Day 74: Detroit to Port Huron

Thu 26 June. 60 miles, 7 hrs. I'm having coffee, Graeme's on the lines, and Preston's finessing the engines and thrusters as we reverse out of our skinny wee slip at the Detroit Yacht Club. Due to a problem with their shore power supply, the boat had to be moved from its convenient place against the wall almost outside the marina office door, to an empty slip away down the main finger. We can barely fit into it.

Anyway, we're away at 0830, and heading up the last portion of the Detroit River into Lake Ste Clair. As we leave the northern tip of Belle Isle behind, the wake around the buoys and channel markers shows the water is pouring out of the lake and into the river, so we have about 1.5 mph of current against us. We'll be fighting this all the way across the lake and then up the Ste Clair River as we head for tonight's destination.

It's a warm, calm morning. Some fishers are out (why wouldn't they be?), and a couple of other cruisers seem to be heading our way. We cross Lake Ste Clair in good time and enter the Ste Clair River, another broad American river that--as with the Hudson, and Detroit et al--is a transport artery and that you wouldn't think, to look at, had a current until you try to run a boat in it or you look at the wake produced by the various buoys and channel markers. We've seen so many of these great rivers, with domestic residences ranged along their banks, both majestic and minuscule, with industry both large and light, and with shipping both substantial and small. I'll see more of these rivers later in the year.

As we approach Port Huron, with tomorrow's exit into the next Great Lake just 3 miles ahead, we turn into the Black River and find our marina--guarded by two drawbridges (this IS downtown Port Huron)--half a mile ahead. We're fast on the wall by 1630.

It's hot and humid and there's thunder. Graeme and Lorraine wait for a rain squall to pass before they head off for their usual expeditionary walk. i do not join them, as I have other onerous responsibilities.

We eat on board - a scratch dinner but very enjoyable. A long day coming tomorrow.Les mer