Saturday July 30: Petosky, Michigan

After a second enjoyable night in Mackinaw City, we headed out Thursday for Beaver Island.

We weren't sure how high the shorter trusses on the bridge were but definitely knew we didn't need the 200 foot clearance in the center of the bridge!

So we chose not the shortest ones but one that was several to the right of those in this picture.

The waters of Lake Michigan were again very calm for our 40 mile, 5 hour run.

The harbor entrance at Beaver Island was very inviting with a lighthouse on the north-east corner of the island.

Steve had a close up view of the lighthouse when he decided to ride around the eastern end of the island.

Which went well until he came to the road closed sign. How 'closed' could it be, right? I mean he's on a bike ...

Turns out it was pretty well closed! Apparently it's not only the North Channel and Georgian Bay waters that are a bit higher this year!

But he did get a pretty nice picture of an osprey sitting in a tree looking over the water for his dinner!








There are two types of reviews for Beaver Island: the first - hated it because there was nothing there. The second: loved it because there was nothing there! We weren't really sure what to expect but since we skipped it due to weather in 2010, it was definitely a place we wanted to go. Maybe it was going to be like the Lake Erie islands that we had visited many times.

No such luck - it was just an island in Lake Michigan with a small town. Everyone was very nice - just wasn't  what we hoped for.

The thought was to stay a second night but in the end we moved on after breakfast on Friday. Destination: Petosky - a 35 mile run.

It was the end of the super calm Lake Michigan. Winds were from the east (which is rather unusual) but we were headed east so the longer we traveled the more we would gain protection from the east shore to which we were traveling. Good in theory and practice! Except midway the waves where just kind of crazy. Fortunately that didn't last too long

The biggest challenge was all of the sailboats in the bay that were sailing in a regatta. But no real issues :-)

Petosky has a beautifully designed waterfront with many parks, walkways and views.

As Steve and I rode the bike/run path, we both remarked that this would be great in Cleveland - whose lakefront is still mostly industrial. But that's what Cleveland's history is - industrial.

Maybe someday it can be changed ....




They have a very fun clocktower - that sounds on the half hour and tolls the time on the hour. Fortunately it quits in the early evening :-)

I'm standing under the tower to give you some size perspective.

There was also a nice history museum right across the street from the marina. They had a display about Ernest Hemingway who apparently spent some time here in the summers. Never knew that!




As always, there was a bit of work.

Time to change the oil and filter in the engine (every 200 hours of running time) and the injector pump oil (every 50 hours).

But the filter is much easier to change now that it's so much more accessible. Thanks Jim Murray for the help!!

Tomorrow - off to Charlevoix for a night and then to Leland if the Lake Michigan weather gods are with us!

Wednesday July 27: Mackinaw City - Michigan!

 We left Thessalon early Monday morning - I really thought it was too early to be up but the weather looked promising for the 22 mile, 2 and 1/2 mile run to Drummond Island and the US customs check in.



It seemed to be better looking south than it did north but overall it looked like a great time to be making the final run across the North Channel!

Once we checked in at customs on Drummond Island, we continued an additional 10 miles to DeTour Village marina to spend the night.

The wind had picked up but because we were in and tied up by 1 pm it was a non-issue for us.

It was kind of neat watching the lake freighters go by headed either for Lake Superior, Lake Huron (and beyond) or Chicago.

We stayed just one night - DeTour is a very small town - couldn't even find a Chinese restaurant :-)

We left early again - initially we were going to the islands west of DeTour but then decided to just go straight to Mackinaw City instead. Glad we did as thunderstorm rolled through in the early evening on last night.

Passing by Mackinac Island, it was easy to spot the Grand Hotel (setting for the Christopher Reeves Movie "Somewhere in Time"). We stopped here 5 years ago but decided to bypass it this time.

The marina is THE rockiest anywhere! The ferries coming and going produces waves all day and into the night with no protection. Not this year! We continued on to Mackinaw City (strangely enough both Mackinaw and Mackinac are both pronounced the same with an 'awe' on the end).

The ferries were indeed crazy - running from both sides of the straits: Mackinaw City and St. Ignace on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The ride from the island to our dock was the rockiest of the day!

This morning first on our list: breakfast out :-)  Check.


And second would have been a stop at the many fudge shops on the main drag - except Steve stopped me. He has a way of doing that :-)

Steve deciding were to go next.

We spent some time riding around and seeing what there was to see.

Steve is checking the map :-)

The small museum was on the upstairs floor of - believe it or not - a pizza place! It was all about the building of the bridge built in the late 50's over the Mackinac Straits.

Very well done both with the mechanics of how it was build and the stories of the ironmen who worked on the bridge. It's amazing the hardships they went through for $3.77 an hour - which they stated was a gold mine hourly wage at the time.

For info about the bridge, click here.

The Mackinac Bridge

There were a few strange things around town. The souvenir shop that was maybe an outdoor supply store?

And the Wienerlicious place.

We didn't try it.

There was actually some work done as well today.

A permanent fix to the screen where the raccoon ripped the screen and reinforcements for the new cover for the dinghy engine.

Plus Steve ground down the sides of a wrench so there was at least a chance of tightening a bolt whose placement was designed in a very poor way. Enough said.

Tomorrow we head 40 miles to Beaver Island in Lake Michigan!

Sunday July 24: Thessalon - Last Stop in Ontario

As we left Spanish, we weren't really sure where we would end up.

The winds were from the west/southwest so the anchorage needed to be protected from those directions (and that is of course assuming the winds didn't decide to change from predicted!)

After taking a look at John Harbor and Beardrop Harbor, we decided on Long Point. It was a little farther but that just made it a shorter day on Sunday.

