Exodusfloatnotes

Great Loop Travels

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  • Petoskey to Whitehall

    Including a visit with Patti and family!

    Left Petoskey for Northport the morning of Monday, July 29. Included below is an example of a (Richardsons’) chart page on which Dennis has outlined a portion of the day’s route. He uses this in addition to electronic aids such as Maptech, Navionics, and Aquamaps. Below right is an example of creating headings at the last minute while underway!

    Had time for a birthday dinner the evening before leaving Petoskey. Below is as dressed up as it’s going to get on this trip.

    Took about three hours to get to Northport which is on the northwest side of the top of Grand Traverse Bay (see above chart). A good deal of that time was just getting into the bay, so we probably wouldn’t go there again; however, it is starting to get more difficult to get dockage on short notice, so we’re finding we have to be flexible. It was a nice town with a swimming area right next to the marina.

    Also near the marina was a privately-owned, renovated train depot that was evidently converted to a residence. In the “yard,” there were a great number of animal figures. One was of a wolf which was located very near the fence by the sidewalk on which we were walking. Nelson began growling, pushing his nose into the fence, and readying for a fight if need be, I guess. He didn’t fall for the fake coyote or swans that were set up by the marina to deter geese, though. Dennis overheard some workers talking about how it is a “war” with the geese, that is, the effort expended to prevent the geese from leaving droppings all along the sidewalks, etc.

    As we weren’t able to get reservations for Leland, we went on to Frankfort on Tuesday, July 30. Calm seas, so it was a good run until we encountered thick fog in the early afternoon. The radar helped us to spot any other vessels in the vicinity. In addition, we sounded the horn regularly. Unfortunately, our view of the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes (a national park) was limited, owing to fog. The best pictures I could get – later – are included below. The sand dunes (up to 450 feet high in some areas) stretch along the lakeshore from south of Leland to just north of Frankfort.

    Not sure about building your house on sand! These are, of course, outside of the park proper.

    Several of the stops we’ve made along the coast of Lake Michigan were notable for being well-marked by lengthy and large breakwaters ending in lighthouses or beacons, the breakwaters extending a significant distance from shore. Frankfort’s (below) is a great example of this.

    Frankfort was a good stop. A park with a walking trail was immediately in front of the marina, and the town was easily within walking distance. We’d called a marine store near Frankfort a few days prior to order the other needed part for the outboard motor. The part had not yet arrived when we made it to Frankfort. At this point, we decided to cut our losses. We were able to purchase a new motor from the marine store and were happy to stay only one extra day to enable the store to deliver and install the new motor and remove our motor that we’d traded. See below for picture of happy new motor owner with crew member!

    The following morning (Aug. 1), we were fogged in, so weren’t able to leave for Manistee until around 10:00AM. Made it to Manistee where we were joined by our friend Patti and her daughter Casey and son-in-law Graham that evening! While walking to dinner, we crossed a bridge in town and were told by the bridge operator to hurry off the bridge, as it was going to open. A bascule bridge (having moveable span or spans and raised with counterweights), it lifted in the middle to allow what we soon learned was a ship to pass in the very narrow channel underneath. We were all quite amazed that a vessel of this size was navigating right in the middle of town and so very close to shore!

    It’s difficult to illustrate how close the ship was to shore, but the following shots give you an idea of distance to the apartment complex and trees on the opposite shoreline. It must be quite a challenge to maneuver through such a narrow passageway.

    Patti joined us for a few days on the boat, brave soul that she is! The next morning, Friday, Aug. 2, we heard from Mike on “Checkmate” who was nearby that the lake was rolling a bit much for his liking. After some deliberation, we left Manistee and were able to make our way to and reserve a slip at Snug Harbor in Pentwater. Patti and I toured the downtown Pentwater shops and purchased some items at the small grocery near the marina.

    After some French toast and bacon (courtesy of Chef Den) the next morning, we left for Whitehall, Sat., Aug. 3, with “Captain Patti” at the helm for a portion of the trip.

