It’s hard to believe this day has come, the day we turn our bow to the East and begin heading back to Toronto. When the idea of sailing the Great Lakes first sprouted in our minds, we planned to include a quick trip through Sault St Marie and just dip the bow into Lake Superior, just to say we did; however, we soon realized that would add at least a week to our trip and conceded that 4 of the 5 Great Lakes was good enough. Then our plan was to hug the Michigan coast, visit the summer hot spots of Holland, Saugatuck, and South Haven before making the jump over to Chicago and eventually make our return journey along the Wisconsin coast. I now laugh at our naivety. We began this journey 12 weeks ago and to have reached all these ports, we would have needed an additional 12 weeks. Unfortunately, there just is not enough summer in this part of the world.
But our journey if far from over. We still have a small corner of Lake Michigan, most of Lake Huron, all of Lake Erie and a significant chunk of Lake Ontario, as well as the Welland Canal! I personally am very excited about this segment, as this is home for this Great Lakes girl.
Last week we reached our furthest point of our journey, Lake Charlevoix. WOW, WOW, WOW! I thought Harbor Springs was impressive, but it’s like a small slice of Lake Charlevoix, the third largest lake in Michigan with 56 miles (90 km) of shoreline. As you enter Lake Charlevoix from Lake Michigan, you can’t help but gape at the brilliant turquoise water of the channel, and as you wait for the draw bridge to open, you get a good look at the waterfront condos reminiscent of wedding cake. Then, as you enter the lake and dodge the boat traffic reminiscent of the 401 in rush hour, you take-in the multi-million dollar mansions with their multi-million dollar yachts (yes, plural, because you can’t own just one) docked in the private marina right in front of the house. Just mind-boggling – Muskoka has nothing on Lake Charlevoix!
We spent a few evenings here, one night at anchor and a couple at a yacht club that was just outside of town and a 10 minute bike ride (that took us through a members-only neighborhood) from the upscale shops and restaurants.
We also needed to wait out a small-craft advisory as Lake Michigan was stirring up massive waves, and we couldn’t have picked a lovelier spot to spend a few days. As the waves subsided, we headed to furthest west point of our Great Lakes Adventure – Beaver Island, Michigan.
in Charlevoix
From Beaver Island we began our eastward trek, through the Straights of Mackinac, under the extraordinary bridge, dodging ferries and their massive wakes, we realized this would be the only part of our entire trip were we would be retracing our steps. Once we cleared the Straights, we began to turn south, deeper into Lake Huron.
Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan with an interesting history. It was home to an extreme religious colony that was actually a monarchy, ruled by a self-appointed king, “King Strang”, leader of the Strangite Mormon Church. There were a few non-Strangites living there as well, and they often clashed as the king tried to impose his rules on everyone. He was murdered in 1856 by a couple guys who did not like his rules (and were never convicted). The Stranagites were eventually run off the island and then Beaver Island was later settled by Irish Americans. Today it is a tourist destination, with less than 600 full-time inhabitants. It has lovely beaches, but unfortunately this island has seen better days, as many of the businesses are shuttered and about half the cottages have “For Sale” signs posted. So, if you’re in the market for a lovely cottage on a peaceful island, you can probably find a great deal.
Up until a few weeks ago we were still debating on which coast to take. Several seasoned Great Lakes sailors recommended we sail south to Rogers City, MI and then wait for a weather window to cross Huron to Tobermory, ON and continue down the Ontario coast. Although we would have loved to visit Tobermory, this plan was a bit worrisome. In the Great Lakes, winds and storms typically come from the west and when the wind blows across a body of water, the waves build making the furthest coast far more turbulent than the other side. So, being on the eastern edge of Lake Huron did not sound appealing. We kept asking questions as we met other sailors we learned of a better option: stay on the Michigan side as there are many safe ports managed by local municipalities and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
It appears that enormous funding has been poured into building and fixing up the municipal docks in small towns in Michigan. All the docks are brand new, beautiful and solid, with water and power at each slip. The building facilities are not fancy, but they are sparkling clean and each one offers bathrooms, showers, laundry, bbq’s and lovely flower gardens and yards. What is perhaps most impressive is the staff. Most are very young, likely students, but they are helpful, friendly and know who to handle the ropes even in less than ideal conditions. Pricing varies from town to town, but the most we have paid is $1.50 a foot – very reasonable. Allen and I still love the peace of an anchorage, so whenever the opportunity arises and weather cooperates, we still throw the hook, but it’s nice to know these docks are there when we need them.
The towns we have visited are: Cheboygan, Rogers City, Presque Isle, Harrisville and Tawas and Harbor Beach. While the town docks have been impressive, it’s sad to see the towns themselves are suffering. Much like Beaver Island, many shuttered businesses and homes for sale. We try to support the local communities at each stop by visiting the few remaining shops or dining in a restaurant, but it’s sad to see the economy is suffering. The one constant has been the lovely lighthouses. Regardless of whether they are still in use or have been decommissioned, they are beautifully maintained and dot the coastline.
So you know the saying about best laid plans….
We charted our journey through Michigan, on the western edge of Lake Huron and Mother Nature pulls a fast one – she sends us easterlies with 15-20 knot winds and 3+ foot swells. They started when we were in Rogers City, the place we would have jumped across to the Canadian side had we followed the original plan. However, when the winds and waves came, that was no longer an option. During the past week we bumped along the Michigan coast, and although we were not in danger, it was a very uncomfortable trip. Any unsecured items went flying, walking was difficult, and while I normally don’t suffer from sea-sickness, the waves got to me and poor Cat Stevens, who lost his breakfast more than once. The winds finally changed on our last day before returning to Canada, 8 hours of 15 knots wind, beam reach, calm seas and sunny skies. Even Cat Stevens approved.
