July 25 – August 30
Arrived home at dusk and docked on G dock at Bridge Harbor Marina after talking with the dockhand about the slip that we had reserved weeks ago. Assured that we would have 50 amp service, we pulled into an empty slip as advised. After docking, we were ready to hook up and found that there was only 30 amp power here and all other slips on this dock! Since it was dark by now, we decided to stay put and move to H dock in the morning. We had a great slip on the outside end where we could view all traffic in and out of the marina. This is the newest marina in town, but the furthest up the Black River. It’s a beautiful spot, with a great pool and tennis courts and reasonable dock rates. Our first visitors were Walt and John, both from our local power squadron. It was great to be back home visiting with old friends and having them come for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and to tour the boat they had heard so much about. A few of us went for a short cruise on a sunny August afternoon. Our son Tim also flew in for a working vacation. He and friend Larry, a certified diver, tried diving in Lake Huron, but excessive silt in the lake prevented a good dive. While there we also joined a poker run at the marina and cruised by the tall ships that were docked in Sarnia, Ontario, the Canadian city across the St. Clair River. A cruise up the Black River from the St. Clair takes you past the old train bridge in its raised position for as long as anyone can remember, and then some restaurants on the river. Just before the annual Port Huron to Mackinac Island sailboat race every July this area is a major party spot, completely congested with race yachts and spectators on boats and on foot. Going up the river there are three drawbridges to deal with; unfortunately, they do not have access to VHF radios like all other bridge tenders, and the horn signals don’t always get their attention. The Port Huron Power Squadron has a wonderful facility here on the river. The time here went by quickly, and too soon it was time to leave in order to finish our loop in September. We estimated about three weeks to get to St. Charles. So back we cruised down the Black River, under the bridges, past the old haunts, and into the St. Clair River, passing the lightship Huron docked at Pine Grove Park. We then passed under the Blue Water Bridges that connect the US and Canada and were a mere spec as we cruised into Lake Huron. We were on our way on the last leg of the Great Loop.