After leaving Cockburn Island, we crossed the “invisible line” that separates the Canadian and U.S. waters. We stopped at Drummond Island Yacht Haven to pump out and clear customs. Once again, the horror stories were proven false as our clear-in was done via video chat on an I-pad kiosk. It was a 10-minute process that had no resemblance to the rumors one hears.
Our plan was to spend one night at Drummond to re-provision and do laundry. Dayle, on Alittle Loopy, arranged for a loaner car from the marina so we could provision and go to dinner. The following morning, Dayle requested that we stay an extra day so that he could “polish” his fuel. He had gotten some bad fuel and the resulting algae was clogging filters and intakes causing his engine to stall at very inopportune moments. We agreed, (after all, it was prime rib night at the town restaurant) and Dayle arranged for the extra night at the marina and loaner car for dinner.
We spent the day removing fuel lines, changing filters and polishing fuel. Bev and Jan went into town to do some shopping. When it came time for dinner (prime rib time!), we got to the car and the keys were gone. The marina was closed; walking to the restaurant was not an option due to the distance, wind and cold. With no Uber, Lyft or taxi available, options were limited. But, with our pallets prepped for prime rib, NOT going was also not an option.
By this time, we were joined by Ed and Kathy on Vitamin Sea, so the six of us scoured the parking lot for a car with keys in it. We found a Jeep Cherokee with keys in the ignition and commandeered it for our trip to the restaurant, laughing about going to jail (at least with a full stomach)! After dinner and a stop for ice cream, we returned the car under the cover of darkness. We did learn the next morning that the Jeep was one of the marina’s loaner cars; no jail time this week!
One of the biggest surprises for me is the clarity of the water in Lakes Huron and Michigan. It is as clear and blue as the water in the Caribbean. Given the high sand banks of the Michigan coast and the clear water, you could almost believe you were there. That is, until you jump in! Cold and no salt. Swimming and bathing in the lake is now out of the question. There will be more marina stays for showers as we progress down Lake Michigan😊