Great Loop Day 030 Sept 27, 2016, South Haven Layover Day 2
South Haven layover day 2
Success is determined not by your accomplishments, but by the opposition you have faced and the tenacity with which you have persevered in the face of enormous obstacles. ~Ariana Grande
(Note: If the post is truncated in an email, readers can click on "View entire message" and they'll be able to view the entire post in their email app.)
<Day 29 Previous Post | First Post | Next Post Day 31 >
Day 30 Tuesday, Sept 27, 2016. Turning on my marine radio to the weather channel this morning and I hear Small Craft Advisory till 8 am tomorrow morning. Winds out of the North East 10- 20 miles per hour. Rain in the morning. So the forecast says. Keeping eye on the weather and if it breaks early I will head to St. Joseph but it doesn't want to let up just yet.
Busy day. Getting a pharmacy to fill a prescription from out of state can be a hassle. Sitting in my cabin aboard the Sea Marie on my cell phone all morning. My medication procurement problem I believe is solved. Of the 5 pharmacies within 1 mile of me, Walgreens is the only pharmacy not accepting my insurance. And of course, that is where I had the scripts sent from my pharmacy in Cleveland being that Walgreens was the closest to me here in South Haven. Meijer pharmacy across the street would be able to help me. But Meijer had to call Walgreen to transfer the scripts.
While completing my calls I see a guy walking down my dock with a 10-foot fishing net in his hand. I call out thinking it was Sean. "I'm Forest," he says fishing out a large green fender in the water next to the dock below. The man in the trawler across from me lost it off his boat in this rocking river. I quickly put my shoes on and head over there. Forest was placing it back on the boat between his boat and the dock. I knocked on the port window of this small trawler and saw it was Grant an older gentleman who I met the other day by the marina office. He welcomed me aboard his rocking boat and we had a short chat. The cabin was thick with cigarette smoke and the ashtray was overflowing with cigarette butts. Grant appeared oblivious to the pounding his boat was sustaining against the dock. I ask if he had more dock lines so I could help secure this craft from rocking so badly. He handed me a new one-inch black dock line about 15 feet in length. I ask him if it was ok for me to tie off his bow cleat to the starboard piling. He answered yes. The one-inch line didn't have any eye splices so I tied a bowline on one end and climbed on his rocking deck at the bow holding on to any handhold I can find, attaching the bowline to the bow cleat on his boat's starboard side. A few attempts to lasso the piling was unsuccessful. If it had been a half-inch or 3/4-inch line that I use I would have made this easy but one inch is not an easy line to handle. Forest came out of the marina office and offered me a boat hook which proved to be helpful. With the trawler rocking vigorously to the waves, I steadied myself on the deck and deck rail. With the tied-off section of the line, I placed the line on top of the hook on the pole and wrapped the line around the piling, and tied it off to the same deck cleat. Now this dock line can keep the boat from hitting the dock on the other side,
Noticing his starboard stern line needed to be taken in on Grant's trawler named Gale Force, to the dock. The wind was pushing the boat hard against the dock and the waves coming off the lake raised and lowered us by two to two and a half feet. It took all my effort to get the slack out. I waited till the wind and river waves slacked off a bit and pulled the line against the dock cleat. Took several attempts to get it tight and then cleat off the line. Now we can relax a bit without the boat smacking the dock. Grant didn't tell me he was doing the Loop yesterday. Said he had a friend that bailed out on him a couple of weeks ago. Left his home port of Spanish, Ontario early Sept. He was held up at several ports on his way down due to the weather. Nice looking ship but having an 8.5 ft beam for a 24-footer didn't seem seaworthy in a rolling lake. Rivers and canals are perfectly suited for this trawler. And that’s how my morning went.
The 24ft Rosborough Trawler Gale Force is owned by Grant, the Canadian Mayor of Spanish, Ontario.
Forest is a retired school teacher working at the marina. When he heard I had medication to pick up at Meijer he offered to drive me up in his car. I asked him if it was ok to take a gas can to fill on the way back. No problem. The pharmacy at Meijer assumed I wanted a 90-day supply of meds. I would have loved that but I said my insurance company only pays for a 30-day supply. So while the pharmacist recounts the pills I decided to shop for new pair of pants. Also got thicker socks for cooler days coming ahead. Forest used to work here at Meijer and knew many of the people. He picked up a sandwich for his lunch. We went back to the marina after getting my 5-gallon gas can filled at the local gas station.
A little breather and a tapioca pudding snack before getting the laundry done here at the marina. I had a full load plus I wanted to wash the 2 bath rugs. The top loader couldn't take it all so out came the rugs and I hand-washed them in the sink and rung them out as best I could and in the dryer with other clothes. All dry within 45 minutes.
I always carry enough quarters for the coin-washing machine and dryer. How many quarters did I need for this washer? Answer: 7 for $1.75.
Now to plan the Aldi run by a bike provided by the marina. There was so much I wanted to get but had to limit it to what I can carry on the bike. The small string backpack came in handy and brought along 2 two additional bags to carry the load.
The beauty of a simple bike. Wish I had some extra line to tie around the bags. It would have been useful in keeping them from swinging into the tire.
My Aldi’s booty and the small thermos I bought at the Goodwill Store
An old sailor’s trick to mark the top of cans with their contents. Why? Because boats don’t have shelves at eye level. Mine will be stored in plastic storage bins. Often cans will lose their paper labels and in the days of old cans were placed in the bilge so only the tops were visible. Yes, sailors are a practical bunch.
Stopped at a goodwill store to browse and found a nice small thermos for soup. Shopping done, 2 bags packed and a backpack full of heavy groceries, now to ride back to the marina a couple of miles downhill. With each bag over the front handlebars, it's just perfect for balancing the load. On acceleration, the bike felt fine and in control. On coasting the bags on the handlebars start to the pendulum. Just a mile more to go. The traffic is light and the roads are in good shape. I can't place the bags closer to the fork, the bags would rub against the front tire and would soon wear a hole in the bottom. Quarter mile to go and slightly downhill. I used my knee to squelch the pendulum swing to some degree. Downhill to the marina, I make a right-hand turn and back to the bike rack. Made it! Now for some microwave chimichanga and fresh grapes, I'll be fine with a well-stocked boat again. Mickey got his treat of a big can of cat food and he's feeling good! I will check the weather for tomorrow. Till then, fair winds and gentle seas...
Mickey totally relaxed
A look at the waves coming into the river. That wave was about 5 feet from the bottom of the trough.
The wave got higher as it traveled upriver. Enough water to knock over a person standing by the rail.
The night settled in.
Had the marina all to myself at night.
The Sea Marie sitting pretty in the evening light. Had a light dinner onboard and made ready for tomorrow.
Earlier on the beach…
Hoping tomorrow will be a better day and we can get on our way off Lake Michigan.
Comment from 2016:
Bob Meredith And the adventure continues! Calm seas and fair winds, Henry. Can't wait till Chapter 31.
Enjoying the journey! We're doing the loop (in segments) in a 2004 Rosborough 246- it's been an awesome boat. While the deep keel might help in rough water, we've appreciated the 18" draft in all the shallow spots.