Day 2: a little R&R and Day 3: The Crossing

Day 2 - A Little Rest and Relaxation
After a great first night on the boat we decided that we would be staying in Sturgeon Bay and not leaving until Sunday AM. This allowed us an opportunity to stop at a few favorite stops within Sturgeon Bay. We took down the bikes and decided to get some exercise while running some errands.  For us, no vacation is complete without a stop at Target in Sturgeon Bay. We decided that the rugs we placed under the bikes, to prevent tire marking on the hull, needed to go. After rain they turn into a soppy wet mess, so we decided to replace with some cupboard lining as an alternate solution, so far it seems to be working like a charm. We then proceeded to go to the bakery and farmers market to pick up some items for dinner.

Peyton with his beautiful artwork... aaarrrggghhh!

It was a great morning with the boys and I must say, I am so VERY thankful to Paul's family for taking our dogs this year. Not having them with us is amazing... less dog hair, less 5AM wake up calls to go outside and more peace and quiet. Don't get me wrong, I love my pooches and miss them dearly, but this is really nice!!!  In the afternoon we enjoyed some well deserved pool time and wrapped up the evening with dinner and s'mores by the fireplace. 







Day 3 - The Crossing
We decided the night prior that we would head out at 6:30am to take advantage of the calm winds and morning light. Our target was Leland, our result was Frankfort. The waves were projected to be 3 ft or less with and occasional 6-8ft.  Occasional, my a$$!  Our initial start seemed fine, then after about 10 miles in, it was quite rough. I considered telling Paul that we should turn around, but Pierce was getting scared, so I bit my tongue. I knew it could create some serious discussion, and a 5 year old that is already scared just needs reassurance, not talk that the waves were too big, so we forged on. The waves were not as large as some we have navigated on Michigan, but a few of them ranked up there. So I did the best I could to keep Pierce calm and bit my lip.  Fortunately for us, about half way across the waves subsided a bit, making it a bit more comfortable. The closer we approached Michigan, the better the waves became which was fortunate for us. We were getting close to the Manitou islands, and after hearing the famous "land ho" from Peyton, the lake smoothed out beautifully.

Unfortunately, for our travelling companions, their ride was not as good. Paul radioed that we were going to veer off course to look at the shipwreck near the south Manitou island and take a few pictures. Our companions informed us that they needed to get to Leland as soon as possible due to taking on some water. We didn't realize the full severity of their predicament until after we approached the shipwreck and then had to steer back towards them because they came off plane. The decision was made to head to Frankfort instead of Leland so that in the event they needed, they would have more facilities to support their situation. They put in a call to the Coast Guard to let them know that they may require some assistance, even though they were fine and under there own power the USCG escorted them in and helped out. In the end they had to pull their boat out of the water, putting a huge damper on their vacation plans.

Nope, he has not seen Titanic!

Our companions were able to find a hotel in Frankfort allowing them to figure out their next steps. We enjoyed a great dinner at a new wine bar/restaurant in town called Cru and ended the evening with some ice cream and a beautiful sunset.

Tomorrow we are on our way North to Sutton's Bay to continue our progress towards Elk Rapids!