Out of the Loop

You know, now that we have been home for a few weeks we are beginning to feel a little "out of the Loop". But, last night we had quite the treat right in our very own backyard. Here is a beautiful shot of a magical sunset taken from our dock looking west out to Naples Bay.
Thank you God.

Bog Entries

I guess we "bailed" right in the nick of time (pun intended). All our friends with whom we travelled all summer have been stuck in marinas along the Illinois River for 2 to 3 weeks. As far as I know they are all trying to coordinate the commencement of about 40 or so loopers once the rivers are open again to recreational boats. We've been reading their blog entries (and teasing a bit about them being "bog" entries)...but seriously, it is a blessing that they are all safe and sound...This could have had a much worse outcome than just getting delayed in marinas for a few weeks. Chip and I are sending them all our good thoughts and prayers and certainly hope they will all stop by and visit us in Naples this winter when they are passing through.

God Speed dear friends. You are the Champion Loopers of 2008!

A "Duck" Out Of Water

Ithaka came out of the water at Skyway Yacht Works last Wednesday...she'll be in storage for a year before we head back up to Chicago next fall to begin Leg III of "Discovering Ithaka". We have been watching the weather closely and our prayers are with all our looper buddies south of Chicago entering the river system.

The folks at Skyway were great. It was sad to leave knowing that a whole year will go by before we are back onboard. We spent a couple of days in a beautiful, brand-new hotel (Ah! Amazing king-size bed and the longest hot shower I've had in over 2 months) before we flew home on Friday. My mom picked us up at the airport with an armful of yellow daisies! We missed her so much! She treated us to lunch then dropped us off at home where we began the process of getting settled in...We really did land running. Security Shutters came down, yard work, grocery shopping...Our little house felt huge to us! It's good to be home. We had all our family over yesterday for a big Sunday dinner...the hugs felt wonderful...the laughter filled our home...and the love filled our hearts. We are so blessed!

Today we are back at the office and I didn't want to wait too long to post a few pix of Ithaka coming out of the water...Once I get rolling here at the office there's no telling when I'll be blogging again. Our boss, our daughters, our assistant, and all our colleagues have made us feel so missed and welcomed us back with open arms...

We will continue to check out the location of our friends on The Looper Locator site...Thank you for all the good information that you are posting on the AGCLA website, too. We are hoping to make it to the fall rendezvous in Alabama next month!

Lest We Forget

We must never forget,

"On a day when buildings fell, heroes rose."

Please take a quiet moment today, and everyday, to count your blessings...

NUMB3RS

Here are a few interesting statistics...

We travelled approximately 1,800 nautical miles in 71 days. That is an average of 23.35 miles per day. Some days we went 40 or 50nm, others only 15 to 20...(and somedays we didn't move at all)! Our shortest day travelling was from South Benjamin Island to Hotham Bay...Our longest day, distance wise, was probably Pentwater to Grand Haven, but I will need to double check that when we get home (we shipped the charts back to Naples yesterday)...other long runs include Oswego to Picton, Lakefield to Bobcaygeon and Kirkfield to Orillia. But the longest day was Trenton to Campbellford where we went through 12 locks in one day ! Each lock takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes from start to finish. All total we went through 42 locks on the Trent Severn canal system and 7 on the Oswego.

We topped off the gas tank 4 times, which averaged out to $1,500 total spent on fuel...and we have more now than when we started in Brewerton. That calculates out to approximately .83 cents per mile. We cruised at an average speed of 7.2 knots; although when we were going through the locks, narrow channels, back waters and such that average was closer to 6 knots. We kicked it up to 10 knots a few times just to let her run warmer...

The deepest water we were in: Lake Michigan, 660 feet...the shallowest about 2 feet under the keel going back into the pool at Baia Fine.

During the 71 days on Ithaka, taking into consideration the nights we spent "on the wall", "on the hook" or at marinas, we averaged a little over $28. per night for accomodations.

We ate out a total of 5 nights, which does not include nights that we were treated to a home cooked meal by other loopers or the Labor Day Cook-out which cost us a whopping $4 bucks apiece! I did not tabulate groceries because I figure if we were home we'd have to eat, right? One thing is for certain, it is likely we would have eaten out more often if we had been home all summer....I will consider this a savings. Okay? We weighed ourselves yesterday for the first time since leaving home and let's just say our "score" is 15-love. Yes, for those of you who figured that one out, I've gained 15 pounds and Chip stayed the same! No excuses, but I must add that living within 5 steps in any direction of a refrigerator is not the best set up for me...Also, the old saying of, "it's 5 o'clock somewhere" has also taken on new meaning.

Last but not least, boat insurance. When Ithaka is in her homeport of Naples Florida, where there is a 6 month hurricane season, her insurance runs about $5,000 per year. For the 3 years it will take us to complete the loop, Ithaka's insurance is only $900. per year. I have determined that with the insurance savings plus the fact that the girls have done an extraordinary job running our business while we are away, it actually makes sense for us to stay away every summer! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! Guess it's not so loopy to be a looper afterall!

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Ending Leg II

We've spent these last few days of Leg II enjoying our time together before heading back to Naples where we will jump right back into work and all the other activities that fill our lives. I've already planned a BBQ at our house for Sunday...and we can't wait to see our loved ones!

We rented a car and drove up to the towns on Lake Michigan that we skipped because of the weather last week. We thoroughly enjoyed Saugatauk and South Haven. We recommend both to anyone looping through...and for those of you that have never visited the east coast of Lake Michigan; it is a destination unto itself with wonderful little towns and villages along the way, beautiful beaches with magnificent dunes and crystal clear water.

We also drove into Chicago twice. The first time we spent an entire day at The Field Museum (photo of Chip standing on the steps of the museum) The 2nd time we went to The Chicago Art Institute. That day we were invited to dinner at a private home in Chicago along with about 10 other looper couples who are in the area. Those in attendance are either in the process of doing the loop, hope to someday do it or have already completed it. We actually met another couple who I remembered meeting last year in Little Falls New York! Woody and Ellen were gracious hosts who generously treated all of us to a Chicago feast including Deep dish Chicago style pizza! Their home is on the 15th floor of a beautiful new highrise building overlooking Soldier Field and Lake Michigan...It was a fun night!

