

The same clarity continued as the morning dawned and we could see the chimney stacks of Ashtabula appear on the southern shore. The waves and wind diminished some until the log recorded 4 to 6 feet and 15 to 20 knots respectively about 0830. The waves and wind continued to subside until Noon when they seemed to be only 2 to 4 feet and 18 knots. From there the typical afternoon conditions of rising winds and corresponding waves kicked back in, so that Kelly's log shows that we saw winds in the low 20s (kts) and waves still at four to six feet. It was late in the afternoon, about 5pm that we spied our first sailboat underway, a sloop flying only her Genoa jib, just east of Presque Isle. They were only in sight for about an hour, then they slipped out of sight, as we suspect they returned to the relatively flat water within Presque Isle Bay.

While it was a beautiful day for sailing, the crew was pretty tired from a vigorous night and little sleep due to the constant and exuberant motion of the boat. This might explain that everyone (captain, included) were eager to enjoy the calm seas as we turned south then west into the lee of Presque Isle's peninsula.  As we motored into the wind of the relatively calm bay, we began to see some sailboats enjoying the brisk breeze, but calmer waters of the bay. Keith's watch took us the final few miles ending in the flat millpond of Marina Lake within the Presque Isle State Park where the great crew dropped anchor cooked up a hot meal and dropped off to a well earned rest soon after dark.

Val, Keith, Murph, Jack, Nina, Nino:  Kelly IV's Crew

We called Nino and Nina to let them know we were safely arrived in Erie.  The next morning they picked us up for celebratory breakfast at Taki's restaurant, where we learned about the exciting time Nina and dad enjoyed visiting an animal park, some fishing and a fun trip to Waldameer Park.  Then they drove us back to Pittsburgh where we all returned to our work-a-day world.

While the challenge of the 26 hour sail was anything but silly fun, it was truly an experience of the adventurous sort. I am very proud of the crew for their courage standing up to the challenge of a seriously difficult sail across the short, steep, choppy, and large waves of Lake Erie. Jack, Keith and Val are sailors of distinction and I will be pleased to sail with them anytime, anywhere!

The Professionals Sail to Put-In-Bay - August 27–29, 2010

A Professional Mariner, Professional Videographer, Professional Physicist, Professional Ne'er Do Well had a terrific weekend sailing to South Bass Island's Put-In-Bay.  Val Schwarzmueller, Carl Truss, Ollie Browne, and myself (in that order) put together a fun weekend of sailing, motorsailing and motoring to take full advantage of another great summer weekend.

As you may know from our past logs and sails with Val and Ollie, both have been sailing several times with Kelly IV over the past 2 years.  Carl is new to Kelly IV this trip but was quickly adopted as crew when he jumped at his first chance to take the helm.  Carl's sailing experience is nowhere near as extensive as his camera work (he runs a camera for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh City Council, among many other venues) but he has sailed several times on Lake Arthur, Moraine State Park in Pennsylvania under the sailing instruction of Val, a certified instructor for the Moraine Sailing Club.  Val, you may recall was also one of Ollie's instructors in years past.

Carl at the helm, photo by Val

We gave Carl a challenging job at the helm since the Ne'er Do Well skipper (yours truly) was showing off and tried to raise all three sails, Genoa, Main, and Drifter.  After several attempts to keep all three sails filled and still maintain a proper course to avoid the reef at the Bay entrance and to clear Marblehead, discretion finally took the better part of valor and the drifter was doused and Kelly IV returned to normal sailing with genny & main.  Throughout the trials of raising and lowering the drifter, furling and unfurling the genny, running and rerunning the sheets for these two sails, Carl kept us off the reef at the mouth of Sandusky Bay as well as clear of the rocks at the Marblehead Lighthouse.  Thankfully, the wind was light (hence the interest in the Drifter) and waves were choppy, yet minimal, so the efforts of Ollie, Val and Carl to keep their befuddled skipper safely on board was a little easier than if the wind and waves would have been much higher.  I was scampering about the foredeck as if I was once again a youthful 25 year old and my old bones and muscles loudly complained about the abuse over the next few days.

Thanks to the light but steady breeze we were able to sail on a reach on Starboard tack without using the motor through the entire South Passage across the north of Marblehead and Catawba and south of Kelleys and South Bass.

Photo by Val

Val is quite the photographer himself and impressed us all by volunteering to take some dramatic video and stills while drifting behind Kelly in the little yellow dinghy.  As we let out the painter, one of the two connections holding the bridle to the painter let go!  Fortunately Val successfully reconnected it before any serious force came onto the bridle.  We were at risk of losing our connection to Val and the dinghy, but his quick action kept things well under control.  Even after this incident, Val said “hand me the camera bag”!  So I reached aft over the water bubbling off the stern and stretched so that Val might grab the bag securely with his own greatly outstretched grip.  Fortunately, the camera made it safely into the safe cocoon of Val’s arms and the photography commenced.  

Click Here for 5 minute video by Val

Ollie and Carl and I shifted sails, changed Kelly's direction and alerted Val to various powerboat wakes as he let us know where we should position Kelly for his various shots.  All this while Carl kept us on course as we sailed past Starve Island and the southern tip of South Bass Island and turned north east of Green Island.  When we turned north, we were able to trim the sails to close hauled which finally had us sailing an almost exhilarating beat into the ENE breeze.  After settling onto the new heading, we finally hauled the dinghy and Val back to Kelly and safely brought Val into the cockpit.

