The rain fell. The boat shook, shimmied and swayed and then all was quiet

The past forty eight hours have been a whirl wind of activity, if you work on a Great Lakes freighter, and less so for us who were lucky enough to catch a ride on one.  I was unable to keep you loyal readers up to date due to lack of internet connectivity and that I also signed a contract to be a professional napper.  Now that we are back on tera firma I can fill you in again. 

News Flash.  Nater walked over the Paul R. Tregurtha.  Up ladders, down ladders, up stairs and down stairs.  I kept trying to get her to do it like a real sailor and slide down the ladder but she would have nothing of it.  I mention the ladder and stair climbing because said climbing was pretty steep.  We took on a new Captain in Duluth, Captain Timothy Dayton.  Captain Dayton is the regular Captain of the PRT and has the personality the one would think a captain possess.  We had some fun times hanging in the Pilot house watching Captain Dayton and learned a few things about life on the boat.  An interesting one is that birds migrating think the PRT is an island.  In the spring he reported that they get quite a few Gold Finches and that when you walk out on deck you think your in the woods (all the bird song).  The boat also has Hawks, owls and other species that stop by for a rest. 

We left Duluth for the second time on 7 July and docked at St. Clair on the morning of the 9th.  The trip down Lake Huron was marked primarily by fog and rain.  A few times during the late evening and night we were in seas of about six feet.  It was way fun to watch the bow spray come flying up and onto the deck as we plowed southward.  Once we neared the Thumb area of Michigan though, the lake quieted and it was off to bed.  I will say after you get used to being on a big boat like that the sleeps one has are amazing, not to mention the naps.  The low thrum of the engine and the gentle swaying of the vessel put you into a trance like state which in turn causes you to snore, dream and sleep deeply.

This tripped marked another item checked off of my bucket list.  All the years, as a kid, laying on the beach watching boat after boat go by increased my curiosity about life on board.  Couple that with time hanging out with Nater (an hysterical adventure in and of itself) made it all the more special.   I suggest to all of you to enter a raffle through boatnerd.com  with hopes that you win.  This trip truly shows you how great the Lakes truly are and even better the quality people that you meet.  Money and time well spent.

Stay tuned for my next exciting adventure with Nater.  "Nater goes to Crazy Horse Monument and channels the spirit of Kerkouse."