Special Edition - Dave Assists U.S. Coast Guard!

Those of you who know Dave, know he can fix almost anything.  A few minutes ago, after rescuing a drifting boat from Lake Michigan, the Coast Guard ship was across the dock from MAIA.  Dave could see them struggling with a repair and asked if they needed a tool...  After lending the Coasties a wire crimper, electrical connectors and wire tape, they repaired their rudder control enabling them to return to Station St. Joseph.  Is Dave a marine electrician, one of the officers asked?

 

2000 Miles and Counting

We traveled yesterday from Saugatuck to South Haven, finally a calm day on Lake Michigan.  Tomorrow (Tuesday) we're heading to St. Joseph/Benton Harbor MI, Thursday to Michigan City IN and Saturday, Sept. 1, it's on to Chicago...

The good news is we've experienced very little rain in our travels; the bad news is the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers have experienced very little rain as well.  Below Chicago, river levels are so low, some of the anchorages and marinas along the way are too shallow for MAIA.  But figuring all of that out is part of the adventure!

Now for a few photos from the last 10 days...  Take care!

A view from MAIA in the Ludington City Marina on Aug. 18.
We watched boat after boat return from Lake Michigan each
night after dark, happy (or not) with their salmon catches.

The car ferry BADGER leaves Ludington each morning at 9 a.m.
for Wisconsin (she's coal-powered, note the black smoke).  She
returns then heads out again at 8:30 p.m. with a bagpiper playing
on the upper deck.  You gotta stop and watch.

The entrance to White Lake off Lake Michigan on Aug. 21.

On Aug. 22 in Grand Haven, we watched the musical fountain
show from MAIA's flybridge.  The colored fountains danced
to Rodgers & Hammerstein music this night. 

The shows are each night in the Summer.

On Aug. 24, high dunes along Lake Michigan on the way
from Grand Haven to Saugatuck.

From our anchorage in Kalamazoo Lake in Saugatuck, Aug. 25

The entrance to the Black River, South Haven MI on Aug. 26

View up the Black River.  Dave launched his sailboat,
WAVEDANCER, here 25 years ago.  He sailed the boat up
Lake Michigan (opposite of our trip) to Virginia, where
we met in 1990.

 

The Last of the Great Lakes

This afternoon we're in Frankfort MI in Betsie Bay off Lake Michigan (western MI, eastern Lake MI).  We arrived yesterday afternoon and will stay at least two more nights until Lake Michigan calms down.  This is yet another time I'm glad we don't need to push forward.  We bought tickets to a concert tonight (Gypsy Jazz music, should be interesting) and we may be here for the annual art show and vintage car exhibition on Saturday. 

In the last couple of days we've met up with several other "Looper" boats.  Many of them were in Canada while we were traveling the Erie Canal.

Our next stop will be in Ludington MI.  We've now been gone over three months, time flies!

Hessel Marina in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  We spent
five nights in this friendly town

Isn't she lovely?  PRETTY GIRL was one of many classic
wood boats (mostly Chris Crafts) in Hessel days before the
annual antique wood boat show. 

We wound thru the Les Cheneaux Islands, explored
Cedarville by dinghy and returned to Hessel

Preparing for the Hessel show at Classic Boats Restorations

Even the signs are classic

In Cedarville, near Hessel, we saw several boats under
construction at the School including a birch bark canoe

After a night in Mackinaw City, we passed under the Mackinac
Bridge into Lake Michigan very early in the day

The sun rises behind us on the way to Petoskey MI

At sunset in Petoskey, this rainbow formed to the east



They call western MI the sunset coast, this one's at Petoskey

We made the 11:30 lift of the bridge into Charlevoix MI

Thru Round Lake there's a narrow entrance into Lake
Charlevoix

 Boats anchored in Oyster Bay, Lake Charlevoix

One of the Mushroom Houses built in Charlevoix starting in 1918

MAIA and others in Round Lake.  At left is the narrow
entrance into Lake Charlevoix

One of the slightly larger Mushroom Houses on Round Lake

Fishtown in Leland MI

A view thru Leland harbor to Lake Michigan

Sand dunes along Lake Michigan

The shore of Lake Michigan north of Frankfort

We hit dense fog on the way to Frankfort for a couple of hours.
The radar helped us steer clear of other boats, one of which
happily followed us into the harbor

The sun was shining as we entered Betsie Bay, headed
for the Frankfort marina.

This Dream is No Illusion

We arrived in Hessel yesterday.  Hessel is in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and part of the gorgeous Les Cheneaux Islands.  We met Don who spends summers here on his Grand Banks trawler and is 90 years old.  Don pegged us immediately, calling me a "realist" and Dave an "illusionist."  I'm so grateful that Dave is a dreamer!

A couple of weeks ago one of my dearest friends asked if I missed anything from home other than family and friends.  I don't, other than most of my former coworkers (I know Dave would agree).  This life is AMAZING!

Enough said, here are the pictures...  Take care!

Sunrise from our anchorage at Presque Isle MI on July 29.

On August 1, the view from MAIA's flybridge, Mackinac
Island MI.  At the top is Fort Mackinac where each morning at 9:30
islanders and visitors are greeted with Reveille and a cannon blast.

Arch Rock, high on Mackinac Island, to the water below.

Round Island in Lake Huron (Straits of Mackinac), from
Mackinac Island.

The view towards Lake Michigan from the MI Governor's
summer residence on Mackinac Island

One of the Tiffany windows in the Little Stone
Church

The Grand Hotel has the largest covered porch in the world
(660 feet).  Motorized vehicles are not allowed anywhere on 
Mackinac Island.  Travel is on foot, by horse and buggy or bicycle.

The western shoreline of Mackinac Island

The clear northern waters continue to amaze me!  This water
is 10 feet deep and you can see bottom