September 7, 2021: Our first day on Lake Huron.
Our plans for Lake Huron and Michigan included many stops, some of which were ridiculously close together. For example, after Port Huron, we were scheduled to stop at Lexington, Port Sanilac, and Harbor Beach. Port Huron to Lexington is about 18 miles, Port Sanilac is 9 miles beyond that, and Harbor Beach 25 miles beyond that.
After studying the maps and facilities available and checking the weather, we decided to skip Lexington and spend the night at Port Sanilac. It looks as if the town had restaurants and a grocery store and even a hardware store and Dollar General within walking distance. So even though it was only about 27 miles away, it became our destination.
Our Introduction to Lake Huron
Capt Paul was at the helm when we left Port Huron. We had to wait a while for the first drawbridge. The signs (and a Waterways Guide review I read) made it seem as if the bridge wouldn’t open until 8:15 AM; it was 7 AM when we motored up to it. Heck, how would you interpret this:
The draw of the Seventh Street Bridge, mile 0.50, shall open on signal; except that, from May 1 through October 31, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, the draw need open only on the quarter-hour and three-quarter-hour for recreational vessels, or at any time when there are more than five vessels waiting for an opening, and from November 1 through April 30, if at least 12-hours advance notice is given.
So would it open at 7 AM or 7:15 AM or after 8 AM?
The review I read said it would open at 8:15 AM. But at around 7:15 AM, it did make noise as if it were about to open. We were pointed the wrong way at the time, just drifting there. It stopped making noise. We turned around. It made noise again and then opened. We went through.
I imagined my friend with the cookies watching us from his tower.
The Military Street Bridge opened shortly after we reached it. Then it was out past that bascule bridge — named the Grand Trunk Railway Bridge; I can’t make this stuff up — that’s always open and we were back in the Saint Clair River.
This bascule bridge, which is always open, is named the Grand Truck Railway Bridge. Really.
This pretty little lighthouse sits on the bank of the Saint Clair River just a bit inland from Lake Huron.
We continued up the Saint Clair River to where it met with Lake Huron, passing under the last bridge between the U.S. and Canada on the Saint Clair River, the Blue Water Bridge.
The Bluewater Bridge, still off in the distance ahead of us on the Saint Clair River.
Capt Paul was taking us right up the channel, past more recreational fishing boats than I c
ould count. Once past the first pair of channel markers on the lake, he engaged the autopilot. It did what we’ve come to call a “Crazy Ivan” — steer hard one way and then the other and possibly back the first way before finally zeroing in on the correct heading — and settled down to follow its track, which pointed directly to Port Huron.
The trip was uneventful to the point of boring. The water was pretty calm, although it did get choppier as the morning progressed. There were few other boats out there and I honestly can’t remember passing any big ships in the channel that was to the east of us.
Two hours into the ride, Capt Paul turned the helm over to me. By that point, we were only an hour or so from Port Sanilac and I was basically baby-sitting the autopilot.
We were about 15 minutes out when Dianne said that it was too short a trip for the day and that we should go on to Harbor Beach, which was another 25 miles farther on. I ignored her, as I had begun doing quite routinely by that point. So did Capt Paul. But when she didn’t stop whining about it — I’m sorry, but that’s the only word I can come up with — Capt Paul pointed out that we weren’t in any hurry and that we were already two days ahead of schedule. Port Sanilac had a grocery store within walking distance so we could resupply. That shut her up for a while, but then she got on Google — as she invariably does — and found a grocery store in Harbor Beach. She showed her phone to Capt Paul. He didn’t reply.
Honestly, the decision had been made. Why keep trying to change it?
By that time, I’d spotted the two markers on either side of the sea wall around Port Sanilac. It looked like an easy channel to slip into, so I reduced speed and steered us in. The harbormaster came out, stood on the dock, and told us where to go. It looked tight and I lacked the confidence I needed to get us into our slip. So I turned it over to Capt Paul. It was a good thing I did. I didn’t consider the wind, which was blowing hard. Even Capt Paul had a bit of a struggle to back us in where we needed to go. Then I was out on the dock with the bow rope and the harbormaster was helping secure the stern. We had arrived.
Here’s Day 29 on Nebo. As you can see, it was a pretty straight shot to Port Sanilac.
Lunch and More
The Harbormaster, Kelly, was very friendly and informative. Before leaving us, she warned us about rough weather expected later in the day and told us where we could find shelter if a tornado popped up.
Tornado?
Here’s the marina, not long after our arrival. Beyond the sea wall, Lake Huron was just starting to get angry.
While Capt Paul and Dianne were getting their stuff together in Nano, I went over to Kelly’s office and paid for our night there. I got the lowdown on the wifi, which was actually usable throughout the marina. Then Paul, Dianne, and I made the short walk into town. There was a cafe about two blocks away that Google said would be open.
