Time for a vacation! Our plan is to accomplish what we failed to do last year on "Cordon Bleu", visit the Penteny Island Lighthouse. We would sail down to Big Traverse and meet up with the kids then all sail back together. It took quite a while to haul all our food and clothes down to the boat and pack up but were quite amazed at all the extra room we had. Progress was slow as we set sail late in the afternoon fighting a headwind. We made it to the Barrier Islands by supper and after a wonderful BBQ steak and potatoes dinner we continued on to Cintiss Island. Arriving around 11pm, we dropped anchor and settled in for the night.

We awoke the next morning to a cool but strong north-northwest wind. This would be the perfect conditions for sailing southward and we make incredible time. By lunch we arrived at Lily Island and by supper we were at the border (Oak Island). Taking full advantage of the great winds we carried on, crossing Little Traverse as the waves started turning into rollers. After another wonderful barbecued dinner we approached Bear Island and decided to drop anchor after seeing 2 deer drinking from a small beach in a secluded cove. I inflated the dinghy and we paddled to shore to do some exploring. As the sun set we returned to "3 Monkeys" for snacks and a movie before dozing off for the night.

After a good nights sleep we had a quick breakfast and set sail for our rendezvous point for the kids... a huge sandy beach on Big Island. As we approached about an hour and a half later, I could see through the binoculars that the beach was actually too big and we would probably have more fun at a slightly smaller one back around the point. It was very open so we knew our sailboat would be sighted when the kids passed by. My wife and I explored the beach and had a great time on the sandbars which extended far beyond where the "3 Monkeys" was anchored. The children finally arrived at around 4pm and also had a great time, although clouds had rolled in and cooled things down a bit. By supper the sun was back but the wind was gone. We packed up and set off motoring around the south western point of Big Island. We continued as far east as we could before the sun started to set. Finding another sandy beach in a protected cove, we dropped anchor to spend the night.

Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops and cheerful morning conversation... what a great way to start the day! Next we all climbed into the dinghy and paddle to shore. This beach connected to a point covered with all sort for interesting rock formations which the kids were eager to explore. When we finally returned to the boat, it was starting to warm up and we all jumped in the lake for a morning bath before setting sail. We made our way down some narrow channels before entering bigger water, approaching Penteny Island by noon. Not knowing what side of the Island the lighthouse was on, we ended up slowly and carefully making our way around the entire island. To our disappointment the lighthouse was nowhere to be found and I was unable to hail anyone on the radio for more information. We munched down pieces of cheese and chocolate chip muffins for lunch as we made our way to a beach to cool off.

By the time we arrived at the beach it was very hot and the wind had long but vanished. Our now regular routine of loading food, toys and ourselves into the dinghy meant we would be spending more than a few minutes here. Upon paddling to shore, we gooped up with sunblock and finally hit the water. The swim was quite refreshing and the next task was to explore. Further down the beach we found giant rocks that looked like they had simply fallen from the sky. Soon the wind picked up and large waves started to roll in giving the sensation of being at the ocean. Once again we went back into the water and had a marvelous time jumping and riding the waves. The wind and waves also made for some excellent sailing once we returned to our boat. By mid afternoon we were once again quite hot from the sun beating down on us. This time we tied a long rope to the life preserver and took turns riding behind while under sail. This was not only a good way to cool down, it was fun!

With the afternoon coming to a close and the winds picking up, we set our heading north across Little Traverse Bay to Poplar Island. The clouds slowly rolled in as we clipped along at a steady 6 knots, cutting though the waves like a knife in butter. With the sun now shaded, the cool breeze was quite welcome as was the occasional spray over the bow. We decided to fire up the BBQ as we rounded Poplar Island and made our way to the protected Tug Channel. We finally lowered the sails as the shoreline of Tug Channel closed in and cut us off from the wind. My wife read stories to the children in the cockpit as the skies darkened and streaks of lightning could be seen in the distance. Unfortunately we were heading straight into this darkness. Under motor we made our way to the channel and turned west. There was still a considerable distance to go before making it to our sheltered cove at Lily Island. With the winds now starting to howl, I decided we should seek shelter in a small cove in the channel. After dropping anchor the wind suddenly changed direction and we were forced to pull up and reset on the opposite side, this time further from shore. The rain and winds raged as the lightning crashed all around us. Our "3 Monkeys" reared up like a stallion as the water surged around us, our anchor digging deeper into the clay bottom. The children handled the situation well and by 3am the storm started to break. Finally we were able to drift off to sleep.

Morning came quick and we awoke exhausted. Peering out the cabin hatchway, we were finally able to see the small area that sheltered us from the storm. The water was now like glass with barely a breeze in the air. We filled our bellies with cereal and toast before all jumping in the lake for our morning bath. When it was finally time to continue our journey homeward, I raised the rear anchor only to discover it had broken lose during the storm. On the other hand, our main bow anchor was lodged solid in the clay bottom and took quite some persuading to break loose. We motored past Lily Island and up through Tranquil Channel. By 1pm we had arrived at Cintiss Island and were in dire need of a swim to cool off. No need for a dinghy this time... in we went, swimming to shore. By the time we returned to the boat more clouds had rolled in and it looked like the weather might change on us. I put up a canvas cover over the boom for protection if it did decide to rain and we motored off. It never did rain but the canvas provided nice shade from the sun. By supper we were making our way through Devil's Gap and it was time to start preparing everything for the trip from dockside to our van. Besides the thunderstorm, we had amazing weather and a great time. We also learned on our return that the Penteny Island Lighthouse had been moved across the ice in the winter to mainland to use as a tourist attraction.... go figure!