Ollie took his turn on the helm and sailed us all the way to a point SW of Middle Bass Island where he turned from Starboard Tack to Port Tack and headed straight into the anchorage at Put-In-Bay.  Given the fine weather and the fact that this was the final weekend of summer 2010 (except for Labor Day) it seemed that everyone was on the water.  

Ollie confirms, we always eat well aboard Kelly IV,
photo by Carl

There wasn't enough breeze for any waves, but the powerboats made up for it by creating a healthy and bouncy chop that we dealt with for the entire trip.  The crowds also meant there was a nearly full anchorage when we finally sailed into it.  As a result, we decided to rely on the motor for maneuverability as we dropped the anchor.  We each took what counts for a shower on Kelly IV (about 3 minutes of get wet, soap up, rinse off) and rowed the dinghy into shore.  Since 4 adults is about the max for the Portland Pudgy to carry, we spent a few minutes getting our weight balanced correctly.  This left the smallest crew, Ollie, in the “drivers” seat and so he rowed the three larger crew all the way in!  We got numerous comments from various other cruisers as Ollie worked his oars and pulled us into the rocky beach.  Fortunately, Ollie proved to be a strong and skillful rower so the trip was uneventful, except for the various comments we drew!

On shore, it was too late to show Carl the new-to-him Perry's Victory Museum.  Carl and his wife had visited Put-In-Bay 20 years ago.   He let us know that the changes were many and quite dramatic.  Apparently, PIB was much smaller, with fewer visitors, and significantly more quiet atmosphere when Carl and his wife had taken a ferry to the islands those many years ago.

Val and Murph, photo by Carl

We had dinner at the Irish Pub in town and an after-dinner brew at the Brew Pub on the next block.  When we rowed back, Val took the oars and valiantly pulled us to Kelly for a quiet evening on the anchor.

Sunday dawned bright but with a little more haze than Saturday, and even less wind.  Val took the wheel and steered us as we motorsailed all the way back to the Bay.  We stopped first at Battery Park to top off the diesel, then to Sandusky Harbor Marina to end the trip.

And it was a Great Trip!  Although the breeze was light, we still made it to PIB with very little motoring.  And the company was terrific!  With four great professionals, what would you expect!  :-)

Carl, and Ollie with Val at the helm

Long Weekend Includes Canada, August 13-17, 2010

Kelly IV and Pudgy in the slip by John Stahl

When you get 3 guys all well past 50 years of age, it seems just a little bit easier to get the time off to go sailing.  At least that was the case this past weekend when Ollie Browne and John Stahl both finagled Monday and Tuesday away from work so the three of us could enjoy a long weekend of sailing.  Since I was already on Kelly IV, John and Ollie shared the ride to Sandusky together.  They stowed their gear, we discussed the weather and hit the rack for a good night's rest.

Kelly IV's anchorage at Kelley's Island by John Stahl

The forecast was calling for 5-15 knots of SW breeze, and a Chance of thunderstorms increasing to Likely Thunderstorms for Saturday night.  Although we tried to sail to our anchorage north of Kelleys Island, the light air was so minimal that we simply motored.  The clouds were looking a little grey and ugly, but certainly not as black and ominous as the more intense storms seem to be.  We considered flying the drifter, but given the look of the sky, it seemed better to keep moving under power to be certain the anchor was down before the storms hit us.  As Kelly IV turned west past the NE corner of Kelleys Island (known to Kelly IV sailors as Kelleys Triangle) the breeze picked up so we tried to sail without the engine running.  Unfortunately, Kelly can't point very well so the SW breeze forced us to sail NW.  In addition a light rain began to fall and the breeze fell off to less than 5 knots, so our sailing was curtailed only a few minutes after we began.  The light rain and air were so minimal and ended so quickly that we hardly noticed any weather as Ollie and John set the anchor.  Once Kelly IV was drifting calmly in the anchorage, we rowed the new dinghy ashore to see the sights.

The Glacial Grooves in the state park on Kelley's Island by John Stahl

Of course, the Glacial Grooves are nearly a requirement to be seen, especially as they are only a short walk from the dinghy dock.  From there we decided to walk into the “downtown” less than two miles to the south.  It was particularly hot and steamy, so when 4 people in a 6 passenger golf cart offered us a ride, we took it.  Of course that meant the three of us had to squeeze into a seat meant for 2 adults, but we made it work.  After continuing to play tourist by visiting Inscription Rock, the 500 year old and greatly weathered stone bearing native inscriptions, we walked back to town (2 blocks) and cooled off in the air conditioning of the restaurant on the corner (Captain's Table?).  The A/C was attractive enough to entice us to stay for a light dinner, before buying ice and getting a cab back to the dinghy.  The thunderstorms didn't show up until Sunday night.

Ollie at the Captain's Table by John Stahl

Neighboring boats in the anchorage
at Middle Bass Island by John Stahl

The weather on Sunday was beautiful and the forecast called for a shift in the breeze to the NW.  That meant a new anchorage, as our current spot was open to the NW, N, NE and E.  The best choice seemed to be Pelee Island and that included a trip to a foreign country, so that became our destination.

Pelee Island anchorage by John Stahl

Given the nice breeze out of the SW we never turned on the motor all day!  John and Ollie pulled up the anchor and Kelly IV sailed away under John's eager guidance.  To clear the shoals at Gull Island and Middle Island we had to head NW on a beam reach, then steer due north on a wonderful broad reach.  With the sun glistening on the sparkling water, John worked the wheel to keep Kelly in her groove to the north.  Once she reached her waypoint NW of Middle Island, Kelly's course became almost due East until Fish Point at the southernmost spot on Pelee Island was behind us.  Then we'd be able to steer north into the anchorage in Pelee's South Bay.  The ENE course put us on a run, so Ollie and I rigged the sails wing-and-wing, the most challenging of all points of sail for Kelly IV(and many other sloop rigged boats).  John was up to the challenge and we made excellent time into South Bay.  Since we are sailors, passing an entire day without using the motor is almost like achieving nirvana!  To make it happen, we steered north into the anchorage on a broad reach, furled the jib to slow down, and watched the depthsounder until it showed 10 feet.  At that point we merely turned back into the SW breeze until the boat's forward motion stopped.  Ollie fed the anchor over the side as John and I dropped the mainsail.  What a terrific day for a sail!

