Chapter 30

Tolkien said it best: "Now it is a strange thing, but things that are good to have and days that are good to spend are soon told about, and not much to listen to; while things that are uncomfortable, palpitating, and even gruesome, may make a good tale, and take a deal of telling anyway."

The trip to Sebewaing wasn't fraught with heavy seas and high adventure. There were no pirates, no secret rendezvous with a Nazi U-Boat, not even anything as terrifying as a strafing by black aircraft piloted by forces unknown. No ... it was sunny days, steady breezes, awesome nights and a growing appreciation for the quiet gentle things. Oh, having the money for it all and the time to enjoy it didn't hurt ... neither did the company ... what Andrea liked best was sailing just west of the Canadian United States border.

There is that about sunny days, big water and sailboats that brings out the nudist in women. There were three tans growing darker, sans tan lines, from their exit from Potagannissing Bay between De Tour Village and Drummond Island, until they were two miles off shore near Sebewaing in the Thumb.

There had been several ... well, more than a few ... low aircraft passes ... to get a better look ... and better pictures. But no small boats went out of their way just to get a look at the nudists and the lake boats have prescribed shipping lanes ... besides being far too busy to bother.

No matter, as soon as they were two miles out of the passage, the suits were off and the baby oil went on. Slick, shiny breasts with proud nipples soaked up the rays and heavenly thighs were spread to tan the secret places. Even Junior displayed the fact that puberty was upon her and womanhood was just around the corner ... today she thought it was silly ... who knows what tomorrow will bring.

There were three prominently displayed appreciations of the femininity exposed ... that lasted just about twenty miles when the Twins realized the fine body they were perving on was their little sister..."EWW ... GROSS!" Julie was sex personified ... Junior? not so much. Permanent erections not only are painful ... they get boring. If they weren't so busy ... Julie had expressed an interest ... David was keeping them busy. Drat.

What they didn't realize was that Junior was equally guilty. The trouser snakes she was perusing belonged to her brothers..."EWW ... GROSS!" Not that she thought that right off the bat ... it took a few miles to realize that those hidden but not camouflaged erections were her brothers. Still ... when what she had to look at was an old man or a pair of seventeen year old getting to be men ... The seventeen year olds win it hands down.

Yes, sunny days. But they weren't always sunny. November 6 through the 10th, 1913, the very reason the Kings Knight was hurrying to miss the Winds of November, is a time Michigan and Ontario would prefer to have never happened.

Those four days of 90 mile per hour winds, close coupled waves reaching 50 feet in height and 24 inches of heavy wet snow sank eight ships for a total loss. Eight ships in Huron alone.

They were the Argus: 28 victims, James Carruthers: 22 dead, Hydrus: 25 drowned, John A. McGean: 28 sons of the sea lost off the south end of Thunder Bay, Charles S. Price: capsized with 28 Canadian sailors, Regina: 20 victims, Isaac M. Scott: 28 dead just off the north shore of Thunder Bay and the Wexford: 20 victims.

Throughout the Lakes there were 19 major sinkings with all hands and 19 more big boats stranded.

The Lake boats weren't the only losses. All told, fish tugs, pleasure craft, workboats, dredges and barges, over 250 small boats were total losses. Many went down at their anchorages ... the whereabouts of others are unknown.

David named them off, one by one, as the Kings Knight passed the known resting paces.

"Trying for that one last passage before freeze up is foolish," he explained as they passed the grave of the Isaac M. Scott. "But we go ... we always go when we're called. If you don't go you don't work next year." That last was mumbled like a prayer.

They sailed into Saginaw Bay and down the Thumb. Just off Sebewaing, David said, "Ladies? You need clothes ... we're almost here."

In the early Sixties, Sebewaing was a far more important port than it is today. The channel was much better kept and the big boats were regular visitors. Even in the '60's many towns heated with coal and the winters in Michigan are fierce. Freight and coal moved by boat more often than by truck or railcar.

There were even little ships that gathered the milk, eggs and meat of local farms and transported the goods to the big markets.

In 1963, most of the back roads were still gravel ... and sometimes just sand ... bridges had minuscule weight limits and the roads turned ninety degrees far more often than later in the century. Trucking ... any long hauls ... were reserved for the highways.

"How do you plan on visiting your uncle?" David wanted to know.