Day 1: Preparation and Tour of the Cutter Mackinaw

"We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude." —Thomas S. Monson

We left Jonesville, Michigan early on Monday morning to travel to Mackinaw City, Michigan for a sailing adventure on board a 52' ketch sail training vessel named The Retriever.  The day began with instruction on basic safety measures and sailing essentials.  High winds kept us on shore for the first day, but the inclement weather afforded us the opportunity to tour the USCGC Mackinaw, a decommissioned ice-cutting ship that now serves as the Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum. The "Mighty Mac," a behemoth of a ship, was built specifically to break ice.  The Retriever, on the other hand, was destined to teach boy scouts how to sail on Lake Michigan.

USCGC Mackinaw (left)

The Retriever

My berth is but for sleep and forgetting.

Trying on the safety suit

The crew

Looking forward to the 2016 Olympics

Sailors' games

Powerful, and outdated engines

A good icebreaker

The best boy scouts on planet earth

The helm

Select a sailing song to listen to while viewing the blog posts:

Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli: Con Te Partirò

Christopher Cross: Sailing

Enya: Sail Away

Styx: Come Sail Away

Crosby, Stills & Nash: Southern Cross

Van Morrison: Into the Mystic

Donovan: Catch the Wind

Cat Stevens: Longer Boats

Credence Clearwater Revival: Sailor's Lament

Dire Straits: Single Handed Sailor

Jethro Tull: Sailor

Mazzy Star: I'm Sailin'

Men at Work: Down by the Sea

Neil Young and Crazy Horse: Southern Pacific

Ottis Redding: The Dock of the Bay

Pearl Jam: Oceans

Bob Dylan: The Times They Are a Changin'

Toad the Wet Sprocket: Walk on the Ocean