Pudgy in Dick's Marina, Pelee Island  by John Stahl

We needed more ice, so we rowed into the abandoned Dick's Marina, and caught a cab into what serves as Pelee's “town”, West Dock, where the ferries drop off and pick up their cars and passengers.  We arranged for the cab to take us back to the dinghy after enjoying some very cooling ice cream.  However the sky was looking pretty dark and ugly to the SW.  We decided we didn't like the idea of rowing the dinghy into the wind and waves of a thunderstorm, so we waited out the weather.  After about 45 minutes it became clear that all the weather was passing well south of Pelee, so we picked up our ice and returned to Kelly IV.  Our plan was to stay in the anchorage and return the next day to play tourist on Pelee.

Ferry departing Pelee Island by John Stahl

Our entertainment for the evening was a truly exciting event.  The wind and weather continued to build through the evening and was coming over our bow from the southwest.  The radio from the US Coast Guard kept blaring with weather alerts as we watched the black, boiling clouds roar past us to the south.  Apparently Kelleys Island was getting plastered with lightning and rain.  While the wind hit a pace of 25 – 35 knots in our anchorage, the weather alert was calling for winds of 35-45 knots south of Kelleys.  It was a grand show as we observed Kelleys Island disappear behind a roiling curtain of black, punctuated with frequent and bright lightning strikes.  Fortunately Kelly IV only saw the breeze and small waves as the wind continued out of the SW where our protection was minimal but sufficient.  All the really rough weather, rain, and lightning was well south of us and even south of Middle Island, as it was always within sight never ducking behind any clouds or rain.  In the morning the GPS showed us that the wind finally clocked around to the NW.  That must have coincided with a drop in the wind speed and the disappearance of even the smallest waves in the anchorage.  I woke enough during the night to notice that the waves were gone and the wind was merely a nice breeze, but not enough to actually get out of bed, so I drifted back into slumberland.

Pelee Island ice cream stand by John Stahl

Monday morning dawned bright and gorgeous!  There was a stiff 20 knot breeze out of the NW curling little wavelets across the dazzling sunlit waters.  As we enjoyed our wake up time in the cockpit, it became clear that none of us wanted to play tourist when we had such excellent conditions for sailing.  Ollie took the wheel and sailed us back into the US.  The course is a simple one to the SW, but so short that we decided to enjoy the sailing.  As Ollie steered us into the open waters between Kelleys Island and the Bass Islands, John and I just trimmed the sails as Ollie enjoyed steering through the 1 – 3 ft waves.  Occasionally we would tack or jibe, but it was all a work of joy as the spray flew over the dodger and the sun warmed our smiling faces.  The wind abated somewhat to about 15 knots as it adjusted itself to blow in from the west.

Kelly IV at anchor by Put-In-Bay by John Stahl

While we continued to sail, it became clear that we better head in soon for Put-In-Bay so we could check in with US Customs.  Ollie directed Kelly IV into the channel between Middle Bass Island and Ballast Island, then steered us south towards South Bass Island and Put-In-Bay.  We dropped anchor, rowed into PIB and checked in with Customs.  Suffice it to say that it would have gone better if I had remembered to bring my passport off the boat with me.  As it was, they used the camera phone to look at me and ask me a few questions to confirm that I was who I said I was and eventually we were officially admitted back into the USA.  Ollie talked us into a meal at the fancy Axel & Harry's Restaurant on the waterfront.  It proved to be an excellent meal with wonderful service.  Thank you Ollie!

Kelly IV's dinghy on shore at South Bass Island by John Stahl

Perry Monument on South Bass Island by John Stahl

We rowed back to Kelly IV and raised anchor as the westerly breeze made the anchorage at PIB a bit uncomfortable.  It was only a short motor trip north into the anchorage on the east side of Middle Bass Island and we spent the night there.  We had another good night's sleep and were on our way back to Sandusky by 0845.  With the waves at less than 2 feet and the SW wind, Ollie, John and I took turns sailing Kelly IV on her last day of our long weekend.  Across the north of Kelleys Island we sailed a very comfortable and fun broad reach, then trimmed the sails for a close haul to the south making for the entrance into Sandusky Bay.  After topping off the fuel, we reluctantly cleaned up the boat and headed for home.  What a terrific weekend of sailing with great friends!

Solo Sail to Middle Bass Island, August 9-11, 2010

After Bill, Nino & Guy returned to Pennsylvania, I puttered around on Kelly IV, caught up on some emails, then left Monday morning for Middle Bass Island.  The wind was coming out of the southwest at about 10 knots, so I sailed wing-and-wing out of Sandusky Bay.  It was a little tricky staying in the channel, but there was almost no other traffic, so it was much easier than it might have been on a weekend.  Once I turned north out of the bay and headed towards Marblehead and the South Passage, the sails trimmed nicely for a broad reach.  The sailing was very nice although it was a hot, hazy, humid day on the water.  Visibility was only a few miles, but the flat water and light breeze made for a fun sail.  To reach the anchorage on the east side of Middle Bass Island, Kelly and I turned northwest out of the South Passage and west of Kelleys Island.  The wind clocked to the west and dropped to less than five knots, so the sailing was done and I fired up the new Yanmar for the rest of the trip into the anchorage.

