Back on the High Seas!!!

After waiting two days for the 9 ft. seas on Lake Huron to subside, we left our home at Baptist Harbour on Sunday morning at 7:20, anxious to resume our Great Loop experience. 

It was a bit lumpy on Lake Huron, but once we were protected by Tobermory's off-shore islands, all was calm. The iconic Cove Island Light off Tobermory....and then the Strawberry Island Lighthouse near Little Current showed the way!

We were heading to the north shore of Manitoulin Island (the largest fresh water island in the world), to the cruising grounds called The North Channel. We recalled many happy times when we cruised this area on our Bayfield 29 sailboat. We are traveling in luxury now!!! The Chi-cheemaun car ferry travels back and forth from Tobermory to the southern shore of Manitoulin Island. To leave the island by car, you travel to the north shore where there is one bridge that connects to the Ontario mainland. Here is a picture of the ONE-lane bridge that has to swing open for boat traffic....on the hour. Luckily, we arrived in time for the noon opening and only had to wait a few minutes.

Shortly after this, we encountered the roughest water we have had for a long while. We had three foot waves, right on our bow, very close together....until two hours later when we safely arrived at Gore Bay on the north shore of Manitoulin Island, where we stayed at the town marina. We talked to a Michigan sailor who told us about interesting ports of call on Lake Michigan. Tomorrow should be calmer!!!

Yes, today, Monday, was calmer, and we are now "back in the US of A!" But not without a little excitement! I was at the helm using auto-pilot, doing waypoints on the GPS, and remembering how much I enjoy doing the navigating and figuring out where to go. Don was down in the galley making a second pot of coffee....when I heard what I thought was an alarm. I asked Don if it was an engine alarm. Well, he couldn't hear anything, and the noise persisted. I was driving from inside because of the rather cool temperature outside... I looked to the starboard side and saw blue lights flashing! The noises I heard were sirens from a Custom and Border Patrol boat like the one in the picture below!!! I slowed right down to idle....Don went on deck....and two officers came aboard. I hadn't even realized we were now in US waters. We were the only boat around...and doing a rather fast 14 knots!  Fast for a cruising-type boat...

Anyway, they asked if we had any prohibited items on board. I mentioned I was just going to eat my last apple...and that my dog would eat the core so no apple would come ashore! They weren't concerned about apples....or beef which we didn't have...or dogfood which we could prove was made in the US...all items that we know are sometimes confiscated! I asked about checking into Customs at Drummond Island, but wondered since we had Local Boater's Options cards if we could just call in. But I didn't have a number for Michigan. They gave me the Sault Ste. Marie number...and said good-bye. They never came below or asked for our passports. I think the apple really saved us some time!!!! 

Their boat had 4 engines, each 300 hp, like this one....That's 1200 hp, compared to our 2 engines, each 100hp.

Anyway, I called the number they gave me, and we didn't have to report in person!!!! So we passed by Drummond Island and went to Detour Village, across Detour Passage from Drummond. We have been to Drummond already by car and sailboat visiting dear friends, Jill and Larry Brumwell, who were back in Saginaw, so there was no reason to stop. 

We fueled up and docked by 1pm, right before the rain came! Later we walked to town to buy some bread, and it was 62 degrees. Feels like fall....

This is a car ferry that goes across Detour Passage to Drummond Island to the left. No bridges here....

 After the rain, we had this wonderful rainbow....the widest one we have ever seen!!!
Tomorrow we have a long day ahead of us....it's over 40 miles to the Straits of Mackinac, and then we are hoping to go down the east coast of Lake Michigan to Charlevoix, another 50 miles. Here's hoping for winds under 15 knots!!!!