Last Friday evening Chip & I went to see Chris Botti along with Bill, Eileen and Clarissa from Blue Max. He was performing right next door to the marina here in Hammond at The Horseshoe Casino! We had great seats. It was a thrill to hear him in person and his ensemble was magnificent. Lucia Micarelli was one of the artists that accompanied Chris. The audience was moved to tears...

We will be taking Ithaka out of the water and putting her into storage tomorrow. She will be here for about a year until we come back in '09 to complete the circle.

...more news and photos to follow soon!

People, Places and Things

Today we began the task of "breaking down" the boat...defrosting, cleaning & scrubbing...making lists, re categorizing, compacting, putting away, packing...organizing cupboards & closets...Deciding what to keep, what to give away, what to ship home...what we couldn't live without and what we have just too much of...Throughout the day we have reminisced about the people, places and things we have experienced these past two months...Asking Chip, "What is your favorite memory?" opened up so many conversations about Discovering Ithaka...

First of all, the People...hmmmm...we've met so many nice people this summer...and who would say that they have favorites? But, there are a few who may have pulled at the ol' heart strings a little tighter than others...Shelly Sunshine, of course, and her mom & dad, too! The whole crew from Blue Max, we love you...and Peggy & Guy from Southern Comfort...We four boats crossed each others' wakes throughout the summer and we feel very blessed to have met kind-hearted, like-minded people, all sharing a similar dream. -In addition to new friends, it was wonderful to see Bill in Picton, Brandy in Mackinac Island and Gil & Pam in Charlevoix...Thank you all for being a part of this trip. I believe that people are innately good, and this was proven time and time again this summer.

It was even tougher to try to pick some of our favorite Places...The scenery in the North Channel, especially South Benjamin Island, hiking to the top of the overlook at The Pool in Baia Fine and gazing out over the topaz-colored water, what a view; How about going over The Big Chute? -and the Kirkfield Lock...Bobcaygeon, Leland, Saugatauk...amazing, beautiful, friendly, breathtaking, unforgettable...The lesson here however is, no matter where you are there is beauty...if you open your heart and eyes and look for it...I can't wait to sit on the dock in my backyard and watch a sunset...I believe that the best place to be, is to just be.

Lastly, Things...this can refer to so many things...Flea markets and wild flowers, swans and Canada geese, waterfalls, rainbows...How about all the fish Chip caught? (fish are things :-)...the smoore's party on the rocks (thanks Peggy)...the dock party in Killarney (hey Bud's buns!)...Some new things: New bikes (and they fold up so small for storing)...a new electric frying pan (one of the things I wouldn't want to live on board without), Chip's new inflatable dinghy (with a 2hp air-cooled motor-oh yeah, now we're talking), a new lamp in the salon (nice, soft lighting), a new storage trunk which doubles as a coffee table (to use next year as a pantry instead of the ugly blue rubbermaid bin), a new habit of grocery shopping with reusable bags (Meagan will be proud of us)...Of course, some old favorites from last year: My camera (never leave home without it-over 3,000 photos this summer), Navnet and paper charts (couldn't leave home without them), DVD player (thank you for Amber for the videos), laptop (for when we did have a connection), rechargeable fan, flyswatter, zip-lock bags, good books to read...The best things were: holding hands while watching gorgeous sunsets, observing the monarch butterfly migration, watching a meteor shower in the middle of the night on the top of Ithaka, finding rocks shaped like hearts, hearing from friends and family from home and seeing the grand babies on our webcam...Yes, I believe some things are meant to make your life easier...and some things aren't really things at all...so I'll be watching sunsets and looking for that monarch in Naples, too...and I can't wait to hug my loved ones!

Colorful Markets

One of our most favorite things to do this summer has been to visit the many farmer's markets along the way...Whether it was a big town or a tiny village-in many cases, the markets were the highlight of our stay. The Grand Haven market was probably our favorite of all!

We found a neat website that will help you to find where and when the markets are in some of the towns along Lake Michigan: http://www.localdifference.org/ In addition to the freshly baked breads, the jams and the jellies, of course the wonderfully delicious locally grown fruit and vegetables; it was the colors of the markets that impressed me the most. Don't get me wrong, the Dutch Love corn was possibly the best I have ever tasted in my life...but the colors...ah the colors...well they defy description. You'll just have to see for yourself. I hope the photos portray the palette as vibrantly as they appeared...Imagine purple cabbage!--and tomatoes so red the sight of them makes your mouth water...I will never forget the dahlias and sunflowers... Ah yes, like the poem...we 'entered harbors for the first time and stopped at markets to buy fine things'...Discovering Ithaka every step of the way, knowing it is truly the little things that makes our hearts sing.

Changes In Lattitudes

We changed our course 3 times in as many days-such is the life of a boater...long term plans are loose at best, short term plans can change with the winds, as is the case today...
Yesterday we set out to South Haven where we intended to try again to rent a car for a day or two to visit a couple of the towns we by-passed: Holland and Saugatauk. But, half-way down the lake, after looking at the weather predictions for later in the week we decided it best to move along a little further south. A few phone calls later, cancelling one reservation and trying to find a slip for the night, we found ourselves on our way to the St. Joe-Benton Harbor area. It was an aggressive day, 73 nautical miles in all and the first 35 were in rolling seas...We checked the weather again before we went to sleep and again first thing this morning and considered all scenarios-Chip made the final call and by 9 a.m. we were heading (St Joe lighthouse in photo) back into Lake Michigan and across the big, blue water to Hammond Indiana. This will be the last stop of Discovering Ithaka Leg II. It's a bit overcast today; not cloudy, just a hazey grey across the horizon with the sun trying with all its might to shine through...the waves are choppy but only 1 to 2 feet-easy. This is the last wide open water we will experience until we get to the Gulf of Mexico next year.
Last night we said "so long" to Sunshine-They are heading to Chicago...It's been great travelling with them and we will look forward to seeing them in Naples when they pass through..
We've decided to forgo Chicago this year and just stay put in Hammond-get Ithaka ready for her year-long hibernation...the marina where she'll be stored is only a couple of miles away...It just made sense, rather than going to Chicago now then having to back track with uncertain weather approaching. Besides, it will be so much fun to start Leg III in the windy city next year!