    It was quite warm in Whitehall when we arrived, and we discovered, unfortunately, that the air conditioning in the forward cabin wasn’t working. The technician that could address the problem wouldn’t be able to look at the unit until Monday. Patti and I sought out the air conditioning in the shops downtown.

    We were very blessed to be invited to Patti’s for a few days. Graham graciously drove to Whitehall on Sunday morning to pick us up, and we enjoyed a couple wonderful days visiting with Patti, Casey, and Graham (and Stella and Zoey). Patti even drove us to Petsmart Monday morning where Nelson and Ivy got much-needed haircuts! We so appreciated Patti and family’s hospitality, seeing Patti’s beautiful condo and Casey and Graham’s lovely home and, most importantly, just spending some great time together. As you can see (below), it was a very welcoming and relaxing time!

    Patti drove us back to Whitehall on Tuesday (after delicious egg bites!) in time to meet the air conditioning technician. As to be expected, we are now waiting on a part, slated to arrive today (Wednesday) or Thursday. Because the weather looks to be worsening Friday onward, we’re hoping to be able to travel further south beforehand, but it is dependent on the part … again. Meanwhile, just catching up on boat maintenance jobs.

    Have met other loopers in the marina here in Whitehall. Jimmy and Sherie on “Traveller” are two-thirds done with the Loop, and Craig (Trey) and Sue from “Last Arrow” are Gold Loopers (i.e., already completed the Loop), just enjoying Lake Michigan with plans to visit the Upper Peninsula area. Finally, the Whitehall Harbor Hosts, Ron and Cathy Russell (Gold Loopers), walked out to our boat to greet us last evening, offering assistance should we need it while here (e.g., rides, use of a car, or information).

    Just learned the part is in, so once installed tomorrow (and working?!), we plan to journey to Grand Haven.

  • St. Ignace to Petoskey

    … continuing on Lake Michigan

    Including Petoskey Stones!

    Leaving St. Ignace the morning of July 26, we went by one of the two buoys with bells that we’ve seen so far. A bell mounted on the buoy is rung by wave action, and the ringing provides an additional warning to mariners in fog or the dark. You could hear one ringing at night when we were in St. Ignace.

    We travelled under the beautiful, four-mile long and 135-feet high Mackinac Bridge which spans the Strait of Mackinac. The cruise ship, “Pearl Mist,” that we’ve seen dock in Clayton before had just gone under the bridge (bottom right). Also caught a glance of the freighter, “American Mariner,” (not pictured) that we’ve seen on the St. Lawrence in the past.

    Because the Little Traverse Yacht Club’s 2024 “Ugotta Regatta” was going on this weekend, we were fortunate to be able to get a slip anywhere in the area. Petoskey City Marina is a large and beautiful one, but many boats were here for the regatta, both to participate and to watch, so space was very limited. The pictures below show the breakwater (left) across from where we docked and some of the sailboats in the regatta. (There are t-shirts for sale in town that allow you to let the world know that you jumped off the Petoskey breakwater.)

    Our dock was at the end of a long pier (top right below) that many people walked to enjoy the sunset, board a ferry, or just watch the kids jump off the breakwater. The view from our boat was magnificent, but the dogs didn’t appreciate the lengthy walk to the nearest grass or the ferry horns! The view of the clock tower below is looking back toward marina from nearby Bayfront Park leading to downtown.

    Below is the view from the pier looking toward the clock tower and off to left side of shoreline.

    The walk to downtown is well-marked and leads through a tunnel with a piano in it. Most of the times that we walked through the tunnel, someone was playing the piano, once with electronic accompaniment. To Dennis’s great delight, a West Marine store was within walking distance!

    I remember vacationing in this area (Mackinac Island, Traverse City, Petoskey, Charlevoix) as a kid, so it’s nice to return as an adult. One thing that sticks out in my memory is the phenomenon of Petoskey Stones. The stones are said to actually be pieces of a live coral colony that lived in the saltwater seas covering Michigan 350 million years ago. The dark centers were the mouths of the coral while the lines about the eyes were the tentacles. God’s amazing craftsmanship! The stones, unique to the Great lakes, are found on the beaches of northern Michigan, chiefly in the Petoskey area – thus the name.