Google was wrong. The cafe was only open on weekends.
I like thick pizza crust. Sue me.
We waited a half hour for the sport bar next door to open at 11 AM. Capt Paul went back to Nano to get shopping bags; we planned to hit the supermarket about a quarter mile down the road after lunch. Dianne and I were seated inside the restaurant — outside dining was closed — when Paul returned. He’d decided to skip lunch and go straight to shopping. Dianne went with him. I stayed behind. I was very hungry, having skipped breakfast, and really enjoyed the thick crust personal pizza I ordered.
Clouds were starting to build by the time I got back from the grocery store.
I met them on their way back from the grocery store as I was leaving the restaurant. They had borrowed a shopping cart. I told them I’d bring the cart back to the supermarket — I wanted to pick up a few things of my own — and then headed back to the hardware store and Dollar General to pick up a few small things. Later, I met them at Nano, where I found the shopping cart standing upside down on the dock near the boat. I dropped off my purchases, grabbed a shopping bag, and dragged the cart the half mile back to the supermarket. Good exercise, at least. I’m glad it wasn’t one of the big carts.
I bought a few things — mostly stuff to drink, including a bottle of wine — put it all in the shopping bag, and carried it back to Nano.
I brought my laptop out to a covered picnic area to try to get some work done on the blog, but I couldn’t stay focused. It was windy and the wind made a weird moaning sound as it went through the masts on the sailboats. People were starting to gather, looking out at the marina and angry lake beyond it.
The weather was starting to become a real thing. Clouds were thickening and the wind was blowing hard. There were whitecaps on Lake Huron beyond the sea wall. I found a Marine Warning from the NWS Detroit Twitter account on my newsfeed.
Left: I found this Marine Warning on the NWS Detroit Twitter account. Right: Radar confirmed that we were in for some rough weather.
I checked the radar on my phone. Sure enough, very intense storms had formed to the north and west of us and were moving east. We were right on the edge of some pretty serious stuff, with severe thunderstorm warnings mapped out to the west of us.
I went back to Nano and sat in the cockpit for a while. Capt Paul had already dropped and zipped most of the side panels, leaving only the starboard side entrance and back entrance open. The rain started to come down heavy.
The storm clouds were like a shelf over the marina. Soon, they completely blocked the horizon.
For the next few hours, it rained on and off. There wasn’t much thunder or lightning until the very last storm of the evening. Nano rocked with the wind, but it wasn’t terrible.
I managed to get some writing done. I finished the post for Day 25, probably after my companions had already gone to bed.
It was still raining lightly when I went to sleep.
It doesn’t escape notice that being carefully settled in Sanilac before the storm hit was better than carrying on to the further port.
You said it. What should also be considered is the fact that the storm was a lot stronger at the next port up. We were basically on the edge of it.
In more than a few posts, you’ve mentioned personally paying for fees and services. Curious to know how expenses are divvied up among the 3 of you. Maybe a blog of it’s own?? On-board logistics?
I don’t think I’m ready for a blog post about it now, but I probably will put one at the end. Basically, we’re splitting all the costs of operating the boat and parking it and navigating three ways. That means we’re splitting the cost of fuel, oil, overnight parking, charts, and any other incidental fees that apply to the boat. For food, we could separate checks we eat out. When we buy groceries, we split it three ways, although I do not always submit receipts for items I buy primarily for personal consumption. (And yes, I know that I’m paying 1/3 of the cost of other food that other people are using for personal consumption. I’m a pickier eater and don’t eat junk food or sugar-filled breakfast cereals.) The way I’m looking at it right now is the more I pay upfront, the less I have to cough up later on. So I’m often paying for fuel and sometimes for overnight fees. I’ve asked for a current accounting so I know where I stand; I suspect I’m pretty close to being even or maybe even at the point where they owe me money.
Interesting – man I’d sure want a weekly “reckoning”. By the end, memories are short and arguments about “I did NOT eat that burger in Detroit!” (or whatever expense) will happen.
You don’t think I’m keeping track of what I’m paying toward group expenses? Little do you know me!
Paul has a spreadsheet going and every single receipt. The only thing I’m bothered about are some of the expenses for items that, in my mind anyway, were unnecessary. None of them are significant yet, but I will speak up if they continue. I’m talking about, for example, decaf coffee no one drinks, half and half that no one uses, artificially sweetened Walmart yogurt left to go bad in the fridge, and a box of baking soda that was eventually ruined when it fell into a half-full sink of dirt water.
We get separate checks at every meal, so that’s definitely not going to be an issue.
“I’ve asked for a current accounting so I know where I stand…” had me a wee tad concerned. But yeah, I shoulda knowed better! LOL