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
 

Fish Town, Arcadia and Sandy Beaches

Tuesday, August 05, 2014

It was another early morning start for us, leaving the dock at 6:15 so we could make the 6:30 opening of the drawbridge. We were out on Lake Michigan early enough to enjoy the smooth water while the winds were calm, although because the lake is so big there was a gentle roll coming from the north.
Did I mention how soft the sand is here? We walked on the beach in Charlevoix and we sank our feet into the sand – it is so squishy that it is a challenge to walk. John had read that because the coast of Michigan is on the windward side of the lake and has been battered by waves and rain for centuries it has created beautiful fine sandy beaches. Plus glacial deposits left lots of huge sand dunes here.

Boat Names

In Charlevoix they must have a plethora of dental professionals, with boat names like Open Wide (oral surgeon, perhaps) Nice IMpression (the letter M was a molar, dead giveaway) and Tin Grin (definitely an orthodontist). Then there was Fish N Chicks – do you think they own a restaurant? Along those piscine lines I saw FishTales (a sailboat) and Pickerel Palace (a small houseboat).
Someone actually took a picture of our boat stern, but I think they were more interested in where we were from. Some people can’t believe that a boat from Colchester, VT can actually come all the way to Lake Michigan. Wait 'til we arrive in Alabama!

Do it yourself  boat name
 

Women's names have always been popular for boats.
John is a little partial to this one...an unusual boat
 

Today we arrived in Leland, also called Fish Town, which is an old fishing village which has morphed into a tourist mecca. We finally took the camera on our evening walk and tried to capture the feel of the place.

Two Fish Gallery - the banner had a red truck on it which reminds
me of my brother's vintage Big Red Truck fondly know as BiRT
 

We had to look for this one up over a window
 

At a fish market
 

 

Along the Fish River at sunset
 

Rockin' boot with hens and chicks
 

Those of you who know me as a gardener will remember all of the boots and shoes that I planted with succulents. So you can understand why I almost fell off the dock when I saw this boot planter on the back of a nearby boat. I gotta get one of these!

Captain’s Log: August 5, 2014

Departed: Charlevoix City Docks, MI 6:15 a.m.
Engine hours: 4.6 hr. – 30.66 nautical miles
Actual hours: 5 hr. 15 min.
Arrived: Leland Harbor Marina, 11:10 p.m.
Wx: winds light and variable – calm – nice trip to Leland

Wednesday, August 06, 2014

These early morning departures are getting to be a habit but we certainly do enjoy the smooth water for cruising and it gives us all afternoon and evening to explore each stop.

Today as we were traveling we passed by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park and were impressed with all the sandy bluffs along the way. We arrived in Frankfort at another city dock with a nice green space with picnic tables and a bike path. We walked along the main street which led us to the beach where I squished my toes in the sand again and walked along the shoreline.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park
 

Huge sand dunes all along the shore
 

Frankfort Lighthouse showing us the way into the harbor
 

Captain’s Log: August 6, 2014

Departed: Leland Harbor 6:30 a.m.
Engine hours: 5.8
Actual hours: 5 hrs. 45 min.
Nautical miles covered: 37.34
Arrived: Frankfort, MI 12:15 p.m.
Wx: Partially overcast and hazy, calm winds and fair seas 

Thursday, August 7, 2014

The beautiful days keep coming and we made a short cruise to Arcadia today where we stayed at the Veteran's Memorial Marina. We were surprised to see another looper, Tanya, who is doing the loop solo in her 25' Ranger Tug, Annabelle.

Annabelle making her way to her slip
 

We had met Tanya before in Mackinac Island and then at Harbor Springs. We all got out our bikes and took a tour through the little town of Arcadia, which didn't take very long, stopping at the beach to let our feet check out the sand there. We all rewarded ourselves with ice cream at the local parlor.

Kathy and Tanya ready for a light supper
 

 Captain’s Log: August 7, 2014

Departed: Frankfort Municipal Marina 10:20 am

Engine hours: 1.8 hrs.
Actual hours: 1 hrs.  50 min.
Nautical miles covered: 10.59
Arrived: Arcadia Veterans Memorial Marina at 12:10 pm.
Wx: Winds light & Variable, seas calm, clear skies. Nice cruise.