More photos and updates to follow in future blog entries...but for now, this is Captain Chip's Best Mate signing out...there's no land in sight, however a lovely monarch butterfly is delicately dancing around on the breeze...now, that's what I call discovering ithaka.

A Looper Cook-out in Grand Haven

A few of the looper captains got together and decided to organize a cook-out here in Grand Haven since there are so many of us all together in one place! -And, afterall, it is Labor day weekend so a BBQ is pretty standard practice.

Those attending came from far and wide...one couple from Australia actually came to the states to buy a boat specifically to make this journey...they are cruising on Kiwi Explorer. Others at the party included our friends on Sunshine (Bud, Muriel and Shelly) from Mooresville North Carolina and Blue Max from Shelter Island New York (Captain Bill, Eileen and Clarissa)...Wanderin' L & M is from New York, too... oh yes, and C-Life from Southport North Carolina...Phantom of the Aqua from Ft Myers Florida and Bella Luna from Leesburg North Carolina...Etc. (that's the name of their boat...Etc.) and, full of grace: Grace-full...the biggest of us all: Victory & let's not forget Our Turn, too! (I hope I didn't miss anyone). It was a super gathering of fun folks all happy to share stories about this wet, wild and wonderful adventure. Someday I'll write a poem using all the names of the boats we have met along the way!

Not much longer before we hang up our boat hooks for the winter, but with so many of these loopers passing through Naples by the end of the year, we know we haven't seen the last of them!

"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles."

Life is a Beach

A few scenes of the lovely beach in Pentwater!

*Remember you can click on these to view them bigger!

Good to the Last Drop!

On Monday we left Charlevoix Marina early to make the 7:30 am bridge opening. We travelled 35 miles to Leland in calm seas. We were all settled in by noon. We are so glad that we decided to make this one of our stops! Leland is a picturesque village, home to the historic "Fish Town". Commercial fishing began here in 1870. Today it is one of the few remaining fishing complexes left on the Great Lakes. The fish tugs are icons on the waterfront...one of the shops even specializes in art, clothing and accessories with the green and white tug "logo". All the waterfront shops and galleries and many of the restaurants are housed inside the rustic shanties which date back over 100 years...The opportunity to take photographs was unbelievable...at every turn another postcard! While on the docks we watched a fishing boat come in with salmon-after the captain filleted them, he tossed the carcasses over, and we were privy to a wonderful show put on by the local river otters who came out from under the docks to gather up the bones and scales...we watched them swim back and forth and finally they made their way to a group of rocks across the river where they feasted on their "catch"! By far, this was one of our favorite stops along the loop. (I will download photos as soon as I get to a place where my aircard gets a stronger signal)...
We got up early on Tuesday and headed to Manistee at first light. It was a glorious day to be on lake Michigan~a gentle breeze right out of the east; we enjoyed an entire day underway. We passed by Sleeping Bear National Park where for miles honey colored sand is swept up along the shore in dunes as high as 500 feet! We began to notice quite a few monarch butterflies...it seemed unusual as we were about 4 miles offshore, so later that night I decided to "google" Monarch Butterfly migration routes...Sure enough, we were right in the flight pattern for those which leave the Great lakes and head to Mexico this time of year. Unlike most other insects, Monarchs cannot survive a long cold winter so they spend their winter in roosting spots. Daylight and temperature changes influence their movement. In all the world, no butterfly migrates like the monarch of North America...up to 3000 miles. Amazingly they fly to the same winter roosts, often the exact same tree! They only make the round trip once. It is an unsolved mystery how they find their way each year...somehow they just know their way even though the butterflies returning south are the great-great grandchildren of those who returned north the previous spring. We arrived in Manistee in time to walk up and down the main street along the waterfront, eat a fabulous dinner out at the Tuscan Grill (reason alone to make this a stop)...and went back to Ithaka to call it an early night. Right beside us on the dock was a looper from Ft. Myers, Florida!
On Wednesday morning again we decided to take off early...and even though it was a beautiful day to be out on the water we wanted to stop to see the charming town of Pentwater. In fact, it was so charming, we stayed two nights! Pentwater welcomes you the moment you enter the harbor...ginger-bread trimmed cottages, brightly colored umbrellas and wind socks, and a dozen or more wonderful art galleries are just a few of the reasons we loved this town...a sparkling lake dotted with sail boats at anchor was our view from the top deck of Ithaka. We spent the afternoon at the beach where we found miles of soft sand, crystal clear water and more breathtaking dunes sculpted by the ever persistent winds off the big lake. We got back onboard around 8 pm...just in time to watch a perfect sunset...we sat upstairs drinking wine, listening to soft music and watched swans swim by...It could have been a scene from a movie. By the way, we are docked at Snug Harbor Marina and I highly recommend it! Our second day in Pentwater was a catch up day...cleaning and laundry, organizing and charting out the course for this, our last few days on Ithaka for the summer...We are going to live it to the fullest and enjoy Lake Michigan right down to the last drop!

