We pulled in the lines just before 0800 to start a planned travel day of about 6 hours covering 30 miles and ending at an anchorage for the night. A couple of hours in and we decided to continue on to what would have been the destination for tomorrow. Some may wonder why we would do that, 10.5 hours and nearly 80 miles? Simple, for the first time in days the weather didn't suck lemons.
There was a bit of a roll starting out, enough to keep the autopilot in standby mode. But after a couple of hours and with the leftover swells dead on our stern and going nearly our exact same speed? It was just too good of a day to not make more miles if we could. So we did. There was a second reason as well. Today was basically two travel days in one. Tomorrow will be a full day as well. If the weather allows we will put in two more days, squeezing five travel days distance into four. The reason for that is, of course, the weather. There is more lemon sucking stuff inbound that will likely pin us in place, someplace, for a day or two almost for sure and maybe as many as four. We are about half way down the Lake and it is now September. Getting off the lake as soon as we can is the driving force.
As for today's unexpectedly long day? Truth to tell it was more comfortable on the boat under way than it had been for the last two days pitching and rolling at the dock. There was a downside to two days on a rolling pitching boat and then 10 plus hours underway. We got off First Light to take a little walk only to find that the sidewalk was doing the pitching and the rolling. Stopping by the bathroom (“head” to a sailor) meant leaning against the stall wall to keep from falling in.The boat is sitting perfectly still in this slip so, hopefully, that and a good night's sleep (which have also been in short supply these last couple of days) will convince the inner ear that up is actually up and not sideways. And that was probably more information than you were expecting.
Our walk was prompted by the arrival of The Badger to the port, an antique car carrier that still burns coal—surprising, that, given the environmentally conscious people of Michigan. It's an interesting story that I'll let the historical sign tell for you. Thankfully, we'll be gone in the morning before he blows the 5 departure whistles which are loud enough to shake the boat. Well...that's if the weather decides to cooperate.
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