Sandpiper Rendezvous 2017: Les Cheneaux by Petit Bateau

The seven sandpipers who joined our rendezvous, anchored at Government Bay. With us, there were eight boats in total.

The Most Anticipated Weekend of the Year

For one group of small craft adventurers, the summer is not complete until the Sandpiper Rendezvous. We've been lucky to join this group since our friends Jerry and Linda bought their Sandpiper 565 C&L sailboat in 2014. The Sandpiper 565 is an 18.5 foot pocket  yacht similar to our Gloucester 16, but slightly larger. Thanks to Jerry, who vouched for us when registering for the event in 2014, they have accepted us as one of their own, making us the runt of the litter.

The winter of 2017 was difficult for multiple reasons, not least of which was losing our friend, Jerry. As we struggled with the age old question of "why do bad things happen to good people?" we needed something to look forward to. The Sandpiper forum was abuzz with sailors wondering where the next rendezvous would be and suggestions of the Michiganders taking the helm for a 2nd time. In a fit of aspirations of leadership and advanced planning, we posted a suggestion: what would people think of Les Cheneaux Islands?  The idea stuck. This year, we hosted the event, marking the 2nd time in history that the Rendezvous has been held in Michigan (2014 was the first, and our first Rendezvous, on Lake St. Clair).

The Plan

The itinerary for the weekend was purposely vague, avoiding commitment to any one float plan for the sake of maximizing safety and enjoyment for the entire fleet in whatever weather conditions we may encounter. We followed what we had come to know as the rendezvous formula, based on the three others we had attended. This is what we advertised to the 'pipers, with logo and all:

Design credit: Mark Rowe and Kenn Nelson

Friday, August 18

Arrive, launch boats and tie up in the marina.

6 PM group dinner at the Islander Bar, a short walk from the marina.

Saturday, August 19

Mandatory skipper's meeting in the morning (time TBD).

Go sailing and end up at the location to anchor for the night, possibly Government Bay or Duck Bay. Distance is about 10 miles, more or less, depending on the route we take and where we decide to go. 

Depending on the weather, we may choose to sail on Lake Huron, or take a sheltered route in among the islands. 

Raft up for a group dinner, each boat is on their own for food.  

Anchor for the night.

Plan to be self-sufficient, there will be no facilities on shore.

Sunday, August 20

Go sailing for the day, and end up back at Hessel marina. Again, we can sail on Lake Huron or a sheltered route among the islands, depending on the weather. Boats should be prepared to motor if there is no wind.

6PM group dinner, either at the Islander Bar, or possibly at Les Cheneaux Culinary School (I'm inquiring about this)

credit: NOAA

As a side note, it is worth mentioning that Mark and I do not fancy ourselves to be group planners. We hoped we could pull it off with a WaterTribe/Krugerhead-esque approach. Everyone come and have fun. We'll start and finish together and have some good times together, but everyone is captain of his/her own ship. We intended to rely on the knowledgeable skippers to make safe and wise decisions regarding their course of action each day.

The Flocking of the Sandpipers

The fleet began to flock in Canada, in some remote location north (or east?) of Lake Huron, where the crews of Lake Effect and Saphire convened on their way from Toronto and Mazinaw Lake. Looking at the map, it seems they passed many great sailing locations along their way to Michigan. As they approached the U.S. boarder at Sault Ste Marie, they were spotted at the Duty Free pull off by another Sandpiper, none other than Little Wave. And the flock grew. The Canadian migration south was nearly complete.

We arrived shortly after the Canadians, as we were coming from a family fishing vacation in Canada. There is almost nothing more fun and exciting than launching a bunch of little boats. The rest of the evening was spent launching Sorcerer, enjoying dinner and drinks with the 'pipers, and helping Latis and Pipe Dream, both from Michigan, launch and find the pre-arranged trailer parking location at the local airport. The Hessel Township Marina took care to pre-arrange docking so that the entire fleet could be docked together. They really went out of their way to accommodate our fleet, and their efforts did not go unnoticed! Thank you!

Saphire (left) and Little Wave (right), with Lake Effect's flags flogging in the breeze in the foreground. Flags make everything more festive.

 Soon after the sun set, Trouble rolled in, but they decided to have dinner and wait to launch until the morning. We set up our tent and had a nightcap under the boom tent in the cool night air before crawling into the cabin.