At anchor, I had all I needed on board including plenty of ice, so there was no need to go ashore.  It was also very hot and muggy, so I took frequent swims to cool off.  I did rig the whisker pole as a crane so I could put the new dinghy into the water.  Although it took some effort with only a 3:1 purchase on the block and tackle, it was still quite manageable.  Since I didn't need to go ashore, the dinghy sat quietly back on its painter, drifting aft of Kelly IV.

The next day was a slow day for me, but also a bit of a work day.  Guy and Bill had done most of the work installing a new stereo system on Kelly IV.  The stereo was another fun benefit of Guy's frequent trips to the auction.  All the difficult installation work was done by Bill & Guy, including connecting to the 12 volt power panel and running and connecting the power and speaker wires to the stereo unit.  The only stuff left to do was a little tedium of hiding the speaker and power wires, and actually screwing the mounting brackets in place.  Since it was still very hot and muggy, I was taking several breaks to swim and it took me some time to work through the final installation steps.  When all was done, both speakers were mounted and the control unit was in place.  All that remained was for me to provide music!  Unfortunately, I had no antenna wire and no music on my USB drives.  But the unit powered up properly, so I was confident it was operational.

Tuesday evening, as the sun was beginning its slow, long trek down to the horizon, I decided that a walk on shore and purchase of ice would be a great idea.  I rowed the new dinghy into the stony beach and enjoyed the straight and stable rowing platform.  It was very satisfying to row such a fun little boat!  I walked the length of the island (less than 2 miles) and stopped into J.F.Walleyes as I knew they had air conditioning.  To justify my occupying their air conditioned dining room and expected use of their shuttle back to the dinghy, I bought a sandwich and beer.  I lounged a bit in the A/C, enjoying the change from the drippy, hot outdoors, but finally bought the ice and got my ride back to the dinghy.

By 0845 Wednesday morning, Kelly's anchor was up and stowed and we were sailing close-hauled to the northeast.  Although the breeze was light, I figured we had all day, so I'd just enjoy the slow, but easy sail.  With the breeze out of the ESE, it was necessary to tack to the SE to cross the northern shore of Kelleys Island.  The breeze was about 10knots and Kelly IV was making about 4.5 knots through the water and the GPS showed that our velocity made good (VMG) towards our destination was about 3knots, fast enough for our purpose of getting back to the marina for Wednesday evening.

Or so I thought!  About the time Kelly IV turned south towards Sandusky Bay, the light breeze became even lighter (about 5knots) and changed to a more easterly direction.  This made for a slower but beam reach to the south.  All was slow, but still a fun, easy sail . . . Until we heard the USCG Weather Alert on Channel 16!  It turns out that there was a severe thunderstorm warning for Toledo and the Michigan shore of Lake Erie.  They said the storm was moving from the west towards the east at about 25 knots.  That meant it would arrive at my location in about 2 hours.  At that point Kelly was less than 8 miles from the marina, I felt it might be good to fire up the iron genny and by moving at better than 5 knots, we'd be all tied up when the storm reached Sandusky.

If I'd had a radar image I might have figured out a little sooner that I had much less than 2 hours.  The skies darkened pretty quickly and I could hear thunder in the distance and it had only been a quarter hour since the warning came through.  Kelly made good time under power and we were entering the bay in less than an hour after hearing the Coast Guard alert.  Fortunately, the first storm through was passing just north of our position, so we only had some light rain and little wind.  Less than 2 hours after getting the alert, Kelly IV was safely tied up in her slip, with thanks to a Catalina 25 owner, Curtis, who helped me as the wind clocked to the west and began to pick up speed and power, making the docking just a little bit of a challenge.  The change in the wind was the harbinger of the second storm which still wasn't too bad, but had a LOT of rain.  I had towed the dinghy behind Kelly and after the rain, the little dinghy had collect several inches of water!

When I rummaged through my bag of flashlights, I discovered my USB drives and decided to load one with music to confirm that the new stereo was truly operational.  Fortunately, in my car I had a DVD/CD drive for my computer as well as some favorite CDs.  It took some time to rip the music from the CDs onto the flash drive, but as I write this I am happy to tell you that I am enjoying that music through the new stereo!

Put-In-Bay Weekend Sail, August 6-8, 2010

Bill Paviol, Nino Forlini, and Warren “Guy” Stewart joined Kelly IV and me for a weekend trip from Sandusky Bay to South Bass Island.  The four of us met at Sandusky Harbor Marina before sunset and enjoyed a great grilled dinner of hamburgers and all the fixins.  Then we stowed our gear on board and prepared for a great weekend of sailing.

Stowing gear included bending the mainsail on as I had taken it home to repair a small tear in the luff, just below the first reef.  Also, the new dinghy had arrived at the marina.  I had bought a Portland Pudgy, an 8ft by 4 ft plastic dinghy that can take four adults to and from the mother ship.  It also can sail well and double as a life raft.  These last two reasons were the primary reasons for replacing the Port-a-Bote with the Portland Pudgy, as the Port-a-Bote also handled four adults.  

Keith demos life raft function of dinghy

When going on a longer cruise, I felt it would be a good idea to have a serious life raft, but I didn't like the idea of a life raft that (hopefully) just sat in it's container and was never used.  Or worse, if used, I suddenly discover something wrong or missing.  If I'm using the life raft regularly as my dinghy, I'll also know how best to use it and be able to keep it properly maintained.  In addition, the sail means I can have fun sailing the dinghy and even go longer distances without having to row or use a motor.  With some help from Pete and Lacey, of SHM, Nino and I launched the new dinghy and we rowed her around the marina to Kelly IV's slip where we tied the dinghy securely to Kelly's stern.