    Hoping to make our way further down the coast of Michigan tomorrow, bright and early.

  • Little Current, ON to St. Ignace, MI

    … including Mackinac Island

    When in Little Current, Den was able to catch a ride with Matt from “Toes in the Sand” to Sudbury (half-way to marine store where part was sent) to pick up the part from a marine store employee. (Matt and Anne are experiencing transmission issues with their boat and thus have use of a loaner car. A big thank you again to them for their help.) Unfortunately, though all involved agreed that this was the part malfunctioning, it did not fix the issue. Little joy in Little Current at that point.

    Departed Little Current in afternoon. Rough crossing to Kagawong in Mudge Bay. Operational lighthouse (established in 1880) below was a welcome sight coming into the bay. Its fixed red light is visible for seven nautical miles.

    Tied to a wharf (farthest boat on right below). Lovely village.

    There is a beach right next to the small marina. We walked the short walk to Bridal Veil Falls (below left). Kagawong is Ojibwe for “where mists rise from falling waters.” Picture on right is of a small waterfall on the way to the larger Bridal Veil Falls.

    When visiting the small museum the next morning, I noticed this picture (below) and determined that I hadn’t worn the correct type of hat to the Falls.

    Lake Kagawong flows down into the river below, running over the falls on its path. The museum and township office are housed in a building that was formerly a mill which used the water power to drive its machinery to process the abundant spruce into pulp. Water from the river was re-directed into a lengthy handmade round wooden sluice. Wet pulp was baled and shipped to Michigan to make Sears-Roebuck catalogs. Though the mill closed during the Depression, it later reopened as an electricity operating station, the sole provider of electricity for the entire Manitoulin Island until 1949.

    The other very interesting item of note in Kagawong (beside the “Chocolate Works” store, of course) was St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church.

    The pulpit is constructed from the bow of a boat that wrecked during a storm on August 23, 1965. There were four casualties, and this was installed in memory of those lost.

    On Saturday, July 20, left Kagawong for Gore Bay. Can’t really anchor out, as don’t have use of the inflatable to take dogs to shore. Butch and others told us about “Norm” in Gore Bay who is a skilled mechanic who could possibly help with the inflatable motor. We were fortunate enough to find him and get his opinion on Sunday. On Monday, after calling about possible parts and shipping times, we decided that we didn’t want to stay in Gore Bay for days waiting for a part so left in the early afternoon. At Gore Bay, we’d had a chance to catch up with Butch from “Bandit Too” plus Linda and Conrad of “Water Mark” who we’d first seen in Little Current. They rent a place in Port Charlotte every spring and love the Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda!

    Later Monday, we arrived at Meldrum Bay … still part of Manitoulin Island! Nice, peaceful little spot with one general store that has a phone booth outside. We saw several phone booths on Manitoulin Island, each apparently operational and remarkably undamaged or mistreated.

    Because the weather forecasted for Wednesday was looking nasty, we tried and were able to get a spot at St. Ignace on Tuesday, a day earlier than we’d reserved. This was especially fortunate, as it was a busy time with sailboat races finishing up. However, it was an 8.5 hour day on the water, complete with rain during the latter half of travel. Wednesday was spent provisioning and going through all the mail we had sent from Punta Gorda to this marina! Had dinner with Loopers from “River Song” (Darlene and MIke) and “Lily Pad” (Charles and Laura).

    Thursday was Mackinac Island Day. Took the ferry over. The ferries don’t mess around, as they get you there in a mere 18 minutes.

    Below left shows the rooster tail of another ferry in the harbor the first day here and then on right is the rooster tail behind our ferry on return trip today.

    Automobiles are banned on Mackinac Island, so walking, biking, and horse-drawn vehicles are the only means of transportation.

