Day 24. Friday, July 18, 2025

We woke to the alarm clock at 5 AM. Last night was the first time that we used our sheets, Summer quilt and put our individual quilts on top due to the coldness in the boat, but that was enough to keep us warm.

Weather outside: temperature 54° clear skies, dewpoint 52° humidity 91% winds Northeast 4mph, sunrise 6:03 AM, expected humidity 74° winds east 5 to 10 MPH.

I had the heater on and then Phil was using the electric tea kettle at the same time and we blew the breaker. I didn’t really know where it was, but Phil went outside and all the breakers were on. A battery charger inside was also But the water fountain for the cats that is plugged into the head electric outlet was not working. We didn’t have time to check things out because we needed to make the 6 o’clock bridge so unfortunately Phil went without coffee this morning.

5:30 AM weather inside: temp low 65.5° high 79.9° current 65.5° humidity low 63%, high 85% current 73%

We are using our marriage savers which Phil‘s daughter Vicki got us for Christmas, every time we leave the dock, when we dock or anytime that we might need to communicate on the boat in between. They have been really helpful for us and we’re so glad that we have them.

5:50 AM engine is on, 554. We cast off and exited the dock area without any problem. Phil has figured out that we need to have the minimum RPMs after the initial reverse, to back out straighter. The bridge opened at 5:58 AM and we went through it raising the main at 6:04 AM while we were still in the channel. As the sidenote, we had a pink sunrise.

0607. We tried to have The Center board go down but it wouldn’t go down. We exited the harbor 6:10 AM and we’re passed the last red and green marker at 6:12 AM. We saw dark clouds on the southern horizon and had clear sky.

TWS 8.1 KTS, TWA 154°, BSPD 6.0 kn compass course 192°, SOG 6.2 KTS, BTW, 184° true, HD G220° true D TW 52.53 nautical miles. ETA 2:46 PM. The ways were less than one foot but the winds were from Northeast and being so close to land that’s why the waves were less.

We had breakfast of cold cereal, Reese bread and milk and I had a RX bar didn’t take too long and we started to see whitecaps and the waves building and starting to come from the east one and a half foot

0640TWS13.5 KTS, TWD111° TWA 123° both speed 6.3 kn I suggested that Phil go down and make sandwiches which he did. For anybody that doesn’t know me when the waves and the boat is moving I get seasick down below really easy so that’s why he was making the sandwiches. As it turned out, it was a good thing that he did.

0708 I decided that I better take some of my Marazine, not sure if it was going to work cause it spent two summer and winters in Phil‘s car but thought I’d give it a try before I waste all of it. SOG 6.7 7 KTS headed off course, change to 10° right more down wind in the speed decreased to 5.9 to 6 KGS so we let out the rest of the sail and speed increased to 6.8 to 7 KTS.

0745 the winds were increasing and we reefed the head sail. We forgot to reef the main sale yesterday why we were at the dock or we would have reefed that too. We’re gonna have to put that on the list to make sure we do that when we’re at GRYC. TWS 18 kts SOG 6.1 to 6.9 KTS.

0815 Reefed the head even more TWS 14 to 20 KTS. The auto pilot is not keeping up with this. We’re getting an error on autopilot about the rudder and we started to hand steering with Phil taking the first watch. Lorraine took a nap laying on the starboard settee in the cockpit.

10:30 AM Lorraine woke TWS 15.2 KTS, 4 foot waves plus. She took her watch her hand steering and Phil went down below to rest. By the way, the Marazine did not help. Good thing I was able to get Sturgeon when we were in the Azores for our trip in 2021. I also have some Zofran that helped last summer but didn’t take either.

11:58 AM it’s Phil‘s watch at the wheel. Winds 14-18 kts. DTW 18.35NM left, ETA 3 PM. 3pm seems like a long way away. It’s really uncomfortable out here as the waves are building 4 to 6 feet coming from the east as we’re going south so the boat is rocking back and forth with the waves. Of course you have the three or so waves that are about 4 feet high and then you get the big wave that 6 foot, but that’s typical on Lake Erie. Lorraine took a nap still on the starboard settee in the cockpit.

1:02 PM DTW 11.89 nautical miles ETA 3:04 PM, TWS 18 KTS. Steering as I know, helps with decreasing my seasickness and I’m ok most of the trip and sleeping when off watch.

2:25 PM Phil has been at watch since 2pm. DTW 4.18 NM, ETA 3:18 PM SOG 5.0 to 5.3 KTS. Lorraine takes over at the helm.

2:35 PM. Phil starts the engine so that we can get home as fast as we can there last few miles. We are unable to roll up the head sale. Phil checked it out and the black line is jammed around the drum of the roller furler. Now we start to wear the marriage savers and we’re brainstorming about what we’re going to do once we get in the harbor. We discussed which sail we’re gonna go down first between the main sail and the head sail. We decided the head sail goes down first since it drops in five seconds with their new tides track. We’re very happy that we upgraded the boat with this. Can you imagine manhandling the main in these conditions?

Then we brainstormed about what we’re going to do with the head sail. We discuss having the boat go around and circles to wind the head sale around the furler taking off both sheets so we could do that versus trying to bring the head sail down. We also talked about if it would be feasible to anchor behind the brakewall and decide not to do that as the winds were 13 KTS in the harbor, it was wavy, and the wave direction from the east or NE was going through the harbor entrance over to the Coast Guard beach, so there wasn’t as much protection as we would like to have in those conditions. We decided to pull down the headsail.

3:15 PM we drop the main as planned and Lorraine will deal with the top of the main sail later. Then tackled dropping the head sail. We got the headsail Halyard loosened and the line set so there wasn’t any knots and then Lorraine went forward to pull down the head sail. First, we had wind coming from Port and filling the head sale, then Phil headed up and I could get some of it down, then wind was coming from starboard filling the sail again and Phil would go around in a circle so we could try to get the wind out of the sail. as the bigger bottom of the sail came down on deck, it became easier to get the rest. Eventually about 320 or so the headsail was down. It was quite the battle though. Phil headed for the mouth of the river. I had texted Betty that we were in the harbor coming and so Bill Niessen and Chuck McKee were at the dock to catch our lines. This was very welcomed after our trip. We were docked at 3:45 PM and the engine turned off about the same time. It’s good to be home for a while.

We use the CBP roam app to check in and heard later in the evening that everything was processed without any problems. Phil and I were pretty tired. Friends brought us back food from where they went out to dinner.

How are the cats? Casper started sitting on the stool in the Vberth. I moved him to the pilot berth, but he went back to his spot. Later as it got rougher, he was on the floor in the isle of the boat by the refrigerator. The. I asked Phil to move him to the chart table seat. I can’t remember if he stayed there, or if Phil had to move h8m a second t8me, but he was wedge between the cushion and the port side of the bunk. Lucy was in her hidey hole the entire time. I did feed the cat wet food before we left, but they didn’t eat it all sensing I think that we were leaving. They were out of sorts that evening. We did get the electricity working for their cat fountain and refilled it, as it and the food slid across the sole during passage. It wasn’t too bad to clean up and I think the water went into the bilge.

Trip log 55.8 nm

We went down below in the boat and didn’t do much else before we went to bed a little early for us. I think the sailors can understand why no pictures but the sunrise at the beginning. In my mind, I think this was the 4th worse passage and if the wind prediction apps had been correct, we would have gone. All’s well that ends well right?