Sharing The Good Life

We had a nice visit with Chip's family. We went to a cocktail party here at the marina on Friday night and it was fun to introduce Gil and Pam to all the "loopers"...Then on Saturday we set off to explore the sights that surround the Charlevoix area. Gil was our driver and we headed to Harbor Springs in his convertible...With the radio cranked up we listened to the tunes and drove along the coast of Lake Michigan up through Petoskey to this sweet waterfront community...a real estate agent told us that a lot of the "cottages" command upwards of $10 million dollars! Many of the snowbirds in Naples come from this area. The harbor is pristine and there are dozens of sailboats dotting the bay at anchor between the downtown area and Harbor Point...plenty of shops and restaurants...an abundance of flowers, wrought iron benches, spinners and flags, bleached white church steeples...and of course, lots of fudge stores! I finally succumbed! On the way back to the marina we stopped at Bay Harbor, a prestigious new community about 10 minutes from town. I don't believe I have ever seen this many mega-yachts outside of Fort Lauderdale! Wow!
On Saturday night we enjoyed raw oysters at a local Charlevoix pub then back to Ithaka where the 3 Harris' tried in vain to teach me how to play Euchre...(they play cards funny in Canada)...give me a good game of hearts or rummy anyday! I told them I would "google" euchre strategies and would be ready for them next time! I have already been scanning the web and found http://www.gamesinfodepot.com/ to be quite helpful!
Today we walked around the town after breakfast and found the Earl Young homes...He was a real estate agent and builder here in Charlevoix many years ago, who with no formal training in either construction or architecture, left his mark in Charlevoix. His small stature combined with his fascination with Frank Lloyd Wright led him to design the "mushroom"-like homes...Looks like the kind of cottages you would see in movies about trolls or smurfs! Some of the chimneys had morter "running" down them like icing on a cupcake. I looked him up on the internet and his story is very interesting.
After Gil and Pam left we walked around the marina and found two boats from Naples! No kidding...small world!
Tomorrow we continue our trek south. We love this area...it is so beautiful...I could spend an entire summer up here...you just cannot see it all in a couple of weeks!
We had a great time in Charlevoix, sharing the good life...Euchre anyone?

I knew you were coming so I baked a cake!

We spent a couple of peaceful nights in Petoskey (after the rolling in the Mackinac Island marina anything would have been better). Petoskey has a great downtown within walking distance from the marina. The waterfront park is lovely and the bikepaths are wonderful! The "crew" from Sunshine: Bud, Muriel and Shelly, joined us one day as we explored the quaint shops and ate lunch together at The City Grill. The flowers in Petoskey are beautiful. We miss the "crew" from The Blue Max already...they ventured on past us, but as is often the case on this trip, we keep catching up to or passing by familiar loopers at every stop. One of the best parts of this trip has been the friendships we have made...the companionship with fellow loopers, folks all sharing the same dream...It really is amazing how many loopers we have met this summer. During last year's leg of the trip we ran into so few loopers, but we realize it was mainly because we pulled out of Naples about 30 days behind the more usual timeframe that the Great Loop guide recommends...This year however, we are right in speed with about a dozen or more loopers and we cross each others wakes often...I always get a kick out of seeing that burgee flying from a distance, then looking to see where their boat is from. Right now there is a couple from Ft. Myers in the pack!

Anyway, we arrived in Charleviox yesterday and this morning we are getting ready for our company: Gil (Chip's favorite brother) and wife, Pam! They are driving up from Clarkston Michigan to spend the weekend with us and we are so excited that we ended up in such a cute town for their visit. The marina is fabulous...close to everything, located on Round Lake, a short river ride in from Lake Michigan. We took the dinghy out to Lake Charleviox yesterday, but decided to wait for Gil and Pam check it out further...There are so many amazing antique wooden boats here...and a "pirate" ship, several mega yachts and sailboats and trawlers of every size, make and color! (Ithaka is the only red boat in the marina, which is not unusual)...She always stands out even when docked next to one of the "big girls"!

Well, I better get going...I've got a cake in the oven!

The original Big Mac!

My cautious captain left Mackinac Island yesterday morning in spite of the white caps which he viewed from the flybridge with his binoculars looking out towards the straits...we decided, with the prevailing east wind, it wouldn't be so bad after we got out and headed south into Lake Michigan-- and that it was a better travel day than waiting for today. So, here we are in Petoskey...I thought I would post a few pix of the bridge. The Mackinac Bridge is the 12th largest bridge in the world with a span of 3,800 feet. It was opened in 1957.

Oh Fudge!

In 1634, only 14 short years after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, Jean Nicolet, a French adventurer exploring on behalf of Samuel de Champlain-the governor of Canada, paddled his canoe through the Straits of Mackinac. I personally find this accomplishment quite extraordinary considering the distance and elements he had to overcome to find his way west. In the early years Mackinac Island was home to the Jesuits, including Father Jacques Marquette in 1671 and a British outpost where English Major Patrick Sinclair choose the site for his Fort Mackinac in 1780 (the photo inset is a view from the fort down to the harbor-remember you can click on these photos to make them larger...look closely and see if you can find Ithaka). It was also the western most fur trading outpost, John Jacob Astor's American Fur Trading Company was centered here and produced beaver pelts for over 30 years...in 1815 the island was restored again to the Americans by way of a treaty. Mackinac Island is located in Lake Huron (not Lake Michigan). From here we will travel to Petoskey and begin our voyage down the east coast of Lake Michigan where we will find boater friendly towns all along the coast on our way to Chicago.

While here on Mackinac Island we did all the "touristy" things one can do, including a Horse and Carriage Ride, which pointed out all the highlights of the island: A tour of the fort, the Arch Rock, and a visit to the beautiful Wings of Mackinac: a butterfly conservatory...and of course, The Grand Hotel, where one of my all time favorite movies was filmed: Somewhere In Time with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. (If you have never heard the movie soundtrack, you must make a point to listen to it next chance you get!) We had an amazing meal at The Carriage House at Hotel Iroquois (the scallops were perfect)...afterwards we went up to The Grand Hotel and had a nightcap at The Canopy Room on the top floor and strolled on the world famous veranda...For lots of fun and a really yummy rum runner we highly recommend The Pink Pony (a great view from the patio, too)...good buys for cheap t-shirts and that sort of stuff at The Big Store...and of course, I cannot include a blog entry about Mackinac Island without mentioning the fudge! There are 17 fudge establishments operating on the small island...just about everywhere you go on Mackinac you cannot escape the smell of fudge...and horse manure. Oh fudge!