Enjoying some Kraken spiced rum before bed. Ready for the high seas.

When we awoke, Sail Inn, with her new crew, was magically docked nearby. Steve and Lauren are friends we've met through WaterTribe and Michigan kayak circles. They recently bought Sail Inn from Linda, and they've had some fun adventures already on Lake Erie. We later learned that they had arrived and launched at 2:00 am. We were impressed that they were able to do so with such stealth, considering they had only been sailing for about a month, and had only one other launching experience that we knew of. Before long, all the Sandpipers were afloat.

The flock has gathered.

A harbor full of Sandpipers

We held our mandatory skippers' meeting at 9:00 am, and all crews attended. This year, we had a major corporate sponsor! Meijer supported each boat with a $100 gift card. Although none of the Canadians knew how to pronounce Meijer, the gift was greatly appreciate by all as a means to offset costs of gas and marina fees. I know some had plans for a shopping spree on their way home. In return, we all flew Meijer flags and our group photo features a brand new Meijer banner.

The 2017 fleet. These are some fun people. From left to right, Dave (Trouble), Steve (Sail Inn / Erige), Lauren (Sail Inn / Erige), Sam (Trouble), Rob (Latis), Jean (Trouble), Bob (Latis), Kenn (Lake Effect), Jacob (Latis), Dennis (Saphire), Neil (Little Wave), Lee (PipeDream), Rebekah (Lake Effect), Madeline (PipeDream), Mark (Sorcerer), Lauren (Sorcerer), Janet (Lake Effect). Photo credit: Ed something? Or was it Frank something?

We took registration money, handed out flags, Meijer gift cards, and a bottle of Sandpiper champaign to each crew. Then, the meeting got serious. Well, we started to talk about the float plan, anyway. I read the marine and land forecasts, and Mark described some alternative routes we could take. The forecast was calling for west winds 10 to 15 knots on Saturday, with slight chance of thunderstorms. The wind was expected to turn to the south and diminish some on Sunday and Monday, and clear skies were in our future. The group decided to sail the outside route to Government Bay, stopping at Voight Bay along the way to anchor for lunch.

Leg 1: Hessel Marina to Voight Bay

The sail from Hessel Marina to Voight Bay was like a dream. We set out of from the harbor and tacked a bit while the fleet conducted radio checks. 

Heading out of Hessel Marina

Waiting for radio checks.

Latis tacking to get out of Marquette Bay

Tacking out of Marquette Bay

Tacking out of Marquette Bay

Sapphire bearing down on us while tacking out of Marquette Harbor. They are easy to see coming!

Saphire

Sail Inn (left) and PipeDream (right) approaching the exit from Marquette Bay

Approaching the exit from Marquette Bay

Last tack out of Marquette Bay.

Soon, we tacked out of the channel and into the open waters of Lake Huron. After turning the corner  to exit Marquette Bay, we enjoyed a fun broad reach to Voigt Bay.

PipeDream heading into the open waters of Lake Huron

PipeDream, with the youngest crew of the fleet, Madeline, at the helm.

Little Wave on the open waters of Lake Huron

It's hard to keep up with the big boats when there is wind!

Interlude: Anchoring at Voight Bay

We learned in previous rendezvous that the Sandpipers like to anchor for lunch and a swim. This is really quite fun, so we included an anchor-out lunch break on our way to Government Bay. It was warm enough for the hardiest of the fleet to take a dip, but most just settled in for a lunch break.

Anchored for lunch at Voight Bay

Anchored for lunch at Voight Bay

The daughters of the fleet are always the bravest. Rebekah and Sam were first in the water, followed by Madeline.

Leg 2: Voigt Bay to Government Bay

After sufficient fun and satiation, we called the fleet on the radio and suggested departing for Government Bay. Upon exiting Voight Bay, we enjoyed a downwind run sleigh ride.

Exiting Voight Bay

Sail Inn exiting Voight Bay

Sapphire beginning their downwind run to Government Bay

After leaving Voight Bay, we sailed wing on wing to the entrance of Government Bay.

During the downwind run to Government Bay, we enjoyed watching Jacob, the new crew of Latis, working to raise a spinnaker. We admired Jacob's persistence in this endeavor. After many attempts, he seemed to be giving up. But then, after a minute, presumably consulting with Bob about the relative merits of raising a spinnaker, Jacob resumed the fight. At one point, he was nothing but a colorful sail with legs.

