Winterizing

I used antifreeze in my holding tank from my head and I used it in the bilge. I ran the engine and used the antifreeze in the raw water intake to suck the antifreeze throughout the engine. After that I undid the nuts on the water pump cover to drain the antifreeze out from around the impeller. One gallon went in my rear water tank and one in my front water tank. Altogether I used 8 gallons of antifreeze which cost $2.48 per gallon at Menards, a big hardware store up here in Wisconsin. Finally I disconnected the wires on the batteries and topped them up with distilled water.

All set for another winter.

I'll be going down under again for the winter like I did last year but first there are some grandchildren to catch up with again and also the boat show in Annapolis along with a talk by Jerome Rand who just completed a circumnavigation in a Westsail 32 just like mine. You can find out more at 5thcape.com on the internet.

Hauling out

Yesterday I motored the couple of miles over to Harbor Town Marina to put the boat on the hard and winterize it for the coming season. Hauling Onapua has become old hat for me and for the first time, I didn't record the event on video and wouldn't you know it, the boat slipped off her sling. I have always thought it strange that they required me to remove my forestay which I had never done before at any other haul out yard. Turns out that they had me going in the wrong way. The boat needs to be stern first into the hoist. Anyway we turned the boat around and it worked much better. I did have some damage to the Port bow caprail when the boat fell into the water but otherwise I go off lightly.

So she is back to the same place as last year but turned around the other way.

I mixed up a batch of fibreglass to fix the cap rail and then I ran 4 gallons of potable antifreeze through the engine.

This year I am trying a different method for my boat cover. Instead of buying just one tarp for the whole boat, I have bought four. One for the bow, 2 for port and starboard and one for the stern. Also I bought 12oz canvas tarps from tractor supply that look like they have a lot of strength to them. Mother nature is probably laughing at my attempt but it is worth a shot. I am halfway through.

Menomonie

Sailed here Monday for about 2 hours, motoring for about 4 hours. My neighbor in Detroit Harbor caught me as I was getting ready to leave.

Thanks Dan!
It's nice being able to run up to the store and and get whatever you want. This place has everything with a Walmart, lots of hardware stores and especially my favorite Tractor supply. Weather has been off and on. Take a look at this cloud we had tonight before the rain came down in buckets.

Will haul out sometime this week.

Detroit Harbor, day 3

Weather has kept me here inside the harbor, but I have been productive fixing my whale gusher bilge pump, reading and watching DVDS. I did visit with my neighbors, Dan and Leslie on a beautiful 1962 Pearson Triton that has been in their family since new.

Dan has a 20 year old crew member who will swear like a pirate if you feed him.

Tomorrow I will be taking advantage of favourable winds to take me the 30 miles to Menomonie, Michigan and storage at Harbor Town Marina for the upcoming winter.

Detroit Harbor, Washington island

What an amazing day it was yesterday. Beautiful, clear blue skies, with little wind, and a little chilly surprisingly, while some parts of the country are suffering a heat wave. There were just two other skiffs here in the harbor enjoying the day and another jon boat with a couple of fishermen on board.

It is actually a myth that everyone likes to get away from the maddening crowd and search out secluded coves idling away the day reading books and taking it easy. Most of the idyllic coves that I have been to even in the height of summer have been empty with my boat being the only one around. Mind you, that is during the week because when the weekend warriors are out, those empty bays become full of jet skis, young kids and partying. It is either one or the other and with Labor day weekend around the corner, I am confident that this Bay will become full.

Monday may be the only time I can sail to my target of Menomonie. Today the prevailing SW winds in the direction that I am heading, have returned with a vengeance with thunderstorms again predicted overnight. I have had my fair share of bad weather so far this summer and I am ready to call it a wash and head down under again for a fairer climate.

Lobdell's Point

All but 12 of the 14 hours crossing Lake Michigan yesterday was beating to windward over white capped water. The 70 miles was wet, bouncy and at times downright scary. Normally I would not have ever considered a voyage like this, but when you have to go against the prevailing wind, sometimes you just have to take what you can get. All day i used the same configuration of one reef in the main sail and my staysail so at least I didn't have to go out on to a pitching foredeck to make sail changes. I was exhausted by night fall so put my hook down when I got the first chance at Washington island grabbing a beautiful sunset photo as I got close.

Beaver Island day 3

I love this place. Lots to do and see. As usual I set off and walked a couple of miles and then biked for two hours. People are really friendly and it is not too crowded because it is late in the season. The weather cooperated unlike last night. I fear I jinxed myself yesterday by saying that the worst of the weather had passed. I woke at midnight to 2 hours of wave upon wave of thunderstorms with driving rain, lightning and ferocious wind. We are supposed to get another round tonight but this time not so severe. Tomorrow I am heading across the lake and if conditions are right I will continue overnight all the way through to Menomonie. I know I have been threatening to do an overnight ever since I got back here but the wind is favourable until Thursday morning and then after that it dies and clocks to the South which would mean a headwind. Anyway here are a few pictures from this place.