    Because we had the dogs, we weren’t able to bike around the island’s eight-mile circumference, but we managed to see many historic spots including, of course, the Grand Hotel, built in 1887.

    I couldn’t get just a single picture from the front of the hotel with all of the 660-foot front porch in it so had to take two, one left and one right!

    After the War of 1812, fur trade flourished on the island, with John Jacob Astor establishing the American fur Company. Later, commercial fishing replaced fur trading as the island’s primary industry. Today, tourism is the predominant industry, and this was very clear to us today! Among the stores for tourists to frequent are numerous fudge shops, and it is interesting to watch it being made. In the picture below the employee is using a scraper on a marble tabletop, checking for the change in how fast the mix flows across the table after he flips it over.

    Looking to leave tomorrow (Friday, July 26) for Petoskey with some of that fudge on board to sustain us through our travels.

  • Little Current … still

    Hanging out in Little Current waiting for the part for the inflatable motor. Trying to make good use of the time here (e.g., getting a prescription filled, cleaning, small repairs, groceries, and laundry). Coming back from our grocery run, had to capture this beautiful view of the harbor. Split rail fences are still in use here, even to contain cows. Nearby Gore Bay is home to the Split Rail Brewery.

    Dennis and Nelson teamed up to reroute the air conditioning drain hose and to check the transmission. Picture shows Dennis in the bilge with Nelson looking on to approve the 5/16th wrench used for tightening hose clamps. (There is a good chance that several of those wrenches have been lost in the bilge from previous checks.)

    On Tuesday, July 16, we were invited by Anne and Matt of “Toes in the Sand” to go to dinner. Their transmission is still being repaired, so the owner of the marina where they are on the island kindly loaned them her car in the meantime. They picked a restaurant out of the blue which turned out to be a small diner on the M’Chigeeng (pronounced shih-geeng) First Nation reserve, the second largest reserve on the island. M’Chigeeng is home to the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation which represents 60 First Nation Communities made up of approximately 15,000 people (from Sault Ste. Marie to Parry Sound).

    This morning around 6:00 am, a large tug and barge (Huron Spirit) headed west after either loading or unloading across the narrow channel from us.

    We will very likely head out tomorrow regardless of whether or not the part is available, as we need to travel when weather windows allow.

  • Midland to Little Current

    Georgian Bay …

    is also called the Thirty Thousand Islands region and is the world’s largest fresh water archipelago. (I get a lot of this information from the Waterway Guide, btw – must give credit where credit is due!) While the first part of our journey in Georgian Bay was populated by a fair amount of cottages, the latter part was quite remote. There are many First Nation Indian reserves designated on the charts (on the islands and mainland throughout the Georgian Bay and North Channel regions).

    Midland was a good provisioning stop (e.g., groceries and fuel). Another Looper, Mike, from “Checkmate” joined us for supper at Uncle Roy’s which is a Chinese restaurant that has evidently “been there forever” and even offers breakfast?! Mike is doing the Loop by himself and has a YouTube series called “My Solo Great Loop Journey.” One of his “followers” came to meet him at the last lock!

    We left Midland on July 4. The giant mural below is on the large grain elevators at the plant (adjacent to the marina) where they make Five Roses Flour, and lakers (such as the Frontenac, a Canada Steamship Line vessel which we see on the St. Lawrence) dock alongside to unload for the mill. It is North America’s largest outdoor historic mural and is pretty impressive.

    Traversing Georgian Bay, we used both inside and offshore passages. The inside resembles a huge maze and includes many narrow and twisting channels leaving little room for error. At times, it seemed that there was barely enough room for the boat to fit between buoys. No towing services available here!

    The offshore could also be a bit nerve-wracking, as you’re trying to locate small port and starboard day beacons (example below) in big water from afar, often in a good chop while avoiding offshore shoals. So glad to have opted for the bifocals last summer!

    Here are some pictures of other aids to navigation (new and old) seen along the way throughout GB.