Latis getting ready to hoist their spinnaker. 

Not quite...

Well, maybe it will work...

That looks like it might fly! Go, Latis, go!!!

Maybe not?

Well, the spinnaker is flying, alright...

Why is sailing so much work?

A spinnaker with legs.With Lake Effect in pursuit.

The age old dilemma of of sail changes: sometimes chasing to a faster sail slows you down. Jacob and Bob, thanks for giving it a try! True sailors and adventurers are always game to try a sail change.

Downwind sailing always puts me a little on edge. That is when things go wrong. The "Hairy Day" we both remember started with a lovely downwind run. Nonetheless, I took the tiller so that Mark could record the goings on aboard Latis. It was a fun downwind sail. Waves were less than 2 ft due to the shelter provided by Goose Island, we assumend.

At the tiller, enjoying our downwind run to the entrance to Government Bay.

Upon entering the channel leading to Government Bay, the Sandpipers were faced with a new reality. We had enjoyed the downwind run to the entrance, but after turning, we faced an upwind slog between the islands to get to Government Bay. Sandpiper crews are never ones to balk at a challenge, though, so the upwind sail became a fun adventure for most of us. We tacked back and forth, all the way through the islands, and finally made it to Government Bay, where Saphire, Lake Effect, and Sail Inn were waiting for us. Little Wave had found a member of their sailing club from Sault Ste Marie to visit with. Government Bay was somewhat changed from what we remembered from our visit in 2012. Back in 2012, water levels on Lake Michigan-Huron were near record low. Now, water levels were very high. The beach we had promised Latis was nowhere in sight. The bay was filled with motor and sail yachts anchored for the night. We circled the bay, and Lake Effect offered some suggestions on anchoring locations based on their circling the bay while they waited for us.

Circling Government Bay among the yachts to find an anchorage for 8 little boats.

Interlude: Anchoring in Government Bay

An advantage of pocket yachts is that we can get away from the crowds. We have the option to raise our keels and nose into the reeds where larger boats would be afraid to anchor. This is what we proposed to Lake Effect, and between our two crews, we decided to head into the northwest end of the bay to anchor for the night. First, we would all raft up to share fellowship for dinner. Rafting up can cause some anxiety, but we found it to be an integral part of the Sandpiper Rendezvous. We love the small boat rendezvous for the "just right amount of togetherness and independence", and rafting up falls under the category of "togetherness."

Rafting up in Government Bay

While at anchor, we passed out plastic cups of Snadpiper champagne and gave a toast to Jerry. we missed him dearly on this trip. Maybe he was with us after all, filling our sails with breeze.

Steve and Lauren had planned ahead to perform a boat renaming ceremony. Among the requirements for this ceremony were (1) champaign, (2) sunset, (3) witnesses, and (4) a script. They had it all. They had even rehearsed the script in the car on the way up to Hessel. They did not want to anger Poseidon after all. We were tied up to them, so I enjoyed multiple small champaign showers while Steve performed the rituals that Lauren read. Sail Inn became Erige. Erige, they had learned, was the root word for Lake Erie. It is an Iroquois word for cat, which is fitting for Lake Erie's unpredictable nature. It is also fitting for Steve and Lauren. Not only for the unpredictable nature, but also because they are cat veterinarians.

All crew shared their rations: cheese and crackers, champaign, guacamole, cream cheese things, and chips were munched by all. Then, the raft dispersed for the night.

We disbanded from the raft first, giving us an opportunity to see the pipers from afar. Aren't they cute?

Who will go next?

Saphire is next to abandon the fleet for the night.

And then there were four.

Then two.

We set our anchor close to the reeds along the windward shore. The night was clear and cool, with no breeze to speak of. We all remembered that night as being our best night of sleeping, except for that early morning boat wake that woke everyone up.

Anchored in Government Bay among the yachts

Leg 3: Government Bay to Duck Bay

In the morning, we woke up to calm waters and enjoyed a quiet breakfast in the shade of our tent. We turned on our radio and attempted to raise the fleet. With the few who had turned on their radios, we discussed plans for the day. The weather report suggested light winds from the south. We proposed that crews could choose their own adventure, with the goal of meeting in Duck Bay to anchor for lunch and a swim. Erige took the outside route, while the rest of the fleet opted to test their light wind sailing prowess on the inside channels.

