Well, the weather won one over us as we cruised down to Waukegan. It looked good on the Internet, all sights clear. But when we set out at 10:30am, it was immediately evident the swells were more than the 1 foot forecast and were actually 2 feet. Also, they were on our port beam making us roll quite a bit. The wind was less than 10 but it was at a 45 degree angle to the swells putting it on our stern. The result was a back and forth, side to side rock with a front to back buck that was making our speed vary widely depending on whether we were going up the swell or riding down the face. We got up on plane hoping to smooth things out- Not- still uncomfortable but we both kept reminding each other ” it’s not as bad as Hawke Channel” ” We’ve been thru worse” and “I’m ok! Really I’m ok! Whaoooooo that was a bad one!” 24 nautical miles sped by and we finally saw the harbor as the wind dropped to 0 and waves calmed down. Evidently we left too early, or the lake took longer to settle than forecast. Either way, we were just glad to be in port!
While Waukegan is a large marina, no amenities… Just a safe harbor to leave the boat for a few days while we fly home for a quick visit. While we wait to leave, I got to visit with an old dear friend in the area. Steve made it one night on the boat alone doing just what he does while I’m here! Can’t wait to get the blog photos caught up in the next few days.
Great end of the day! A sailing event off in the lake, and beautiful sunset.
Steve and Kathleen on the Great Loop 