Mission Accomplished

We made it back home last night after an excellent day at Cedar Point and just finished getting the boat all put together at Hoover. Huge thanks to all those who helped us plan the trip and along the way!




-the bros

First train!

First train of the morning on the millennium!



-the bros

Location:Cedar Point Rd,Sandusky,United States

Pumped up

We're here at the beach entrance waiting for the park to open at nine. We're the only ones here. Ready to run.



The new wind seeker ride. It isn't open yet.

-the bros

Location:Cedar Point Rd,Sandusky,United States

Kicked out

After returning to the station from hiding underneath, we were the only ones left. And after 5 minutes, they basically told us to leave. But we'll be back.




-the bros

Location:Perimeter Rd,Sandusky,United States

Tornado?

We just went down to the electrical room beneath the station due to some weather concern. It's an adventure.


-the bros

Location:Cedar Point Rd,Sandusky,United States

Mario

We met Mario in the station at the millennium force. We played Mario Says.



-the bros

Location:Cedar Point Rd,Sandusky,United States

Rain

Waiting just outside the station of the millennium force that is shut down for rain. WE'RE STAYING.



-the bros

Location:Cedar Point Rd,Sandusky,United States

Magnum: first ride

-the bros

Location:Perimeter Rd,Sandusky,United States

Waiting

We're here at Cedar Point waiting for 4 o' clock so they can let us in...we can't stand waiting.


-the bros

Location:Perimeter Rd,Sandusky,United States

We made it!

We did it! Almost 70 miles and 5 days later we made it to Sandusky. We're heading over to Damon's for lunch now and can't wait for Cedar Point. We'll post soon.


-the bros

Location:Perimeter Rd,Sandusky,United States

Purell

We have fire! (and soon s'mores)



-the bros

Location:Woodford Rd,Kelleys Island,United States

Camping site

The view from inside our tent on the north shore



-the bros

Bro Chill Island

We're here at Kelleys Island eating some delicious nachos at Dockers waterside restaurant and enjoying the sun. The sail over here was pleasant but a little too calm and slow for our liking. The weather is fantastic and we're looking forward to a nice camp in the state park. The plan for tomorrow is to get up very early and get to Sandusky before a storm rolls in tomorrow afternoon. We can see Cedar Point from here and can't wait to ride the coasters. We'll post soon.

- the bros

A Nice Day At The Bay

So yesterday we just cruised around on Put In Bay. We slept in, went to breakfast at Frosty's, then played two epic rounds of putt putt at The War of 18 Holes (Brett won both rounds). We raided the general store for lunch then went back several other times for movies, supplies, etc. We rented bikes for the day and they were nice to have. But at 6:00, when we had to return them, a downpour started. So, needless to say, we got soaked riding there and running back to the house. We had Cameo Pizza for dinner and watched a couple movies before heading to bed. We restored order to the O'Brien house before getting a taxi to the boat. We are just about to set off on the short trek to Kelley's Island. The wind is in our favor and the sun is shining bright. Check back later to hear about the day's activities.

- the bros

Bad Weather

The weather today looked kind of sketchy this morning, and has gotten worse since. We are a day ahead after skipping Port Clinton, so we have decided to spend the day here at Put-In Bay. After 35 miles of sailing yesterday, this is heaven.

Adventure, Danger, and Sun

So because of a shooting match on the Erie shooting range, we had to steer clear of a 10 mile danger zone around the range. In total, we travelled about 35 miles today, almost tripple our voyage yesterday. About 20 miles in we happened to see a boat signalling us with a mirror. We checked our map and realized we were heading towards a ship wreck, narrowly avoiding it. We finally made it to Put-In Bay and are just finishing dinner. We plan on going to DQ and heading back to the bro pad (thanks so much Mrs. O'Brien) to watch some James Bond. We'll post again later tonight. We also want to thank Mr. Kyle for being willing to offer up his boat for our Port Clinton stay.

- the bros

Hey we made it!

It only took like 8 hours. More posts to follow.


-the bros

Change of plans

We got some rain last night but today looks mostly clear which is very good. Today would be a great day to go to Port Clinton but unfortunately the Coast Guard or "coasties" as our new old beergut fisherman friend calls them is SHOOTING GUNS into the lake for some reason. And the danger zone extends for 5 or 6 miles. Therefore, it would be much quicker to just sail over to Put-In-Bay today and entirely skip PCYC. Our new friend advises this and we will follow. Next stop: Put-In-Bay.


-the bros

Location:Corduroy Rd,,United States

In for the night

We ate dinner, set up the tent, played some frisbee and got some snacks just before it started raining. We're in the tent now, and prolly won't leave until the morning. That is all.




-the bros

Location:Corduroy Rd,,United States

We love Laraine

We're all settled in here at Meinke Marina due to the kindness of the owner, Laraine. We initially got a slip pretty far away from everything and after walking a mile to the hotel, they told us they only give hotel rooms to people 21 and over. So we walked another mile back to the office and told Laraine our sob story. She graciously gave us a place to camp right by the office and gave a car ride back to our boat so we could move it closer. We are now just chillin on the lawn watching boats come in. Pretty relaxed. Tomorrow, however, will not be as relaxed. The McJunkins have informed us that there is a storm coming in overnight that will stay through at least part of tomorrow...so we might have to wait a while to start our 20 mile trek to Port Clinton. It'll buff out. We'll post again before we go to bed.