    After Midland, we went to Bone Island and joined six other boats anchored in a secluded bay. Immediately upon entering the bay, we saw a beaver swimming by front of boat.

    Left that bay the next morning (July 5) and made our way through the small boat channel to Echo Bay, an anchorage near Sans Souci Island. It was going to storm later, so we planned to go for an early supper at the famous Henry’s fish place (family-owned since 1992 and only accessible by boat) that is on nearby Frying Pan Island. We tied up Mediterranean-style which means you back to shore, put an anchor out from the bow, then tie the stern to something on shore. In this case, there were metal pins in some of the rocks on shore to which one could secure a line (on right). Picture on left is just of an interesting-looking rock.

    Headed to Killbear Marina on the morning of July 6. Went outside of small boat channel for a bit and into Georgian Bay deeper waters. You can make better time and avoid the hair-raising shallow waters and most of the rocky shoals but you have to choose to do so on days without high winds. We were able to purchase a chart at Killbear (and some fuel at the highest price thus far) to assist with crossing the bay outside of and past the part of the small boat narrows that is called Hangdog Channel with its many, many shoals.

    We left Killbear on the morning of July 7. (Happy birthday, Josie!) The 15 miles outside of Hangdog did provide some one- to two-footer waves but definitely saved some time and anxiety. Ended up going all the way to The Bustards, a very nice anchorage behind Strawberry Island. It was a very long day, and at one point late in the day Ivy just looked at me and started barking. Call for mutiny?

    Lots of loon calls at The Bustards. One came very close to the inflatable when we took the dogs to shore.

    On the “road” again on Mon, July 8. Had plans to anchor behind Burnt Island but didn’t like how windy, weedy, and wide open it was so continued on to Killarney. Getting to Killarney meant going through the gorgeous Collins Inlet, a steep-sided but shallow gorge. It was very peaceful and unsullied by graffiti, litter, or too much other evidence of humans. Tried to get a decent picture of the pink granite.

    Crossing the bay to Killarney, however, was not so peaceful given the three- to four-foot waves! Some pretty sights, though.

    North Channel …

    We stayed the evening of Monday, July 8, at Killarney, the “Gateway to the North Channel.” First settled as a fur trading post in 1820, Killarney was only accessible by boat until 1962 when a road was built to it. Talking to one of the marina hands, we learned that he travels an hour away to Sudbury for high school. The Killarney Mountain Lodge (middle picture below) is a very nice resort, but we really used it more as a stop over for fuel and laundry, as we wanted to get to Baie Fine before the remnants of Hurricane Beryl reached us here in Ontario.

    After leaving Killarney on July 9, we saw where mining operations took a large swath out of what’s called the “Lion’s Rump” in search of silica (left below) and also another spot where mining may or may not be functioning still. Saw other evidence of mining elsewhere with large docks alongside.

    Anchored in Baie Fine on July 9 (entrance pictured below).

    Baie Fine is a “fjord-like” channel that has a ten-mile stretch to what is called “the pool” at its end. Many boaters anchor in the pool, but we chose not to given its reputation for anchor fouling. We met another boater named Butch who comes there nearly every summer who lost an anchor in the pool. Butch was a wealth of information about the area, and his boat at anchor nearby is pictured (below). He and his wife, Phyllis, live in Michigan and, small world, he purchased a canoe for racing from Grass River Boatworks and knows the owners, John and Gene Newman, from Canton, NY.

    Butch and Phyllis saw a bear on the rocky area behind their boat in the early evening (asked him what his wife was cooking for supper that night!) as well as one swimming the channel the day before. It rained most of the next day, so it was a good day to catch up on sleep! Cheered the place up a bit with some freshly-picked daisies.

    We did venture to the pool in the inflatable. Including picture of random boat below on left just to illustrate how the pool sits inside the steep sides surrounding it.

    The following picture shows the Evinrude (maker of outboard motors) family’s cottage which is also located within the pool at end of the cut.

