[Rhodes22-list] Michigan City to Chicago

[Glen & Dorene Barrera]

Way to go Ron! Sounds like a breezy passage but you had to feel pretty good
finally pulling into Monroe.
We had the same feeling when we first pulled into our new slip at Burnham
Harbor, the most northeast corner of the harbor. We had lost the view of
downtown we had with the stardock (McFetteridge Dr. is between), and
fireworks from Navy Pier. However, there were enough pluses to keep us there
(good dock mates and relative quiet at night being the most important). It
sounds like you may not have many pluses...
Hope your knee is okay. We'll see you on the water.

Glen


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ronald Lipton" <rlipton at earthlink.net>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 9:37 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Michigan City to Chicago


>
> We sailed from Michigan City to Monroe Harbor Chicago yesterday. It
> didn't
> start off very well.  We splashed the boat on Sunday and motored to a
> transient
> slip to raise the mast.  I have a circa 1989 A frame mast raising
> system. I am
> a little bit paranoid about the stresses on the cabin top since there
> is evidence
> that a section of the top was ripped of by a previous owner. I tried to
> help
> the mast along since Becky was pulling the mast up with the block and
> tackle
> arrangement.  I put some weight on my shoulder and my knee collapsed -
> an old
> ACL injury.  I should just trust good old mechanical advantage.
> Another voice
> from on high saying "you are getting older ...".  It was not too bad
> and I am
> able to hobble around OK.
>
> We got an early start the next morning - late afternoon showers and
> thunderstorms
> were predicted in Chicago and we wanted to beat them into the city. Got
> up at
> about 5:00 but still didn't get to the boat until 6:30.  We got about
> 15 yards from
> the slip when the motor died.  The wind pushed us into an empty slip
> and I found
> that the hose had pulled itself out - no big deal but not the best
> start.  The wind
> was really blowing...
>
> The rest of the sail went pretty well. We had gusting winds 15 - 25
> knots almost
> all the way.  It was 80 on land but only about 50 degrees and hazy
> offshore.
> We had to change the amount of sail every 20 minutes or so.  Went from
> furled main
> only to full main and almost full 175 and back over and over.  The wind
> started from
> the South and moved to southwest as we neared the city so it was mostly
> a beam
> reach.  We saw no other boats with the exception of two large lake
> freighters going
> into Burns harbor.  The helm was almost completely neutral under all
> conditions. I
> sailed with an experienced racer and she was very impressed with the
> boat.
>
> Chicago came into view through the haze about 10 miles out.  There is a
> building
> with an angled roof at the corner of downtown area and with the sun
> angle at that
> time of day (about 1:00) it reflected like a beacon - a beautiful view
> but I did not
> have my camera (arrgh ..).  As we neared the city the wind really
> picked up - around
> 30 knots so we came in past the Shedd Aquarium with handkerchief sails
> flying.
>
> The sail took 7 hours and 45 minutes - breaking my old record (and only
> other passage)
>   by 3 hours.  My only disappointment was my mooring assignment.  it is
> at the far
> North end of the harbor, which is well protected but not more than 30
> feet from the
> Columbia Yacht club boat.  It blocks the view North (fireworks - Navy
> pier ...) and will
> subject us to hundreds of affluent spectators every time we come in.  I
> am thinking
> of requesting a change.
>
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