Chicago, Chicago!

Wednesday through Sunday, August 27-31, 2014

This morning was the earliest departure we have ever had. We got up at zero dark thirty and were ready to go by 5 a.m. Due to the time change it was still dark with just the faintest hint of light in the east. Not to worry, no other boats were out at that time but two other Looper boats followed us out of the port at Michigan City a little later. We could just make out a few lights in Chicago directly ahead on our bow.

We were all trying to avoid winds and waves that were predicted to kick up later in the day. We had a good crossing and Ken & Ann on “Charis” passed us at about the halfway mark and took the lead. The skyline of Chicago drew closer and closer and the panorama seemed to open up ahead of us.

Charis 42' Custom Pilothouse Trawler comes abreast of us.
 

 

Chicago skyline comes into view. Willis Tower (formerly Sears) on left
 

We are very pleased to be here because “Chicago by September 1” has been a goal of ours since before we started the trip. Our destination of DuSable Marina is right on the waterfront and is between the Columbia Yacht Club and the entrance to the Chicago River.

A view from the boat
 

We are taking some time to be tourists and explore the big city. One of the first things we did was walk over to Navy Pier which has become a huge attraction with an amusement park, restaurants and shopping. John ordered a Chicago dog - which is a hot dog walked "through the garden," loaded with tomatoes, onions, pickle, peppers and mustard. Just don't ask for ketchup or they will know you are a tourist! On our first evening we were treated to fireworks off Navy Pier - what a show and welcome for us as we watched from the bow of our boat. While we were in Chicago we had to take the architectural boat tour on the Chicago River.

Chicago River tour - Trump tower straight ahead
 

Reflection of an old building in the windows of a new building
 

 

Flowers and vines along river wall - one of the pair of "corncob" towers
on the left. The bottom third is a parking garage and
the upper part is residences
 

We walked the few blocks to Millennium Park, one of the hubs of the city off Michigan Avenue which houses sculpture, gardens, a huge amphitheater, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the surrounding Great Lawn.

Pritzker Pavilion concert center - we could see this from the water
 as we approached in our boat
 

Cloud Gate - otherwise known as "The Bean"
 

Selfie reflection in the Bean
 

Crown Fountain made of glass bricks -
changing images are projected from inside
water flows down the sides - there are two
of these facing each other  
 

There was a bike path all along the waterfront and we rode several miles, past the aquarium and Soldier Field. On Saturday night the Looper hosts for Chicago put on a dinner for those of us in the area at their 15th floor condo overlooking the lake. Over twenty people attended and it was great to see some friends and meet some new ones. We all had a wonderful time visiting and eating Chicago deep dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches and Eli's cheesecake.

John with our folding bikes - they are 7 speed and a good ride
 

At the Looper dinner we watched dusk through the condo window -
lake and Soldier Field on left, Shore Drive and railroad tracks
 



Although we enjoyed the Great Lakes and cruising on the big waters, there was not much to see out on the water and often we were in fog. We got a lot of use out of our autopilot and were spoiled by relatively calm waters for most of the trip. Now we are looking forward to getting back on the rivers and following the charts a little more closely.

Captain’s Log: August 27, 2014

Departed: Michigan City, IN 5:10 a.m.
Engine hours: 4.7 hr. – 33.52 nautical miles
Actual hours: 4 hr.  35 min
Arrived: DuSable Marina, Chicago, IL ! 9:45
Wx: clear, winds 5 kt. or so, waves 1-2' waves, maintained 1800RPM – 7.3 kts. THANKS DAD & CHARIS behind me and CHARIS eventually overtook us – then carried 2300 RPM 8.3 kt. for last 1.5 hrs to stay with them. Waves calmed down to 1’ by end of trip

South Haven to Michigan City, Indiana

Wednesday & Thursday August 20 & 21

We left Anchorage Marina in Holland for South Haven on Wednesday morning and it was another beautiful day for a cruise. When we got to South Haven, like most of the other stops, we entered a channel edged by a breakwater to get off Lake Michigan.

Large clock near the channel into South Haven -
and it was on time
 

There was a municipal marina facility on both sides of the river and we were on the smaller south side. It was another nice, well kept public facility within walking distance of both the beach and the main street of town.

Serenity at South Haven Municipal Marina just inside
the channel from the lake
 

When we got into the marina we saw that the same DNR research ship, Steelhead, was tied up there. They must be working their way around the lake.

