



AMATEUR PHQTO BY W H. GRAFFAM, 



WELL HEELED. 



thrown around me, the wind whistling soft- 

 ly through the rigging, the little ship mak- 

 ing 7 or 8 knots fair, what matters? 



Harbors in that portion of Lake Huron 

 are as scarce as the proverbial hen's teeth, 

 and Sand Beach. 65 miles from Port Hu- 

 ron, is the first good one. It is a made 

 harbor, large breakwaters enclosing a good 

 anchorage, and is accessible in all weathers. 

 We held a little to one side- of the regular 

 steamer course, keeping about 10 miles off 

 shore, as so many boats pass there it is a 

 good plan to do so. The wind held steady 

 and fair until about 3 a. m., when off to 

 the North the banking clouds told us to 

 look for a change. The heavy bank came 

 up rapidly against the wind, but Vayu had 

 her mainsail double reefed and her storm jib 

 set before the storm came in, with a whistle 

 and a bang, from dead ahead and hard to. 

 It did not take much of a sailor to know 

 we were in for a 25-mile thrash to wind- 

 ward, in a gale, but I knew the Vayu by 

 that time, and if Mackinaw, 300 miles away, 

 had been the port she would have made it. 

 As the gale increased and the wind-blown 

 spray from the Vayu's bow wet my face, 

 I could but think what a different feeling 

 I should have had if under me had been one 

 of those modern cigar-box constructions 

 of which too many disgrace the name yacht. 

 I was aboard a yacht old enough to vote, 

 but sound and solid; one of Lawley & Son's 

 best construction, perfect as the day she 

 stretched her white wings for the first time 

 and still a yacht ; a ship good for a trip 

 around the globe if I should desire. Not 

 so fast as a nice shore sailor's up-to-date 

 mandolin toy, in a summer breeze, but one 

 that can show her cards and spades in a 

 sailor's wind. I watched with increasing 



delight as the long crests from the 300 miles 

 of water ahead rolled under and past us 

 and the dear little ship went merrily on, 

 making good time, close and by, in and over 

 the long rollers. 



As the gale increased the sea got easier, 

 the short chop grew into long, easy waves, 

 and the 40-foot Vayu could slide on a single 

 one. Taking 15-mile stretches, we got into 

 Sand Beach for supper, and no sooner were 

 we at anchor than several visitors came 

 aboard. They said the captain of the Life- 

 Saving Station wondered what kind of a 

 craft we had, for he had never seen a yacht 

 of her size come up against such a wind 

 and such a sea. There were 4 barges and 

 3 sailing vessels in ; also a large steam 

 yacht from Detroit, to escape the blow. For 

 various reasons we had not had much din- 

 ner, and the big layout for supper was well 

 cleaned up. Pete was a good hand in the 

 galley, as well as aloft, and if his inordi- 

 nate love of whiskey could only be spoiled 

 he would make a good yacht sailor. 



The next day we lay at anchor and lis- 

 tened to the howl of the gale. A bright 

 red sky at night betokened good weather 

 and at daylight we were off. Two days and 

 3 nights followed at sea, before we reached 

 Mackinaw Isle, and the next day we made 

 75 miles in 10 hours, to our destination. 



Vayu seemed to like the fresh water 

 lakes, and I only hope her health may be 

 as good here as in the salt water, where 

 she has lived. Dear little ship, frozen in 

 the ice away from her home and beautiful 

 companions, how lonely she must be! But 

 next summer I shall take her visiting over 

 to Chicago and Milwaukee, where she can 

 find others like herself and perhaps some 

 old schoolmate from Boston, 



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