The view from google earth shows what a great place this was going to be! As long as everyone else didn't decide the same thing :-) It was Saturday night after all.

Google earth really doesn't show the beauty of the area though.

At right is the view just as we approached the hard right turn into the anchorage.

Once in, we were all set! Only one other trawler and 4 sailboats.

The mosquitoes come early up here so it was time to put the screens in. Ooops - we forgot the visitor on the boat at Spanish - a raccoon (we think). It was probably about midnight and we both woke up to some noise on the side of the boat away from the dock.

Noises at night are not unusual - sometimes a line squeaking or bumper rubbing but this was weird in that it was coming from the side of boat NOT tied to the dock. Steve checked it out - didn't see anything and we tried to go back to sleep - except mosquitoes were getting in somehow.

It was another check of the boat that Steve found the problem: the screen was torn up from whatever it was that wanted in! So duct tape to the rescue for the screen until more permanent repairs can be made :-)

Anyway, it was a nice evening - we even dinghied over to the neighboring trawler for a get together with them and two sailboat couples.

It's interesting to meet new people sometimes ...


When we left in the morning at 6 am, it was cloudy and cool. The early start was to get to Blind River before the rains and predicted higher winds came in.

Strangely though the winds were from the east (unusual up here) and because we were headed west, the travel was in following seas.

Made for easy travel and the higher winds made for more push from behind!

Might as well continue another 30 miles past Blind River and go on to Thessalon!

So we are now just a short 20 miles almost due north of the entrance to the DeTour Passage which will take us to Lake Michigan.

Tomorrow then, unless we have strong west winds (which would be broadside and miserable) we should be back to the US!

Saturday July 23: Milestones

So who ARE these people???

Ok - so it's Steve and me - July 10, 1971. That would be 45 - count them - 45 years ago :-)

You can tell it's the 70's because of Steve's tux!

Both of us 21 and not having a clue .....

But it has worked out well - we've been very fortunate over these 45 years. Two wonderful daughters. The world's best son-in-law. Family and friends.

And we're still celebrating anniversaries on the water ....

Second milestone? We have now traveled over 20,000 miles in Yesterday's Dream since we left Cleveland in 2009. That would be like driving from Cleveland to LA and back four times - all at eight miles an hour :-)


Meanwhile we stayed a second day in Spanish due to the winds. And Steve was out playing mountain goat again.

Circled in red on the left picture.

Close-up on the right!















Headed out for what is likely our last anchorage in the North Channel - weather-permitting back to the States mid week or so.

Thursday July 21: Spanish

When we left Baie Fine last Monday, there was literally zero wind. None. Guess we were in THAT protected of an anchorage!

By the time we made our way 26 miles to Little Current, we were fighting winds and waves that were directly on the bow. Made for some water over the front but no issues at all.

Passing the lighthouse marking the entrance to the Little Current meant we would soon officially be in the North Channel of Lake Huron as going through Little Current is the only passage into the North Channel from Georgian Bay.

Overlooking Gore Bay

We met Gary and Karen again (from Slo M'Ocean) and after lunch took a quick tour of Manitoulin Island.

We've been to several of the ports before (by boat) but a car tour is much quicker!

Two great overlooks (Gore Bay to the left) were the highlight - as well as the Native American art and handicrafts displayed at any number of shops.

Very reminiscent of the Navajo work from the southwest US.

As we travel west, the La Cloche mountains are gradually blending into a lower elevation shoreline. This is one of the last peaks.

Early start on Tuesday. Destination the Benjamin Islands. It gets pretty crowded so the earlier the start, the better choice of anchorage spots.

It wasn't hard to spot the pink granite of the islands.

We ended up anchored in a spot nicely protected from the forecast southwest winds.

Steve of course was off and on the cliffs as soon as the anchor was down and set!

There are probably another half dozen smaller cruisers to the right of the picture. It's really hard to get a perspective on the height of the area.






This is a view looking toward Little Current. The rocks out there are basically granite peaks with valleys of water (typically 80 feet deep) sticking up near the main islands.


The path up is not an easy one!!

And Steve decided it didn't take much for these kids to have fun: a dinghy pulling a tube!





A view to the north.

A great day and night - with the last of the sun coloring the rock cliffs to the east.

So the sun was setting in the west and the full moon was rising in the east.


It's been a good couple of days but we have more anchorages to see!

We left Wednesday and after weaving our way through the granite, we headed north and west again about 10 miles to a spot called Oak Point.

Nice place and only one other boat.

Time for kayaking and some dinghy fishing.

The kayaking was pretty good but neither one of us saw any fish of any kind - not even minnows, so that was disappointing. And another day of fishing but no catching :-(

Another anchorage in the area

But more pictures of - what else - rocks!!

It was again a sunset in the west and the moonrise in the east.....






and then this morning a sunrise in the east :-)

Another thing we can't stop taking pictures of .......

Destination today? Spanish on the north shore of the North Channel.

Very nice marina with a great hike along - what else? - the granite rocks!!


These are the 160 steps up to the start of the trail that ran along the cliffs on the north shore.

A storm was due in today around noon so we wanted to make sure we were in by then.

Very glad that we made it in. High winds and lots of rain/thunder. It didn't last very long but still not something that I wanted to travel in.


So here we are - 2500 miles away from Florida and where we want to be come winter.

Two choices: turn around and travel back the way we came.

Or continue going west and reenter the US at Drummond Island in Michigan - then enter the river system at Chicago.

It's a toss up distance wise. Hurricanes on the east coast, tornadoes in the heartlands.

At this point we are deciding to go with the rivers. All downstream for one thing! And all fresh water - and no tides or reversing currents.

Sounds like a winner!








Steve did find a hitchhiker on his kayak yesterday :-)


Guess there was wildlife after all!