The ZiggyCam will be live for the month long trip. With the exception of when anchored after dark (i.e. saving battery usage rather than broadcast a cam feed of the dark) or during a rare lack of cellphone signal the cam will be live 24/7 along with the chat room even miles offshore. The soft goal this year is to hit Mackinac Island and round Drummond Island at the top of Lake Huron before heading back home to Detroit.
22) I planned a day of relaxation centered around a day on the anchor out by myself for the whole day. I used to do this a lot but as the HellnBack trip has grown over the last decade it gets harder and harder to find the time to just shut down and recharge my inner batteries.
The large solar panel array on the back of the boat allows me to run the laptop/webcam and the 200 watt stereo all day and charge my house batteries while floating like a bobber for as long as I want.
I started the day with a breakfast of cereal in ice cold milk followed by several hours of laying in a hammock with a big ass vodka and lemonade in an insulated quart size mug that keeps the ice in the drink for hours.
It was a bright sunny day with only a light breeze. I eventually dozed off in the hammock and a couple of hours later woke to a case of to much sun leaving me feeling blah.
It ended up being nothing a couple of brats on the grill and a nap on the couch couldn't fix. Once I woke I was like a new man.
I spent the rest of the day soaking up the harbors sights, sounds and smells. The harbor is home to a dow-agro plant that processes soybeans. As such it is the largest producer of soy sauce in the world I'm told.
When the wind blows in your direction it makes you want to eat some chinese food. The 52 foot lighthouse marking the entrance to the harbor stands tall and majestic guarding the harbor's entrance.
I enjoyed the great fiery red sunset while swimming around the boat and finished the evening off with a relaxing night of star gazing.