Transiting - Wednesday Morning

We have been working our way to Chicago from Mackinac Island. We started with strong winds in our face and 2 to 4 foot waves. When we turned the corner to head south in Lake Michigan the wind obligingly changed so that it could remain in our face. The waves also complied with the program! We stopped in Charlevoix MI for fuel, a pump out, and water. We only made it in as far as Round Lake as the necessary services were available there. Coming up the Pine River (Lake Charlevoix was once called Pine Lake until they denuded the area of pine trees) we had to wait for a scheduled bridge opening. With 20 knots of wind and 3 knots of current trying to push us onto the bridge we just tied up to the break wall and waited. When the bridge opened we proceeded thru and motored over to the fuel dock. Charlevoix is very pretty, the homes around Round Lake were beautiful. It shows its heritage as a big resort area starting in the 1920’s. Paying attention to the bridge schedule we only spent 50 minutes getting ready so that we could make the bridge opening again. When night fell (Tuesday) we got a new treat. The wind died completely. We have been motor sailing all night and have made it thru the Manitou passage. We are stopping in Franklin MI (we stopped here on our way up) for fuel and then it is a straight shot across the lake to Milwaukee. It remains to been seen what kind of weather we will have.