We tried and failed to cross again. But things are nice in South Haven!

We left Grand Haven early Sunday morning as the weather gurus thought we had a shot to cross the lake to the Wisconsin side.  About five miles out, we cursed the seven foot waves and the gurus and turned south to South Haven, MI.  One nice thing about the eastern shore of Michigan is that there are safe harbors every 30 miles are so.  The municipal marinas are well run and nice, so while we could not get to Wisconsin, don’t think we have had it bad.  Last night we dined at a nice tapas place here.  I had a pear/orange cobbler for dessert.  Interesting.    

Dan and Susan on Potest Fieri tried to cross to Wisconsin today, and ended up a few slips down from us.  The waves were breaking on their bow!  We will all go to the tapas place tonight.  I took advantage of a down day, and changed the oil and oil filters, a lovely job.  Alexis hit the marina laundry, which is a nice one, and caught up on that chore.  We are now within 70 miles of Chicago, and will try to run directly there tomorrow.  Stay tuned.  

As we departed Grand Haven harbor, the fishermen were out in force.  It was calm out to about five miles.  

Safe in South Haven.

Pathetic attempt to shoot the butterflies that are everywhere.  

We are not suffering......

South Haven is a happening water spot.  

South Haven is on the Black River.  Note the water color change at the entrance.  

Moondance pic courtesy of Potest Fieri.  Note how calm it is along the coast.  

Still on the east coast, and headed south.

We are anchored by Grand Haven, MI after two long days of running down the east coast of Lake Michigan.  The winds have not allowed us to cross to the western shore with 7-10 foot seas out in the middle of the lake.  Within five miles of shore has been fairly calm, however, so we boogied south hugging the eastern shore.  We travelled 82NM to Manistee, MI yesterday and it rained all night and was in the 40s.  Today we travelled 76NM, the sun was out, and the locals were in the water.  Fishermen are out in force trolling with down-riggers for salmon.    There were even kids tubing.  The water is a warm 54 degrees! The locals fear that it will be another hard winter as it is unseasonably cold here so they are taking in as much boating as they can before it gets too cold and windy to boat.  Around October all the boats are pulled out the water and "winterized" for the season.

We will skip Wisconsin, since we want to get out of Lake Michigan before winter hits in earnest.  We are within 80 miles of Chicago (on the west coast) and will get there in a few days, when the winds settle.  From there we head to the Illinois to the Mississippi to the  Ohio to the Tennessee  Rivers.  

About 30 Loopers have been trapped for three weeks at Hoppies Marina on the upper Mississippi River (between Alton, IL and Cairo, IL) due to floods from all the rain, so we may catch up with the pack after all.  We have had it good, compared to the early birds!

Great rainbow out in the lake. 

Fellow Loopers, Dan and Susan.  

Grand Haven.

There was a Salmon Festival going on at the municipal marina, so we had to anchor out in Spring Lake.  

Waiting (safely) out the weather in Charlevoix, MI.

Charlevoix is on the eastern side of Lake Michigan and has a much protected harbor on Lake Charlevoix.  Local boaters in Mackinac told us it was the best place to ride out a blow, because of the safe harbor, and Charlevoix is an upscale town with shops, restaurants, a movie theater, all within walking distance of the city marina.  So here we sit, eat and drink.  Another late looper (most are ahead of us) is here, Susan and Dan on the MV Potest Fieri.  They are from British Columbia, but visit friends in Natchitoches, LA regularly. 

Tuesday was a great day, with light winds, fair weather, and about 80 degrees, so we had a blast touring Charlevoix.  Today it is raining, blowing like heck and cold, so we are doing boat chores (there is a never ending supply of those).  We will continue our trek south Friday if the weather gurus are remotely correct.  Our tentative route is Leland, MI to Lundington, MI, then across the lake to Milwaukee, WI then to Chicago, IL where Stanwood and Janet will join us for a week.  

Charlevoix Marina and Park.

Downtown shops.

We are doomed.  

The Episcopal churches here all have red doors.  Is this a Yankee thing?  

Monarch Butterflies are everywhere (just not when I have my camera) here and are beautiful.  This statue is at the library.  

This very small marker is on the lake, and piqued my interest.  Another spotty chapter in our history of intolerance.  It seems a splinter group of Mormons took over Beaver Island after being persecuted in other areas of the US, After the head guy proclaimed himself "Religious King" of Beaver Island, and became quite erratic, he was murdered, and all the rest of the Mormons run off by the good local town folk, with a covert assist by the US Navy.  Another reason for the anti establishment clause in the Constitution, although the right to property, free speech and trial by peers, did not mean much in 1853.  

