Chicago? Almost.

My goal this week was to make it to Chicago.  I didn't make it there, but I am close, in Hammond, Indiana.  I spent four days in Saugatuck, which was a great little town to spend a few days in.  I had planned to stay there, while waiting for a storm front to move through.  I was bad about taking pictures.  The marina was a ten minute walk from town, but having my bicycle made it very easy to get around.  The weather was unusually cold.  Even the dockmaster made a comment that it felt like October weather.  The news was reporting that it was September weather.  After a couple days of rain and gray skies, the weather cleared up, but there were still high seas in Lake Michigan.  NOAA reported 6 ft seas, the dockmaster heard it was closer to ten foot.  So, there was another day for waiting.

I noticed that the waves and winds were tending to die down at night, so I planned for my next leg to St. Joseph in the middle of the night.  My hope was to get further, weather and waves permitting.  I was up before 1 a.m, and I undocked and left Saugatuck at 2 a.m.  By 7:45, I arrived at St. Joseph. I had following seas from the north, which were very uncomfortable, but better than heading into them.  Other people that came into St. Joseph, later that day, said they were miserable out there on the lake.  My decision to leave in the middle of the night, is probably the only reason I was able to make any distance at all.

My plan for Friday, was to head across Lake Michigan to Chicago, 50 miles away.  I called on Thursday to reserve a slip, but there were no slips available throughout the weekend.  An Air Show was scheduled right over the waters, and I imagine the Du Sable marina was the prime location to be.  However, this was the one day that I had to cross.  Instead of heading to Chicago, I went with my secondary plan of Hammond, IN, which is 10 to 15 miles from the Chicago marina.  Another storm front was moving in for the weekend, with thunderstorms.  My crossing of Lake Michigan was uneventful.  The waves got higher towards the center of the Lake, but had died down to nothing by the time I got to the western shore.

Waiting on good weather days seems to be a theme for me on this trip.  When the weather is good and the lake conditions are calm, I run with it.  On the Chesapeake, I remember having a very calm day, and while most of my friends stopped at Soloman's Island, I headed north to Annapolis.  I feel like I am doing the same thing here.  I have a small boat that doesn't go very fast, so I can't bump up the speed to get through quicker and I can't take the larger waves that my friend's boats can take.  It makes it difficult to plan much of anything or being anywhere.

My friend Jane remarked that "looping" is different than "cruising", in that we have to keep moving forward.  We don't always have the time to stop or spend the time where we want to. I think we just have to enjoy seeing what we see, wherever it is, and continue to take this journey a day at a time.

Seeing Chicago from the distance.

Despite my lack of pictures, I really enjoyed Saugatuck.  They have a river boat for tourists, as well as a chain ferry running across the Kalamazoo river.  They also have an inter-urban bus system, which will take you from your door to where you want to go for a dollar in either Saugatuck or Douglas. It was a great place to spend 4 days, even if it was cold and rainy.

Saugatuck Chain Ferry- operated by a young man, who cranks the chain to take passengers across the river.  The chain is attached at both sides of the river.

Star of Saugatuck Boat Cruise - they passed my boat a few times each day.

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.

Mackinac Island (pronounced as Mackinaw)

I am happily back in the States!  The last week while I was up in the Northern Channel, I was feeling very homesick. I couldn't use my cell phone, but I did manage to call a few people on Skype.  Although, I am continuously running into many wonderful, kind people, it isn't the same.  Maybe the few days I spent "weathered in" at Kagawong affected me as well. I am not sure.

After 4 nights at Kagawong, the wind finally died down a little, and the water was flat. Saturday night, the winds were terrible, even in the safety of the marina.  Sunday, the dockmaster and his wife offered to let me stay at their home, they worried I wouldn't sleep if the winds persisted another night.  At 7:40 that evening, the winds died down.  I had explained to the dockmaster that I would be gone before he returned at 8 the next morning, if the water was calm.  It was... and I left the dock around 6:30 on Monday morning.  The waters did not stay calm for long.  Once I was out in the open, the seas came up and it was reminiscent of being in the Abermarle Sound.  There were a couple differences though.  One difference was that I was out there in the big open waters alone for most of the day.  I also knew that the distance I had to travel was much farther than I had in the Abermarle.  At one point, six "go-fast" boats flew by me.  Then, it was just me out there again, wondering what happens in the winter, when all the water in this massive area is solid ice.  The biggest difference, was the rough seas didn't particularly bother me, I felt safe and comfortable in my boat, and didn't really worry about anything.

