{"id":613,"date":"2012-06-16T00:38:37","date_gmt":"2012-06-16T00:38:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/?p=613"},"modified":"2012-06-16T00:41:39","modified_gmt":"2012-06-16T00:41:39","slug":"lake-michigan-summer-2012-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/?p=613","title":{"rendered":"Lake Michigan Summer 2012 Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Grand Haven to Ludington<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

After a few weeks\u00a0 at the docks in Grand Haven, we are ready to once again head out onto Lake Michigan.\u00a0 We will slowly meander north to one of our favorite stops, Mackinac Island.\u00a0 Being Memorial Day weekend, we decide to hang around the docks for a few additional days.\u00a0 This turns out to be a wise decision. There is a constant stream of boat traffic parading back and forth through the harbor.\u00a0 We don\u2019t want to join this parade.\u00a0 Being here over the weekend allows us to get to know some of the boat neighbors.\u00a0 Jeff gets an invitation from Butch, owner of Devil Dog Fishing Charters, to go out with him one evening.\u00a0 They come back with two nice size king Salmon.\u00a0 We have also become good friends with Dean and Robin, who have a boat just a few slips down and it is enjoyable spending several evenings together with them.\u00a0 We will miss North Shore Marina this year when we head south.\u00a0 It has become home. \n\t\t

\n\t\t\t \t\n \"salmon\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n <\/p>\n

What a difference a day makes.\u00a0 Leaving Grand Haven this morning, we see no boats out.\u00a0 Not a soul.\u00a0 Everyone is back to work.\u00a0 The seas are calm and we have an enjoyable trip north as we work our way up the Michigan shoreline.\u00a0 Ludington is a new stop for us.\u00a0 In past years we have bypassed this port.\u00a0 Once inside the breakwater, we travel \u00bd mile down the Pere Marquette River and find a nice spot to anchor for the evening.\u00a0 Ludington is the port for the car ferry, S.S. Badger. This steam ship has been ferrying passengers across Lake Michigan to the port of Manitowoc since 1963.\u00a0 At 7:00 PM we hear her steam whistle blow as she enters the Luddington Breakwater.\u00a0 Shortly after, the massive ship rounds the bend and comes into view as she makes her way to port.\u00a0 She is impressive! \n\t\t

\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0003\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n <\/p>\n

After a night at anchor, we decide to head into the marina.\u00a0 It is cold, windy ,and rainy.\u00a0 Harbor View Marina is first class with a very nice club house and exercise room.\u00a0 We enjoy the day exploring the town and getting a much needed workout.\u00a0 \u00a0 Our last stop of the day is to The House of Flavors.\u00a0 This Ludington landmark makes all of their 30 plus flavors of ice cream from scratch.\u00a0 Sebastian eagerly awaits his portion and very much approves of their ice cream.<\/p>\n

Total Miles Traveled Grand Haven to Ludington: 69
\nTotal Miles Traveled Year to Date: 134<\/p>\n

Ludington to Frankfort<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

We were hesitant to leave port this morning as the winds have been blowing for the last few days from the north.\u00a0 The forecast calls for seas of 2 ft. or less with winds dropping later in the day.\u00a0 We delay our departure thinking that the lake will calm down as the day progresses.\u00a0 This also gives us a chance to use the marina gym one more time. At 10:00 AM we poke our nose outside the breakwater and find the lake calm with seas one foot or less.\u00a0 For the next few hours, we have a great uneventful trip up the Michigan Coast.<\/p>\n

What a difference a few hours can make.\u00a0 About an hour past Manistee, our last bailout port before Frankfort, the winds pick up to 20 knots and the seas turn ugly.\u00a0 What happened!!\u00a0 We check the weather forecast to find that it has suddenly changed to gusts up to 30 knots.\u00a0 The forecast still calls for the seas to be 2 foot or less.\u00a0 IT is bucking up and down as we pound into 3-4 ft. seas with an occasional six footer thrown in.\u00a0 Someone clearly missed the forecast.\u00a0 The next three hours are miserable as we take a beating.\u00a0 We cringe with each of these waves as we can hear the things in our cabinets constantly being rearranged. These short steep windblown waves are what makes the Great Lakes such a boating challenge.\u00a0 With no other boats around and a water temperature of only 53 degrees, this makes you pause and think of emergency procedures.\u00a0 One would not survive long in these cold waters if there was a problem.\u00a0 Even though there are numerous Coast Guard Stations along Lake Michigan, help would be at least 30 minutes away.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We are very relieved to reach the safety of the Frankfort Breakwater.\u00a0 Having been here several times in the past, we know the anchorage well and are soon safely on the hook.\u00a0 Rain, wind,\u00a0 and cold temperatures are forecast for the next few days.\u00a0 \n\t\t

