Departure Date

Sue and I have been frantically packing trying to get our house and boat in order and we’re finally ready enough. You’re never ready, as there’s always one more boat project, house issue, or paperwork problem holding you back. We’re finally ready enough to leave.

I’ve been watching the weather and we have a nice 2 day weather window to make it south on the 8th and 9th. That said, our schedule has us leaving Waukegan Harbor early morning October 9th. Our plan for day 1 is to make it to Hammond Indiana, top off on fuel, and then anchor at the mouth of the Calumet River.

September is one of my favorite times of the year to sail on Lake Michigan. The lake water has heated up to it’s highest temperature of the year, the winds start returning from their August hiatus, and the days are clear and sunny. In October, the weather starts turning bad. More blows, larger waves, and fewer days to travel. That’s why we’ve been watching the weather so intently.

Without sails Odyssey does not handle waves well. Even 1 or 2 foot waves make for an uncomfortable ride. Once we enter the river system, we won’t encounter big water again until the Gulf of Mexico, where we’ll get our mast and sails back.