Heading down the western coast of Michigan

The day I left Mackinaw Island, it was very foggy.  The fog stayed with us until about noon.  The marina is fairly strict, and they expect the boats to be gone from the slips by 1:00, as there are usually boats waiting in the harbor for their reserved slips.  At noon, there was an exodus from the marina.  I waited for most of the boats to leave and headed out to Mackinaw City, just a few miles away.  By the time I left, I felt it was pushing too hard to get to Harbor Springs.  I stayed at Straits State harbor, where I enjoyed meeting up with a few of my "looper" friends, who I hadn't seen for a while. Wye Tug, Summerland, Fruitcakes and DeDe were there.  They all planned to take the ferry to Mackinaw Island for the day, and I planned to head to Harbor Springs.

The fast ferries around Mackinac City and Mackinac Island throw big rooster tails of water and large wakes.  They are intimidating. 

Mackinac Bridge, where Lake Huron meets Lake Michigan

Heading towards Harbor Springs, I cut in front of this old, abandoned lighthouse.  The shipping channel is much further out, but with my shallow draft, this made for a good shortcut.

I liked Harbor Springs and decided it was a perfect place to spend a few days and order things from Amazon.  Meg and Jim, from Sanctuary had just finished their Loop, and they invited a few of us over for dinner.  I also was given the opportunity for a hot bath... something, I relish and could never turn down.  She took a couple of us to the local grocery store and butcher shop.  We stocked up on needed supplies. I had been hesitant getting groceries during my last few days in Canada, worried I might have to throw things out.  Even my leftover potatoes had found their way to the bottom of Lake Huron.  As it was, I never was boarded or asked about any groceries. 

I cleaned my boat and I relaxed.  Meg, from Sanctuary, had told me about a Gurney’s, a liquor store with a bakery in the back.  Gurney’s was the first place she stopped when she got home.  Gurney’s is known more for their sandwiches with their freshly baked bread, than anything else.  They stop selling sandwiches when they run out of bread.  There is a line winding through the liquor store, to the back, where the sandwiches are made.  They don’t generally sell the bread, but I asked if I could buy a loaf.  They offered to make an extra loaf for me the following day.  I showed up early and was only charged $2.50 for the loaf of pumpernickel bread.  Behind Gurney’s and across the street is Tom’s Mom’s cookies.  They have a wide variety of chocolate chip cookies.  Again, there was a line, with people paying the $18 per dozen or $1.80 per cookie.  There was really no sense in buying just one!

Harbor Springs.  I stayed at Walstrom Marina, but many people stay at the municipal marina or in the mooring fields.

Harbor Springs

Sunrise as I head out of Harbor Springs

There is a reason there are great artists in Harbor Springs, it is just beautiful!

Now, I am traveling down the Michigan coast.  The weather has been perfect, the winds calm, the seas calm, at times it feels like I am gliding across water as smooth as glass.  After Harbor Springs, my plan was to head to Charlevoix.  I arrived just after 9:00 a.m., and there was a waiting list for the municipal marina.  The bridge was 11 feet, much lower than the published height of 16 ft, too low for my boat to go through.  I was going to have to wait 20 minutes for an opening.  The lake was so smooth, so I decided to make the most of the day and head further south.  I called Leland municipal marina, and they were also full.  I decided to head out to South Manitou Island and anchor.  It was a long day, but the island was peaceful and relaxing.

The smooth waters, which entice me to keep heading south!

N. Manitou Island lighthouse

Leaving S. Manitou Island at sunrise.  Sunrise is getting later, until I hit a time zone change.

S. Manitou Island lighthouse.

The following day, I headed further south to Arcadia, where I saw John and Kathy, from Serenity, who I had first met at Mackinaw Island and I had also seen in Harbor Springs.  They have plans to take a leisurely trip down the Michigan Coast and have reservations at the end of August in Chicago.  I explained how I feel I need to take advantage of the weather with the Michigan Lake being so calm.  John, Kathy and I took our bikes and rode around the town.  Arcadia is a very small town, with a couple small marinas.  The ice cream parlor is attached to the gift shop, which also has marine supplies.  This combination store is next to the gas station/convenience store, all of which are owned by the same family.  The public beach is narrow and steep.  The water was very, very, cold.  I only put my feet in.

There are lots of fishing boats.

Leaving Arcadia at sunrise.

I left Arcadia early in the morning, and headed to Pentwater.  In Pentwater, one can’t just make a reservation by phone, the dockmaster expects the reservation to be made through the Michigan State system, which has a $10 reservation fee.  The dockage for the municipal marina is $1 per foot plus $10, making my dockage $35 for the night.  If I added another $10 for the on-line reservation, it would make the municipal marina more expensive than the private marina, Snug Harbor.  As it was, I only saved a couple dollars.  The municipal marina is in the middle of downtown, with shops and restaurants lining the streets.  Snug Harbor is at the end of the main street.  By leaving early in the morning, I managed to arrive in the early afternoon, giving me plenty of time to walk around town.

The beach heading into Pentwater.

This sailboat reminds me of Carolina Girl, my sailboat, which I sold in December.

At the Pentwater Municipal marina, my boat was docked with the fishing boats.  For the first time, Annabelle was the biggest boat on the dock!

This morning, I am heading to Grand Haven, about 50 nautical miles further south.  Sunday, I am heading to Saugatuck, a peaceful, artsy town to wait out the storms.

                                                                       

For me, Chicago marks the halfway point in this Loop.  It is also marks the end of the Great Lakes, and the start of the Rivers.  There will be new challenges.  There will be bigger locks, which operate differently than the ones I have been on.  There will be barge traffic, current, and fewer places to stop along the way.