I had plans to stay in an anchorage on the Canadian side of the border, on the southwestern corner of Cockburn Island (pronounced Co-burn).  The anchorage was very exposed, so I headed into U.S. waters, and anchored in a small inlet in the southeastern shore of Drummond Island.  At this point, I had no cell service.  Occasionally, a text would go through.  From my anchorage, it was about 6 hours to Mackinac Island, five of them in fog.  It was a long journey!

Mackinac Island is a very, very busy place, and boaters have to make reservations well in advance through the Michigan State Park system.  I had a schedule to keep, which is less than ideal when boating.  I had been told that clearing customs here, was much easier in Mackinac Island than clearing in Drummond Island (northwest corner).  Most of the boaters I know, had their boats searched coming through Drummond, and I simply made a video phonecall, as part of the OARS program.  There were no lines.  However, I did have my moment of panic.  As I was coming through the fog, I started thinking about how I should be blowing my horn, especially as I approached civilization.  My radar was working well, and I hadn't seen anyone out there.  I decided I should get the blowing of the horn right, so I was looking it up in my book.  While doing this, I stumbled upon the Customs section of the cruising guidebook, only to read about calling into the 800 number for customs immediately upon entering U.S. waters, and to even anchor, was considered being in the U.S., and one could incur a $5,000 fine.  In the midst of reading this, the fog cleared, and I could see Mackinac Island, about 30 to 45 minutes away.  I quickly called customs, got transferred a couple times, and was told not to worry, just check into the OARS phone when I arrived.  Everything went smoothly.  I had tossed the last of my fresh produce out into Lake Huron in the fog, not that anyone asked.

When I arrived in Mackinac Island, Steve and his wife, Wendy, from Atla were there.  As we were having lunch, I saw No Compromises coming in.  Later, when visiting Tom and Vera, on No Compromises, I also saw Jim and Meg, from Sanctuary.  Estrellita was also here, along with a couple other Looper boats.  Meg and Jim left yesterday to head to their home port in Harbor Springs.  Once the fog lifts this morning, I will head to Harbor Springs as well, along with Stel and Burke from Estrellita.

Mackinac Island is a very touristy area.  The only means of transportation on the island include walking, riding a bike, or horses.  The streets are lined with tourist shops, mostly selling their famous fudge.  Horse-led carriages have the right of way.  The bicyclists are on the street, and everyone else stays to the sides.  There is an 8 mile paved trail around the island.  Stel, Burke and I bicycled around the island.  The waters around us were crystal clear.  The windward or western side of the island had waves crashing, and the leeward side or eastern shore, had calm, flat waters.  We will be heading west, and hopefully, the waters will be calmer today.  After the bike ride, I headed up the hill to the Grand Hotel, which is quite famous. At the Grand Hotel, I bought some fresh flowers for my boat.

In Kagawong, I met Earl and Karen at the marina, who have a summer home there. They ame by the marina the day before I left and offered to take me into Gore Bay with them, where they took me out for breakfast.  We walked around Gore Bay and went to the grocery store.  I didn't buy any groceries, knowing I would be heading through customs in a couple days.  Earl and Karen live in Florida for most of the year, so hopefully, when I head through their hometown in Florida, I will see them again.

Meanwhile, here are some pictures. It is 10 a.m., and we are all waiting for the fog to lift.

Meg and Jim, leaving Mackinac Island on Sanctuary, their last day of the Great Loop.

Across the street from my boat are the horse drawn carriages waiting for passengers, with the fort in the background.

Heading up the hill to the Grand Hotel

The chandelier in the Cupula, the bar at the top of the Grand Hotel.

Heading towards Mackinac Island... this is what I saw when the fog finally cleared.

So close to Mackinac Island... almost there!

Another beautiful sunset, at anchor.