Day 70: Erie, PA to Cleveland, OH

11 hrs. 102 miles. We're up early and off the mooring just after 0600. The sky is slightly cloudy and the day is warm - part of some sort of a dome of heat over the USA just now. We head across Presque Isle Bay and out of the entrance then turn 180 deg to head west along the southern shoreline of Lake Erie. Hopefully, this'll shelter us somewhat from the expected southerly winds. Today is not expected to be as smooth-sailing as we've had recently.

We plough on along the 'coast', with all hands getting a share of the watch, making sure our auto pilot is keeping us on track and that we're not about to run over some brave fisher in a dinghy. We can be glad we're running into the swell and not along it.

By 1100 we're abeam Ashtabula ('Ashtab' to the locals) and picking our way through yachters and fishers. These Lake Erieans obviously aren't afraid of a little breeze. Five hours to Cleveland. Jan goes below (brave Jan!) to continue packing. Smoko is a cuppa and a handful of ginger crisps.

We arrive at Cleveland's North Coast Oasis Marina at around 5 o'clock after a long day and a long trip. The marina is right on the edge of downtown. We have a celebratory drink in the cockpit, and a neighbouring yachtie takes a group picture. Jan is leaving us this evening to go to an airport hotel for a flight to Chicago tomorrow. We call an Uber and go to a suburban Outback Steakhouse ("Eat desert first... it's the Aussie way mate!" Bluuurrrrp....) to ensure Jan has had a Blooming Onion before she departs the US. It's our second visit to an Outback, and it has to be said, they know how to do steak, ribs, and salad. Their margaritas, though, are a smidge short of alcohol, and they're out of the Australian Cab Sav on the menu (story of my life)..

We send Jan off to her airport hotel and Uber back to the marina. We're bushed..!Baca lagi