Sailing 2016: Day 4: From Beaver Island to St. Helena Island

"Anxiously you ask, 'Is there a way to safety? Can someone guide me? Is there an escape from threatened destruction?' The answer is a resounding yes! I counsel you: Look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. It calls, 'This way to safety; this way to home.'" - President Thomas S. Monson

After as good of a night's sleep as is possible in a berth on a rocking boat we embarked again on our journey. We set sail northward and eastward. We had planned to stop at another island, but when we seemed to be sailing toward the Mackinac Bridge we asked Captain Bob if we could could sail to St. Helena Island. A phone call or two later, and we turned about toward St. Helena Island. It is a much smaller Island than Beaver Island, but not quite as small as Dollar Island. There is another beautiful lighthouse there.

We made a few trips from the dinghy, and we were welcomed by the volunteers who worked at the lighthouse. They took us on a tour of the lighthouse and shared historical information about the island. There is a great view of Lake Michigan and the Mackinac Bridge from the top of the lighthouse.

The volunteers had a lot of tasks ready for boy scouts, so we set to work clearing brush, scrubbing the dock, moving rocks, organizing the storage sheds, and so forth. After we had worked up a good sweat, the lighthouse volunteers were pleased to share some delicious watermelon with us. We ate cheeseburgers, chips and cookies, and some of the boys raced around the buoys in the kayaks that were on the beach. It was refreshing to dive into the crisp water of Lake Michigan and to take a shower on the Island. It was our last night of the trip, and we were worn out enough to sleep through a light storm during the night.