    This area is kind of off the grid, as we had no cell service let alone Wi-Fi. We were able to get our weather from the VHF radio, specifically from “Roy” who broadcasts news and weather each morning at 9:00 sharp on channel 71 from the basement of the Anchor Inn in Little Current.

    We had to move anchorages three times while in Baie Fine, owing to wind direction changes.

    Saw a couple of minks swimming and then running on shore by the boat as well as a deer swimming the channel when we left Baie Fine. She had a long swim ahead of her. Had another visitor to the boat beside Butch. A dragonfly (first below) with a bit of a disability stopped by one day. Also, a loon swam in front of the bow fairly often (second below).

    Captain has to swab the deck as well as pilot the boat! Nelson is very little help but always has a good attitude.

    Arrived at Little Current Friday, July 12. Entering Little Current by both boat and car is controlled by the famous swing bridge, a single-lane bridge originally built for the railway in 1914 and still the only connection to the mainland. It opens on the hour for a mere three minutes for boats to pass.

    Neat town. Met Roy (see above explanation) right on the street corner by the Anchor Inn! Were able to enjoy some music in the small park in town, as anyone who wishes to sing and/or play an instrument on Friday night simply shows up. They did a great job. Nice farmer’s market on Saturday.

    Able to use a washing machine but not a dryer, so the boat was kind of “that boat” for a while (see below). Picture on right is of a neat little shop that’s been in business since 1879.

    Mural below illustrates some of the history of Little Current (and Manitoulin Island on which the town is located), including mining, logging, and the railroad. The Indigenous population represents over 40% of the island’s 12,000 residents, and I believe there are six reservations on the island.

    Striking-looking stone wall lining street by the marina.

    On Saturday, we discovered that our stay in Little Current would be extended a bit, owing to the need for a new ignition coil for the inflatable motor. Have a bit more time to see the sights in town! Went to church on Sunday, July 14, at a little church in Little Current! Great message on abiding in Christ, the true vine.

    Ate dinner at the Anchor Inn (again) on Sunday night with other Loopers: “Checkmate” (Mike, the Youtuber); “Toes in the Sand” (met in Orillia and Midland plus watched them do Big Chute before us); “Out of the Blue” (had dinner with them when they were in Clayton); and, “Nauti-dog” (saw them in Trent and beyond). Toes in the Sand folks are here for quite a stay, as their transmission went.

    Monday, July 15 … even as I write, waiting on a replacement ignition coil to be overnighted by a marine dealer to the Little Current town docks where we are patiently waiting:) The culprit is pictured below.

  • Orillia to Midland

    Including “The Big Chute” experience

    The evening of Canada Day fireworks in Orillia, this “car” motored through next to the boat!

    Left Port of Orillia morning of July 2. Stayed that evening at Swift Rapids Lock, most isolated lock in the system boasting an 11-mile dirt road stretch to reach it by land! Staff told us they take a boat to it and that only takes 20 minutes.

    Left early July 3 from Swift Rapids. Encountered some narrow passageways with granite sides.

    Made it to Big Chute to line up and wait for a “carriage” ride (carriage pictured below). Big Chute is not technically a lock, as it is a marine railway that has a 58-foot vertical drop. The boat rides on hydraulic-powered slings attached to the open-air carriage which rides down twin tracks, first crossing a street then descending “the chute.”

    We floated onto the carriage.

    In carriage and travelling up rail.

    Picture on left shows rail behind boat on carriage as we ascended. They stop traffic below on street for carriage to ride rail past street.

    Workers ensuring that boat is being lifted correctly. Middle picture shows their work stations at side of carriage.

    View of rapids at top of Chute

    Starting descent. Quite a view.

    Looking behind

    Left below is looking forward while descending and right is looking back when reaching bottom.

    Looking back from exiting carriage at bottom of Big Chute.

    After Big Chute, made it to last lock at Port Severn. Waited out rain then locked through and crossed to Midland in more rain! We’re now in Georgian Bay!