Saturday dawned as a beautiful, bright sunny day, but without any wind, so it was a motoring day.  We set off from the marina, but there was almost no wind at all, so the new Yanmar got a full day's work.  We kept the Marblehead Lighthouse to port and took the South Passage below Kelleys Island and turned north once we cleared the southwest corner of South Bass Island.  

As we forged northward along the west coast of South Bass Island, we had a terrific view of the Ship-turned-House hanging on the edge of the stone cliff.  Apparently, someone took the entire forward section, including the bow and bridge, of an old freighter and planted it on the western shore of South Bass Island overlooking the sunset facing cliffs.

Upon arrival in the anchorage at Put-In-Bay, we rigged the new dinghy with mast, boom, sail, leeboards, rudder and tiller.  With the dinghy rigged for sailing, it becomes a one or two-man vessel, as the boom sweeps very low across the boat.  It is necessary to sit on the bottom, instead of the seats/thwarts.  As typical men, we didn't read the instructions, certain we could figure out how to rig the traveler, mainsheet, and sail on our own.  

Bill sails Pudgy

The traveler was a little tricky until I actually sat in the boat to sail it.  Sitting on the boat's bottom, I finally saw the two small holes in the transom that were the basis for the traveler's rig.   Bill and I took turns sailing the bright yellow dinghy back and forth across the anchorage, just for fun.  We got several compliments and a few fun jibes from our neighboring vessels as we wove back and forth through the wavelets below the towering Perry's Monument.

Nino and Guy had more interest in visiting Put-In-Bay, as neither had done so before, so we took down the sailing rig and stowed it all inside the hull of the dinghy (pretty slick!).  The dinghy rows very well and the oars are designed with “easy on the hands” grips, and long, light blades that propel the bright little craft nicely through the water.  We played tourist on shore, visiting the museum at the national park and saw the well-done video.  It includes several shots of the brig “Niagara”, the tall ship working replica of the ship that Commodore Perry used to defeat the British in the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. We also walked through the small town with almost as many bars as people, and after imbibing a bit ourselves, we returned to Kelly IV for an excellent dinner prepared by Nino (a former executive chef) and Bill (executive chef on Kelly IV and Relentless).  In preparation for the forecasted breeze and waves coming on Sunday, Guy and I rigged the whisker pole as a crane and hauled the new dinghy onto the foredeck.  

Pudgy lashed to Kelly IV foredeck, photo by Carl

Once lashed down over the cabintop and forward hatch, there was still plenty of room to work on the foredeck and walk the side decks.  Since the new dinghy is 4 feet shorter than the Port-a-Bote, it fits forward of the boom.  The longer Port-a-Bote had plenty of room when rowing four adults, but had to be disassembled to lash it on deck.  A nice advantage of the Port-a-Boat is that, once disassembled, it took up almost no space on deck when it was lashed to the lifelines.  The new dinghy does prevent use of the forward hatch when it is on deck.  We are considering installing dinghy davits to keep the dinghy while underway.

The crew was up and enjoying the morning breeze on Sunday and the forecast filled in as predicted.  Guy and Bill pulled up the anchor, we did a “drive-by” pick up for ice at the Put-In-Bay fuel dock, then set sail.  Running wing-and-wing before the wind Kelly IV sailed northeast between Middle Bass Island and Ballast Island.  We jibed the main to turn east past the north shore of Ballast, and tried to sail south-southeast keeping west of Kelleys Island.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t point that close to the wind, so we changed course to sail southeast across the north coast of Kelleys.  It was a terrific sail with a single reef in the main and jib as we barreled along at 6 knots.  With the wheel locked in place, Kelly IV just settled into her groove and would bound along for 15 – 20 minutes without needing any touch on the wheel.  We continued past Kelleys Triangle, the northeast corner of Kelleys Island and turned the bow as close to the wind as we could, sailing almost due south, with just a bit of easting to it.  It wasn't enough to make the entrance to Sandusky bay, but the sailing was so good that we decided to let the Yanmar rest and we tacked into the bay entrance.  As we drew closer the wind lightened up, so we fired up the motor for the short run through the bay back to the marina.

It was another terrific weekend of great friends and terrific sailing.

Middle Bass and Kelleys Islands, July 21-23, 2010

After spending a couple days getting work done on Kelly IV after Sean and Guy left, I finally had both time and weather to do a little sailing.  Given the forecast for winds to shift overnight from W to N, the anchorage east of Middle Bass Island (MBI) seemed a good place for a destination.

The breeze began light and out of the SW to W so I was able to raise full sail wing and wing for a drifting sail out of Sandusky Bay.  Thankfully there were few wakes to contend with as it was the middle of the week.  Once outside the bay, I set course on a broad reach towards the western end of Kelleys Island, passing the Marblehead Lighthouse to our port.  As Kelly & I sailed past Marblehead we sheeted in both sails for a beam reach until finally the wind gave up and we motored the last couple hours into the anchorage.