Today we got on our bikes and Brandy joined us for a ride around the entire perimeter of the island: eight miles on Michigan State Road 185. There were hundreds of cyclists, but no cars! (they aren't allowed on the island). It was a great ride even though we got caught in the rain. I could not get over how clear and blue the water is here...like the Florida keys, seriously. We stopped at Saint Anne's church on our way back into town. It which was transported to the island in 1780 across the straights on the ice. It was relocated to its present site in 1820 and remodeled in 1873. The stained glass windows were installed in 1900...they're beautiful. Mackinac Island's name was derived from a Native American Indian word for turtle and there are turtle sculptures all over the island! Today it continues to be a very popular tourist resort. 80 % of the island is a state park and the entire island is a National Historic Landmark. We are so happy that we made this stop part of our trip. It is certainly a treasure.

A Familiar Face

We arrived on Mackinac Island on Saturday after a bouncy 35 mile run from Drummond Island where we had gone through customs the day before- Our "daughter" Brandy, Leonardo's mommy (she is on Mackinac working for the summer) was on the dock waving as we came through the breakwalls. By travelling directly to Mackinac Island, rather than Mackinaw City or Saint Ignace (both on the mainland and reachable by ferry) we took a chance. Because it is a state park, reservations are made in advance (especially for a weekend in August), and made on the internet...as you know, our service has been sporatic plus when travelling by boat it is difficult to determine when exactly you will arrive at specific destinations so, when we did finally try to make reservations we were told they were "full"!
Well, with a little prayer and a whole lot of positive thinking we did something we haven't done before: arrive at a port without a reservation-somehow I just knew they'd have a slip for us. We were put on a "waiting list"...we tied up to a gas dock long enough to get Brandy onboard, then proceeded to circle the harbor for about 30 minutes when a voice on the radio called, "Ithaka, this is the Mackinac Island State Harbormaster and we have a slip for you!" Yahoo! I'll write more soon to fill you in on all the fabulous things we are doing on this wonderful island! Till then, we're off to explore!

Thank you Canada!

Tonight we are spending the night at the most northern point of the entire Great Loop; Blind River, Ontario. Tomorrow we head to Drummond Island and go through customs, then onto Mackinac Island for the weekend. We will be cruising down the east coast of Michigan and look forward to the next few weeks of our trip before we call an end to Leg II of "Discovering Ithaka" and return to work in time to prepare for our busy season in Naples, Florida!

Thank you Canada...your people and your country are beautiful, Eh!

"My country is the whole World, my religion is to do good deeds." blog author

The Benjamins

We have spent six wonderful weeks in Canada. We could not have planned it any better...each day a surprise that unwrapped itself right before our eyes and revealed over and over again the magnificent world we live in.

Look for the beauty, wherever you are-it is all around you...

...and I do believe we saved the best for last!
The Benjamin Islands are spectacular, smooth, pink slabs of granite melting into a sapphire sea...

Kagawong Falls

Truly, here is where the rainbow touches the earth!

The colors in the rocks are both brilliant and subdued; shades of tan, brown, red, green, yellow, yes-even blue. More than two billion years of geology on display dating back to the earth's creation...

Gone Fishing

We were beginning to think there weren't any fish in Canada!
-I think my captain is a very happy fisherman!

(use mouse then click on "pix" to see his grin up close)!

"Spirit" Island

We are in the charming village of Little Current on Manitoulin Island (see aerial). It's rainy and about 55 degrees outside. We were socked in due to bad weather so we decided to "nest". We went grocery shopping & did laundry...I cut my hair, read a good book, made pot roast for dinner, baked banana bread, watched the Olympics...Chip reviewed the charts and kept an eye on the weather forecast...looks like we should be able to shove off tomorrow morning...just another week or so and we'll be back in U.S. waters.

The word Manitoulin in the Ojibwe language means "spirit island". This area is the northwestern-most part of the region known as the Niagara Escarpment...the rim of an ancient sea. The rocks are different here than they are even just across the channel...mainly comprised of limestone rather than the granite and quartz that we have seen all along the Georgian Bay and the north shore of the channel. This island is the 174th largest island in the world. --and Here's an interesting fact: Lake Manitou is the largest fresh water lake on a fresh water island in the world! There are 3 rivers on Manitoulin Island...one of which we will be visiting tomorrow: Kagawong, where we will see the magnificent Bridal Veil Falls. The water surrounding the island is so clear you feel like you could drink it. The lakes are bluer than topaz. The North Channel was part of the route used by the daring voyagers to reach Lake Superior. The first known European settler on Manitoulin Island was Father Joseph Poncet, a French Jesuit, in 1648. After that, most of this area was settled by fur traders, loggers and fishermen. There is an area on Manitoulin still inhabited by native peoples, called Wikwemikong.

Each year around the middle of August our earth experiences the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower, dubbed The Ol' Faithful of meteor showers. Manitoulin Island is part of the Dark Sky Association, also known as a dark sky reserve...We are hundreds of miles from the nearest city and the sky does not get much darker anywhere in the world than it does here...so the stars are brilliant and this prolific meteor shower will be viewed (08/12 is best) from the top of Ithaka...We hope that wherever you are, you, too will go outside after midnight and gaze up to the billions of sparkling lights in the summer sky and watch the stream of falling stars...

-and don't forget to make a wish!

Blah! Blah! Blog!

Again, we have been days between ports with reliable cell service and no internet access. While we were "away" we completed our journey across Georgian Bay and entered The North Channel. It took us 14 days to transverse Georgian Bay-we spent 8 nights in marinas and 6 nights anchored. If I ever do this again I definitely want to anchor out more often in quiet coves and pristine bays, the likes of which, seen this past week, as close to heaven as I have ever been...

Here are a few highlights of what we've seen and where we've been since I was last able to blah blah blog!

Day 1- On Sunday August 3rd we headed out of Britt early and headed to The Bustards. We snaked our way through a very precarious inlet off the Gun Barrel Channel, around Pearl Island and into a lovely spot...once set we took off in the "dink" to explore only to return a little while later to discover Ithaka had crept a bit closer to the rocks. We pulled up the anchor and decided to find a spot in the center of the small bay. Several tries later (it was nearly 5pm) she finally stuck! The bottom was mainly rock so it was tough to get the anchor to snag...Once we felt confidant we made a wonderful dinner and watched a gorgeous sunset. It was very windy all night. (I am beginning to get a little bit homesick).