Better photo of the DNR research boat Steelhead
 

 Captain’s Log: August 20, 2014

Departed: Anchorage Yacht Club, MI 7:50 a.m.
Engine hours: 4.3 hr. – 25.49 nautical miles
Actual hours: 4 hr.  10 min
Arrived: Municipal Marina, South Haven, MI 12:00 noon
Wx: clear, 65 degrees, waves 1’ or so, Northwest wind. Gradually winds died down to 5 kt. or less – nice cruise, no issues.

We stayed in South Haven the next day and were pleased to see several other Looper boats come in to the marina, including Infinite Sea, a 35' President and two other Mainships almost identical to ours, Thanks Dad, which we had traveled with before, and Fruitcakes. We gathered for a "docktail" hour and were glad to renew acquaintances and meet some new boaters.

 

August 21 was John's birthday so I took him out
to Clementine's - hearty Captain in a vintage setting!
 

Friday through Tuesday, August 22, 23, 24, 25 & 26, 2014
Friday was a relatively long cruising day for us. The weather was good and so we decided to go all the way from South Haven, MI to Michigan City, IN. It was a total of 52 miles and took us about 7 ½ hours.

Sunrise as we were leaving South Haven
 

Another looper boat, Infinite Sea, with Paul and Stephanie on board, was making the same trip and so we followed them out of the harbor. They travel a little faster than we do so we gradually watched them pull ahead although we always could see them even when they became a little dot on the horizon.
 

Infinite Sea leading the way
 



It was a pleasant ride and the hours seemed to go by quickly. We had plenty to do aboard, and John even fired up the generator so we could warm up some lunch.

By midafternoon we arrived in a new state and a different time zone! At the Michigan City Port Authority we stopped at the gas dock, fueled up, pumped out, signed the register and were soon plugged in at our slip. It was warm and humid so I guess we finally found summer.

 

Dinner with Paul and Stephanie from Infinite Sea at the old yacht club
 

Captain’s Log: August 22, 2014

Departed: South Haven, MI 6:50 a.m. EDT
Engine hours: 7.8  – 50.27 nautical miles
Actual hours: 8 hr.  20 min (includes time at gas dock)
Arrived: Port Authority, Michigan City, IN 3:15 p.m. CDT
Wx: hazy, southeast wind 0 to 5 kt., quite smooth no other issues

After our new looper friends left the next morning we settled in and decided to stay for a few days in Michigan City. They have a lovely beach right next to the marina, a park with gardens and unique stone benches and an old lighthouse museum. Oh, did I mention that there is huge power plant complete with  smokestack just across the river from the marina? Also, this southern part of the lake is known as the storm belt as unsettled weather comes across from the west almost every day.

Storm clouds roll in above the marina and power plant
in the background
 

 

After the storm...
 

We were treated to a beautiful sunset
 

One of our stops had to be the Old Lighthouse Museum, built in 1858, which is operated by the local historical society. They had an extensive exhibit of boating memorabilia, photos of the growth of Michigan City and furnishings from an older time. We were most impressed with the Fresnel lenses on display which magnified the gas light in the tower and, as eerie as it seems, they had on display a death mask of President Abraham Lincoln who grew up in Indiana.

Old Lighthouse Museum
 

View to the east from the top of the lighthouse overlooking Trail Creek -
a siren goes off every time the drawbridge opens
 



Looking northwest from the top of the lighthouse - Port Authority and
Lake Michigan - Serenity is here, off to the right out of sight
 

I just happened to be color coordinated with the blue fountain
 

There are dozens of sports fishing boats and charters on the dock. We happened by just as one of the charters was displaying their catch of the morning. The fishermen encouraged pictures as they were understandably proud of their catch. This charter, the Crorkindill, is known for their captain who obviously knows where to find the fish. This is an assortment of lake trout, rainbows and salmon.

Catch of the day!
 

Several of our fellow looping friends arrived this week and the names should be familiar to you by now: Thanks Dad, Fruitcakes and Charis. We will be making to crossing to Chicago sometime in the next two days when the weather looks favorable.

The night before we left Michigan City, John and Sue hosted a wonderful
fish fry! Kathy, Andy, Julie, Ken, Ann, John and Sue

 

 

Bright Lights, Small Cities

Friday & Saturday, August 15 & 16, 2014

Leaving Whitehall just at sunrise we were taken with the beauty of the fog forming over the lake and the sun burning through some clouds at the horizon. We noticed the research vessel Steelhead parked next to the houseboat at the end of the dock. We had been visiting with one of the Dept. of Natural Resources crew the night before and he explained that they went out every night to the middle of the lake to measure the numbers of alewife, a non native species, and also steelhead trout which have been introduced to keep the invasive alewife in check. That way they know how many steelhead to release from the fish hatcheries each year. We saw them leave at sunset and now could see that they were back from their night's work.

