Yesterday’s high winds and waves were predicted to abate overnight and improve all day today. We left the dock in Petoskey before 8AM and headed west into the Little Traverse Bay, hoping to make a long day of it.
Unfortunately, the waves had not read the forecast. We ran into strong winds, waves and spray that kept our windshield wipers going almost constantly. Quartering three-foot waves rocked us back and forth AND side to side. It was so uncomfortable that we took our first escape option into the Charlevoix channel. The city marina allowed us to use their “shopping dock” to rest and wait for the weather to improve (or not).
We checked out some of Charlevoix’s downtown gift shops, improved our attitudes, and by mid-afternoon the sun came out and we caught the 2:30PM drawbridge back out to the Big Lake. R&R could move along at a good pace because the two foot waves came from the northwest and we were heading generally south. The definition of “fair winds and following seas.”
We traveled on to lovely Leland Harbor and enjoyed a beautiful sunny calm evening at the dock.
We always enjoy returning to Leland’s quaint Fishtown, but after today’s excitement its quiet serene feel was particularly welcome.
Michigan is so beautiful!