Crew Change & Put In Bay

The PFD Exchange
Thank you Gary, Welcome aboard Steve

We had the official crew change ceremony on Tuesday soon after Steve arrived at Battery Park Marina in Sandusky, OH.  Gary handed over his PFD (personal flotation device), I couldn’t tell if he was relieved or reluctant.

Together Gary and I traveled on Lesson Plan 125 miles up the Hudson River (fiord). We helped un-mast Lesson Plan.  We traveled 343 on the Erie Canal. We stepped the Lesson Plan’s mast in North Tonawanda, NY, with the help of a crane.  Then we motor sailed another 230 on Lake Erie, for a grand total of 698 miles in 14 days.  We met a lot of great people along the way, saw some incredible sights and some unforgettable experiences.  I am still not sure how someone single hands through some of those locks in a very big boat, I guess you figure it out.

I've heard a lot about Put In Bay, but have never been there.  It is on an island about 14 miles from Sandusky. We were told by more than one person, it would be a shame to be this close and not stop in for a visit.  So soon after Gary left us Wednesday morning, Steve and I pointed Lesson Plan toward Put In Bay.

Golf carts everywhere

We arrived in Put In Bay (the actual name of the town, not just the bay that is in front of it) about 11:30 and grabbed a mooring ball in the harbor for the night and called the water taxi to come pick us up.

Put In Bay (PIB) is bills itself as the Key West of Lake Erie. The first thing that you notice about Put In Bay is there are golf carts everywhere for rent.  The tourist are buzzing around on these golf carts like ants, I guess Key West has scooters and PIB has golf carts.  There are a lot of restaurants and t-shirt shops around the main harbor area (just like key west).  I am not sure if it has its own version of fantasy fest in PIB or not, but it looked like they could near the harbor with all the bars.

Tour Train

We took a tour of the island in a Jeep powered “train”.  When we got away from the harbor area, we saw that there were options for family activities.  There is miniature golf, mining for gems, cave tours, and a car museum.

We also learned that PIB is on one of the three Bass Island (North, Middle and South).  PIB is on South Bass Island.  There is only one school for the three Bass Islands and it is on South Bass Island.  For the children from North and Middle Bass to school on South Bass Island, an airplane serves as there school bus. And I thought the ferry boat school bus in South Carolina was interesting.  Chip (our tour train guide) told us that each island used to have an elementary school, but recently they consolidated to one school for all three islands. Can you imagine sending your child to 1st grade or maybe even kindergarten to school on the airplane.  Scary and exciting. Here is a link to an article about the plane bus.

We also did a short tour of Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial.  The turning point of the

Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial

War of 1812 came when Oliver Hazard Perry's defeated the British fleet in the Battle of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813. The naval victory made it possible for General William Henry Harrison to invade Canada and defeat the British and Indians at the River Thames in October 1813. Put-in-Bay Harbor was used by Perry as a base of operations. From the Bass Islands, he could quickly sail to Sandusky Bay for conferences with Harrison or scout the British forces at Fort Malden (Amherstburg, Ontario), in the Detroit River.

Kentucky ties: In 1824 the town of Hazard, KY was planned as the county seat of the newly established Perry County, KY. Both the town and the county were named in honor of Cmd. Oliver Hazard Perry.

You can also take an amphibious car for a swim

Lessons Learned today was about the history of Put In Bay and the battle of Lake Erie. I guess I was sleeping in history class the day we covered the war of 1812 and that the US invaded Canada.  I am glad we have patched things up with our neighbors to the north.

Check out the map for more pictures (click on the way point and then the link).

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