Early departure from Whitehall, MI
 

We made our way back through White Lake and out into Lake Michigan. By the time we got across the lake the sun was shining on the western shore.

Cluster of boathouses on White Lake in the morning sun
 

As we traveled along the east coast of Lake Michigan we could see more high sand dunes along the way. Dotted along the top were many homes. I didn't get a photo because it had become hazy and we were about a mile to a mile and a half out. Most of the houses had a steep set of stairs going down to the waterfront and we hoped they had an erosion control program going as well.
After a short morning of cruising we entered into the channel at Muskegon and passed the Submarine Museum which we would visit later in the day.

Submarine Museum along the channel featuring the USS Silversides
 



The Silversides was a loooong submarine!
 

We were followed into the channel by the Lake Express Ferry, a large high speed catamaran, that provides service between Muskegon and Milwaukee, WI.

Lake Express Ferry
 

Concrete dock at Harbour Towne in Muskegon 10-12 inches thick
 

We stayed at the Harbour Towne Marina and for the second time we were tied up to concrete docks. We don't know if they were solid concrete but they shook a little when we walked on them.
On Saturday we took a bike ride and were glad that the path went right by the Torreson's Marine supply where John bought a few things. He was hoping that they would have charts for the river system, but he has had to order them from the Army Corps of Engineers.
On the way back we rode along the beach and fog was rolling in off the lake. We stopped so I could take a walk along the shoreline. It was early so there were not many people but crews of volunteers in yellow tee shirts were combing the beach and picking up any litter. It was a really beautifully kept beach.

Emerging from the fog along Muskegon Beach at Lake Michigan
 

 Captain’s Log: August 15, 2014

Departed: Whitehall, MI 6:50 a.m.
Engine hours: 2.9 hr. – 17.67 nautical miles
Actual hours: 2 hr.  40 min
Arrived: Muskegon, MI Harbor Towne Marina 9:30 p.m.
Wx: early shove-off – attempted to avoid 2-3’ waves. Wind SW @ 10 1-2’with occasional 3’. Tacked several times and ran at 2300 turns (8.3 kt.) to smooth things out – not bad

Note: Received results of oil analysis - both engines are doing great! Will go 130 hours before next change (happy engines mean a happy captain).

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Our next stop was Grand Haven, Michigan on the Grand River which goes all the way up to Grand Rapids. We stayed at the municipal docks which were right on the waterfront walking route with lots of concession stands along the way.

 

Interesting architectural features on the old train station.
 

Grand Haven's claim to fame is their musical lighted fountain which has been putting on it's show at dusk for 50 years. They even had bleachers built to view it across the river and these seats are also used for waterfront concerts. The streams of water seemed to dance in time with the music which must have been recorded by local artists - we didn't recognize any of it. The show lasted for about 20 minutes and then it was time for bed.

 

Grand Haven Musical Fountain
 

Captain’s Log: August 17, 2014

Departed: Muskegon, MI 8:30 a.m.
Engine hours: 2.5
Actual hours: 2 hrs. 20 min.  
Nautical miles covered: 13.84
Arrived: Grand Harbor, MI 10:50 a.m.
Wx: Waves 1-2 feet, NE wind 5-10 kt. Overall speed was 5.8 kt. Vice a normal 6.3 – suspect a lake current exists today.

Monday & Tuesday, August 18, 2014

As we departed from Grand Haven we had to capture the lighthouse at the end of the breakwater. We had noticed coming in that the foundation of the building was built to look like a boat with a pointed prow and porthole windows. We later found out that this was a deliberate design to protect structure, which also houses a foghorn, from the onslaught of waves from Lake Michigan and from the ice in the winter.

 

Grand Haven lighthouse
 

Our next destination was Holland, MI where we stopped for the night in Lake Macatawa at Eldean Shipyard. This is a large marina and was pretty isolated from any points of interest. They did have a pool and Jacuzzi so we had to try that out. It was the wrong time of year to enjoy the city of Holland's annual tulip festival - we will have to come back some spring.



Another dentist's boat name. Those are teeth on the right!
 

 Captain’s Log: August 18, 2014

Departed: Grand Haven 8:25
Engine hours: 3.2 hrs.
Actual hours: 3 hrs.  5 min.
Nautical miles covered: 19.36
Arrived: Holland, MI Eldean Shipyard
Wx: Overcast 10 – 15 miles Visibility, east wind at 5-10 kt. Waves 1’ or so, comfortable.

