Leaving the Dock; Sandusky Here We Come!

Please Share With Your Friends

Start of Summer 2025

We Left Rogers City, MI June 10th with the destination of Sandusky, OH before the end of June. We allowed plenty of time to wait for weather windows as needed and to explore each stop along the way.

It was a cold and windy start to our trip. I’m glad I packed a winter hat! Then without much transition time, we had a heat wave. The weather sure dictates our daily life when living on a boat.

We choose our route and harbors depending on the weather and what length of passage we wanted between ports. Some were short days and some were longer, we had some overnights and some layover days.

Here’s a glimpse into our route and a few snippets from the journey.

Presque Isle, MI

anchored 1 night

We felt a wide range of emotions ranging from apprehension to excitement as we left the dock and started our trip. Having a short first passage and anchoring our first night was a smart way to begin our journey. Although it was cold for being at anchor, it brought a sense of comfort and familiarity of living aboard. We prefer anchoring and were happy to find a few spots to anchor on our way south on Lake Huron.

Alpena, MI

anchored 1 night

For our second day we took a medium length passage. Still cold! We took note to have more hot water in our thermos’ for hot tea during the next day’s sail.

East Tawas, MI

anchored 2 nights and 1 night marina

This was a longer day’s passage, a fun sail, but still cold. I got a little wind burn on my face. If we decide to do more cold weather sailing in our future, I’ll remember to get a winter face mask. We decided to take some layover days here due to the cold temps and high winds. I purchased a pair of smartwool socks to help stay warmer in case we continue to have cold weather.

Eventually, the weather warmed up a tad. It’s time for ice cream! We found a fun retro ice cream shop right across from the marina.

anchored 1 night

Harbor Beach is known as having the world’s largest man-made fresh water harbor.  A picturesque lighthouse marks the entrance. We anchored off the town beach, but there wasn’t much activity on shore on this cold day.

Port Sanilac, MI

anchored 1 night

When we were researching this harbor, we read a note that it can be a little weedy. We didn’t think a few weeds would be a big deal, so we went in and dropped our hook. Our anchor didn’t set so Tony brought it up. “Come take a picture” Tony suggested. “Our anchor is covered with about 20lbs of weeds!” After dislodging all the weeds, we moved outside the breakwater and anchored off the beach in a sandy bottom. The forecast was for a calm night on Lake Huron. (We were ready to wake up and move inside the harbor if needed.)

The sun was finally out and it was warm enough for a dinghy ride to shore.

It’s fun to notice the different tourist attractions of small harbor towns. This one was unique and something Tony especially enjoyed – the oldest hardware store! It had so many nooks and crannies and spare parts to browse.

Lexington, MI

marina 3 nights

When we called to reserve a slip in Lexington, they told us about the shoaling and assured we’d be fine with our 4’ draft. They explained how to make an “S” curve to stay in the channel. We went slowly and could see the first section of shoaling as we started our “S”. We didn’t turn back quite soon enough and bumped the sandy bottom a little on the curve.

After getting all tied up at dock, a dock hand showed us an aerial photo of the shoaling. That will be helpful when it was time to exit the harbor. They told us stories of boats that start coming in, get stuck, get unstuck and then turn around and leave. I hope they are able to get approval to install markers soon so more boaters can access this harbor. We’re glad we took a chance to navigate the shoaling as it’s an adorable and friendly town to visit!

We ate out at local diners a couple of times. Going to Wimpy’s was an experience! As we entered the door, the owner loudly made fun about my wearing a winter hat (it was warmer in town, but I was chilled from being out on the water). “You can keep it on your head if you sit in that first booth” he instructed.

We each ordered one burger, not knowing they were the size of hawaiian rolls. They reminded us of White Castle. While we ate, the owner repeatedly called “grandpa” to joke around with a grandpa and his grandson nearby. I was glad he was taking a turn joking around with someone else. Whenever he’d say “grandpa”, Tony and the three other grandpa aged men all turned their heads in unison.

Sarnia, CA

marina 2 nights

It’s one thing to read about a fast current under the Blue Water Bridge and it’s another to experience it. We were motoring along at 5 knots, then 6 knots, then 7 knots and eventually 9.5 knots. Didn’t know our boat could go that fast!

