SMELLIN da ROSES, Part 2-h.
Sunday, 6 July. We stayed in Sault Ste. Marie another day. Howard and Maggie walked into town, did some sight seeing and picked up a few odds and ends at a grocery store. Judy did a load of wash and John worked on the log and sent and received Email at the Harbor Masters office. We still do not have digital/data cell phone service, but the office lets you use their phone for a flat rate of $1.00 to do Email. In the afternoon, Ellen and Bob Marcell (Ellen taught school with Judy in Battle Creek, MI when John was in the Air Force) came to visit us from Escanaba (a 3 hour trip) and we had a great time catching up. Judy and Ellen have seen each other 4 times in the last 38 years - most in the last 10.
Monday, 7 July. After fueling up, we were back cruising again. Went South down the St. Marys River and back to the DeTour marina for the night. The only difference between today's cruise versus our cruise up the river last Tuesday is that today, we were on the down bound channel and went the other side of a couple of big islands in the middle of the river. We strolled into town, had a glass of freshly made real lemonade, went into the local marine, hunting, fishing & gift shop (one small store), stopped for a few grocery items on the way back to the marina and then went out to dinner.
We tried to make reservations to spend the next two nights at Mackinac Island State Dock, but the centralized reservation system showed that they were full on both Tuesday and Wednesday, so we are going to Saint Ignace instead. This is a brand new marina there with floating docks and should be nice. There are ferry boats to Mackinac Island right next to the marina, so we will still be able to visit the island and do the tourist thing.
Tuesday, 8 July. We had a nice trip from DeTour to Saint Ignace with max seas of 3 to 3-1/2 feet and were in the lee of the islands about half of the time. This new marina is quite nice, but still has some finishing touches to be done yet. It is right in the middle of the down town area and a short walk to the ferry boat lines to Mackinac Island and grocery, drug, hardware stores, restaurants, book and magazine stores and of course fudge and ice cream shops. Judy and John took an afternoon trip to the Island and a buggy ride tour to get the lay of the land while Howard and Maggie walked the streets of Saint Ignace to check out the shops and stores.
We found out the "problem" with the Michigan centralized reservation system (not passing on the information given them by boaters making reservations to the local marinas and local marinas not being permitted to extend and/or cancel reservations due to bad weather conditions). The centralized system is being run by an outside contractor - low bidder - Spherix located in Cumberland Maryland who have no idea of Great Lakes Boating conditions or safe harbors of refuge. You are charged a $2.00 fee to make reservations and everything is charged to your credit card. If you do not show up, even due to foul weather conditions, you are still charged a $19.00 cancellation fee and if you wish to extend your stay, you must call Maryland to get a new reservation or wait until after 12:00 noon the day you wish to stay, when the marina is permitted to extend your reservation, if they have room. Basically Spherix runs the system as though it was a campground (which is the other part of their contract) and you could simply move your motor home anytime you wished regardless of storms. Harbor Masters and marina staff hate the system because they can't help their customers properly and take a lot of flack from some irate boaters who do not understand that it is not their fault.
Wednesday, 9 July. All of us took the ferry boat to Mackinac Island for the day. We went our separate ways so each couple could see and do what they wanted -- Howard and Maggie went to the Fort and several of the restored museum buildings and found them very interesting. They also walked around the down town area and up to see the Grand Hotel - a $10.00 fee just to get in the hotel. All four of us passed on the opportunity. John and Judy walked the down town area and visited most of the shops (mostly tee shirts, tourist souvenirs and fudge shops). They then took a different buggy tour which included seeing the Grand Hotel and many of the summer homes on the island. Due to bad weather forecast, we extended our marina reservations for Thursday and may have to do so again for Friday.
Thursday, 10 July. We slept in today because we didn't plan on going anywhere or doing much. By 10:00 AM it had started to rain and the forecast for Friday is for more of the same, only with small craft warnings, so we extended our "well" (slip) reservations for another day. We'll use the time to do some wash, write the log, take naps, read and/or watch TV. It was a lazy day except for a walk to the hardware store by Howard and a walk to the Post Office by John - both in the rain. In the afternoon, cabin fever set in and Judy, Howard and Maggie took the shuttle to the casino (like Canada, they are owned and run by the Native Americans who started them on their reservations after the government cut off their subsidies). We received a free roll of quarters by turning in the used ferry boat ticket.
Friday, 11 July. Rain Rain Go Away - we don't need any more right now. Today the prediction is for rain and more strong winds and possibly into Saturday. We are hunkered down in a safe place, but are beginning to tire of not cruising, particularly when we've seen and done all there is to do.
We still do not have digital/data service here, so this log will be sent courtesy of the local Cellular One store who agreed to let us use his phone line (for a fee) to send and receive our Emails. There is also no local AOL number and the marina has not installed their second phone line, so the only other option is to use the Internet service at the library which of course does not let you send or download Email from and onto your computer.
TWO J's V -- John and Judy Gill
MARGE'S BARGE -- Howard and Maggie Daniels
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