Day 2- Awake before dawn, a pink sunrise...coffee made, anchor up by 7:30 am..and we were off to our next destination...Mill Lake. We entered the first half of Collins Inlet through Beaverstone Bay- a beautiful, narrow waterway...well marked with low water warning buoys; we went slow, watched the charts, I stood bow watch and we got through it without any problems. We arrived early and spent the entire day fishing in the dinghy up and down the rock walls along Mill Lake. I really liked this anchorage a lot...still no phone and no computer...just the two of us and our fishing poles lounging in the dinghy catching the warm rays of the sun...but not catching any fish...it didn't matter. We relaxed all day. --And even though we weren't "connected" to the rest of the world, we were very connected to "our" world.

Day 3- We are now in The North Channel. The trip from Mill Lake to Killarney took 2 hours. We are not out to set any speed records, that's for sure. We cruised through the second half of Collins Inlet. The channel averages about 150' across with 75 to 100' rock walls on either side creating the feeling like we were travelling through a gorge. I wish you could see the size of the evergreen trees growing right out of the cracks in the rocks! We stayed at The Sportsman's Inn & Marina which was a sweet place, but their advertisement in one of the guides proclaimed they'd have free wireless...Not true...another couple of days without contact from the outside world. Shucks!

Day 4- It is now August 6th...there are 24 loopers in Killarney today! Yikes! I will download a few photographs of the sunset party we had on the dock across from the Inn...It was fun to share appetizers and stories with so many other like-minded cruisers! Earlier in the day we took the dinghy over to Covered Portage, an amazingly beautiful cove only 2 miles from Killarney Channel. There is a rock formation there which strongly resembles an Indian's profile which I will also post on the blog. Killarney is a tiny village with very little to offer in the way of provisioning. They do have a "chip truck" (except it's in a red school bus). We ate lunch there...and the fish and fries were pretty good, but nowhere near as awesome at Joscelyn's in Nelson, British Colunbia which are still THE best in the universe! (Go BITE)! In Killarney there is an artist's studio, a church (of course), a small grocery store, a post office, a couple of gift shops, an ice cream parlor where you can also purchase bait...and that's about it!

Day 5- We knew we would be cutting it close stopping at the pebble beach on the way through Baie Fine to "the pool", but we are so glad we made sure to leave early enough to wade our way through the multi-colored stones at the entrance to Bay Fine...the weather was about to turn, but we had a rainbow onboard. A rainbow of stones and pebbles collected at this not so secret beach just as you leave Frazer's Bay and turn into Bay Fine. The entrance is well marked, but once you decide to go for it, you must trust your chart plotter and your eyes! There were times when we only had a foot under the keel...a few boats have been known to kiss a few rocks making there way back to the pool. I sat up at the bow with my binoculars and counted islands and shoals as I kept track on my chart...Chip did a great job getting us back through this 9 mile fjord. We anchored in the pool, a small body of water at the end of Baie Fine accessed only by a 2 mile narrow cut. We cooked steaks on the grill, watched a movie and slept like two babies in this very calm and protected anchorage. We would suggest that everyone who ever does this trip put this stop and Covered Portage on their list of "must see"!

Day 6- Before leaving Baie Fine we hiked up the beautiful white quartz ridge to Lake Topaz. We also found the cliff that overlooks the pool. We picked blueberries...more homemade cobbler is guaranteed! This hike was possibly the highlight of the entire trip so far! It is 08/08/08 and I knew that something phenomenal would happen today! The view from the vantage point above the pool was spectacular. I will attempt to put a few on the blog, but I'm afraid it's probably going to be one of those times when you just had to be there! We cruised to the small town of Little Current, population 1,500. We met several other loopers at the marina and we went to dinner together at The Anchor Inn. It was a very nice dinner....good to eat out and not cook. A treat! We will do all of our provisioning here so that we won't have to worry about anything but ice for the next week...

It looks like we may be heading off into the Canadian wilderness again where laptops are pretty useless and where you're lucky to get one bar on a cell phone. I'll try to keep you posted...In the meantime, sorry for the lengthy blog entry...yeah, yeah --blah! blah! blog!

A symbol of Canada

I just thought I would tell you a little bit more about the inuksuit. These are stone landmarks used by the native North Americans from Alaska to Greenland. It is believed that because the area has so few natural landmarks these were placed at areas to mark hunting grounds, good fishing bays, for herding markers, and as navigational tools. Historically most are single stone markers positioned in an upright manner, but the ones we have noticed are multiple stones of various sizes. The word inuksuk translated means, "something that acts or performs the function of a person". A structure similar to the inuksuk, but meant to look more like a human figure is called an inunnguaq.

The Inuksuk is a symbol of the Inuit culture. It is on the flag and coat of arms of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. They are increasingly becoming a more mainstream symbol of Canada, as more markers have been erected across the country including the 9 meter high inuksuk in Toronto on the shore of Lake Ontario. An inunnguaq was the inspiration for the logo of the 2010 Olympics which is going to be held in Vancouver! There are four authentic inuksuik around the world which have been donated by Canada. They are in Monterrey Mexico, Oslo Norway, Guatemala City Guatemala and Washington D.C.

We are enjoying spotting them along the way...

In Between

We are in Britt Ontario...I am not sure exactly what qualifies a place to get a name, but Britt isn't really a town...it does have a small market (closest grocery is an hour away), a fire department, a Canadian Legion Hall; a library, a school & a nursing center all in one building (no hospital for 40 miles) and a church & cemetery...oh yes, and a marina with WiFi! The folks at Wright's Marina are friendly (4 generations have worked here) and I would say it is a good stop between Parry Sound and Killarney...we picked up a few essentials here...ice, bread, milk, butter, eggs, ice cream! ha ha

We went to Saturday mass at the Catholic Church which was small and sweet...a priest with a thick Irish accent who was hard to understand gave a nice homily about the miracle of feeding the 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and a few fish. I've always liked that miracle. Hmmmm...I wonder how he got this parish?