After getting tied up to the dock at Bridgeview Yachting Center and getting checked into Canada, we decided to take a walk around the park-like setting. We quickly learned this is a friendly and welcoming place! Before we even got off our dock, we’d met and conversed with at least three other boaters. In the evening, our dock neighbors invited us and others to visit in their cockpit. Sharing stories, helpful tidbits, and laughing is always a great way to end the day. And we gained a lot of valuable inforamtion about sailing on Lake Erie – where we would be soon!

The weather has swung from cold to a heat wave. We put up our wind chute to give us a breeze. We took a cooler shower to lower our core temp rather than the previous days of taking a hot shower to warm up. Now it’s time for iced tea rather than hot tea.

Despite the heat, we wanted to see a little bit of Sarnia before carrying on. I saw online there was a free art gallery, The Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery, let’s go there!

It was a bit of a hike to town, but we took it slow, drank lots of water, and found interesting things to focus on along the way. As we exited our marina, we passed by a big freighter docked in the entrance. The crew were lowering their luggage using a crane and then carefully climbing down a tall ladder to leave the ship. We heard they had been onboard for 78 days.

Further along on our walk to town, we heard loud music and wondered where it was coming from. We learned they were setting up for Bluewater Border Fest and doing the sound check. I don’t think you’d need to buy a ticket to hear the concerts, it was plenty loud in the surrounding blocks. Walking along the waterfront park we saw a unique fountain.

Windsor, CA

marina 1 night

As we continued down the St Clair river, there was plenty of variety and contrasts to observe. During one stretch of the river, we glanced to our starboard side and saw waterfront homes with docks and boats and then glanced to our port side and saw a natural landscape of greenery and trees.

We kept checking our AIS for freighters coming or going and stayed clear of their path. I guess not everyone is as attentive to the freighters. We overheard on the VHF radio things like “Pick a side. I have the center” and “Get moving or get swimming”.

The Detroit river provided urban, industrial, and nature to admire as we made our way towards Lake Erie. At one point, we saw the water covered in white and wondered what it was. Once we got closer, we realized it was a flock of swans!

I like to notice the architecture and artistic aspect of the bridges we see while cruising. Maybe if I keep my mind focused on that aspect of the bridge, I won’t be fooled by the optical illusion. As we approach a bridge, I still double check and question if we’ll fit underneath. I know logically we have plenty of headroom to clear it, but still feel nervous every time.

Pelee Island, CA

anchored 1 night

We left Detroit river and entered Lake Erie with the sun shining and a perfect wind for sailing to our anchorage on Pelee island. We felt a nice sense of accomplishment in getting here and enjoyed the afternoon sail!

Put-In-Bay, OH

mooring ball 2 nights

We heeded the advice to visit Put-In-Bay during the week. It was no problem to get a mooring ball and easy to get a ride to shore with the water taxi.

We were still in a heat wave and the Perry’s Victory and Peace Monument observation area was closed due to the high heat index. We looked around the visitor center and watched a video to learn about the battle on lake Erie, very interesting!

We made it to Sandusky well before our family visit. Still in a heat wave, it’s been a challenge to do much prep for their trip. We’re focusing on surviving the heat by staying hydrated, finding shade when on an errand walk, and buying some fans at West Marine. Hopefully it will cool down a tad soon so Tony can install them without overheating. In the meantime, I’m sitting here with a battery operated fan pointed on me as I type and a bandana ready to wipe the sweat off my brow. We remind each other “We’re living the dream!”

The Sandusky sailing club members are very welcoming and friendly. We were fortunate to meet Mark and Lynda who cruised the Great Lakes last summer. They shared a lot of helpful tips for our upcoming route and ports.

Marinas and Docking

One thing we’re realizing about this trip is anchorages are hard to come by. We’ll be staying at more marinas than we’re usual. I guess we’ll get more practice with docking. A couple of times already, our slips were in a tight spot. That means less room for error. So far, so good. We’re gaining practice, practice, practice and that will help lower the stress associated with docking.

First Leg Of Our Trip Accomplished

We’ve covered a good amount of distance from Rogers City, MI to Sandusky, OH. We can’t wait to explore the area with some of our family!

Please Share With Your Friends