Colin and Dawn do the Loop: August 2015

Thursday, 27 August 2015

Captains Log August 26 2015

Well, after 4 days in port due to high waves and even higher winds, we have well and truly looked at the port of Charlevoix. This small town is on the upper North East side of Lake Michigan, and tends to have very tricky weather. It has been a great Marina to stay in, Council owned with great staff. I have caught up on all my maintenance so thought I would give you a few statistics on our trip.
Distance Travelled, 4750Km, 3914 Statute miles and 2609 Nautical miles.
Fuel used, 1030 US gallons at av $2.80 a gallon.
Engine hours 374
Fuel use, 2.75 GPH @ 7-7.5 Knots
Passed through 75 Locks
We have been travelling on board for 104 days
We have spent,54 nights at Marinas,27 at Anchor and 23 at free docks.
Biggest expense has been Marinas, from .90 cents a Ft to $2.00 per Ft
Next major port will be Chicago, about two weeks away, then its on down the rivers.

Photos while waiting for weather.

Dark, wet, windy

Swell rolling up canal.

The reliable Cummins 210hp
motor

Great little Northern Lights
Generator 5 Kw

Wheelhouse controls

Fly Bridge controls, from left Radar, VHF radio, Stereo,
                 12inch Chart Plotter, Auto Pilot,Gearshift
                 and Throttle, Digital Compass, below them the Bow
                 and Stern Thrusters, Very well equipped.
                 Engine instrumentation in module on left of
                 Plotter.

Tuesday, 25 August 2015

Charlevoix -'mushroom houses'

Charlevoix

We anchored in north end of the very big Lake Charlevoix just beyond the town harbour & marina. We dinghied into the town and found a very picturesque, neat & tidy village and walked to view some of the very cute Earl A. Young stone (mushroom) houses. The town has gained fame because of these unique houses he built. He attended the University of Michigan School of Architecture where (not surprisingly) he disagreed with the conservative, classical curriculum and left after only one year. He became a real estate developer, developing his own housing areas and building the stone houses. There are about 29 of these houses. As it turned out the weather has caused us to come in from anchorage to the marina and we may be here for another 2 days. However if we had to be stuck in a town this is a good one because we have been able (between showers) to walk to see most of the 'mushroom houses'. The gardens & lawns once again are lovely and the other 'normal' houses are colonial style and delightful as well.

We were forced to shelter in a brewery (pub) for the afternoon to avoid the thunder storms with friends of Ted & Sues - another 'Kadey Krogan' owner. He has invited us to spend a few days with him at his home further south – if the weather allows us.

Charlevoix is at the northern end of Lake Michigan on the eastern shore. The choice was made to travel down the eastern side hopping from one small harbour or lake to avoid bad weather if westerlies are about. Most places are only about 20 – 30 miles apart. You can travel on the more sheltered western side but the distances are greater or you can cross from west to east; a distance of about 60 miles at the narrowest part. It all depends on the weather. We consider new options and alternatives each day.

Charlevoix Day 2 &3 Stormy days

A beautiful Krogan 39,
The owner Larry, a local
Legal Eagle, a friend of Teds has
invited us all to his home down the
coast for a few days, if the bad weather
ever lets up.

Earl Young inspired
chimney

Another Young home

How's this for a
Letter Box

Yacht running from storm

Storm arrived forcing us to spend far too much
time at the bar, a few sore heads, Larry with dog.

A fine establishment

Wind and rain all day

View from our boats side door.

Trout Brook, with trout, at
Marina

Another Chev, apparently Fords rust out.

Between downpours checked
out some more Earl Young Homes

Main and playhouse

Storms kept rolling in.

To Charlevoix day 1

After an uncomfortable 6 hr
trip we hade it here. Thought we had seen
some great looking places, well this
one had some surprises.

Took this while resting on porch
of local Historic Soc. house

The first Earl Young house we saw.

Another

A new copy being built

This Chevy wont go out of
date either.

Home with boat houses
OK Steve.

an original E.Young house

Dawn and Sue, Great friends

Monday, 24 August 2015

To Beaver Island, North Lake Michigan

Beaver Island.

Left for Beaver Island in not perfect weather but the sea improved as we cruised under the Mackinaw Bridge through the Mackinaw straits. This was a small island on the route that had some interesting history. We anchored out in the small bay and dinghied ashore to the museum where the local historian filled us in on the strange story of the Mormon & Irish war. A Mormon leader, James Jesse Strang, had been travelling through upper USA seeking out a place where he could settle with his followers to establish a Mormon community after breaking away from the then leader Brigham Young. He found Beaver Is where there was a thriving fishing & lumber industry and established a kingdom and declared himself King Strang. He ousted many of the locals including the Irish. His followers became disillusioned with him after he began to declare rules for the followers to live by. He called them revelations – men could have more than 1 wife, all women must wear bloomers - so eventually a couple of his disgruntled followers assassinated him. The ousted Irish quickly returned and persecuted the remaining Mormons until they had all left the island. An influx of Irish immigrants followed and a huge fishing industry was established here. The population in 1910 was 1095 and over 30 fishing boats worked from the Port of St James on Beaver Is. It is now a small community with an interesting history for tourists to seek out.

We also met “Dan” the owner and boat builder of St James Boat Shop. He is a wood craftsman making oars, boats, canoes etc. and keeping a dying skill alive. He is going to be on a National Geographics show called “Boonies”.

The weather in Lake Michigan can be very fierce with winds whipping up from the south or west and often changing direction. Waves can be like those in the ocean. Planning your route is important and also having a back up in case the weather changes. Tomorrow we are off to Charlevoix a 40 mile trip in fairly open waters, forecast is not great, but we intend to leave at first light to try and beat the wind.

Beaver Is, North Lake Michigan

10ft water, very clear

The Grand Hotel.

Huge Suspension Bridge

Busy Channel

Gets even busier

Beaver Island from the sea,
felt we should have been
riding in on horses with
Clint Eastwood, and a trail of
dust behind
.

Most interesting, dble click to enlarge

600 perm residents, 1 police car.

Wonderful wooden boat works,
will be on Nat Geo channel soon.

Sunday, 23 August 2015

Last day at Mackinaw Island

Mackinaw Is & storms

We had to stay for another day because of the vicious storms rolling through most of the day & night:huge black thunderheads & heavy rain. We imagined the wind & waves out in the open water.

It did not deter us from walking about this picturesque town – a great place to be stuck in bad weather. At the Governors House the volunteer guide told us the story of how they manage in winter when the lake freezes over. A skilled fellow with a stick walks over newly formed ice and by tapping with his stick can tell whether the ice is safe to drive over – it needs to be over 12 inches thick. Then the driller drills a hole in the ice and a xmas tree is plugged in the hole. These are the discarded trees that are left by people after the xmas celebrations at a collection point near the lake edge. And so it goes on across the lake – all these xmas trees marking a safe driving road to St Ignace, about 5 miles via ice road.The trees have been recycled and when the ice begins to melt they drop to the bottom of the lake and eventually rot. I've seen a photo of it – it looks great.

Our walk around Mission Point took us past more gorgeous gardens. I suppose they make the most of gardening while the snow is absent. Fort Mackinac has scout troops to raise & lower the flag daily with the accompanying bugle & national anthem and a morning cannon salute.

When leaving the next day we passed under Mackinac Bridge one of the longest suspension bridges in the world connecting the upper & lower peninsulas of Michigan. It spans over 5 miles over Straits of Mackinac where Lake Huron meets Lake Michigan. Mackinac is pronounced Mackinaw but is spelt bothways – I don't know why – it just is.