Tomorrow we are off to The Bustards...a group of islands which are said to be more amazing than anything we've seen so far. This summer is so different than last year...no big cities, no forts, no museums, no tours...Just us and nature, anchoring out in the beautiful bays in the Canadian wilderness with a few neat little stops like Britt in between!

Chip and his "dinghy girl"

My favorite mode of transportation!

Going Over Big Chute

One of the "Loopers" we are travelling with just shared these pictures with us of Chip and I going over the lock at Big Chute and I could not resist sharing them with you on the blog! Isn't this amazing?? Remember, you can click on these to make them larger!

Five Days In Georgian Bay

Day 1- We left Bay Moorings Marina in Penetanguishene on Sunday July 27th at noon in 15 knot winds and 2'-3' seas...it was a bit overcast, but not raining. Penetang Harbour seemed busier than New York Harbor...most of the vessels were sail boats under sail, so they had the right-of-way and they were coming at us from all directions. We cruised on the Leeward side of Beausoleil Island and up around the north side past places with names like Honey Harbour, Minniehaha Point, Mermaid Island, Big Dog Channel and ended up in Frying Pan Bay. With names like that, are you sure I'm not in Disneyland? Beausoleil is the largest of the islands in The Georgian Bay Islands National Park and is accessible only by boat. We sure were in for a treat...

Day 2- We slept well and woke to the sounds of birds singing...went ashore in the dinghy and hiked to Fairy Lake...we saw fresh bear tracks and got eaten to bits by the mosquitoes--this was not fun! We left our anchorage at noon and headed to Twelve Mile Bay and Wani Cove. Wani is not charted, but we were told it is a lovely place to anchor and it is. The cruise through the 30,000 islands was skinny and crowded...some of the channel markers were so close together it was "single file". The water is so crystal clear you can see the shelves of submerged rocks all around. How the heck did Champlain do this with only a compass? At one point, for about 10 miles, we were completely exposed to the winds coming off of Georgian Bay which looked like an ocean from our perch. Once anchored we went for a dinghy ride (my favorite part of the day) and explored all the little nooks around this perfect anchorage. We fished and relaxed--after all, I didn't have internet so Chip had my undivided attention. The wind off the bay kept the air cool so were wore jackets, but the sky was clear and oh so blue with low, thick clouds with purple in them. Peggy (Southern Comfort) made dinner for everyone-we all took our dinghies over to Blue Max and enjoyed Bill and Eileen's comfortable boat and Peggy's fabulous Jamaican Chicken and Rice dinner. We got back to Ithaka by 8 pm and went upstairs to watch sunset...the sun comes up about 5:30 and sets around 9 pm so we generally don't see either, but this was a sunset for the record books!

Day 3-Today, July 29th, we are heading to a remote anchorage called Port Rawson Bay. We have an idea where we want to go, what we want to see and approximately how long we want to be there, BUT-when a local guide tells us about a place that wasn't on our agenda, we make room in our very loose schedule. Port Rawson Bay was one of those unplanned places...it is a perfect anchorage totally off the beaten path in a remote area where few venture into. How lucky are we?

Day 4- Headed to Killbear Marina, 12 miles past Parry Sound because we were told they have WiFi only to find that while we were there we didn't even have cell service let alone internet! I was a little disappointed that we bypassed Parry Sound...You should have seen Chip's face when I told him we would see it the next time we do the loop! It feels really weird to be so out of touch...the next morning, before we left, I walked up to a little general store to call the office on the toll free number from a payphone and left a message for Sam that the month-end reports would be a late...All things considered, we would have skipped this stop and anchored out again if we were going to pass Parry Sound anyway..."next time"...hmmmmm

Day 5- We left Killbear early and took a route to avoid Canoe Channel because we were told it is a very narrow passage with depth issues. It was a cool morning so we had on long pants and sweat shirts...this is how I thought we'd be dressing most of the time, but instead we have been so fortunate to have such beautiful weather almost everyday! The cruise to our next anchorage was spectacular. We are getting further away from towns with any sizable population, but the tiny islands are still dotted with cottages of all shapes, sizes and colors; most only accessible by boat...most with a Canadian flag proudly flying. We picked a lovely bay just off the small craft channel located in Shawanaga Island. Hopewell Bay is possibly the prettiest spot yet. The entire cove is lined with amazing rock formations, layers of striated boulders in earthy colors like raw sienna and burnt umber...some smooth, others with carved deep ridges. Add to that an abundance of wildly colorful flowers and pine and maple trees and you have a masterpiece...a canvas well over a mile across by a mile wide...God's hand has created this landscape-and we are here to witness it...It is both breathtaking and breathgiving-and so few can say they have ever seen or touched it...how very blessed we are. By mid-day there were 10 boats anchored for the night and six were loopers! We all got together over on a rock beach for happy hour to share stories. (see picture). I love being at anchor~ 1000' away from the closest boat...no noise...floating on a sea of glass with a billion stars in the sky twinkling through the hatch. Hush...

New Boat Bikes !

Well, what do you do when you're stuck in a town called Penetanguishene for 2 days longer than planned? YOU GO SHOPPING! Check out our new boat bikes! Pretty cool, Eh? Mine is the yellow one...Chip picked red! They fold up and fit neatly into bags which can be easily carried and stored! That is Penetang Harbour in the background. Notice we have the first slip coming into the marina--this has made for some EXTREMELY bouncy moments!

Looks like the weather will break tomorrow...winds have been pretty crazy...15 to 20 knots. We are only going 12 miles, but I'm at the mercy of a very cautious captain! It should be so much fun anchoring out...we are headed to a sweet, little cove near Honey Harbour called Frying Pan Bay...hoping to get some serious fishing in...I decided "frying pan bay" got its name because of all the trout one can catch there...you know, and fry it up in a pan...one can only hope! Anyway, we will be away from email and Internet connections for a week or so...(what will I do?) cell phones should work fine...if you really miss us, just call.

