We woke up early on July 1, 2015 to a chilly, gray day but we were full of excitement. The wind had died down so leaving the dock should be no trouble at all, except for one minor detail. Perky, our diesel engine, refused to start. Not a single cylinder would fire. Tom had just been through everything there was to purge air from the fuel system 2 nights ago, and we experienced no problems at all yesterday. Tom decided to call in the cavalry. Drummond Yacht Haven sent over their head mechanic to have a look. Of course he started doing all the things Tom had done two nights before. Finally he changed the fuel filter and discovered a missing o-ring, that must have fallen off as Tom installed the filter. How it ran at all without it was a mystery to everyone, but we were running again.
Off we went, headed for the Straights of Mackinac. Or is it Mackinaw? Curiously, it seems to depend on whether you’re on the island or the mainland. Of course Mackinac Island is the finish line for the Chicago-Mackinac, the longest freshwater sailboat race in the world. The clouds broke up and we had a gorgeous day of sightseeing. Kristi arranged a slip at Mackinaw City Marina since Mackinac Island was overcrowded. Everyone was very friendly, but the marina is a little rolly during the day due to island ferries going in and out. No worries, it calms down at night, once the ferries are done.
After we got settled and enjoyed a well deserved beer we strolled around the touristy part of town, did a little shopping, shared a funnel cake and generally had a good time. Once again, due to our schedule, and needing to conserve our “weather days”, we had to push on the next morning to Beaver Island.
Excited to follow your adventure! See you down there in 5!