The calm before the storm.  Our trip here was on smooth seas.  

One of Charlevoix's "mushroom" houses.  Also called gnome or hobbit houses.  Earl Young, a local designer, began building these homes here in 1921.  He eventually built about 30,

Hobbit house on Lake Charlevoix.  

Lake Charlevoix  off of Lake Michigan.  We toured it by dinghy, although there are several large marinas and plenty anchorages for the big boat.  The locals tell  me it completely froze this winter, and the ice extended into Lake Michigan for 1/4 mile till May!  

We had a great dinner at the Grey Gables restaurant.  As my daughter in laws will attest, berry desserts are my favorite, and from Ontario to here has been berry country, and I have sampled many cobblers and pies.  This cherry cobbler was the best!  

Nice boathouse.

Mackinac Island.

Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw) is arguably the premier resort destination on the Great Lakes.  It has many hotels, restaurants, shops and outdoor activities.   Located in the middle of the Straights of Mackinac, linking Lakes Huron and Michigan, it began as a trapping and fishing outpost centuries ago.  Native Americans fished here from 1000 B.C. to 1650 A.D.  In 1670 Father Claude Dablon established a Christian mission on the island.  Then came the French, English and finally Americans.  A fort was built by the French to protect the Straights from a naval invasion.  In 1761 the fort became British after their victory during the Seven Years War with the French.  After the American Revolution the fort became a US fort.  Up to 1812 the fort really never saw action, but there is a piece of spotty American history regarding the fort during the War of 1812 (not mentioned in the glowing history accounts of that war in Baltimore!).  Apparently after we declared war on the British, the scoundrels staged a sneak attack on Fort Mackinac, took it by surprise and captured it without firing a shot.  Two years later the Americans tried taking it back, failing miserably and losing many men.  Not to be outdone, the American navy left two ships to blockade the island and starve the British out.  The scoundrels staged another sneak attack, captured the two ships, looted the supplies and sank the ships.   Only when the war ended in a draw, did the US regain possession of the island by treaty.   That was not mentioned in my civics class…..

Anyway, tourism became the prime industry, and the island now is a summertime destination.  Automobiles are banned, and horse and buggy and bicycle are the primary modes of transportation around the island.  Fudge is its big export, and we sampled lots.  Everything ices over in the winter, so the place just about shuts down except for a few intrepid snowmobilers who trek across the frozen Straights of Mackinac.

Our next stop is Charlevoix, Michigan as we begin to head south on Lake Michigan. 

There are many freighters on the Great Lakes and we have to stay out of the way.  

The Pink Pony Pub. 

Michigan has a great system of marinas.  The DNR here maintains a web site that you can book space on the many marinas on Lake Michigan.  

Main Street.  No cars!

Straights of Mackinac.  

Fort Mackinac.  

Wait, he discovered the Mississippi River??  That is not what was taught in my civics class.  

Alexis is charmed by the flowers here.  

Grand Hotel.  

One of the many summer homes on the island.  

We took the horse and buggy tour.  

Note the cruise ship in the background.  

The marina from the fort.  

I think all the Canadian Geese are leaving Canada to escape hunting season!  Alexis and I ran into about 30 of them walking through De Tour around 10:00 PM.  They are walking out!  They were a bit hostile to us, and would not get off the sidewalk, so we had to go around them!  

Afternoon tea.  

The North Channel, and back in the USA!

We have completed our trek through the North Channel of Lake Huron.  It is about 138 miles from Killarney (at the beginning of the North Channel) to De Tour, Michigan (the point you enter Lake Huron proper).  The channel and its islands were created by glaciers.  Rocks abound and some are more than 3 billion years old.  The shoreline is rugged and sparsely populated.  Below is a synopsis of our trek headed from east to west. 

The Killarney Mountain Lodge was a great stop.  Its marina was ok, but the lodge was first rate.  It has a pool, sauna, and a bar with great views and a singer who is a local institution.  We heard Canadian folk songs, Irish ballads (there is a big Irish presence in Killarney, go figure).  We met Kathy and Dave on SV Good Idea, from London, Ontario.  They gave us great local info.

