Captain's Log: August 8th-10th, 2008

Friday, August 8th- Destination: Kelley's Island


This was to be THE trip of 2008! Back in May, my business partner asked me to sail her and a few of her friends to Put-In-Bay on the weekend of August 9th. Because of her limited experience and that none of her friends had sailed before I asked Chris (my usual 1st mate) to help me in sailing LUNA SEA the 17 miles to Put-In-Bay from Sandusky Harbor Marina. We also decided to do a one night stay on nearby Kelley's Island, roughly halfway between SHM & PIB. Finally after months of planning we were 3 days from departure. In usual fashion, everyone bailed for various reasons (boyfriends couldn't go, finances, etc). But that wasn't gonna stop Chris and I. Hell there's some sailing to do!!

After provisioning and preparation we departed Sandusky Harbor around 15:00. Winds were strong, out of the W/NW at 17 with gusts to 25+. The waves had also picked up to 4 ft, building to 6. Rather than risking a sail change in rough waters we departed under mainsail only. Seas were VERY rough, and was compounded by the fact that the wind was blowing from Kelley's. Average boat speed hovered around 4.5-5 knots. We arrived at Seaway Marina on Kelley's around 17:30.

Seaway is a decent marina with powered slips, showers, fuel, store and a place to rent golf carts. After checking in we walked to a boater's favorite, The Village Pump. The restaurant is a boater's paradise: great food, good people, free Wi-Fi and the best Brandy Alexanders on the planet! After filling up on Erie perch we hopped to several other local favorites, including Kelley's Island Winery: the best sangria in Northern Ohio!

Saturday, August 9th- Destination: Put In Bay, OH
I woke up at 0500 to a rocking motion and the familiar sound of loose rigging. The winds and waves had picked up, causing LUNA to buck and kick at dock. I went on deck with some bungees to hold the noisy halyards away from the mast. I then rechecked our docklines and returned to my berth, but not before downing a bottled water and Tylenol to stop my oncoming hangover. At 0830 we woke up and hit the showers. While the water and pills had served me well, Chris wasn't fairing as well. The showers unfortunately did little to help his condition. I offered to hang at Kelley's for a bit longer but he thought it best to head to Put-In-Bay. We headed out at 0930

Upon leaving Seaway Marina we encountered similar weather conditions that we had encountered the day before: winds out of the W/NW at 17 gusting to 20; waves 4-6 ft. Fortunately the air temp was still in the upper 70s. Once out on the open water, Chris laid down in the cockpit while I manned the boat. Once again we face the scenario of sailing onto the oncoming waves, which were brutal! In spite of the high winds we decided to fly both main and jib. We arrived in Put-In-bay around 1100. The time disappointed me, but not surprising with the water conditions. As we waited to check in with the harbor master, Chris was still feeling a bit rough. Admittedly I too was dragging after the long night and harsh sail, so I prescribed my usual treatment: Malibu and Diet, followed by a high-protein meal. After sipping down the Malibus and meeting with the harbor master we headed to the famous Chicken Patio. As expected, we were back up to speed!

After lunch we circled around and looked into what PIB had to offer. We settled on The Blue Marin at PIB Resort which featured an in-water bar. So after changing into our trunks and the purchase of 2 $5 Miller Lites we dipped in and watched the scenery. After a few hours we headed back to the boat for some cheap drinks and a swim. The water in the harbor was crystal clear, but full of kelp. After the swim I got a call from a couple of my Cincinnati friends who were visiting for the weekend: Mike and Mark. We met Mike at The Boardwalk where we each had a sampling of their famous lobster bisque and then headed to meet Mark, who was there with his girlfriend and dad at Beer Barrel Saloon.

After a few drinks we took note of the incoming storm. Mark and his crew decided to hop back to Sandusky via his dad's boat as we took shelter in The Roundhouse Bar. After a brilliant show of tropical downpours and lightning strikes, we got word that Mark and crew had made it. Between downpours we managed to hit the usual PIB haunts before heading back to LUNA around 0030.

Sunday, August 10th- Destination: Home
After spinning around the mooring ball all night, we woke up and headed off to breakfast at Pasquale's. After seeing Mike off at the Jet Express dock, Chris and I headed back to LUNA to prepare for our departure. As we made ready, I received a text from Mike saying "Man it is rough out here! Be careful boys."


Around 1030 we left the mooring and headed into the lake. The high winds, heavy traffic and narrow passage caused the waves to build substantially, to the point where I considered doing an about face and staying in PIB for one more day. However, I'm a sailor. I have to learn to cope with bad weather. Fortunately the sun was shining bright and the air temps were still warm, and once we left the inlet the ride became more manageable. The winds were still in that 20-25knot range, with 6' seas. Fortunately the winds hadn't shifted so with the wind at our backs we surfed the crests back to Sandusky. I had decided to fly jib only, which was a good choice. The Columbia 26 has an exceptionally heavy weather-helm under main only, and by using the jib the boat was better balanced. We also managed to rack up 6.5 knots of boat speed!

As it had on a previous crossing, the trip from PIB to SHM took about 3.5 hours. The worst part of the journey by far was the entrance into Sandusky Bay. The high winds and waves created a bathtub effect, with us bobbing in the middle. With only 2 miles to go we dropped the jib and continued under motor power until we finally reached my harbor.

Just another weekend on the water!