Three Days and Counting

It's Friday. Fish Festival Weekend in Vermilion. Two days before the Cavs play Golden State for the NBA Championship and three days before we set sail, so to speak, to Lake Michigan.

This will be a trip like no other for us. We are going with no specific itinerary as to ports visited and no time schedule. All we know is that we are leaving on the 20th of June, and will be in Charlevoix, MI, on July 27th for a crew change. On that day, Jim and Jola Karpinski will meet us in port. Kerry and Jola will drive their car home and Jim will stay with me until Kerry returns, six days later. Kerry is going to our niece's wedding shower in Arlington, Va. Much more on that at a later day.

I made the usual itinerary while we were in Florida. But we are cruising for the first start of the voyage with Peter and Marianna Orro, who cruise without a specific float plan. The Orro's have a 41' sailboat, called Brillig. In comparing our usual cruising style with their's, we decided it would be fun this time to go slower and adopt more of a "where the wind blows" approach. So we have trimmed back on distances to be covered. This means we will miss wonderful Door County in Wisconsin on this trip, so I will have to put that destination on a future voyage.

Annie is ready. We have a new AIS transponder and a new radio that integrates DSC calling with my chart plotter. I'll discuss these things at a later time. I have done some gel coat touch up and Annie is looking sharp. Kerry had planned to have new carpet installed before we shoved off, but an ordering mistake means that it will be installed after we return. We actually think it's better to cruise with the old carpet as we won't be worried about soiling the new.

I have a new Dahon folding bike for this trip. It's my Father's Day present, but it's not a secret - obviously. Kerry treats me well, and as past readers know, she is treated like a Princess while on board. So, we are ready for the trip and really excited to go. Monday we sail to Leamington, Ontario.