  

Harbor Springs to Charlevoix, MI

Lake Michigan – onto another Great Lake

Friday & Saturday, August 01 & 02

Serenity glided out through Mackinaw City Harbor just after 6 am into a fairly thick fog. We could make out Mackinaw Bridge to the west and brightness in the clouds to the east. Fortunately Captain John had equipped the boat with a fog horn just before the trip which sounded every two minutes and we were using it this morning with about a mile visibility.



Mackinac Bridge almost lost in the fog
 

The fog slowly lifted as the sun broke through and we were always in sight of land but we were grateful for the radar which showed us that there were no big ships coming our way. The sun tried to break through but the fog was persistent and just didn’t want to lift. At one point it socked back in so we just could see about a half a mile.

We motored past an abandoned lighthouse
 

The wonderful part was that the water was as smooth as glass, the fog lifted at about noon and we had a wonderful cruise to Harbor Springs where we stayed for two nights.

Harbor Springs was a lovely resort town and the home of two new Looper friends – Meg and Jim – who had just barely completed the loop on Sanctuary the day before and were in the process of re-entry into life on land. They were so wonderful to us and to the other loopers there! Meg picked a couple of us up to drive to the grocery store and then had five of us over for burgers and fresh corn on the cob that evening. We all brought something to share - food and sea stories!

Dinner at Meg and Jim's cottage - Meg, Tanya, Stel and Kathy
 

 

Serenity is in good company at Harbor Springs with a 5 deck 
 mega-yacht in the background at a private marina
 

Captain’s Log: August 1, 2014

Departed: Mackinaw City, MI 6:10 a.m.
Engine hours: 7.5 hr. – 46.61 nautical miles
Actual hours: 7 hr. 35 min.
Arrived: Harbor Springs, town docks 1:45 p.m.
Wx: winds light and variable – lots of fog but calm seas

Sunday & Monday, August 3 & 4

We left Harbor Springs in mid-morning and made our way to Petoskey for a quick stop to pick up a part that John had ordered from West Marine. Good walk for us up the hill and back to the boat. Our entertainment for the morning was watching a guy with a water jetpack on his feet as we were leaving the harbor. He looked like he was having fun!

Jet ski followed closely!
 

He even did a few dolphin dives for us
 

Our destination today was Charlevoix which is entered through a narrow channel, made to connect Round Lake and Lake Charlevoix to Lake Michigan. At the end of the channel there was a draw bridge which opened on the half hour.

We were in line with three other big boats when we entered -
this photo was taken later when we were on a walk
 

We had to wait in Round Lake for about an hour until the marina had a slip for us. There was a lot to see with boats all around, condos, homes and a couple of architect Earl Young's mushroom houses. He lived in Charlevoix for most of his life and is best known for his quirky homes with flat roofs, stonework, organic feel and chimneys that look like they were decorated with icing.

This house had beautiful gardens
 

This one has personality and a turret
 

This one is called the "Half House" and we saw it on our walk later on

 

When we got to our slip the tall ship we had seen in St. Ignace and Mackinac Island was tied up at the end of the next dock.

Serenity is in good company again with Peacemaker, the tall ship
 

The dock lines on this ship were impressive
 

 
 

The next morning I was doing laundry at the marina lounge and struck up a conversation with a woman there. I discovered that she and her husband captain the tall ship and we found we had a lot in common. For my Vermont friends, they were in Colchester managing the cruise vessel Moonlight Lady when tropical storm Irene came through and broke it from it's mooring lines at Marble Island.

She invited me to bring John aboard for a private tour and meet her husband. He filled us in on some of the details of their adventures on Lake Champlain and then on the history of the sailing ship which had been built in South America 25 years ago. 

The ship was getting ready to leave the docks and we almost left on it. They had actually started to pull away when they put the ladder back and we scrambled down. We didn't think we would make very good crew for Peacemaker but we do seem to be getting used to traveling on Serenity.

Gwen waves good-bye as the tall ship leaves the harbor



Fun feature at the harbor was this "Fountain of Youth."
We could hear the squeals of delight all the way down the dock

 

Captain’s Log: August 3, 2014

Departed: Harbor Springs 10:00 a.m.
Engine hours: 4.4
Actual hours: 5 hrs. 30
Nautical miles covered: 19.78
Arrived: Charlevoix City Marina, MI 3:00 p.m.
Wx: Partially overcast, then clear, winds light and variable