The temperature was very hot and little breeze so a cold drink and ice for the cooler seemed very important.  I assembled the Port-a-Bote dinghy then cooled off with an extended swim, checking the anchor and swimming back and forth between the dinghy and the anchor float, just to stay in the water and avoid the heat.  Once I was cooled off I spent the balance of the lazy afternoon reading in the shade of the bimini.  As the sun began its slow descent towards the horizon I worked up the gumption to climb into the dinghy and row ashore for the ice.  I had a long leisurely walk down the road and stopped into St. Hazard's, the small resort on the southeast coast of MBI.  After a couple drinks while absorbing the full brunt of their very large commercial grade fan on a stand, I collected the ice and got a free ride in their van back to the dinghy.

The forecast for Thursday was for light west winds building to 5 – 15 knots from the SW with overnight breezes expected from the SE to S.  In fact, the breeze never exceeded 5 knots and was so light as to make it difficult to even determine any direction at all.  I motored the short distance to the anchorage on the north coast of Kelleys Island, but killed the motor and set the sails just to spend more time on the water.  As it turned out I just spent 2 hours drifting ever so slightly to the NW, but traveling less than a mile for the effort.

Given the light air, I just towed the dinghy to Kelleys and rowed ashore for a walk and some ice.  In the past I had never actually been on the entire length of road from the “downtown” to the state park campground on Kelleys Island.  This seemed a good time to do that, so I walked the 2 miles and enjoyed the shade trees that line most of the sidewalk.  I stopped to take a peek into the new Kelleys Island Museum, but frankly my purpose was focused on the air conditioning more than the bits of history, so I continued on my way after a brief respite.  Once downtown, I enjoyed happy hour in a pub, then bought ice and had a cab take me back to the dinghy.

I used the CQR for my anchor and was glad I did as one of the “scattered” thunderstorms decided to run right over us.  According to the NOAA weather radio, a tornado warning was in effect for the small towns south of Sandusky.  Fortunately for Kelly and me, that was far enough away that we didn't see any effect from the tornado winds.  A Tartan Ten showed up in the anchorage escorted by the US Coast Guard soon after the rain started, but they didn't seem to have any trouble.  There was nothing on VHF Channel 16, so I assume that the USCG crew just wanted to be sure the Tartan made it safely.

The Tartan sailed out of the anchorage about 15 minutes before Kelly IV.  The wind shadow created by Kelleys made it possible for me to easily pull up the anchor without the aid of either sail or motor.  Then we sailed wing-and-wing on the southwest breeze which was blowing at a brisk 15 knots.  The breeze built gradually over the morning, just as forecast, so we were glad we left early before the waves could build.  By the time we made our first tack a couple miles east of Kelleys, the breeze was consistently at 18 knots so I tucked in a reef in the mainsail.  We sailed close hauled as Kelly tacked a couple more times, then I fired up the now-trusty Yanmar for the return into Sandusky Bay.

Anywhere But Kelleys!, July 16-18, 2010

Warren “Guy” Stewart and Sean Stull joined us for a “spur-of-the-moment” weekend cruise.  After perusing the Sailing Schedule for Kelly IV, I realized that we could fit in an extra weekend of Sailing!  A couple quick calls and Guy and Sean were signed up for a couple days away from the “real world” and off to a cruise in the western Lake Erie islands.

We bought our provisions and met at the marina on Friday night and stowed our stuff on board.  Saturday morning, Sean prepared a great breakfast of omelets and bacon and fruit then we let loose the lines and motored out of Sandusky Bay.  With the wind out of the SW we set our sails and had a great reach up the east coast of Kelleys Island.  Both Sean and Guy had sailed with us several times before, but both had only visited Kelleys Island, none of the others across the western Lake.  It became clear to the Skipper that our destination could be anywhere in the islands Except Kelleys!  Even after clearing the infamous “Kelleys Triangle”, we were still able to sail to the NW so we merely tucked in a reef (the breeze was about 15 – 18 knots) and sailed close hauled towards Middle Bass Island.  While Guy is a fine helmsman, he is just as happy reading his jewelry magazines and spending a lazy day on deck in the sun.  Sean took the helm and did a terrific job in the breeze as Kelly IV found her groove and streaked across the small waves.  The sailing was tremendous!

Our initial understanding of the overnight forecast was a south breeze clocking to southwest, so I thought we might anchor at Put-in-Bay (PIB).  We did our routine ice-pickup by sailing by the Boardwalk fuel dock, tossing them a few bucks and they throwing a few bags of ice on board, all without tying up.  Then we headed for the anchorage.  After dropping the anchor, it was clear that the wind was already significantly from the WSW or even due west.  We listened again to the radio and the forecast now said the overnight winds were going to clock from SW to NW, not a good direction for the anchorage at PIB.  We upped anchor and motored to the anchorage on the east side of Middle Bass Island where we were able to set the CQR on the first try.

With crew, the effort to assemble and launch the Port-a-Bote dinghy was easy and brief, so we were ashore soon after we cooled off with a swim and grabbed our wallets.  Sean and Guy were focused on exploring all there was to be seen on Middle Bass Island.  They were thrilled to have sailed to someplace different, someplace other than Kelleys!  We walked the length of the island past a community cookout at the Town Hall, visited Walleyes to see the pool and grab a bite to eat, then walked through the marina and campground in the state park and finally stopped at St. Hazard's for a nightcap.  The folks at Hazard's were kind enough to give us a ride to our dinghy in the free shuttle, so we were back on board soon after.

The next morning was a lazy one as Sean prepared another fine breakfast, Guy prepped the fixins for our lunch underway and we took another dip in the clear, cool Lake Erie waters.  We sailed off the anchor, but did need to use the motor briefly for a couple forward pushes against the 12-15 knot breeze.  We left a reef in the main and sailed off to the SE leaving Ballast and Kelleys islands to our starboard.  We tried continuing past Kelleys and pointing as high as we could, but there was to much south in the 15 knot breeze and our ETA was going to be too late for Guy and Sean to return.  We furled the genny and motored into Sandusky Bay.  Once there, we still had some time so we enjoyed close reaches and close hauled sailing back and forth until it was time to call it a day.  Guy and Sean fired up the grill at the marina and we had an excellent kabob dinner before they took to the highway for their return to the “ real world”.