Thank You Blog Readers

When I started this blog, the idea was so that our kids, grandkids, my mom, friends and family could all keep track of our whereabouts...I have since come to realize that much of the time our loved ones are busy and don't read the blog as often as I thought they might, but perfect strangers are enjoying it very much. I get emails from people I don't even know. I have boaters in marinas stop me and say, "Hey! aren't you Ithaka? I'm enjoying your blog!" This will not create the need for me to change my content...in the end, I am really doing this so that Chip and I have a nice story to read when we are back home...or maybe when we are old and in the home! ha ha
Anyway, for those of you that look forward to reading the blog, like watching a t.v. show with a cliff hanger and waiting eagerly for the next episode, we thank you for coming along for the ride...To our loved ones who don't get a chance to read it as often as they'd like, we love you no matter what and (most of the time) wish you were here (one at a time) experiencing this adventure with us first hand...To our loved ones who do read it often and tell others about it, your encouragement and comments mean more than you will ever know...For those thinking of doing the loop and reading the blog hoping to find some tips and advice, I'm sorry I don't post that sort of thing as often as I should, but I will try from time to time to write about the really important stuff...promise.

Well, the generator is fixed...High marks go to Frasier at Doral Marina outside of Midland. We are a little behind in our schedule (I use that term loosely--schedule, what schedule?), but that is boating and besides-the wind is blowing at about 15 to 20 knots today so I doubt we'd be going anywhere anyway...We are now in Penetanguishene (just say it as it is spelled); arrived yesterday afternoon. We went to a play last night with 14 other loopers. It was at a fabulous venue called The King's Wharf Theatre...right on the water, there were tall ships in the harbour. The name of the show was Sorry..I'm Canadian, and everyone was glad Chip was there to translate! It was a bit of a geography lesson with humour and dancing and wonderful music by The K9 Four...Canada truly is a magnificent country!

OK, now here are a few of those tips I promised you:

1.) Be very careful coming out of lock #45. The water is very skinny, the current swift and buoys are very close together...under the bridge is particularly hazardous. The next narrow spot with lots of twists and turns is the Waubaushene Channel. While at the Doral Marina a boat came in, a brand new 70' Marlow, that hit a rock and messed up their rudder, props and hull just because they missed one little buoy...and this was done by a professional captain that the new owners hired to make this leg of the trip for them! Yikes!
2.) PLEASE be careful on deck...here at Bay Moorings Marina, there are two loopers in the hospital; one fell overboard at lock #45 leaning over the railing to take photos (remember, ONE HAND ALWAYS ON THE BOAT) and one got knocked out cold by a runaway dinghy cable, it just snapped!...crazy, huh?
3.) Bay Moorings Marina is the BEST place to stay in Penetanguishene. This town is the most convenient first stop coming into Georgian Bay. The facility is well equipted (they even have a nice pool) and the service is great! Thank you Mary!
4.) Great weather website: http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/

Once we head out of here it could be days or even a week between blog posts as we will be doing a lot of anchoring...Until then, "Thank you blog readers".

Divine Order

For those of you who know me, you know, I always try to look for the good in each situation--this morning when I said my prayers, I told Chip that I felt something really amazing was in store for us today. --that the mishap which happened yesterday at the marina which messed up our generator was just God's way of letting us know that He thinks our plans are good, but His are better.

After locking through the last lock on The Trent Severn, we found ourselves heading into Georgian Bay in a different direction than that which was in our plan...Our mail is waiting for us in Penetanguishene, but our boat needs to get fixed in Midland Bay at The Doral Marina Resort (the marina that we were referred to after the other marina in Port Severn accidentally broke our generator). We did not have a "specific" chart for Tiffin Basin, so I checked all the guides about the area that Chip has onboard and sure enough, clear directions for getting into the marina was in one of the books. God's order moves in and through all things...even Tiffin Basin.

I didn't know what unplanned joy awaited, but I was certain of a positive outcome...I actually look forward to God's surprises when things don't go as planned. Come to find out there is a Martyrs' Shrine, built up on a hillside, within walking distance of the Doral Marina. So while Chip worked with the mechanics here, I decided to take a walk. It was up a narrow country road and it was ALL uphill...huffing and puffing...half way there (it was about 2 miles) I wondered if maybe I misunderstood God's plan for me to visit the site. Luckily one of the men working at the marina told me about a fence on the back of the shrine's property -that if I scaled it I would be inside the grounds (Don't worry, I put more than the 3$ entry fee in the collection box). It was a much quicker entrance for someone on foot. Anyway, I ended up in this HUGE field and off in the distance I could see what looked like a small band shell. As it turned out it was an alter, built in 1984 for a visit from Pope John Paul II where he gave a mass to a million people. Today, I was the only person there, standing on the alter I began to cry. It was an amazing feeling, and just for a moment my faith was that which I had as a child...no metaphors, no science, just a simple unshaken faith...I can barely remember that time when I didn't question and seek. But for that moment, I was about five years old and in awe of something much bigger than I am...and certain that I was a part of it.

As I walked around the sacred grounds, I found memorials, peace gardens, monuments and shrines to saints including the eight Franciscan priests who were massacred here on this site in 1639. The church itself, built in 1926, is a place where men and woman come from all over the world to be healed and there were hundreds of crutches and canes on the alter...and a sculpture of Mary with Jesus as a baby in her arms with children representing all the children of the world surrounding her...one of the most lovely depictions of Mary I have ever seen.

When I got back to the marina I told Chip all about the beautiful things I experienced so we borrowed the managers van here at Doral because I wanted him to see the church and the Papal Alter, too. We walked around the grounds together and found our way following a path under a highway bridge to the burial site of 2 of the martyrs at a place called Sainte-Marie-amoung-the Hurons. I was so glad that we had the time to come back together because even Chip said seeing it for himself was so much grander than I could explain...We discovered together also that St. Joseph is the patron saint of Canada. I bought a little booklet about the shrine called, "Saints Lived Here" which I look forward to reading.

Looks like the generator will get fixed in a day or two, and I am thankful for divine order everyday. Amen