Brig Niagara and Schooner Denis Sullivan Sail Presque Isle Bay

Upon returning to Presque Isle Bay late this afternoon after an exhilarating sail on the lake (15-20 knot winds!), I was greeted by an unusual sight of two magnificent tall ships under sail. Wisconsin's flagship, the Denis Sullivan, and the brig Niagara were tacking back and forth across the bay. The Sullivan, the world's only re-creation of a Great Lakes schooner, is visiting the Port of Erie for a break on the voyage to her winter home in Florida. She is a 137-foot schooner built in 2000 and is licensed as an educational sailing and scientific research vessel, homeported in Milwaukee. Notice the shortened rig on the Niagara. Her royal and t'gallant masts have been removed in preparation for her annual de-rigging for the winter season.

Idyllic Sail on a Saturday Afternoon

Here's a short video clip I shot on board Moonbeam this past Saturday afternoon looking aft from the cabin. A beautifully crisp fall day with a good 15 knot easterly breeze and waves in the 2-4 foot range. After rounding the outer bouy, I took a reach on a 330 degree heading and flew like the breeze for a couple hours before heading back. The ghost of Davy Jones is NOT at the helm - I have an auto pilot that comes in handy on long passages. If not for the press of real life, I could have kept on going all the way to Canada! They say that owning a sailboat is 80% work and 20% pleasure - I can well agree as I think of scrapping away every flake of bottom paint over the fall, winter and early spring two years ago, but that 20% on days like these makes it all worth it!

"Moonbeam" At Rest

Here's Moonbeam docked at the Port Dover Yacht Club during my recent passage. PDYC is a great place to spend a night or two in this charming town on Lake Erie's north shore. The folks are friendly, welcoming, and, if you happen to be there on a Wednesday night, you can chow down a delicious supper that's served to all members and guests for a nominal price. If your homeport is Erie and you're a sailor, don't forget to pay a visit to Bridge Yachts in town - chock full of sailing hardware and boating supplies that are hard to come by in marine-supply-store-challenged Erie, PA. Over the next few postings, I'll give you a little tour of my favorite stop on the north coast.