Sailing out of Government Bay in light wind

The wind picked up as we neared Duck Bay

Really, there is nothing more fun than a small boat rendezvous.

These folks were traveling in style.

It was a challenging sail through the winding channels with fickle wind. Finally, we made it through the gap into Duck Bay. It turns out that the winds on the outside route were heavier and more contrary than expected, so all but Erige made it to the lunch and swim.

Saphire and Lake Effect anchored in Duck Bay for lunch and a swim.

Entering Duck Bay required some maneuvering through the narrow gap

All but Erige had made it to the anchorage. We were unable to hail them on the vhf radio, so as a last resort, we tried checking the Watertribe tracking map in case they were using their spot. Luckily, they were entered into the Derby, and had their Spot turned on to get points, so we were able see their recent locations. It appeared they were heading into the channel. Eventually, we were able to raise them on the radio. We let them know that the fleet was raising anchor and we would meet them as we came out of the channel. We decided to sail with them back to Hessel via the outside route. PipeDream and Trouble joined us on the outside route, while the others chose the challenge of navigating the inside channels.

Leg 4: Duck Bay to Hessel

Erige heading out to the open waters of Lake Huron

As we rounded the corner exiting the channel for the big lake, a blast of wind hit, and we shortened sail. We snapped down the companion way cover and enjoyed an exciting sail against wind and waves along shore of Marquette Island. We were watching the clock, though, since we had made reservations for the whole group for dinner. Finally, we decided to motor in to Hessel, in the name of responsibility.

We motored for a bit into the wind until we neared the turning point to Hessel, at which point, we could sail in on a beam reach.

Happy to sailing again as we turned toward Hessel.

Grand Finale in Hessel

After everyone returned, we all headed to the Les Cheneaux Culinary School to share a meal and swap sea stories. The small town of Hessel has few options that can accommodate a group as large as ours, but we had made arrangements with the Culinary School weeks before our arrival. The school prides itself on its focus on simple, regional cuisine, so it seemed a fitting ending with local flair to our little expedition.

The previous Sandpiper Rendezvous that we had attended all ended with an awards ceremony, culminating with the Sandbar Award. We had a couple of extra awards to give out in addition.

The Canada Award in celebration of Canada's 150th birthday, given to someone we felt embodied our  esteemed neighbor to the north. I awarded this to Kenn, who cheerfully and diplomatically mentored us in the art of hosting a Sandpiper Rendezvous.

The Jerry Glotfelty Award for Fun in the Face of Adversity, celebrating Jerry's zest for adventure and quest for fun on the water, was awarded to the crew of Latis, Kyle (a.k.a. Jacob) who endured adversity in multiple forms, from answering to whatever name Latis' skipper, Bob decided to call him at any given moment (most popular choice seemed to be Kyle), to bailing with a galley pot, to sleepless nights and an electrical fire. Jacob smiled through it all.

The culmination of the awards ceremony was the Sandbar Award. This award is often given to the crew who demonstrate their resiliency through misadventure. Mark stood up to nominate the crew of Erige, Steve and Lauren. After only one month with their boat, and frustrations during their inaugural sail with us on Lake Erie, they had become sailors worthy of joining the ranks of the salty Sandpiper skippers. They were fast and adventurous in wind and waves, and they handled docking in the tight harbor with the finesse of long time yachties. After Mark gave his speech, I nominated the crew of Latis. Bob's misadventures during this Rendezvous were boundless. Bob persisted in pushing his limits during this Rendezvous, attempting to fly a spinnaker during our downwind run, dousing an electrical fire and burning his finger while fixing an wiring problem, wedging his screw keel into place on a rock, and taking on new crew to share the experience. A popular vote by cheers resulted in Latis winning the venerable award.

After a long dinner at the Culinary School, the Sandpipers retired to slumber in the harbor. The next morning was filled with the melancholy labor of pulling the boats out of the water, made easier with the helpful hands of the onlooking fleet. Bob and Jacob managed to unwedge Latis' keel by nudging it backward up the boat ramp, Lee and Madeline continued their adventure, choosing to sail to Mackinac Island while the weather held, and Rebekah showed off her wrestling moves on poor Jacob (or is it Kyle?). Finally, we drove off and headed south. We felt a sense of relief to have put on a successful Rendezvous, and we began to look forward to next year.