I was finally able to leave Presque Isle Bay in Erie, PA on Thursday, August 31, around 1:30pm. The winds were from the northeast and the waves were less than two feet. It was a seven hour run to Ashtabula, Ohio. I approached the channel at dusk and ended up tying off on an old barge pier inside the channel. I was not sure how late the drawbridge operated that would allow me access to the marina on the other side. Next morning, I watched a fleet of charter fishing boats head out around 7am (when the drawbridge opens on the half hour until 10pm). I left shortly afterwards and made an eight hour run to Cleveland, Ohio. The northeast wind pushed me along which helped cut the travel time. As I approached the Cleveland harbor, the Blue Angles jets were using the channel to practice their maneuvers for the air show scheduled for all three days during Labor Day weekend. The local sheriff and Coast Guard made me leave the channel and go back out on the lake and steer to the west end of the breakwater to re-enter the channel to access the marina. I tied up at the Edgewater Yacht Club marina in Cleveland for two nights. On Saturday, September 1, I rode the bus downtown to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Spent part of the day looking at memorabilia that traced the history of rock and roll. The museum was nicely done and easy to get around. There were lots of displays with clothes, guitars, sheet music, and handwritten songs on various sheets of paper. I stayed too long and miss the trolley tour around Cleveland for two bucks. Dang! Once back at the boat, I went through a checklist to ready the boat for my next stop in Huron, OH. Edgewater Park is next to the Edgewater Yacht Club. It’s a beautiful park with a beach and grassy area that is right on Lake Erie. It was a popular spot for watching the Air show and for checking out the conditions on the lake. After visiting the park, I walked two miles to a Sav-A lot grocery store to pick up supplies. The odd thing about it is that I would never walk that far at home for groceries. At least I have enough food for when I anchor out with no access to town.
Here are a few photos:
Roblgreatloop 