Canada's Southernmost Territory, July 4 – 11, 2010

Jack VanArsdale, Bob Zimmerman, and Keith Otto joined Kelly IV as crew for our cruise planned for this holiday week.  The crew met at the boat for Sunday night so we could stow our provisions, relax and get an early start for the 50nm sail from Sandusky to Amherstburg, Ontario on the Detroit River.

Monday morning everyone was up at 6am so getting underway by 7am was an easy process.  We had breakfast underway as the seas were calm and the only cooking involved boiling the water for the instant oatmeal.  We set sail as we left the bay and headed WNW through the South Passage below Kelleys and South Bass Islands.  With only 8kt air out of the S/SSW we made about 4knots through the water until the breeze softened even more, so by the time we were sailing past Green Island, we started up the new Yanmar and motor sailed the rest of the trip.  There were two freighters in the South Passage, one anchored south of Kelleys Island, the other at the gravel pier on Marblehead.  As we turned NW towards Middle Sister Island and the Detroit River Light, we turned our binoculars to the west side of South Bass Island so Bob could see the Ship-turned-House on the northwest shore.  Unfortunately, the haze was so thick that the landmark house was just not visible from our position.  As the afternoon wore on, the number of boats in sight dropped to an occasional one or two, frequently well off into the hazy distance.  We were always in sight of some land, but mostly just a long, low, slightly darker smudge on the horizon.  Middle Sister island was a welcome sight as our course took us within a couple miles so the trees were clearly visible from Kelly IV.

Freighter passes Kelly IV as we enter the Detroit River from Lake Erie

North of Middle Sister we came alongside the entrance channel to the Detroit River and were soon followed by the two freighters we spied in the South Passage.  While riding the bow waves, we also were dodging rather large clumps of floating weeds, one of which actually almost stopped the propeller, but a quick shift to neutral let the folding prop close and the weeds slid off and all was well.  Once the freighters were past us, we focused on finding our way along the upbound Amherstburg Channel to our destination for the night.  After motoring for almost an hour, it finally dawned on me that even though our speed through the water was 5 – 6 knots, Kelly IV wasn't going anywhere near that fast over the ground.  Of course, we were motoring into a 3 knot current, so our true speed up the river was closer to 2 – 3 knots.  Soon the BobLo Ferry motored its way across our path.  This was our sign to hang a right into Duffy's Marina, our home in Canada for the next two nights.

Keith, Bob, Jack and Kelly IV in Duffy's Marina, Amherstburg, Ontario

Tuesday we played tourist and explored the Fort and town, learning the British and Canadian perspective on the War of 1812.  The gardens in the Navy Yard were beautiful, the townspeople very friendly, the displays impressive, and the speakers very knowledgeable.  The heat was intense, but the AC power in the marina kept the air conditioners on Kelly IV pushing the cool air throughout the boat.

Wednesday was our day to move on to Leamington.  You'll recall from our earlier report a month ago, that Leamington was hit by tornadoes.  They severely damaged two of the four major piers so half the floating docks at the Leamington Marina cannot support their boats.  All the seasonal slips were moved to the remaining piers and the number of transient slips is now only 10.  We called ahead on Tuesday afternoon and confirmed that the marina did in fact have a slip for us.  It was a beautiful, clear morning as we motored down the river, this time enjoying the 2-3 knot boost from the current as were we going with the flow.  We steered out of the channel as we cleared the shoals off Bar Point and turned southeast towards Colchester Reef.

With the light breeze out of the west, we set all three sails!  We had the genny on the whisker pole to starboard and the drifter and main off the port side.  With all three sails pulling we were making about 4 knots in 6-8 knots of air!  When we approached the Colchester Reef, we turned northeast, furled the genoa and sailed under drifter and main in the now 10 knot breeze air until we finally fired up the motor only 20 minutes out from our slip.  It was terrific sailing, making good time in calm seas and lighter breezes.  Fellow sailors are almost always terrific people.  Leamington sailors are no exception.  Randy, owner of “One Aye”, asked us if we'd like a ride into town, so we hopped aboard his SUV.

Keith enjoys the sail while viewing the sails and sky from Kelly's foredeck

As a realtor, Randy knew Leamington very well and was especially knowledgeable about the houses and the recent tornado damage.  He offered and we accepted his suggestion to take a “tornado tour” and he showed us what houses and property were damaged, including some homes with huge trees still crushing roofs down to the ground level.  Mostly the damage was very much cleared up, but the few exceptions were noteworthy.  The cleared areas with all their huge piles of logs and vast areas of open ground covered with sawed  off tree stumps made it obvious that the tornadoes had been absolutely devastating.  Unlike Toledo where several deaths were reported, we understand that no one was seriously hurt in Leamington, although there were many very close calls.

Jack steers Kelly IV to our next destination

Thursday's weather called for thunderstorms in the evening with the stronger winds coming from the north.  After some discussion, we finally set our course for South Bay, Pelee Island.  We've all had an interest in visiting Pelee Island, but except for my brief solo visit recently, our current crew had not yet set foot on Pelee Island.  Winds were light and from the SSW so Kelly IV was trimmed close hauled, but made little progress in the light air.  After a few hours we decided to motor sail and made the turn into the anchorage about 1730 hours.  Only an hour or so later a line of dark, threatening clouds made their way in our direction from the northwest.  Following the typical “calm before the storm”, a stiff breeze and rain blew through the anchorage, but the trusty 35 pound CQR anchor held us firmly to the bottom.