-the bros

Location:Corduroy Rd,,United States

We made it!

Hey we made it to Meinke marina! Looking back, we could have made it to beef creek marina today but this is fine. We started out with very little wind but it picked up and we were averaging about 6.5 mph. We also saw this awesome lighthouse at the edge of Toledo harbor. It's been a good time so far!


-the bros

We're sailing!

After a very slow start, we have picked up speed and are going well. I'm about to lose service so I'll make this quick. See ya at meinke!

-the bros

Heading out

We're here at north cape about to shove off. Big thanks to Mr. Keesey and Mr. Mackay. We're excited!






-the bros

Location:S Otter Creek Rd,,United States

In the water!

We got the boat in! Heading for a hotel for the night. Looking forward to tomorrow!


-the bros

Location:Toledo Beach Rd,,United States

Puttin' In!

We're at NCYC waiting to put the boat in the water and saw this huge sailboat raising her mast. Pretty cool.



-the bros

Our departure

Hey we're about a half an hour away after eating some delicious Panera. Here's a picture of us just before we left.


-the bros

On the road and mobile

Hey everybody we're on the road and on our way to North Cape Yacht Club. We won't start sailing until tomorrow, though. This is our first mobile post so we hope this works! Wish us luck!


-the bros

Getting ready for the big day. Dry bags to keep every thing rain and lake free.

Equipment

It's getting down to the last few days and our attention as started to move more towards readying the equipment. We've started laying things out and planning what we need to bring. Tomorrow night we plan on meeting at the Hoover Yacht Club to do a final "shake down". While we aren't backpacking, being on a sailboat still means we have to be conscious about weight. We'll eliminate repudiative equipment from what we are packing and try to be weight efficient while still being prepared for the wide range of weather and situations we'll face in the coming days.

Today we also went for a short sail on Hoover after taking yesterday off. While there was practically no wind, we managed to make the most of it by practicing our man overboard techniques. We each took turns rescuing each other (a small life vest) from the freezing waters. None of us plan on falling in, but in the off chance this happens, or we capsize, we want to be well prepared.

The sail boat seems to be up to snuff, the only addition pending is possibly adding to our currently minimal hiking straps. Flying Scots by nature are stable boats and not meant to be keeled over, but with the strong winds of Erie, sometimes hiking out is a necessity. Today, Tom and I picked up the trailer from the repair company. New wheels, repacked bearings, a new hitch receiver and a new left brake light were all worked on to make the trailer ready for the four hour trip up to Monroe, MI on Friday.

With only a couple days now to the start of our voyage, we are all getting pretty excited for what lies ahead. Tomorrow I will post several pictures of our boat and equipment for every one to see.

A Productive Day

After getting some rigging tips and a fantastic marine chart from Bruce Courts (HSC) we managed to put the Scot into a temporary slip at Hoover last night. This morning, errands were run, trailers were dropped off, and a laminated photocopy of the chart was made. We were even able to "fabricate" a new mast holder for trailering using the school's workshop and crew tools. (Thanks Dill!) This afternoon, we found and set up the 12' by 10' tent we'll be using WITHOUT a vestibule...

Later in the evening, the parents (and us three bros) met at Hoover and finalized the next few days of planning and divided the final work amongst ourselves. It looks like this trip might actually come together quite nicely.

The "cherry on top" of this phenomenal, mind-blowing, productive day has to be the news that in Port Clinton, (at PCYC, our 2nd/3rd day), we will most likely be sleeping on a 31 foot sailboat! Thanks so much to Kevin Kyle who set us up!

Although we didn't get to sail today, (what is with this weather?), we will DEFINITELY sail tomorrow to get some more practice and to tweak the boat a bit. We're getting more and more excited every day! Keep checking back for more posts!

Uh Oh, DON"T GET THE MAP WET!

O wait..... It's Laminated!!!!

(We laminated the map today) :)

In other news, our parents are freaking out about the trip. Wonderful.

Uh Oh, DON"T GET THE MAP WET!

Preparing for the Storm

So, today in Columbus, the weather was borderline awful. Wind, a November chill, and a persistent rain all contributed to what many would see as a no-go zone. But practice makes perfect, and looking ahead, today is very similar to what Lake Erie could be dishing out next week. So, we casted off, and with the wind, we were flying. Fast tacks and some moderate hiking made our mini adventure even more exciting. Before too long though, we got cold, so we headed in. The elements, as well as the speed we hit give us a little bit of anxiety about next week, but at the same time, makes our trip even more ambitious.

Senior Project of the Century, Let's Do It!

Practice

Hey guys here's a picture of the three of us getting practice on the boat today. The boat we'll be sailing is a 19 foot boat called a Flying Scot. We didn't have quite as much wind as we had hoped and we did get a little wet but it was still some good practice. Keep checking back for more pictures and posts!

Welcome.

Hey guys, thanks for checking us out. This is the blog we will be using to keep every one updated on the progress of our Senior Project. In case you aren't aware, we are sailing from North Cape Yacht Club in Monroe, MI to Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH. The trip should take about six days and is 76 miles long. We'll be posting regularly, so check back soon!