GOODBYE LAKE HURON, HELLO ST CLAIR RIVER

Today we bid Lake Huron a fond adieu. We left Port Sanilac just after dawn

to begin our last 60 nm leg out of Lake Huron, into the St Clair River and finally Lake St Clair.   The wind was calm as we motored from Port Sanilac to the southern end of the lake.  We used this time to bone up on the “Rules of the Road” which are the navigation rules for both U.S. inland and international waters in anticipation of the increase in commercial and recreational traffic on the river which is considered a “narrow channel”.
 As we approached and entered the river we made sure to stay in the marked channel area as the water gets typically pretty shallow along the banks and this was no exception. Channels are like highways with all kinds of rules about how to navigate in them. But unlike driving on the roadways where a driver’s license is mandatory for all drivers, an actual marine driving test or license is not required for pleasure boaters in the U.S.! So while we may know all the rules backwards and forwards we still need to be very aware that not everyone else does, (‘kind of a catch 22 wouldn’t you say?!) Anyway as we entered the mouth of the river, the downriver current picked up our speed about 3 to 4 knots which gave us a nice boost.

  What’s interesting about the St Clair river is that it borders Canada on one side and the U.S. (Michigan) on the other.  There is a lot of industry along the river on both sides

intermixed with riverfront homes and hilly wooded areas

often in direct contrast to what the other side of the river looks like. There was one point where we saw absolutely beautiful homes on one side of the river overlooking a scene on the other side that had to have inspired a  “Mad Max” landscape or two!

And yes we were confronted with some rather large  commercial vessels, but I take comfort in the fact that at least they’re required to thoroughly know the “Rules of the Road!

This lil' puppy was over 700 feet long and 80 feet wide.

Wondrous journey to you all,
Pam