Jack captures Kelly's crew with his camera

Friday morning dawned gray and ugly as the forecast of rainy weather came true.  Given the forecast, another day at anchor, letting the weather blow through, seemed a good idea.  Soon after awakening, we were blasted with about 30 minutes of serious downpour.  The rain was so heavy that it burst right through the nylon tarp we had rigged to better enclose the cockpit and keep the drops from blowing down the companionway.  While the rain came down in huge drops, it came through the tarp in a heavy mist as the threads of the nylon material split the drops into a heavy vapor.  By 1000 hours the rain was gone and the sky to the west was clear, even sunny.

Assembling the Port-a-Bote dinghy on the foredeck

We assembled the Port-a-Bote dinghy and rowed into the abandoned marina marked on the charts as “Dick's”.  We estimated that the walk into “town” at West Dock was about 3 miles, so when we saw signs of life in one of the cottages, we found a friendly local who called a cab for us.  OK, they called The Cab, the only one on the island!  Moe, the owner and driver let us know about a few things concerning the island, like the Heritage Museum occupying the former Town Hall, but said we'd need to sign up for his 3:30pm bus tour to learn more.  Moe was very friendly, but being a good entrepreneur, was creating a curiosity in us hoping we'd buy into his tour.  As it turned out, we were more focused on enjoying the museum, a late lunch, and gathering a few provisions and ice. so we were late for his tour.

Swimming in Lake Erie south of Pelee Island, by Jack

Unfortunately for Moe, but good for us, no one from the ferry decided to take his tour, so he agreed to take us back to the dinghy and we collected our provisions and he gave us a mini tour as we rode back to the old marina.  The weather was now clear and sunny, even quite warm, so after we stowed the supplies and restocked the coolers with ice, all four of us jumped into the lake for a lazy evening of swimming, splashing and lazing about in the water.

Saturday morning burst upon us bright and clear with light winds forecast out of the southwest.  We had lost the anchor float sometime Thursday night and confirmed it while we were swimming.  Jack swam down the rode and there was no float to be found.  When we raised anchor Friday morning, the float line was still attached, but no float.  It must have come undone from the line after the anchor rode passed over it as Kelly sailed back and forth on her anchor.  We motored SSW out of the anchorage following a course I plotted that included a waypoint I had plotted a couple years ago using the chart.  As we continued on the course line on the GPS, we could see Fish Point looming awfully close to us, only a couple hundred yards away.  It dawned on me that we were going to run smack into Fish Point, so I reset the location of the waypoint and we changed our course to SSE until we cleared the peninsula covered with seagulls and their brilliant white-capped low limestone rocks.  Our course towards Put-in-Bay, the closest point for checking back into the US, took us almost due west, so we just motor sailed into the gap between Middle Bass Island and Ballast Island before turning south into Put-in-Bay.  Given the short distance we had traveled from South Bay, Pelee Island, we decided to try to do a little sailing, so we continued under way to a point just southwest of Rattlesnake Island and raised Kelly's sails.  Unfortunately, the breeze was so light that we merely drifted slowly south, then tacked to sail north and finally back SSE into Put-in-Bay.

Anchored below Perry's Monument, Put-In-Bay

 It did give us time to enjoy another leisurely lunch on the water before dropping anchor immediately below the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial standing 352 feet overhead.  We assembled the dinghy, rowed into shore and checked into the US using the Video Phone at the public washroom in Put-in-Bay.  While the clearing-in took about 20 minutes, it was not difficult and there was no problem.  As all of us had visited the Monument and museum before, we decided to take a walk further south into the residential area just a couple blocks south of the “downtown” area of PIB.  It was a quiet, relaxing area with homes, B&B's and one larger hotel on the shore facing east towards Kelleys Island and Marblehead.  We rowed back to Kelly IV, just relaxing on board for the balance of the evening.  Just as we were preparing to hit our bunks for the night, we were commenting that the breeze had picked up a bit and was now blowing out of the SE.  As we looked around it became clear that all of the boats in the anchorage were shifting towards the SE in unison!  In fact, even South Bass Island was moving towards the SE!  Well, it finally crossed my mind that maybe WE were dragging our anchor as the rest of the world sat calmly around us.

Keith working the anchor on Kelly IV's foredeck,
to correct CaptMurph's dragging Danforth

After pulling up the Danforth and trying to reset it unsuccessfully, we switched to the faithful CQR and Kelly stayed put.  We finally got to our bunks for a well-earned sleep.

Sunday morning was another beautiful day!  We realized that we had been blessed with nearly perfect weather, having to sit through only one storm and a brief bit of rain during the entire week.  The breeze was light and from the west through the morning, so we sailed under jib & main back NE keeping Middle Bass Island to port and Ballast Island to starboard.  We dodged a huge fleet of fishing boats by gibing to head SE and continued sailing until we were almost past Kelleys Island and Marblehead.  The light breeze finally gave up so we motored into Sandusky Bay, topped off the fuel and returned to Sandusky Harbor Marina.

Peace Monument from east of Put-In-Bay, by Jack

Jack and Bob, underway

Keith enjoys sailing aboard Kelly IV

We had sailed about 140 nm over our week long cruise with stops in 3 ports at the southernmost point of all Canada.  The nearly perfect weather and great companions made for an excellent cruise, good sailing, a nice test of the new motor as well as providing us with a little touring and relaxing.