Closing up the cottage

The picture was taken in Chicago while sailing one of the tall ships out of the harbour breakwall: Starboard lighthouse in the background.

My tale today is of a different time and place. I am up at the cottage, preparing to leave tomorrow, and not return probably until next year, although I am holding out hope for a Canadian Thanksgiving October 12th visit.

We have had 6 days of Wind Warning weather, Gale force winds (> 34 knots) and gusts even higher. The wind has changed directions several times this week, right now it is coming out of the NorthWest. Weather bouy 45003 in Northern Lake Huron says air temperature 14 Celsius, the water temperature is now 13 Celsius and waves 3 meters: 59, 55 F & 10 feet.

The clouds are heavy on the horizon, there are slits of salmon pink evening sky with even lower light gray clouds racing along the water. I am safe now, warmed by a hot shower, heater going full blast and dressed with many layers. Earlier, I had been cold.

Bill Tyler has his boats in the water including his large Morgan 24 sailboat Little Pike. He had moored Little Pike with a shore line and a line to the standing anchor. Her stern closest to shore and taking the brunt of the gale force winds and 10 foot seas crashing over the rocks. If he hadn't attached her to shore and let her swing free, she would strike the shoal running the length of Mare Nostrum as she had apparently done earlier in the year. She broke free of the shore line sometime in the last 24 hours and was now dancing over the shoal, clearing it because of the one foot storm surge. But, when the wind dies down a bit, she would be subject to pounding her keel on the shoal until she cracked her fiberglass, leaked water and became stuck on the shoal. So, if anything was to be done, then it had to be in the gale force winds, 10 foot seas, and, and someone had to go into the water to free her tailing, now broken shore line as it had wrapped around the standing anchor in the water. In my 3/4 wet suit, goggles and water shoes, I went in, Connie and her husband Steve (both in parkas) on shore holding onto an auxillary line I attached to the broken line, and they pulled Little Pikes stern against the wind and waves to shore and we made fast both lines.

Connie Steve and I said our brief goodbyes and I headed for the cottage and a hot shower. Here I am, now fed, watered and ready for the evening festivities: a rusty nail and to bed.