Soul Searching in Port Sanilac

Morning came quick. I bumped and thumped half asleep getting dressed to head up the the bathrooms. When I slide the hatch back I stuck my head out to see a sorry beat up looking boat with a big ass slimy rudder thrown haphazardly across the cockpit. I turned to look at the bow where I see two men standing on the dock at the head of my boat looking down at my boat shaking their heads.

One was Dave, the Harbor Master and the other was a live aboard docked directly in front of me. Dave was dumbfounded that I came in the night before. The water was so rough he went home early telling his buddy to call him if anyone needs him.

He told me the only boat he had scheduled was a 42 fter and he know it was to rough for them so he took off. The live aboard called him up and said a boat came in. He replied he couldn't believe the 42 fter sailed through that weather. When he was told it wasn't the big boat but a small boat he came down early to see.

I walked up to the restaurant on the corner for breakfast and to figure out what I was going to do. With a full belly of biscuits and gravy I struggled with calling it quits this close to the goal line. I still had a spare day so I decided to make the best of it. Mostly my pride wouldn't let me call Chris for the trailer and admit defeat.

I dug up the original rudder pintles and found a brand name and model number. A call to West Marine let me know that they only had one set in stock in the whole country and they sitting on a dust covered shelf covered in South Dakota... A world away from the little harbor on the East side of Michigan.

The thought of going back out on the boat was causing a lot of mixed feelings. The parts being halfway across the country was an easy scapegoat to pull the plug on the trip with  a little dignity but it would always hang over my head. I finally manned up and decided to do what I could to try and complete the trip. 30 miles to go.

I had the hinges overnighted to Detroit. I called my back up team, My friend Amy and my roommate Dee. They agreed to pick up the parts first thing in the morning and drive them the two hours up to me. I spent the rest of the day prepping the boat for the new parts and drying out the sheets and blankets at the laundromat up the hill.

Come morning the girls rolled in early with a bag of hot breakfast and a box of overpriced parts. I went to work bolting everything together and in an hours time I was back to the factory set up. The wind was light, the water was calm and the girls were lovely as I tossed the lines, took a deep breath and pointed her to open water. I was back in the game.

The air was so light that the water was like glass. I left the sails stowed and pointed her South toward Port Huron. The motor hummed and the autopilot took over while I relaxed and watched freighters on the horizon sipping an ice cold beer.

The Blue Water Bridge came into view shortly before sunset. The emotions were overwhelming as I slide into the shipping channel. I was fighting back tears. AC/DC was rocking on the stereo and the song "back in Black" was playing a bit to loud because, well, it was AC/DC...

The song became my rally cry as I passed under the bridge into the St. Clair river. It has now become tradition to play that CD coming into port from long sails. It still brings out emotions everytime. I rounded into the Black River and Port Huron like a warrior returning from battle. Three draw bridges later I was safely in my slip at the yacht club. That was the last time I sailed her. My adventures had out grown my boat. It went on the trailer and I sold her.

She was named the Rogue Warrior because for years I took her out in weather and adventures way above her station and she always got me home. She earned her name on this trip. I always kept an eye out for her on the water after that but never saw her again. I had a second hand report years later that she was seen sitting on her trailer in a boat yard in Saginaw.

I searched over the winter and found a classic 34 ft C&C. I launched her the next spring to continue the adventures. The Peregrine became my new home on the water.