We usually go on an extended sailing adventure in August but it did not happen this year. Instead we took several shorter trips up and down the Detroit River. Bill is always happy piloting our boat, no matter where or when, no matter the weather. Here he is coming through the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge on August 14, on our way up the river to the Edison Boat Club.
As we passed Wyandotte we saw the Nina and Pinta replica boats, and they were open for touring (from shore). As we went by taking their photos the people on board were photographing us!
We had to motor up the river all the way to Detroit (no wind). On the way we saw the poor old Boblo boats. When we were young these were excursion boats that took many thousands of people to Boblo Island every summer. Boblo was an amusement park with the largest indoor roller coaster in the world as well as many outdoor rides and features. The park closed for the final time in the early 90s and is now home to waterfront mansions and their owners. They take a ferry boat from Amherstberg, Ontario to reach their island, which is just east of Grosse Ile in the Detroit River. We kayak there to look around and reminisce occasionally, but we don't go ashore now that we need a passport to go to Canada.
We motored under the Ambassador Bridge and past the Renaissance Center in Detroit and suddenly we had wind! We sailed the rest of the way, and were going so fast when we approached the boat club (our destination) that we went past the club, dropped the sails and turned back to enter.
Bill taught his sailing class, we had dinner with the students and spent the night on the boat (without the students). In the morning we had coffee and breakfast on the boat and headed home. As soon as we left the boat club we put up the sails and sailed all the way back to Wyandotte--what a treat that was! We passed by the Nina and Pinta again, a different view this time, then dropped the sails and motored the rest of the way home. What a great day!
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