\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0097\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n After a very cold night at anchor, we decide to head for the docks where we can hook to shore power and run the heaters continuously.\u00a0 When at anchor, we must run the generator in order to power our heating system.\u00a0 After a warm night at the docks, we head back out to the anchorage.\u00a0 The sun is out and the thermometer is on the rise.\u00a0 We are able to do some exploring in the dinghy this afternoon. We find a nice landing spot across the harbor from the town of Frankfort. Here we discover a great coffee shop, The Trick Dog, just up the hill.\u00a0 From there it is only a short walk to the Michigan shoreline.\u00a0 Sebastian enjoys some free time on the beach as he romps in the sand.\u00a0 It is great that they allow dogs on the beach.\u00a0 Sebastian is so happy he does several sprints back and forth.\u00a0 We haven\u2019t seen him run like this in a long time.\u00a0 We enjoy the beach also as the Michigan beaches are some of the prettiest in the U.S. \n\t\t
\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0069\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n <\/p>\n

Total Miles Traveled Ludington to Frankfort: 51
\nTotal Miles Traveled Year to Date: 185<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Frankfort to Northport<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

What a difference a few days can make.\u00a0 As we exit the Frankfort breakwater, the seas are flat calm.\u00a0 Such a contrast to when we arrived. \n\t\t

\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0046\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n \u00a0 Again we see no other boats out.\u00a0 As we navigate through the Manitou Passage, we spot a Coast Guard helicopter practicing liter rescues\u00a0 with another Coast Guard boat.\u00a0 We feel good knowing they are around.\u00a0 We continue to have a beautiful cruise and are soon entering Grand Traverse Bay.\u00a0 We anchor just outside the small village of Northport.\u00a0 This northern section of Lake Michigan has crystal clear\u00a0 water with a nice sandy bottom.\u00a0 Our first attempt at anchoring does not go as smoothly as usual.\u00a0 While trying to set the anchor, we notice it continually bumping along the bottom.\u00a0 It finally catches but we are still uncomfortable with the hook and decided to pull the anchor up and retry.\u00a0 As the anchor reaches the surface, we have big surprise.\u00a0 Hooked on the anchor flukes is a huge slab of concrete.\u00a0 \n\t\t
\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0105\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n That is why our anchor would not catch and hold.\u00a0 Jeff tries unsuccessfully to knock this massive chunk loose.\u00a0 We finally lower the anchor back to the bottom and the concrete is\u00a0 knocked free.\u00a0 Our second attempt at anchoring is much better and we are soon hooked fast.\u00a0 We have a beautiful night on the hook enjoying the Caribbean turquoise waters.<\/p>\n

Total Miles Traveled Frankfort to Northport: 72
\nTotal Miles Traveled Year to Date: 257<\/p>\n

Northport to Suttons Bay<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Before leaving ,\u00a0 we make a quick stop at the marina to take on some fuel.\u00a0 They have the cheapest price on\u00a0 diesel\u00a0 right now at $3.79 gallon.\u00a0 Although we can hold 1000 gallons, today we only take on 250.\u00a0 We are hoping the prices will continue to come down this summer.\u00a0 Who knows?<\/p>\n

It is a short boat trip to our anchorage in Suttons Bay where we find a beautiful sandy spot just off the town docks.\u00a0 Inland Seas, a two masted educational schooner, is out on the water. \n\t\t

\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0119\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n \u00a0 She is stunning with her burgundy sails. After a pleasant night on the hook, we awake to find IT now has a million guests aboard.\u00a0 The boat is covered with little bugs.\u00a0 The good news is they don\u2019t bit but they sure do make a mess of things. We realize these flies are an important part of the aquatic food chain and from the look of our boat Suttons Bay appears to be very healthy.<\/p>\n