Tuesday, August 19

The weather forecast for the next day wasn't very good and sure enough a thunderstorm came through in the early morning. This was accompanied by very strong winds and we had to scramble to make sure the lines were tight enough to keep Serenity from hitting the pilings. The wind whipped up the water and we were really rolling from side to side. Add to this an 18 to 20 inch gap to get off the boat so we weren't looking forward to spending the day there. The sun came out and after much discussion we decided to move across the lake to a different marina which would be more sheltered.

 

John getting wet while tightening the lines
 

We looked at the radar and it appeared we would have enough time to get across before the next bunch of storms would hit.  So we gave ourselves the green light and went for it.  The skies darkened, wind came up and we could hear thunder. The adrenalin was flowing and then we realized that the distance was a little farther than we had originally thought. All's well that ends well but it was a little tight. We ended up getting tied up just as the heavy rain started.  But at least we weren't rocking and rolling and it was much more comfortable getting on and off the boat. 

When we went to the laundry area to dry all our wet clothes and towels we ran into a couple from Jim-Kat that we had met in St. Ignace - so good to see familiar faces! We have met so many interesting and friendly boaters along the way.

Captain’s Log: August 19, 2014

Departed: Eldean Shipyard 11:30 a.m.
Engine hours: .7 hrs.
Actual hours: 30 min.
Nautical miles covered: 1.9
Arrived: Holland, MI Anchorage Marina
Wx: Due to lots of Rolling @ Eldene Shipyard we moved to North Shore of Lake Macatawa – however, thunder storms were approaching and we got tied up just before they hit. Strong south wind 15-20 while docking – much more comfortable at this marina.


 

Snug Harbors Along Lake Michigan

Friday, August 8, 2014

Preparing for an early departure from Arcadia we saw that Annabelle had already left by 6:30 with Tanya planning to put in a long day to take advantage of the unbelievable calm weather. We left soon after even though we had a short day ahead of us. There are a lot of places to stop along the east coast of Lake Michigan and I think we are hitting most of them! We have the time to explore, even with weather delays taken into consideration. We know from experience that nice warm days mean that a cold front is soon to follow.

The entrance to Manistee, our destination, is protected by two breakwaters leading into the Manistee River. The town straddles the river and the Municipal Marina is right on the edge of downtown. This is also a big fishing center and we passed many fishing boats all rigged out with a fan of poles above the helm. Our slip was next to the fuel dock and right along the river so we were in a busy place. After a walk into town where John was able to buy a new keyboard – the one on his laptop wouldn’t do a T or a Y – and his lament was, “Do you know how many words have a t or y???”

John spends a lot of time studying boater's manuals and planning our stops
 

Later we went on our favorite excursion: foraging for food. There was a grocery store across the drawbridge so we took our lightweight back bags and John towed his folding dolly and we went on our seemingly endless quest to find fresh produce.

Captain’s Log: August 8, 2014

Departed: Arcadia, MI 7:20 a.m.
Engine hours: 2.9 hr. – 16.97 nautical miles
Actual hours: 3 hr.  
Arrived: Manistee, MI Municipal Docks 10:20 p.m.
Wx: Winds easterly 5-10 knots, waves 1’ or so – no problems encountered

Saturday & Sunday, August 9 & 10, 2014

The night was pleasant but we were awakened at a very early hour with water slapping against our boat as many fishing boats left before the crack of dawn. They were on a mission to find fish and nothing, even sleeping boaters, was going to slow them down!

We were amazed as we pulled back onto the lake on our way to Ludington later that morning to see dozens and dozens of fishing boats out along the western horizon. Oh yes, we remembered, it was Saturday! Fortunately they were out far enough that we didn’t have to dodge them until we neared our destination of Ludington. By then many had their catch and were speeding back to port. We found out later that there were a couple of fishing derbies going on which would explain their need for speed.

One of MANY fishing boats
 

We stayed in Ludington for two days and one of the things we could count on there was the old coal fired ferry, named Badger, coming into port. We first were aware of it when it let out 5 blasts of it's horn as it was coming into the channel our first evening. It was a warning to a boater that may have been it it's way. This huge ferry can't and won't stop; so smaller boats have to stay well aside!

Badger backing into dock - yes, that is a bus on board!
 

The Badger ferries people, cars, busses and even 18 wheeler trucks across Lake Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a 4 hour trip, twice a day arriving in Ludington in the morning at 6:15 am, at the end of the day at 7:00 pm. and always announces it's arrival and departure with a loud blast of the horn.

