Day 3 - a random act of kindness

It was 5:30 pm and two dock hands walk down the pier and get our attention. We have started our first round of sundowners and wonder what they want. They explain that a Viking 57 has called in and they need our end tie to fit them in. Would we be so kind as to move our boat to a nearby slip to accommodate this late arrival. We had been tied up on the pier with this same boat in Port Washington so we knew who they were. They were an older couple (80’s ish). They are from Lake Forest, Illinois which is the town next to where we live in Lake Bluff. The boat name is “Final Fling.” Appropriately named. We did not get to ask them the details of where they lived in Lake Forest. The well to do live in east Lake Forest east of Geenbay Road and west of Sheridan Road. The super rich live in east, east Lake Forest which is east of Sheridan Road and on Lake Michigan. I would place them east, east. This was our random act of kindness for today.

It rained on an off all evening. We went to a local supper club for dinner. Great prime rib and almond chicken on the menu. We watched a movie in our salon, a movie about a battle between magicians in the 1800’s called “The Prestige.” You have to pay close attention to follow this twisted story line.

We are currently underway from Manitowoc, Wisconsin to Leland, Michigan today which is Sunday July 13, 2014. We are on a heading of 59*t. The distance is 90 miles. We are traveling at 21.5 kts and should arrive in Leland around 2:00 pm. Gentle reader, if you have been following our exploits you are asking why after traveling at 9 kts for two days are you finally letting the horses run? The rationale is that our assumption regarding fuel burn was off by 50%. We had read that we should get 2 miles per gallon if we cruise at 9 kts. After cruising 125 miles from Waukegan to Manitowoc we fueled up and took on 118 gallons fuel. That is approximately one mile per gallon. From our boat delivery in October we know we get . 6 miles per gallon at 21.5 kts. The savings is not worth the extra time. We will travel almost as far in 4.5 hours as we did over last two days. Once we get to the North Channel we will test a slower speed to determine a more cost effective speed of perhaps 6 or 7 kts. In the mean time, hold on tight.

Leland is a port of refuge that was built by the Michigan DNR. The trip from Charlevoix to Frankfurt is 60 miles and there was no place to get off the lake in a storm. So they created a harbor half way in between. As a port of refuge no boat can be denied dockage. Harbor Master Sarah has rafted up boats 3 – 4 deep on the face piers to fit every boat into the harbor.

So far we have traveled 236 miles from Waukegan to Leland and burned $1,019.00 in diesel.
Tomorrow we will go to Beaver Island.

In this photo Changing Latitudes is nicely making way with Manitowoc behind and Leland, Michigan 90 miles ahead.

image