Homeward Bound - Crossing Lake Erie

Getting Abracadabra home presented many challenges.  leaving the car, getting the craddle home, crew etc...  And I couldn't cross the border with the children.  Not because they have criminal records, it was only a passport issue.  The list goes on....

Our good friend Mark and his daughter Kelly volunteered to help crew across Lake Erie and throught the Welland Canal.  And with the help of our parents, we were able to get them to the boat, and get our car home from Erie.  We are very blessed to have such good friends and family.

The boat went in the water and started without any major glitches.  By 12:00 noon, Mark and his awesome crew shoved off to cross the lake.  The main went up, and the jib went out, motor turned off and they were sailing.  Straight down wind, 65 miles across Lake Erie.  Mark still didn't have all the wiring fixed.  He did managed to install the new VHF, and had jury-rigged red and green bow lights. 

Our parents, Pat and Vern left Erie, Pennslyvania with both cars in preparation for day two, Port Colbourne and the Welland Canal.  The weather was starting to turn and they were very happy to get out of dodge.  Had they not been in separate vehicles, they would have stopped for sure to take pictures of the stove pipe shaped funnel cloud in the not so far distance.  It wasn't in the forcast, but it was witnessed by both.

Lucky for Mark and the crew, they were heading in the opposite direction.  But, as the sun went down, the wind picked up.  And up, and up, and up.  It only took Abracadabra 10 hours to cross the lake.  Straight as a pin downwind, surfing waves most of the time.