Badger departing at 8:30 p.m.led by a Coast Guard escort
 

We heard the distinctive sounds of a bagpipe as a staff member,
standing on the Badger's top deck, piped the ferry out of the harbor

  On our second day in Ludington it was sunny and cool and we walked into the town to check things out a bit. There was a lovely park at the waterfront and we had to capture some of the statuary there for our travel journal.

Having fun with bronze children - they didn't move
and neither did our mascot, Christopher Croaker
 

 

Spirit of Ludington with Serenity
in the background
 

Captain’s Log: August 9, 2014

Departed: Manistee, MI 7:50 a.m.
Engine hours: 4.00
Actual hours: 5 hrs. 30 min. (time spent at idle and taking on fuel and getting pump out on arrival in Ludington. Least expensive fuel so far on trip @3.87 /gal – took on 80 gal.
Nautical miles covered: 23.24
Arrived: Ludington, Mi Harbor View Marina 12:30 p.m.
Wx: Partially overcast and hazy, calm winds

Monday & Tuesday, August 11 & 12, 2014

Departed from Ludington early while the Badger was loading cargo. There was rain on the radar map but winds were calm and we followed two motoring sailboats out of the harbor. The sky was dark ahead but we just saw a heavy mist and turned on the foghorn as the sailboats disappeared after we passed them ever so slowly.  
 

Entering Pentwater Harbor
 

We had already planned to stay in Pentwater for two days because John had made arrangements to change the oil and filters in the boat while we were there. This was great timing because the weather didn't look so great for Tuesday with rain and strong north winds in the forecast. 

Special cover for a wooden boat in Pentwater Lake
 

We tied up at Snug Harbor Marina, a full service facility, right next to the main street in town. While John was getting picking up the oil and getting started on the process I had a great walk the length of the town and down the walkway on the channel to the beach. It is so good to be able to stroll along the edge of the water. No sunshine but quite a few people enjoying an afternoon in the sand and cold lake. 

Great name and paint job for this fishing boat
 



Old boat used as planter at Snug Harbor Marina
 

As predicted, the second day was colder, windy and rainy but we stayed busy getting the oil change done and making use of the Laundromat. We were glad to be snug in the harbor. There were no Loopers here but we met some great folks, Tom and Linda Ray, Gold Loopers who summer on Lake Michigan and came by in their dinghy.

 Captain’s Log: August 11, 2014

Departed: Ludington, Harbor View Marina 8:10
Engine hours: 2.2 hrs.
Actual hours: 2 hrs.  25 min.
Nautical miles covered: 12.15
Arrived: Pentwater, MI Snug Harbor Marina
Wx: Overcast & foggy – kept fog horn on entire trip. Water calm, light wind
 
August 13 & 14, Wednesday & Thursday

Left Snug Harbor early to avoid any increasing winds later in the day. We encountered some rolling waves but then turned south so they were following us. This would be a fairly long cruise for us and after a couple of hours as the sun hit the cold water we saw some fog developing. Soon we were in the thick of it and John turned on the foghorn for the third time since we have been on Lake Michigan.

Passing a fishing boat as we near Little Sable Point
 

One of the big advantages of traveling by boat is that we can leave early before breakfast and once we get underway we can have a bowl of cereal and even shower if we want to. Often I do my morning stretches and a few pushups as we go along. John even swabbed the front deck this morning to wipe off the rain from yesterday and the morning dew. Try that in an RV! You know who I'm talking to...

We left the big lake as we entered White Lake and from there it was about an hour to the end of the lake where we reached the municipal marina at White Hall. There was a Looper boat that came in right behind us. It was a catamaran named Joint Adventure from Boston. We were excited to see each other later on and compared notes. We always have something in common with other boaters!
The next day we got down our bikes and found a great bike path that took us to the nearby town of Montague where we stopped at Michigan's oldest soda fountain, Lipka's. The building was built in 1887 and was the first pharmacy in Montague. It was a step back in time as it looked like it hadn't changed much over the years.

The current owners had put in extensive displays of Coca Cola memorabilia and other artifacts so we had lots to look at while we were waiting for our order. We are really enjoying the Michigan that we have seen so far!
 

Having a milkshake at Lipka's Soda Fountain - the real thing - delicious!
 

Captain’s Log: August 13, 2014

Departed: Pentwater, Snug Harbor Marina 6:55 a.m.
Engine hours: 5.3 hrs.
Actual hours: 5 hrs.  25 min.
Nautical miles covered: 32.64

Arrived: Whitehall, MI Municipal Marina on White Lake
Wx: Smooth seas - initially waves 1 ft or less then smooth went through some fog, nice cruise, calm, light wind