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031 - We Have a Power Boat Disguised as a Sailboat

Its not so much about anything else other than long distances between ports and not wanting to be on the water at night.  As a result, if the winds aren’t just right its motor city for this sailboat. 

For example, Lake Erie was dead calm and we needed to go 72mi the first day, so no sailing.  The next day we had to do 35mi into a 5-10kt head wind so no sailing.  The following day was dead calm with nasty winds predicted for the following couple days so it was a long 107mi day to the far end of the lake completing our Lake Erie adventure and missing some strong headwinds.  Bypassing some treasures, like Cleveland to avoid weather is a hard pill to swallow but then it was more important to do Cedar Point amusement park than the rock’n roll hall of fame.

But back on point, this trip is not conducive to sailing.  Maybe in the Bahamas, or if we sail in the Atlantic up the East Coast, but all this inland waterway stuff we won’t.  When we “sail” its normally with the motor running – I don’t want to come into port at night.  I don’t think I fully understood this issue before we left.  I get it now however, call me a slow learner.
We ran into a fleet of these guys playing "poker."  They would race from port to port getting a card at each.  The guy with the best hand wins.  This might be a great way to run the loop too.  Probably be finished in less than a month and instead of a $2k fuel bill like us, they'd probably have $40k fuel bill.  Of course there done in a month and we''re done in a year so maybe $40k isn't so bad after all?  Some day, maybe we can grow up to go fast like them too, as long as we are a powerboat disguised as a sailboat.  Sounds fun.

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