Bay Fine was as spectacular as billed.  The closest thing to a fiord in North America, the views were breathtaking.  Unfortunately we arrived in the rain, but it cleared by afternoon.  We took the dinghy to the end of the bay (about 8 miles) called the pool.  We stayed two nights on the hook at Bay Fine, and then went to the Port of Little Current town docks.  Little Current is on a small channel that empties into the North Channel, and is a popular tourist destination.  We sustained a small bo bo there.  There is a bridge with an 18’ charted clearance that spans the channel.  It opens only on the hour.  We arrived at 15 after the hour, so put all the antennas down and slowly tried to get under.  Alexis wanted to be on watch (instead of at the helm), and not deal with the fierce current (ergo Little Current).  She eyeballed the bridge and said we could barely make it.  We barley almost made it.  The anchor light took gas.  But, with duct tape and silicone it is as good as new.  Papa lives!

After refueling at Little Current, and letting a major front pass whilst we were safely tied up, it was off to Croker Island in the North Channel.  The North Channel is filled with uninhabited islands with granite hills, waterfalls, blueberries and not much else.  Dave had suggested Croker Island. Our anchorage there was as spectacular as Bay Fine, with crystal clear water to boot.  The North Chanel certainly lived up to its reputation as one of the most unspoiled cruising grounds in North America. 

We are at De Tour, and back in the good ole USA.  Our Verizon air card is working again, so lots of pics.  Our thoughts on Canada-the people are quite friendly and helpful.  The towns in lower Ontario are small, clean, and obviously appreciate boaters.  This area of Ontario is a big European tourist attraction for its wilderness opportunities, or eco-tourism.  Lots of English, French and Germans here for holiday.  Diesel is almost double the price of back home.  Wi-Fi is spotty, but cell is largely available if you have Rodger, Canada’s provider.  AT&T roams to Rodger, but be prepared to pay.  Weather is available on the VHF.  To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, double the number and add 32.  The water is cold for this southern boy, but the locals swim all the time.  Goose season opened Sept 2, and we awoke to the familiar sounds of shotguns just like during duck season back home.  Ontario has a special early season with a limit of 10, as Canadian Geese have become a problem because of their numbers.  The Canadian dollar is worth about .92 cents of the American dollar.  It is best to have Canadian dollars to pay, and the banks convert with no problem.  The marinas are priced about the same as in the US, and most importantly for us have laundry facilities.  Our on board washer dryer combo handles our clothes, but eats up our water supply.  Sheets and towels are best done at the marina.  This is berry country, so we have had a steady supply of pies and muffins.  The strawberry/rhubarb pie was a big hit.  Blueberry muffins are available at each stop.  The best we had were from a roadside gas station in Rapid Falls.  The best meal out was in Kingston, hands down.  The best local fish was Pickerel.  Fish and chips takeout stands were ubiquitous.  Our favorite Canadian stop was Kingston. We would like to return to Kingston and go up the Rideau to Quebec.  One day!  The Trent Severn was the biggest surprise.  I thought it was just a long canal to slow us down with locks, but in reality it was a destination.  It has just the right balance between rural and towns, with the locks as stops along the way, it was great.  There were also many lakes on the Trent Severn to anchor out upon, if we would have had time.    We also met many locals at the locks who were on holiday in their boats. 

 This part of the Loop has been a great experience and I am glad we decided to press on. We have now been to two foreign countries and 13 states for a total of 3,186 nautical miles.  Not bad!

Lows have been in the 50s, highs in the 70s.

Christian Islands-Georgian Bay.

Georgian Bay.

Killarney.  The grocery store has a great dinghy dock and laundry.  

A waterfront Spa in Killarney, complete with dinghy dock.  

SV Good Idea departing Killarney.  

Bay Fine (pronounced "fin").

I hiked up the cliff by our anchorage in Bay Fine, and these are pics of the hike.  Alexis, remembering her Bahamas debacle, eschewed the hike.  

Entrance to "The Pool" at the end of Bay Fine.  

Entrance to Bay Fine.

Little Current history.

Little Current town dock.

Ye ole Anchor Inn and pub, Little Current.

The bridge that ate our anchor light.  

Rocks.

Yes, I snorkeled in Canada.  

Some type of rust colored ore is in the granite.  

Our Croker Island anchorage in the North Channel.  Note the Moondance in the bottom right.

I hiked to the top of this Croker Island hill, sans Alexis.  

Killarney Mountain lodge dining room.  

The bar.