This morning we load the bikes into the dinghy and make the trip ashore.\u00a0 We find some day use docks at the marina where we can leave Time Out while we get in a bike ride.\u00a0 Leland, one of our favorite towns on Lake Michigan, is only 10 miles from here.\u00a0 We would have liked to stop in Leland with Idyll Time but there has been some shoaling at the harbor entrance and we weren\u2019t sure we could get in.\u00a0 The ride through the Traverse Bay countryside is very enjoyable although somewhat hilly.\u00a0 The thought of their famous pretzel bread sandwiches and homemade beef jerky\u00a0 motivates us to peddle hard.\u00a0 We find\u00a0 the Leland Harbor busy with lots of construction and dredging activity.\u00a0 Maybe we will be able to stop here on our return trip south with Idyll Time.<\/p>\n

Our afternoon is spent enjoying the nice town and shops lining Main Street in Suttons Bay.\u00a0 Sebastian enjoys the exercise and especially our stop for his now favorite treat, ICE CREAM.\u00a0 We did learn however, that raspberry sorbet is not his favorite flavor.\u00a0 We return to Idyll Time to find a family of white Swans out for a paddle.\u00a0 This family appears to be experienced in begging for food.\u00a0 They eagerly consume all of our wheat bread, ritz crackers, and cheerios.\u00a0 Curious about all the commotion, Sebastian pokes his head through the transom door. \n\t\t

\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0156\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n \u00a0 The male becomes very agitated with this and hisses menacingly.\u00a0 Sebastian quickly retreats inside.\u00a0 We have another beautiful night at anchor.<\/p>\n

Total Miles Traveled Northport to Suttons Bay: 14
\nTotal Miles Traveled Year to Date: 271<\/p>\n

Suttons Bay to Charlevoix<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

From Sutton’s Bay, we continue north to the harbor village of Charlevoix, one of our favorite ports along this section of Lake Michigan.\u00a0 On this visit, we decide to try anchoring in the beautiful harbor of Round Lake instead of staying at the docks. We have never tried anchoring here before because the harbor is so deep.\u00a0 We drop the hook in the shallowest spot and are still in over 40 feet of water.\u00a0 Normally we would let out somewhere between 5-1 to 7-1 ratio of chain to depth.\u00a0 With not much swing room here, we can only let out 110 feet of chain.\u00a0 The harbor does have good holding and is very protected from the winds so we should be OK.\u00a0 From our several years of cruising, we have learned that we much prefer anchoring out to being tied at a dock.\u00a0 We have a great spot just off the town docks and also surrounded by the beautiful summer mansions lining the shore. \n\t\t

\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0187\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n \u00a0 From our back deck we enjoy several days of people and boat watching as the harbor has a constant stream of traffic coming and going. As we hear the bridge opening bell each hour and half hour, we glance up to see what boats are entering the harbor. The Emerald Island car ferry makes several trips daily from here to Beaver Island. \n\t\t
\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0186\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n <\/p>\n

Our good friends Marty and Suzanne aboard the Krogen Alizann, cruise into the harbor from their cottage on Lake Charlevoix for a great dinner at the Edgewater Bistro.\u00a0 We have a wonderful time visiting with them and catching up. \n\t\t

\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0191\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n We also stay busy with necessary boat chores along with grocery resupplying, mail pickup, and hair cuts.\u00a0 After several days enjoying our idyllic\u00a0 anchorage, we decide to pull anchor and do some exploring on Lake Charlevoix.<\/p>\n

Total Miles Traveled Suttons Bay to Charlevoix: 33
\nTotal Miles Traveled Year to Date: 304<\/p>\n

Charlevoix to Boyne City<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

From Charlevoix, we have an easy 14 mile trip down to the end of Lake Charlevoix and the small town of Boyne City.\u00a0 Here we are the only transient boaters at the town docks.\u00a0 We end up staying two nights due to some strong winds.\u00a0 This gives us a chance to get in Several bike rides. We enjoy exploring this quaint town and it’s nice shops and restaurants.\u00a0 Everyone here is extremely friendly and happy to have visitors.\u00a0 After a quick trip to the local farmers market, we head back to Charlevoix and again anchor for the evening in Round Lake. From here we will continue north on Lake Michigan.<\/p>\n

Total Miles Traveled Charlevoix to Boyne City Round Trip: 35
\nTotal Miles Traveled Year to Date: 339<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Grand Haven to Ludington: After a few weeks\u00a0 at the docks in Grand Haven, we are ready to ...<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=613"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":616,"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613\/revisions\/616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}